penetrate the face of
the shield.

If the adjustment is perfect the screws are to be drawn and the surfaces
which come in contact coated well with glue, then drawn closely together
and laid aside until thoroughly dry, when it should be well sandpapered
before varnishing.

All shields and panels should be carefully sandpapered, filled and
varnished, and polished if you wish. Don't make the shield or panel so
ornate that the specimen will seem but an incidental, thrown in for good
measure, so to speak.

Rustic panels can be made by sawing the end from a log on a slant, and
planing smooth the oval. If this is heavily varnished on the front and
back and the bark left on it is a very suitable mount for small heads,
fish and birds. Artificial branches and trees for mounting birds should
be avoided if possible; they are made by wrapping tow around wires,
coating with glue and covering with moss or papier mache and painting.
The result I consider unnatural and inartistic.

[Illustration: SMALL BIRD.]

I would advise to use natural branches as far as possible; sufficient
labor will be required to make necessary joining and changes look as
near like nature as you can. Rock work is usually made of a wooden
framework covered with cloth, wire or paper and finished with a coating
of glue and crushed stone or sand. One of the most useful materials in
this work is the rough cork bark so much used by florists. It is light,
comes in desirable shapes, can be nailed, sawed or coated with glue or
paint. For constructing stumps for mounted birds of prey and rustic
stands for small and medium fur animals it has no equal. Some
taxidermists produce rock work of an obscure geological period by
covering screen wire forms with a mixture of flour, baking powder and
plaster of paris and water. This is put in an oven and baked hard, the
weird result being painted to the artist's taste.

Water worn roots such as are found along the shore, twisted laurel
branches, limbs of gum, oak and sassafras, all work up well in this and
should be stored up to dry against a day of need. Out door people have a
good eye for such things, but they are hard to find when you look for
them, so gather them on your rambles. Papier mache is also a good
modeling material for stumps, limbs and rock, being light, and readily
taking coats of glue or paint. The expert can copy nature closely with
it.

Some leaves and grasses can be pressed, dried and colored their natur