Ladies' manual of art; or, profit and pastime. / A self teacher in all branches of decorative art, embracing every variety of painting and drawing on china, glass, velvet, canvas, paper and wood the secret of all glass transparencies, sketching from nature. pastel and crayon drawing, taxidermy, etc.

by Anonymous

Procure a bar one inch thick, two inches broad, and as long as to reach horizontally from the shoulders to the connection of the thighs, or os pubis. A hole is bored four inches distant from one of its ends, from which a connecting groove must be formed, extending on both sides to the end of the plank next the hole; this groove must be cut out with a hollow chisel deep enough to receive the wire. The wire is then passed through it, one end of which is just long enough to be twisted with the other at the end of the plank. The wire on both sides is now pressed down into the grooves and twisted firmly together by the aid of a pair of strong pincers. Pierce some holes obliquely into the groove and insert some wire nails into them, which must be firmly driven home, and then bent over the wires to keep them firm. The longest end of the wire should be at least eighteen inches beyond the bar so as to pass through the skull of the animal.

The use of this bar, it will be observed, is a substitute for the central or supporting wires of the body. Two other holes are now bored into it, the one two, and the other three inches from the end which we first pierced; these are for the reception of the wires of the fore legs; and two similar holes must be made at the other extremity of the bar for receiving the wires of the hind legs.

Bears always support themselves on the full expansion of their dilated paws, so that it is necessary to bring the leg-wires out at the claws. The leg-wires are bent at right angles for a length of five inches from the upper end. These are put through the holes in the bar, and when they have passed through they are curved again. Two small gimlet-holes are then made for the reception of smaller wire, by which the leg-wires must be bound together close to the bar. The foreleg-wires are fixed in the same manner, which completes the framework.

No other means are used for middle-sized animals, such as the lion, tiger, leopard, etc. The stuffing is completed as in other quadrupeds.

The walrus, seals, and other amphibious animals of this order, are treated in the manner of quadrupeds generally, only that leg-wires are unnecessary, except in the fore-feet; the tail, which represents the hind-feet, has merely to be dried and kept properly stretched in during this process, which precaution also applies to the fore-feet. They are the easiest stuffed of all animals, only the skins are very oily; they should be well rubbed with the arsenical soap, and also with the preserving powder.

The stuffing of the walrus, and other large animals of this family, should consist of well dried hay for the interior parts and tow for the surface next the skin.

Beaver, etc. The beaver, muskrat, common rat, and other animals whose skins have a strong smell. These require to be plentifully supplied with the preservative. The tail of the beaver should be cut underneath, and all the flesh removed, then stuffed with tow or chopped flax, and afterwards thoroughly dried and well primed with the arsenical soap to prevent putrefaction, to which it is very liable. It should also have repeated washings with oil of turpentine. The back should be round and short.

The Porcupine. In stuffing this animal considerable and varied expression may be given, both from the attitude and disposition of the quills. Great attention is therefore required in giving these a proper set during the process of drying. They will require to be looked at several times during the first and second day after they have been stuffed, and any of them that may have fallen out of the position required, to be adjusted.

Hares and Rabbits. A very pretty attitude for the hare or rabbit, is to have it seated in its form in an upright position, as if alarmed at the noise of dogs, etc. An oval is formed of wire and attached to the interior framework, after having passed one end of it through the anus, which must be passed through a hole in the board on which the animal is to be fixed. The wires of the hind legs must be forced through the posterior part of them, and also fixed into holes formed for their reception in the board.

Deer, Antelopes, Goats, etc. These animals should be mounted on the same principles as recommended for the bears. A different mode must, however, be adopted in skinning the animals, which the horns render necessary. It is performed in the ordinary manner until the operator reaches the neck. After cutting as near the head as possible, another incision must be made, commencing under the chin, which is continued to the bottom of the neck, or from eight to ten inches in length. By this opening, the remainder of the neck is separated from the head; the tongue is cut out, and the occipital orifice enlarged, and the brain extracted thereby. The lips are now cut as near as possible to the jaw bones, and the operator must continue progressively ascending towards the forehead, and in this manner all the skin will be separated from the head, except at the nose, or point of the muzzle. All the muscles are next removed by the scalpel, and the skull well anointed with arsenical soap. The muscles which have been cut out are then imitated with chopped flax or cotton, which may be attached to the bones with cement. When this is done, the head must be replaced within the skin. The orifice under the neck must now be sewed up with fine stitches, so that the hair may spread over them to conceal the seam. The whole other parts of the mounting is completed as directed for the bear.