ld
water will readily make it so), the whole can be cut through with a
sharp knife, the halves of the fruit come out easily, and a perfect
mould in two halves is thus obtained. Fasten the halves of the mould
together with string, and smear a little of the warm material over the
joint to hold it together, and cast your model (into this, through a
small hole made for the purpose) in the usual way with plaster of
Paris made rather thin with water. When set, place in a little warm
water, when the mould easily strips off, leaving a model of the most
perfect kind and at a small expense, for the mould can be melted up
and used over and over again."

Glue may sometimes be substituted for the wax.

The advantage of being able to fall back on this system is obvious,
especially if the modelled fruit is to be placed in a position exposed
to considerable heat. Of course, the plaster model must be coloured to
nature, and, as I have before pointed out, this is not one of the
easiest things to do. I would suggest dipping the model (when dry) in
melted wax to give a surface for colouring, or modelling it in paper.

PRESERVING SPIDERS, etc.--Spiders, which from their rarity or the
beauty of their markings it may be desirable to preserve, require the
contents of the abdomen to be pressed out, or their bodies to be cut
underneath. A first-rate article on preserving these crustaceans
appeared in Science Gossip for January, 1868, in which the author
points out what is just as well to bear in mind, which is "that the
colouring matter or pigment is placed between the outer or abdominal
covering and the pulpy contents within, upon a very delicate membrane,
which adheres very loosely to both, but more firmly to the contents
within; so that when the viscera or contents are rudely removed, and
without much tearing, the whole mass will be found more or less
coloured, while the outer skin will be left entirely transparent. To
preserve, therefore, the beauty of spiders, this must be untouched."

He further says: "Make an incision along the ventral aspect of the
abdomen, nearly its whole length, or as long as will enable the pulpy
contents to be easily removed; then pinch up the pulpy mass with a
small forceps, carefully avoiding any dragging; then, with
sharp-pointed scissors, cut away the contents bit by bit until the
whole is nearly removed, or until you can see the brilliant colour
shining through what remains in the cavity--better leave a lit