32 TAXIDERMY AND ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTING. 



bath is new and untouched, I prefer the little salometer. By 

 tasting the bath when first made in the proportions given above, 

 and remembering the degree of its astringency upon the tongue, 

 you can make that a standard for comparison if it suits your 

 taste ! 



Skulls and Leg Bones. The leg bones of all small and medium- 

 sized mammals, even up to the deer, can just as well go into the 

 bath, after they have been thoroughly cleaned of all flesh and ten- 

 dons. The skulls, however, had better not go into the solution. 

 Clean them carefully, anoint them all over with thin arsenical 

 soap, put a tag on each to show to what skin it belongs, and let 

 it dry. Don't lay it aside without poisoning, or it will be 

 swarming with dermestes before you know it. 



As before stated, a skin must have room while it is curing, 

 but when that has been thoroughly accomplished, which with 

 the largest skins never takes more than four or five days, they 

 can be packed together like sardines so long as the bath is 

 strong enough. 



B. MAKING DRY SKINS. Poisoning and Preserving. When the 

 skin has been removed and cleaned, the next step is to sew up 

 from the inside any holes that may have been made in the skin 

 by bullets or knives. Then make up a mixture of two-thirds 

 powdered alum and one-third arsenic, and rub as much of it 

 upon the inside of the skin as will stick there. The alum is to 

 preserve the skin, the arsenic to poison it against the attacks of 

 insects. Apply this mixture thoroughly, especially in the feet, 

 ears, head, and tail, for these are the points the dermestes at- 

 tack first. 



Another Method, and one which I almost invariably follow 

 when I am compelled to make dry skins, is to anoint the skin 

 with strong arsenical soap,* the finest poison for skins yet dis- 

 covered, then rub on the skin, as soon as the soap has been fully 

 absorbed, a mixture of fine salt and powdered alum, in equal 

 proportions. Though the arsenical soap may be thought 

 " mussy " at first, it should not be used thin and watery, but as 

 a thin paste, like thick cream. The advantages of this method 

 are (1), that the skin is more thoroughly poisoned, especially 

 externally, on the hairless portions ; (2), the skin dries without 



* See recipe in Chapter XLV. 



