drawn and re-arranged. Now cut two strips of the material
to go around below the burr of the antlers. Turn the edges of these
under, draw them tightly around and fasten the ends together back of the
antlers with a few stitches.

They are now ready for fastening on a shield or panel. Cattle horns
should have the piece of bone connecting them screwed to a long oval
block, then treated similarly. Horns of sheep, cattle and goats
frequently come loose from the bony core. A little plaster mixed very
thin and poured inside the horn just before replacing them will fasten
them on again.

Do not try to polish, paint, gild or otherwise improve the natural
appearance of deer antlers. Wash and clean them well and rub in a little
linseed oil. Polishing brings out the beauty of horns of cattle and
bison, if the operator is lavish of elbow grease.

The process is this: Fasten the horns firmly somewhere and attack first
with rasp, then file, scrape with glass, fine sandpaper, finer
sandpaper, powdered pumice stone, putty powder. Finish with oiled rag.
Old bison horn, weathered on the prairies till they resemble old roots,
can be made to look like polished ebony by the above formula. Don't
forget to add the elbow grease, though.

[Illustration: BOLTING "SHED" ANTLERS TO 2 x 4 BLOCK.]

Shed antlers are a different and rather difficult proposition. It is a
tedious job to drill them and insert heavy irons in their bases so
firmly as to prevent turning. Often they are cut off at a bevel, drilled
and screwed directly to the shield with brass round headed screws.

By drilling into the base of a shed antler, above the burr, in a
diagonal direction it may be bolted to a short piece of 2x4 scantling.
Fasten both antlers on this in a natural position in relation to each
other, then drill a second hole in each and bolt them fast, using
machine bolts and countersinking the heads in the antlers by chiseling.

[Illustration: SHED ELK ANTLERS TO BE MOUNTED. From National Zoological
Park Washington, D. C.]

The piece of scantling will need to be carved a little in order to get a
good bearing for the butt of the antlers. This artificial forehead, as
we might call it, is to be fastened to a heart-shaped block by nailing
or screwing from the back and covered as directed before.

If the countersunk bolt heads are carefully modelled over with putty or
"mache" and colored like the antlers no one will know they are not
attached to a 'bony' fide fore