TREATMENT OF THE SKINS OF SMALL MAMMALS. 



larger. Setter leave it too small than f II it too full, and stretch the 

 skin out of proportion. With needle and thread sew up the 

 skin to give it a neat appearance, beginning 1 at the throat. 

 Comb and brash the hair so that it will lie naturally, and show 

 its texture and colors to the _^ 



best advantage. Take a stitch 

 also in the centre of the lips to 

 hold them together. 



ShapiiHj - - The ends to be 

 sought in laying out a skin to 

 dry are, to have it take up a 

 limited amount of space in a 

 drawer, to have all breakable 

 points protected, and at the 

 same time to have all parts of 

 the specimen accessible for ex- 

 amination. The shape of a dry 

 skin, therefore, must depend 

 upon its character. The hand- 

 somest collection of small mam- 

 mal skins that I have ever seen 

 is that of Dr. 0. Hart Merriam, 

 Chief of the Bureau of Eco- 

 nomic Ornithology and Mam- 

 malogy, Department of Agri- 

 culture. Although it is purely 

 a private collection, it contains 

 at this date 5,750 skins. Dr. 

 Merriam's method of shaping 

 a skin is certainly, so far as 

 looks are concerned, the best 

 yet devised. Fig. 4, on the op- 

 posite page, shows it perfectly. 

 The tail is wired, and extends 

 straight out behind, lying be- 

 tween the hind legs, which also 

 extend directly backward. Tho 

 forelegs are drawn forward iust far enough apart to allow the 

 head to lie between them. The skin is well shaped, and lies flat 



Fio. 5. Another Form of Mammal Skin. 



