tion, but without any teeth used, and the open mouth
mounting requires a set of suitable teeth with the interior of the
mouth, tongue and lips fully modeled and finished either with colored
wax or by painting.

These artificial head forms or skulls both with and without teeth and
masks, are to be had in all varieties and several sizes each of dealers
in taxidermists' supplies so cheaply that I would advise the novice to
procure them if possible. In many cases it is necessary for the
professional to make use of skulls with artificial teeth as the natural
skulls are often thrown away by the collector. In the case of any large
skin intended for a rug the roughly cleaned skull should accompany same.
In ordering from dealers it is only necessary to give name of animal and
the measure of skin from center of nose to inner corner of eye, and
outer corner of eye to ear.

[Illustration: DOG--CLOSED MOUTH.]

The beginner would do well to try mounting a rug with half head first
and the more difficult open mouth later. A very fair mask form can be
made by laying the skinned head down on a piece of thin board and
marking around it with pencil, then cutting out to the outline. With a
bunch of fine excelsior or coarse tow and a spool of thread a half-head
form can be roughly blocked out by winding, using the board as a base.
Then with modelling clay and chopped tow the anatomy is perfected,
pressing down here with the fingers, and building up elsewhere. With the
skinned head to refer to as the form is modeled a good job can be done.
However, if a number of skins of the same species are to be prepared it
is best to make a mould in which unlimited paper forms may be cast.
Particulars in this work are given in Chapter on Casting and Modelling.

[Illustration: FOUNDATION FOR TOW AND EXCELSIOR]

The next step in rug making after drying the pelt is to prepare the head
for mounting. It is as well to do little or no thinning down of the head
skin during the tanning and even if it has been shaved down the vicinity
of the eyes, ears, nose and lips will need thinning with a small sharp
knife, and stretching out with a skin scraper. Before beginning this
process the head skin should be dampened on the pelt side with clear
water (use pickle in warm weather). If the ears are not skinned before
dressing they should be now, and turned inside out to the tips. A small
screw driver with the edge blunted and rounded is a good tool for this
work as it