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.