The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1911-06-29
{ MOUNTING TROPHIES OF ROOGVHTS
HUNTING TRIP IN SOUTH AFRICA
','bU" o''''~ -"
Old Method of Stuffina
Hides Mounted on
Wire Frames
Discarded.

system is faithfully reproduced AS
In the case of many of the Roosevelt
specimens, there are no living coun-
terparts in this country. The taxider-
mists In such instances make a study
| Of the nearest relative of the animal
that they can find. From the large
clay models are made plaster casts.
These casts are permanent work and
are as carefully finished as the prod
uct of n sculptor.
When plaster cast is ready to re-
ceive the skin the latter has to be
soaked and made thoroughly pliable.
| 1t is then given coat of arsenical
soap on the inside. This is for the
! purpose of making it proof against
moths. A sufficient amount of the
| poison permeates through TO the roots
| of the hair. so that moth never
| takes more than one bite and usually
| does not ger that far. The fitting of
! the skins Is the supreme test of the
success or failure of the model max
ing The hides are not only sewed on.
but are pasted so that they will ad-
here snugly TO the hollows of the cast
rs we'll as to the protuberances.
Fitting of Legs a Delicate Task.
Perhaps the most ingenious part of
the work is the fitting of the legs.
The plaster casts of legs are made
separately from the body. In the skins
the legs have not been detached. The
first operation is to mount the legs of
the animal. In doing this the molds
are slid into the skins in the same
manner that man puts on gloves.
At the upper end of each leg is de-
vice for locking it TO the body. This
is nothing more nor less than an adap-
tation of the old fashioned method of
fastening skates TO the heel of shoe.
Almost any one of the grownup boys
will remember how he used to put
plates in the heels of his winter shoes
in order to receive the little knob
which came on the heels of the skate
and how, after walking TO the skating
pond. he would have to sit down and
dig the snow out of the holes When
the skin of the animal has been
stretched over the plaster body the
legs are made fast by inserting the
little knobs into the plates containing
the holes and then giving them half
turn. So accurately are these joints
made that the legs are held as firmly
in place az if they were actually
part of the main cast. Only by this
method can the cutting of the skins
TO senarate the legs from the body be
avoided
Eyes Bought or Made.
The last operation is the inserting of
the eyes. Some of the eyes are pur-
chased in the market by the Smith
sonian institution and others are paint
ed by its own experts. The latter are
the best. although it is possible TO buy
satisfactory grade Of artificial eyes
from almost any manufacturer. The
beauty of the hand painted eye is that
it has more lifelike expression and
has the peculiar qualities of always ap-
pearing to be directed at the observer.
There is whole draw full of glass
eyes in the taXidermy shop. but In
nearly all the important specimens
pair of eyes is specially prepared to fit
the subject.
The Smithsonian taxidermists are
now working on several important
groups. The largest contains five lions
and will be an elaborate production.
The miniature model represents the
bed of dried up stream. In the cen
ter of it is a small water hole. which
has been dug by zebras. whose tracks
may be seen in the soil.
An Impressive Group.