o proper place and fasten with pins.

Fill eye sockets with sufficient clay and set the eyes, drawing the lids
down where they belong.

Any deficiencies at the back of the head can be filled through the ears.
In the case of a muskrat the ears are so insignificant that they only
need a little clay and tow forced into them to hold them in place. More
prominent ears as those of fox, 'coon, or wild cat must be filled with a
pasteboard form, cut the proper size and shape, coated with liquid glue
and inserted from the inside before returning the skull to the skin. The
ears of all animals should be pocketed when skinned, that is turned
inside out to their tips to admit preservatives and later some filling
material which will retain their shape when dry.

Do not skin out and throw away the ear cartilage but leave it adhering
to the skin of the inner side of the ear. Without it this skin is very
frail and brittle and thorough pickling will prevent shrinkage and
distortion of the ear.

Before leaving the head push it slightly towards the body on the wire
and cut same close to end of nose. Pull head back to place, the wire
disappears up the nose about 1/4 inch, then you can shape the nostrils
and fill so they will not shrivel up in drying and look as though their
owner had been a mouth breather.

[Illustration: OPOSSUM MOUNTED IN WALKING POSITION.]

If the general pose and appearance seem correct finish up by placing the
feet and toes correctly. Nothing gives a mounted animal a more trampish,
disreputable appearance than slouchy, run over feet with toes that don't
seem to be on the job. Lastly comb the fur out and fluff it up before
setting away to dry.

Animals up to the coyote in size are usually mounted by similar methods
to the preceding. Sometimes a piece of board is substituted for the body
wire, especially in the larger specimens, the wires to which are too
heavy to clinch readily. The skull is on a separate neck wire and all
wires are fastened to the back board by passing through holes and then
stapling.

Of course it is possible to mount small specimens by the same methods
most large ones are, by drawing the skin over a hard filling, in fact a
statuette, which must be made to fit the skin. This method in the case
of small animals requires so much time that it is impossible in ordinary
commercial work.

Strive to put your mounted animals in easy natural poses unless you are
making a grotesque, in which case go t