he upper surface of the face being attended to, turn it upside down on
a folded bag or something in the nature of a cushion while we lace it
across the form with a stout thread and needle. If a hollow paper form
is used it should be filled with crumpled paper, excelsior, coarse tow
or similar material. Do not use fur scraps for this as I have seen done
or it will be a moth nest.

The whole inside of the skin may now be poisoned after slightly
dampening, and then tacked out fur side up in the proper shape to dry.
In order to make an animal skin lay flat to the floor it is necessary in
most cases to cut out several V-shaped pieces. Behind the fore legs
almost always and often in front of them, also and frequently in front
of the hind legs are the places where these gores are removed.
Consisting as they do of the thinly haired skin inside the legs their
absence is not noticeable when neatly sewed up.

Take care in this final stretching of the rug skin to get it alike on
both sides, or, as the artists say, bilaterally symmetrical. When tacked
out, go back to the face and perfect it so it may dry just right. With a
fine awl point draw the upper eyelids down a little, straighten the eye
brows, lashes and whiskers, and mould the nostrils into shape, bracing
them with damp clay; when dry it is easily removed. Now set it aside
until fully dry before proceeding with the trimming and lining. One and
a half or two inch wire brads are good to use in stretching skins, but
3d wire lath nails will do; the longer brads are more easily handled.

After removing the nails turn the skin on its back and draw a line from
neck to tail with pencil or chalk. By measuring from points on this line
we can trim off the legs and flanks of the rug evenly. If it is a small
or medium size skin it will look best with an all felt lining. So by
laying it flat on a piece of felt somewhat larger all round and marking
around it at a distance of 3 inches we can cut out the lining. The edge
of this is to be pinked. One end of our chopping block, usually of
sycamore or oak, is kept for this function, and a few minutes work with
pinking iron and hammer will border the lining with neat scallops.

A sufficient length of felt strips about 2 inches wide, should be cut to
reach around the outside of the skin, also pinked on one edge. Allow
generously for this as it will have to be gathered in rounding the feet
and head. In the case of animals having a bushy tail or