James White, age 13, of Concord, N.H., for his question:

HOW DOES A TAXIDERMIST PRESERVE AN ANIMAL?

Taxidermy is a technique for preserving dead animals to display them as they would look if alive. The taxidermist first takes accurate measurements of the skin of the dead animal. He carefully removes the skin and treats it with a preservative material.

Next he makes a drawing of the muscles, ribs and hollows. This copy becomes a guide for a model of wire, shredded wood, clay, plaster or papier mache. The model must correspond accurately with the figure of the animal.

Finally, the taxidermist places the skin on the model and sews it together. Skins of large, heavy animals must be tanned before being mounted on the model.

The taxidermist then adds features such as the eyes and tongue. He must also shape the ears. He uses painted hollow globes instead of glass eyes to give the preserved animal a natural expression.