Wrap the leg muscles upon the bones same as in a small specimen, except pull the excelsior rather smooth for the purpose instead of rolling it in the palms. Make the Achilles tendon in same way and leave back of thigh off to be stuffed.
When the plaster to hold neck-rod in head is set, anchor the skull by the rod to the core-board in proper relation to the body. To do this, run the rod through a hole drilled through the board, clinch rod down forward and back with a hammer on anvil or vise, and fasten with staples, or drill a small hole through core-board each side of rod and tie the rod down with a strong loop of wire twisted down with the pliers.
Wrap the skull muscles on with excelsior rolled in palms of hands. Wrap a tail of pulled excelsior laid straight along a wire much smaller than is used in legs.
Fig. 42.
Drill the center-board for legs and tail as shown in [Fig. 42], which shows general assembling details. When the legs, head, and tail are finished, push the head and body-core into place in the skin, shove in the legs and tail, and wire the legs and tail fast in the center-board same as head was fastened.
The remainder of the mounting is accomplished in exactly the same way as the filling and finishing of a small mammal specimen, i. e., by stuffing the neck, body, and back of thighs and finishing the face and feet with a batch of papier-mache compo. No. 2. If the mouth is to be open, follow directions given for finishing an entire rug-head.
