ers of
any plant from nature, so that all will appear perfectly life-like and
yet be durable, and stand exposure to moderate heat and cold, would
take up too much space, added to which, my personal knowledge of all
is required in this is of such recent acquirement, that, although I
have fairly succeeded in teaching myself modelling of this kind, and
have executed a few groups, yet I would like a little more time to
elapse ere I pose as a teacher; but, no doubt, when the time comes,
someone--perhaps the publisher of "Practical Taxidermy"--may be
induced to give the results of my labours to the class most
interested.

I may instance some groups: Robin's nest, in bank covered with ivy,
and primroses in flower, the old female bird feeding the young, the
male searching for more food, or singing on branch near nest;
long-tailed titmice, in furze-bush (South Kensington); chiff-chaff, in
long grass, surrounded by willow-herb; chaffinches in blossoming
hawthorn; white-throat's nest, with young, surrounded by leaves and
flowers of the bramble (Leicester Museum); blue-tits, in apple-tree
with modelled foliage and flowers; moorhens swimming, with young just
leaving nest, surrounded with water-lilies, flowering rush, and other
plants; grouse and young; swallows, in section of cow-house, with
plants, etc, growing on roof (Leicester Museum); grebes and nest, amid
marsh plants and marsh marigold in flower, etc. (South Kensington).

To give a tenth of the phases of the studies which can be worked out
would fill pages of this book; suffice it to say that nature, being
the guide in this, must be rigidly adhered to. There is, of course, no
need to copy any accidental awkwardness; but don't invent too much, as
the greatest charm of all is taking Nature as your guide. At the back
of these groups may be placed the eggs, and birds of the same species
in change of plumage or winter dress, thus making the life history
complete. For museums, and similar educational institutions, the food
and the skeleton should be exhibited, with explanatory label attached.

Reptiles and fishes are most unsatisfactory things to treat
artistically. When set up and dried they shrivel, and are seldom
modelled nicely. (To counteract such shrivelling, see Chapter XII.) I
have almost made up my mind that, taking into consideration the
stiffness of outline usually present in mounting by the ordinary
methods, all fish should be cast in plaster or paper, although even