Glossary

Accessories
A term used in the early part of the 20th century to define habitat material used in mounted birds or mammals.

Acrylic-sheet
Plastic material used in the production of display cases or in the representation of water surface.
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Albunin
A natural glue which is soluble in water.

Antipodes
Places diametrically opposite in region, Australasia as to Europe.

Apothecaries
People who studied pharmacy or chemistry.

AQIS
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service.

Aspheric
Non circular radii profile - used to describe some varieties of
artificial eyes.

Armature
The framework for supporting clay or other plastic materials in sculpting a model.

Arsenical soap
A poisonous soap used in the prevention of the action of insects on skins. The ingredients are comprised of arsenic, camphor, powdered lime and soap.

Avian
Associated with birds or their study.

Adipose
Fatty tissue.

Airbrush
A small air-powered spray painting tool used for fine detailed work.

Avifauna.
Members of the animal kingdom that are specifically birds.

Bactericide
An agent or substance that destroys bacteria.

Backboard
Material, usually of wood, used in the manufacture of game head-forms onto which hangers or pedestal supports can be affixed.

Back-skin
The term used to describe that portion of the hide remaining after the cape has been removed from the carcass.

Base
A support structure to a piece of taxidermy and to which habitat is sometimes included.

Base boards
A piece of wooden board cut to the perimeter size of a fiberglass mold and used as a pressure brace to contain the backboard and material during polyurethane foam production.

Base Clamps
Specialized clamps used for securing the baseboard to outer perimeter flanges of fiberglass moulds during polyurethane head-form manufacture.

Bellow
To drum or delaminate, effect of drumming.

Blow
The process of pouring or injecting liquid foam inside molds.

Bog
The name often used to describe automotive polyester plastic filler.

Botany
The study of plants.

Bucinnator Muscle
The muscle situated on the side of the face whose function is to press food between the molar teeth when eating. It is well developed on ruminates and thin on carnivora.

Bugle
A description often used to define the pose or stance of members of the cervidae family such as the Elk and the Red deer members.

Borax
A powdered chemical often used in the preservation of bird skins and small mammals.

Break
To make supple, used to define the action of flexing hides in the final stages of tanning.

Buff
The action of sanding the corium of tanned hides free of irregularities of texture.

Burlap
An open weave fiber material used in the manufacture industry.
Sometimes referred to as Hessian.

Camphor
Crystalline aromatic substance used to repel insects.

Carcass
Dead body of animal or bird, sometimes used to refer to the framework used in mounts or sculpturing.

Cage
A wire machine designed to displace sawdust or other impurities from fur hides through the action of vertical rotation.

Carcass
A copy of an animal carcass usually made of plaster, or sometimes fiberglass. Used as a reference source of the carcass anatomy or for the production of replica polyurethane casts.

Cartilage
A specialized connective tissue translucent and hard, but yielding ear cartilage.

Casting plaster
A grade of plaster capable of setting more quickly than conventional plaster. Used in casting simple objects.

Clay
Stiff tenacious earth, used as fill material, or for the formation of sculpture detail.

Concave
With outline or surface curved like interior of circle. Often used to describe outer perimeter surface of glass eyes.

Convex
With outline or surface curved like exterior of circle. Often used to describe the interior surface of glass eyes.

Copyright
The exclusive right to print, publish, reproduce , manufacture etc, a work or article.

Corium
The layer of skin corresponding to the dermis.

Curator
Person charged with the responsibility of care of something, ie museum, library.

Cured
Treated or preserved against rot or deterioration.

Curosities
Term used in the 18th centuary to describe a collection of natural history.

Death mask
The cast replica of facial details of a deceased beast or person. Often the initial mold is of plaster; the reproduced mask can be of plaster, polyurethane foam or fiberglass.

Dextrine
A cornstarch glue.

Direct cast
A mold made directly upon a specimen of plaster or fiberglass.

Dome
A spherical protective cover, usually of glass or acrylic.

Dorsal
Of, on or near the back.

Drum
The effects caused by shrinkage of the skin during the drying process of a specimen resulting in a void between the skin and surface contact.

Drum-2
Mechanical process in which skins are dried or cleaned via the action of sawdust or other absorbent compounds inside a vertically rotating machine.

Drumming
- to drum.

Embalming
Preservation of entire carcasses by means of chemical injection or impregnation.

Epidermis
The outermost layer of skin made up principally of keratin protein.

Epidermal
Epidermis layer.

Epoxy glue
A synthetic resin glue often which is activated and cured through the chemical reaction caused by the mixing of equal volumes.

Epoxy sculpt
A trade name given to a two part apoxie clay compound often used to fill seams or voids around eyes ears nose and mouth of mounts.

Excelsior
Shredded wood fibers used as industrial packing material. Also has application in armature construction, bird or mammal body fabrication.

Flesher
Tool, sometimes mechanical used in the removal of fat, flesh or grease from animal skins prior to tanning or preservation.

Fleshing beam
Usually an elongated timber log split laterally and supported at one end by struts. Used to flesh or shave animal hides.

Formic acid
An organic acid used in tanning procedures.

Full-mount
Term used to describe taxidermy rendering of an entire animal.

Glue
Adhesive compound, water-based or epoxy, used to bond two surfaces together, such as hide and forms.

Habitat
Environment in which an animal lives under natural conditions. In taxidermy work habitat is usually reproduced through the use of artificial or preserved material.

Half mount
A mount in which the front half, inclusive of the forelegs is portrayed.

Hair slip
The loss of hair caused by the advanced action of bacteria in the corium layer. The onset of putrefaction.

Hessian
Refer Burlap.

Imperial size
The size when a sheet of paper 50 x 30 inches is folded in half.

Kicker
Machine used in tanning procedures designed to flex and stretch tanned hides.

Laminate
Strengthening by consecutive layers.

Lime
Calcium Oxide, used to de-hair animal skin.

Mache
Sculpturing or fill compound whose prime ingredient is fine paper pulp.

Mandible
Of or pertaining to the bones of the skull which hold the teeth.

Manikin
The form or artificial body over which an animal skin is mounted.

Masseter
The muscle of the cheek which raises the lower jaw in chewing.

Mummification
Preserve as mummy.

Modelling compound
Any compound made from clays, glues, binders and extenders.

Natural History
Study in the animal, plant and mineral kingdoms.

Neutralize
To make neutral or stable, non acidic.

NTA
National Taxidermists Association of the USA.

Oology
The study of bird eggs.

Opaque
Not transparent or translucent.

Ornithology
The study of birds.

Ovaloid
Egg shaped or elliptical in cross section.

Par
To thin or reduce in thickness.

Pedestal
Support structure, often used in taxidermy in stylized shoulder mounts.

Plates
Term used for illustrations in books.

Pocket
To turn inside out or invert, often describes skinning process of ears.

Polyurethane
Resinous material.

Primaries
Large flight feathers of a bird wing.

Reference material
Items used for detailed study.

Rug mount
Entire skin mount, normally of mammals for use as a floor or wall adornment.

Secondaries
Sequence of short flight feathers above the primaries.

Sciff knife
A specialized shaving knife used for detailed shaving or thinning.

Scrotum
Portion of skin containing testicles.

Shave
To reduce in thickness or make thinner.

Shoulder mount
Taxidermy rendering of an animal inclusive of features up to and including the shoulders.

Slip
The loss of epidermal layer, the onset of putrefaction.

Slip-cast
Cast or molding made over carcass devoid of epidermal layer or hair.

Specimen
Sample representative of an organism.

Spirit specimen
Specimen preserved in chemical fluids - often alcohol based.

Study skin
Preserved skin of animal packed with loose fill for use in studies or as a reference aid.

Synopsis Turn
Invert or expose.

Type specimen
The individual specimen upon which its identification and classification as a species was based.

Upholsterer
The tradesmen of the early 20th century who performed the task of preserving and stuffing the skins of entire animals with loose fill material.

Web
The flat fold of skin found on an animal that conceals no anatomical or muscle structure.

Zoologist
One who studies the biology and behaviour of animals.