positions where shades or cases will not
go.

The method of making up a "mount" is as follows: Procure from a glass
merchant the top of a shade, let us say 12 in. in diameter by 7 in.
high. To this have a stand or rim turned out of thoroughly dry wood of
sufficient size to overlap the shade 1 in. all round--14 in. in
diameter, therefore, for a 12 in. shade. A groove should be turned in
them stand of sufficient width to allow the glass to play freely.

The groove, however, should be so arranged that the excess in width
should fall outside the glass. The centre of the stand inside the
groove being tinted for a sky, as desired, the objects, whether small
birds or butterflies, are introduced in the usual manner, and the
glass is then cemented, in the groove, over them.

Waste cylinders of glass may be economised for making mounts. It will
then, however, be necessary to have a circular plate for the top cut
by a glazier's turn-table. These are really better for showing up
anything than the round-topped mounts, as they cast no reflection; but
the top plates are harder to put on and to keep on when finished.
Strongly pasted black tape will do to fix the very small ones, but for
larger the tops should be cemented with thick white-lead, left to dry,
and then further cemented with narrow tape smeared with white-lead, or
any of the cements given in chapter IV. If it be desired to give a
rounded edge to this taping, plaster or whiting mixed with glue and
lamp-black may be laid on thickly, rubbed down with fine sand-paper,
and polished, or if the black is left out, the cement may be gilded,
after the manner of picture frames.

The stand itself may be "dished" out in the centre, in concave form,
and thus more room allowed for the enclosed specimens; but in this
case the stand must be of some thickness.

At one time the glasses were put in the stands with glue and cork, or
glue and paper, until it was found, in nine cases out of ten, that
glue, under atmospheric changes, sooner or later broke the glass, or
else entirely released it. Putty was then used, but that failed to
hold with the tenacity required, as there was a constant tendency of
the shade to fall out by its natural weight when hanging up. I have
accordingly mixed white-lead with putty with better results, in the
proportion of two parts putty; one ditto white-lead (thick, such as
gasfitters use); one-eighth ditto gold size--or I have used red-lead,
mixed with common pu