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bit qua so that t you can take it out if you need to. And take heed that it is necessary that these points be of the most delicate iron wire possible to bear the size of the animals. For, the more delicate it is, the smaller the hole that it leaves appears. However, one needs some of different thicknesses, because il de the points which are put in the body & in thicker places, like under the throat, ought to be longer & stronger than the ones of the legs & thin parts, where the needles ought to be subtle & delicate, almost like the biggest strings of spinets. And it is better that they be of iron wire, which is firmer than the one of latten. And if the end of the tail, or the end of a nail or a leg ought to be joined to the body, do not put the point there, not to corrupt it. But place a piece of wax, as big as a grain of millet, between the body & ce qui the end of the tail, then with a bit of flattened & hot iron wire, touch this wax & join by lightly pressing. Thus having placed your animal on the tourtelle shaped like a mandore, place all around a circle of the same

Figure earth, in this way Figure & join everything well together in a circle, then, with a big knife, with which you have cut your tourtelle to the right size, pare the outside which exceeds it, & place there a piece to close it as you see in b. Then, with a small curved instrument, mark on the inside of the circle the thickness you want to give to the mold, which will be for a common snake as thick as two poulces, so that when you throw in your wet sand, you will see when it is thick enough. All of this scrupulously arranged, moisten well everywhere with good eau de vye with a pinceau the body of the animal which is uncovered. For this the secret de la plus kept well hidden, because everything that is v touched by eau de vye will undoubtedly come out very neatly & without bubbles any small eyes or holes that we call bubbles, which usually come not at the back & in the thick sides of the mold, but on the edges. And as soon as you have thusly moistened everything with eau de vye, throw in your wet sand without letting the eau de vye dry, which evaporates promptly. And wet it thusly.

at left top margin

Figure and make sure that the point is long according to the height you want the head, and that it be pointed on both ends. Once placed thusly, plant your snake on the slab of earth, & arrange the head first and then the rest.

at left middle margin

Eau de vye in three goes.

at left middle margin

If after you have placed you animal on your clay tourtelle, you are distracted with other occupations, rub your animal with eau de vye & under the belly so that it does not dry & attach itself to the earth Figure

at left bottom margin

If, when you pierce your animal, it renders water from the bottom of the side of the belly, on the slab of earth, clean it well with cotton for the sand that would touch it would be lumpy. If it is on top of the animal, clean it very scrupulously and touch it &moisten well with eau de vye.

Wetting sand and molding the first cast

Take a bowl of leaded earth of such size that it can hold the wet sand, which will be needed de to fill your mold in one go, which is mei better than in two gos, because if you do not throw the second wet batch very promptly, there is a risk that while you are preparing it, the first one will set & become solid,

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