panel.

The inside of the mouth will need remodelling with wax and the whole
given a coat of white varnish. Any bright colors which may have faded
should be retouched with oil colors before varnishing.

Suitable mounts for small heads are in the regular shield and round and
oval shapes, and rustic panels of natural wood. A number of small heads
may be mounted on one long panel.

CHAPTER XVII.

MOUNTING HEADS OF LARGE GAME.

Mounting heads, of horned game especially, is a branch of taxidermy
which suffers no diminution in popularity. Such work is turned out at
the present time in far better shape than it was years ago, but many
fine heads still remain that were gathered in days of abundance of
buffalo, elk and mountain sheep.

[Illustration: SHEEP HEAD.]

In skinning horned heads never open the skin up the front of the neck;
not only are such seams difficult to hide but the skull with antlers
cannot be entirely removed from the skin as it should be.

To do this open the skin down the center of the back of the neck from
just back of the horns to the shoulders or at least half that distance.
A neck of medium length is preferable and many a fine head has been
ruined by being cut off just back of the ears.

Connect the upper end of the opening cut with the base of each horn or
antler by a short branch making the whole opening of a Y or T shape.
Turn the neck skin inside out down over the head, which in case of a
deer may rest on the antlers, until the ears are reached, cut these off
not too close to the head and the horns are next met with.

[Illustration: SKINNING HORNED HEADS. CUT ON HEAVY LINES.]

Work the skin from around the base of these with a dull knife or a small
screwdriver blade. With the same tool pry the thick skin away from the
frontal bone. When the eyes are reached have a care not to cut their
lids, working closer to the bone than the skin. Use the screwdriver
again to scoop up the skin from the so-called tear pits in front of the
eyes.

Let all the dark colored skin on the inside of the lips remain attached
to them. The skin of the neck is the thickest on the whole animal and
must be reduced by shaving. The skin of the whole head and neck should
not only be freed from all flesh and muscle but shaved to about one-half
its original thickness. For this purpose work on it with a sharp knife
or draw shave on a half rounded beam.

[Illustration: HORNED HEADS--ANTELOPE, DEER.]

Split the