halves will not fall
off of their own accord if care be taken.

The mould being allowed to set for about half an hour or an hour,
according to the quality of the plaster, is then ready for the next
operation, which is the turning of the carcase, so that the head may
also be turned upside down. Previously to this, should the mould show
the least sign of coming off, it will be as well to tie it on.

Supposing, however, that the wall of boards being removed, the head is
successfully turned until it rests with its centre on the table, it
may happen that the horns, being in the way, may require to hang over
the edge of the table to effect this properly, and that the head,
being rounded by the superior thickness of the mould, may require
propping. To describe the means for overcoming such self-evident
little difficulties as these, would only insult my reader's judgment.

The head, then, being now securely fixed face downwards, the clay
which hides the lower half must be picked off. This exposes the inner
edge of the mould, together with the lower jaw. Scrape the plaster to
a level surface, and cut two moderately large V-shaped nicks, one on
each edge of the mould, build up around as before with wood, and fill
in all interstices leading to the table below with clay. See that the
mouth is properly shut, introducing a little clay if needed. Brush
over with soft soap, not forgetting the top of the plaster mould, and
mix some more plaster and pour over the lower jaw, on to the edges of
the plaster mould, until stopped by the wall; build up thicker in the
centre, as before, and suffer all to dry for about an hour. After
this, pull away the walls, and all retaining clay, and the mould will
easily come away from the head in three pieces, i.e, two for the upper
surface, and one for the under.

The chief thing to guard against is not to get the plaster behind the
horns, so that it locks the front up. As, however, you may require to
cast more, in length, of the under surface than of the upper, you may
easily do this by lengthening the upper surface, when turned over,
with clay, and casting on to that. It is this system which gives the
diagonally-cut appearance to the model (see Fig. 28).

You have now three pieces, forming, when trimmed and put together, a
concavity representing the place whence the stag's head has been
extracted; bake these pieces in an oven for a day or so until
sufficiently dried, then examine them for flaws or