cleaning as directed anoint it with the preserving powder, then put in
suitable eyes, as directed in birds. Now if the legs are large enough to
take in the leg wires, drill holes through the ends large enough to
receive said wires. Next divide the skin of ears out to the points and
place a piece of tin in them the shape of ear. Now turn the skin of head
inside out and sew up the mouth, draw the under lip up under the upper
lip and sew it there so as when turned back the stitches will not show.
Next stretch the hide on the bench and measure it. In order to make the
wire frame as shown and described in wire frames, Nos. 4 and 6, make the
frame of suitable malleable wire, and place it in as shown, except the
neck wire should be passed out at nostril. First put the skull in place
and pass the neck wire through the nose. Then pass the leg wires out
through the leg bones, or on the inside of skin where the bone is not
large enough to receive it. Now cut the tail wire long enough to reach
to end of tail and put it in place.
Now, if the skin has not been previously prepared with some of the
preserving preparations, powder the whole inside with the arsenic and
alum. However, the head and legs have to be prepared before putting in
the frame. We are now ready for the filling. Stuff cotton in around the
leg wires to make the legs proper shape, being careful not to get it in
too tight. Take some sand and mix some arsenic with it; fill the tail
with this, placing some cotton at base of tail to hold the sand in. Now
stuff the neck and body with any suitable material, shaping and sewing
up as you proceed. Examine the head, and where it needs filling out pass
the cotton in through nose and ears, and shape it as in life, arranging
the ears, nose and mouth. Now pose the specimen as you wish it to
remain, and place it in a cool, dry place to dry. The leg wires should
be bent so as to allow the foot to rest on board, and when dry the wires
should be cut off at bottom of feet, and the projecting neck wire at end
of nose should also be cut off. Anoint the feet, nose and ears with the
preserving fluid once a day for a few days. The wood and wire frame is
used in heavy animals, the wood simply taking the place of the wire
along the back. By examining the cuts it is easy to see how they are to
be used.
Wishing to stand animals, such as squirrels, groundhogs, etc., on the
hind legs, they have to remain on a block or perch; so procure a
suitable block or perch, and varnish it before putting the specimen on.
Animals and birds can be stuffed with hay, or anything that you can get
into them in good shape. I often mow fine bluegrass and dry it
carefully, and find it makes splendid stuffing, especially for the
bodies of animals and large birds. Excelsior also makes a good filling.
ON MOUNTING DEER HEADS.
In mounting a deer's head to look life-like (having horns on), proceed
to skin, anoint with the preserving powder, build up the nose with
plaster of paris, put in the eyes, sew up the mouth and neck, for which
see directions in another article. Now take a 2×4-inch piece of pine for
a neck support. Fit the end of it in the brain pit with plaster of
paris. When the plaster has hardened sew up the mouth as directed in
cat. Draw the skin up over the skull and sew the skin together, drawing
it close around the horns. The skin being opened on back of neck, sew it
up to within six inches of back end. Now make a board to fit in back end
of neck skin, and fasten it to the neck support in such a way as to hold
the head on wall as desired. Tack the skin around the board, being
careful not to draw the hair down. Stuff the neck and finish sewing up.
Cut the skin off at back of board. Arrange the whole head as directed in
the cat and set away to dry. See that the ears and eyes are all right,
and use plenty of the preserving fluid. When the head is completed make
a suitable shield to place on back end of the neck; this should be of a
neat pattern and nicely polished. Fasten this on to neck board with
screws, then on the wall, also with screws, which should be passed
through the shield, under edge of hair, to conceal the heads of screws.
ARTICLE III.
A SIMPLE METHOD OF SKINNING, STUFFING AND PRESERVING FISH.
FISH DRESSING.
[Illustration: _No. 1._]
Take a scale fish, say one that weighs two pounds, more or less, and if
a fish on which the scales are tight, you can skin and dress it without
losing any of the scales; but if a loose scaled fish, it will be better
to protect them as follows: Take some tissue paper and press it gently
on one side of the fish, then turn it over and treat the other side in
the same manner. The natural glutinous matter which covers the scales
will be sufficient to make it adhere firmly. Without this precaution the
skin could not be removed from some fish without losing the scales,
which would ruin the specimen. When these papers dry, lay the fish on
its back, take a pair of scissors and open the skin down the center of
the belly, beginning close up the gills and running clear back to the
end of the body.
The skin should now be taken off with great care, using a smooth-edged
knife for skinning, and a pair of scissors to clip the fins and other
fine bones with. After the body has been skinned, take out the gills,
tongue and eyes.
It is now ready for the preserving powder, which should be spread or
dusted over the inside of the skin, being careful to reach all parts
around the gills, in the mouth, eye sockets, etc. We now insert the
frame E (see cut No. 1), which is simply a wire bent as shown in the
cut, and sew up, beginning at the tail and ending at the gills, leaving
the ends EE of frame projecting, as represented in cut No. 1. We now
proceed to fill the body with plaster paris. Mix up a sufficient
quantity, take a funnel, open the gills or mouth and insert the tube of
the funnel therein, and pour in enough plaster paris to fill the body.
Handle the body carefully, and shape it properly, while the plaster is
setting, being careful to keep the frame EE straight with the body. When
the plaster has set (or hardened), bore two holes in a rough board to
set the frame rods EE in, which will hold the body up off the board.
(See cut.) Now proceed to stuff the head with cotton, being careful not
to press the gills out of shape, then draw the mouth together with a
thread and tie it. Fill the eye socket with plaster paris or putty, and
set the eye in the proper position.
We are now ready for the fins and tail; if they have become dry, wet
them with water and spread them out; then take a needle and thread and
draw them up, as shown in cut No. 1.
To make the frame, take a rough board, say one inch longer than the fish
you intend to dress. For a fish a foot long, the board should be one
inch thick and about three inches wide, and for larger fish in the same
proportion, or large enough to support the fish. To one end of the board
nail a piece of lath a foot long (see D in cut); on the other end nail a
block (C in cut), to which nail an upright piece (B in cut). Tack the
tail to the upright (B) with tacks (P). Raise the upper fins by drawing
a thread through them and tying to upright piece, as shown in cut. Drive
two nails in board (A), as shown (GH), to which fasten threads attached
to lower fins as shown in cut. Set away to dry and when thoroughly dry
wash the whole body, take off the tissue paper. When the fish gets dry,
dampen all the outer surface with corrosive sublimate and set away. Take
off the threads and place it on a nice, smooth board and give a light
coat of varnish. The specimen is then ready for the cabinet.
Should you prefer to stuff the body with cotton instead of using plaster
paris, proceed as follows: After skinning as directed, make a frame, EE,
and take a straight piece of wire long enough to reach from the point of
the nose to the other end of the body, fasten this to the frame, EE, at
the upper end, by wrapping them together with a small wire or cord,
leaving the frame EE as near the center as possible. Take cotton or tow
and wrap the wire that is to run lengthwise of the body, say one-fourth
as big as the body, then insert it in the skin and proceed to stuff with
cotton, being very careful to get the natural shape. When this is
completed, proceed to sew up and mount as directed when dressed with
plaster paris. The Gar fish makes a fine specimen, by simply filling the
skin with dry sand while drying, and let it out when dry.
ARTICLE IV.
HUNTING SPECIMENS AND CARE OF SAME.
In hunting specimens, birds or animals, it is best to take a
double-barreled shot-gun, have your cartridges loaded some with fine
shot, and some with coarse; keep one barrel loaded with one number and
the other barrel with the other number, then you are ready for either
small or large game. Have some cotton and old newspaper with you, and as
soon as you kill a specimen, stop up the shot holes with the cotton, and
it is sometimes best to stuff some in the nostrils and mouth. If any
blood has run out on the hair, or feathers, as the case may be, wipe it
off carefully, then wrap the body in paper and pack it in the game sack,
using all care not to bend, break or soil the feathers, for if once
soiled it is hard to make the work look well again.
On removing the birds from the game sack, if there is any blood on the
feathers, wash it out with clear water, and wipe until nearly dry; then
sprinkle with plaster of paris and shake until dry. In this way the
feathers will look smooth and natural; but if, after washing, you let
them dry without stirring, they will present a bad appearance. Where the
blood has remained on the feathers they must be well washed and treated
as directed in a test case as given at close of Article I.
ARTICLE V.
WOOD AND WIRE FRAMES.
[Illustration: _Fig. 7._]
[Illustration: _Fig. 8._]
[Illustration: _Fig. 9._]
[Illustration: _Fig. 10._]
[Illustration: _Fig. 11._]
[Illustration: _Fig. 12._]
[Illustration: _Fig. 13._]
The above cuts represent my wood and wire frames for animals and birds.
Fig. 7 is Fig. 8 reversed; Fig. 8, showing the way the neck and tail
supports EE are fastened to the body board with blind staples. Fig. 7
shows the way the leg wires AA are fastened in the same manner. In
making the frame, measure the animal from shoulder to hip, and cut the
board a little longer than the measure taken; round the corners as shown
in cuts, and round the upper edges to keep them from cutting the skin
should it come in contact with it. Now take a wire or rod long enough to
reach from the end of the tail to the end of the nose, bend the wire as
shown in Fig. 8, and fasten it to the body board with blind staples,
unless the specimen be a large one, then it will be necessary to put
them on with strong wire staples. Next bend the wires for legs as shown
in Fig. 12, which should not be fastened to the board until after being
placed in the legs of the animal being dressed. They are then bent up as
shown in Fig. 13 and fastened to the body board with staples to suit.
The frame for birds is made in the same way, excepting the forelegs,
which is used on bird frames only when wanting to spread the wings. Fig.
11 is a single wire frame, to be bent in the manner shown, and to be
used in dressing small birds. (See small bird page 5).
ARTICLE VI.
FOR BIRDS AND ANIMALS.
WIRE FRAMES.
[Illustration: _Fig. 1._]
[Illustration: _Fig. 2._]
[Illustration: _Fig. 3._]
[Illustration: _Fig. 4._]
[Illustration: _Fig. 5._]
[Illustration: _Fig. 6._]
The above frames are made as follows: Take a straight wire and turn a
loop in the center as shown at B, Fig. 1. Take another wire about the
same length and bend it as shown in Fig. 2. Now run Fig. 2 wire through
the loop B in Fig. 1 down to bend E, fasten them in a vice at the loop B
in Fig. 1, and plait the three together as shown in Fig. 3. To form the
Fig. 4 frame, make another loop two or three inches or further up the
neck wire E, bend another wire as Fig. 2, put this through the loop, and
plait together as in Fig. 3. This forms the frame for animals, as shown
in Fig. 4.
For Figs. 5 and 6, lay three wires together as shown in Fig. 5, put them
in a vise and twist or plait together as shown in Fig. 6. This forms
three wire frames—Figs. 3, 4 and 6.
The advantage Fig. 4 frame has over Fig. 6, is that it is easier bent in
the center, there only being one wire.
ARTICLE VII.
MOLES.
It is not necessary to give more than one way to dress a mole. An expert
can skin, stuff and sew up a mole in ten minutes in the following
manner:
After killing a mole, let it cool; then make an incision along the
abdomen, commencing at the tail and running forward two inches, or about
to the center of the body. Skin out the hind legs, bone and flesh, down
to the foot and unjoint. Press the skin back to the tail and unjoint it
close to the body. Pull the skin off the body, taking care of front
feet, not to pull them loose from the skin; unjoint them, or break the
arm bone close to the foot; skin on down to mouth and cut the body
loose, leaving only the jaw bones in the skin. Spread on the whole skin
all the preserving powder that will stick to it, and turn the skin back
inside out. Turn the hind legs and proceed to fill the body with cotton,
using a wire to stuff the cotton in with, as in all other animals, being
careful not to stretch the skin, and also not to get the cotton knotted
up. After the body is filled sew it up and place on a board to dry.
Place the feet in position, and wet them and the tail and nose with the
solution of corrosive sublimate.
Other small animals, such as rats, mice, ground squirrels, gophers,
etc., can be dressed in the same manner. After stuffing smooth the hair
and shape the body before laying away.
ARTICLE VIII.
MODE OF DRESSING AND PRESERVING TURTLES.
A good sized turtle may be thoroughly preserved without the tedious
process of unjointing, skinning, digging out the flesh, sewing up, etc.,
by observing the following directions:
Take a snapping, or any other hard shell turtle, say one that measures
ten inches across the back, or smaller, down to the smallest.
The first thing to be done is to kill it, which is the hardest part of
the operation, as it clings to life tenaciously, and large ones are very
strong and hard to manage. One way is to get it to open its mouth, and
catch it by the under jaw with a pair of strong pliers, hold its mouth
open and make it swallow a quantity of the solution of corrosive
sublimate; this being a deadly poison, it will soon kill it.
Another way is to hold its head as far out as you can pull it, and stick
it as close to the under shell as you can, running the blade well back
into the body. It takes some time for it to die after being stuck.
And still another way is to open its mouth and stick a knife blade up
through the roof of the mouth into the brain.
I prefer the poisoning, as it seems to die easier and quicker, and it
does not disfigure it. As soon as it dies, lay it on its back, and make
an opening in the skin, under one of the back legs, large enough to take
out all the entrails; now take a pair of pliers or a hook (made for the
purpose); pull out all the entrails, liver, heart, etc. If the specimen
is a large one, pour in some water and rinse out thoroughly, then put in
a lot of the preserving powder, being careful to get it well distributed
through the body. Then take some cotton and dust it well with the
preserving powder, and fill up the inside, pressing the cotton in tight,
filling the body full and sew up. Now open the mouth and pour some of
the solution of corrosive sublimate down its throat, and press some
cotton sprinkled with the powder down its throat, being careful not to
stretch the neck out of proportion. Remove the eyes and insert the
artificial eyes in their stead; fill the mouth with cotton and close it.
Cut a hole in the bottom of each foot, and probe the legs with a knife
or the blunt end of a wire; pour in some of the solution of corrosive
sublimate, or work in enough of the powder to preserve the flesh; if the
tail is a large one, it should be treated in the same way, and all sewed
up. Now set it on a board and tack the feet to the board in as near the
way it would hold them while walking as you can. Pull the neck out a
very little, and put a little block or a small roll of cotton under it
to hold it up in position while drying. Before putting it on the drying
board, take a small paint brush, pour out some of the solution of
corrosive sublimate in a dish and give the whole outer surface a
thorough wetting. This should be repeated once a day for several days.
This completes the dressing. After the specimen is dry, take it off the
board and set in the cabinet.
Another way: After killing, as directed, lay the specimen on its back
and unjoint the breast shell from back shell with a chisel or heavy
knife blade; open the skin from the front part of the foreleg back and
around to front of the other foreleg, cutting under the legs. Skin out
all the flesh and bones of the legs and unjoint them at the foot, skin
out the tail, then unjoint the neck bone from backbone, and skin it out
and unjoint at the back of the skull. Take the flesh from back and
breast shells, then anoint all parts with the preserving powder. Take a
frame as Fig. 8, in article V, of the wire and wood frame, and put in
legs, neck and tail, as directed in animals, letting the neck wire pass
out through the mouth or nostril. Stuff the legs, neck and tail with
cotton or tow, and sew up the sides, leaving an opening to stuff the
body; fill the body, then finish sewing up. In stuffing the legs, neck
and tail be careful to keep the wires in the center of each. Open the
mouth and take out the eyes from inside and put in the glass eyes; put
some cotton back of them to hold them in place while drying. Close the
mouth, and wet the whole body with the solution of corrosive sublimate.
This should be done once a day for several days. Place the specimen on a
board to dry. For position, copy after nature as near as possible. After
the skin is dry a coat of varnish adds much to its appearance.
ARTICLE IX.
KILLING AND DRESSING SNAKES.
To kill a snake without bruising or breaking the skin is a difficult
undertaking, for, as a general thing, we are not looking for snakes,
therefore we are not prepared to capture one.
When we do run across them, we generally kill them with the first thing
we get hold of. If the snake is not too large, strike it across the back
with a small stick. This disables him, and you now have time to prepare
to finish him. Watch your chance and when the opportunity presents
itself, tap it on the head a few times, and you can soon kill it without
bruising. When it is dead, open its mouth and cut the tongue and fangs
out, then unjoint the backbone from the skull and skin back on the body
an inch or two, turning the skin inside out. Tie a cord to the skinned
part of the body and pull on this with your right hand, while with your
left hand you pull the skin off from the body, which is easily done if
the snake is not too large in the center of the body; in that case it
must be opened in the largest part of the body. Make the opening on
under side of body, lengthwise of the snake, and long enough to allow
you to remove the skin all around the body, then cut the body in two.
Skin out both ends, unjointing the body close to the skull, turn the
skin right side out and sew up the opening, taking short stitches. Now
mix some plaster paris and water, leaving it thin enough to run; place a
funnel in the mouth and pour the plaster in until the body is full. Lay
the snake on a level board and coil it before the plaster gets dry,
placing the head in the position in which you want it to remain. Take
out the eyes and put in the glass ones; then wet the whole skin with the
solution of corrosive sublimate. This should be repeated once a day for
three or four days.
Another method is to skin and sew up as directed, then take a long wire
and stuff the body with cotton or tow, being careful to get the stuffing
in smooth, so that no lumps will show on the outside.
Another way is to fill the body with sand, and when the skin has
thoroughly dried, make a hole in the under part of the body and let the
sand run out.
In either of the above modes the snake should be coiled as soon as
stuffed in the shape you want it to remain, and plenty of the solution
of corrosive sublimate used over the skin.
Eels, frogs and toads are skinned and stuffed in the same manner as the
snake, no frames being used.
ARTICLE X.
DRESSING ALLIGATORS.
Take an alligator, say five feet long, make an incision the full length
of the body, on the under side, and skin out all the flesh and bones, as
recommended in skinning animals. Scrape off all the fat or flesh that
may be left on the inside of the skin, and give it a thorough coat of
the preserving powder. Now proceed to stuff it without using any frame.
First stuff the legs with cotton or tow, pressing it in very tight—their
skin being very tough, there is no danger of stretching it. Sew the neck
up, down to the front legs, and stuff tight; now sew up the tail to hind
legs and stuff it; then take a piece of pine board, say an inch thick,
two inches wide, and twelve inches long, place this inside of the skin,
draw the edges together over it, and tack both edges close together on
the board, fill the body up to the end of this board, and put in another
board in the same way, and again stuff; when the full length of the
opening is closed up in this way, before putting in the last section,
have the body thoroughly stuffed and put the section in afterward.
The advantage in putting in the board is this: It is almost impossible
to sew the skin, and as it is to lay flat, it is much easier to use the
boards; they could also be used in the neck and tail, if you wish to lay
them straight with the body. Lay the specimen on a flat board, and place
his feet and tail as you wish to have them. The eyes should now be
removed, some of the solution of corrosive sublimate put in the sockets,
then put the glass eyes in with putty or plaster paris. Close the mouth
and set a block under the jaw to hold it up while drying. Give the body
a thorough wetting with spirits of turpentine, repeating it once a day
for three or four days. After the skin becomes well dried give it one or
two coats of varnish and you have a fine specimen.
ARTICLE XI.
DESCRIPTION OF FOOT-STOOL.
[Illustration: _No. 5._]
Letter (A) represents the covering, (B) the moss or hair filling, (C)
the bolt which fastens the horn to the stool brace, (D) the tap of said
bolt, (E) the wooden base of stool, (F) a small rod or nail set in the
plaster paris, (G) a rivet through the horn, (H) head to bolt, (J)
plaster paris in the horn.
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING THE STOOL
Take three cow horns of good shape and size; rasp them and sand-paper
down, as hereafter directed in Article XII; then, after deciding what
height you want the legs, make a frame to saw them off on, as
illustrated and directed in Article XII, cut No. 6. After sawing off,
drill a hole through in the horn about three-quarters of an inch from
the large end. This hole should be large enough to take in a ten-penny
nail. Put the nail through and file it off even with the horn on both
sides, and rivet it with a small riveting hammer. Now level up the ends
of the horns where they were sawed off, by taking a coarse piece of
sand-paper, and laying it on a level board, rub the ends of the horn
round and round on it until it is perfectly level. Now take the bolt C,
of size and length to suit the horn, put it down in the horn to see that
it will suit; sometimes it has to be bent in the shape of the horn;
after fitting it to the horn, leaving about 1¼ inches projecting out to
go through the wooden base E and leaving room for the tap D. Now mix
some plaster paris and water until about as thick as it will run; pour
this in the horn until nearly full, put in the bolt, as shown, and while
the plaster paris is yet soft, take an eight-penny wire nail and push it
down head first in the plaster paris, leaving about half an inch
sticking out; this nail and the bolt should both come straight up from
the level of the end of the horn. When the plaster is partially dry,
level up around the bolt and nail at the end. The horn should now be
polished as directed in Article XII. The next is the wooden base E; have
a board turned or cut round, say twelve inches across and one inch
thick. This should be made of walnut, or some other hard wood, but when
the hard wood can not be procured pine will do. If pine is used it
should be painted, or stained and varnished on the under side, and if
walnut it should be sand-papered, filled and varnished. Now strike a
circle within about two inches of the outer edge and bore three holes at
equal distances apart and set in the bolts; when you get them in the
position you want them, press down on them to get the imprint of the
nails F, then remove the horns and bore a hole the size of the nails F.
Now put the bolts in again and screw the top on tight. The nail F is to
keep the horns from turning around and getting out of place. See that
the butt of horn fits tight to the wooden base E.
UPHOLSTERING FOOT-STOOL.