MOUNTIXCT SMALL MAMMALS. 127 



and sand-papered very smooth, and covered with two coats of 

 shellac. If you have perched your squirrel on the top of a 

 small stump, sawed off square at the bottom, or upon a large 

 branch, with a section of the trunk serving as a base, of course 

 no artificial base is necessary. Artificial branches for mounted 

 birds are bad enough, but for mammals they are altogether too 

 bad, and should never be used. 



In conclusion, do not expect that your first mammal is going 

 to be an overpowering success. Do not take a cat for your first 

 subject, for a cat is the most difficult of all small quadrupeds to 

 mount successfully. A tough old squirrel is the best thing for 

 you to wrestle with until you have learned the method thor- 

 oughly. 



EXCEPTIONAL CASES. There are certain classes of small mam- 

 mals whose skins should not be put through the salt and alum 

 bath, if possible to avoid it, for several reasons. These are the 

 young of the smaller mammalia, especially such as rabbits, 

 squirrels, and other familiar forms. It is by far the best plan 

 to mount all such skins as soon as they are taken off, without 

 wetting the hair, and using dry arsenic and alum, equal parts. 

 to preserve and poison them. The bones of young animals be- 

 come quite soft in the bath, and the hair is difficult to dross to 

 look like life. The fur of a rabbit is the meanest fur in the 

 world to comb out and dress to look fluffy and immaculate after 

 it has once been wet with salt-and-alum water. Mount them 

 without wetting when you can, only poison fl/rm irdl against 

 moths. Alcohol is far preferable to the bath for the skins of 

 such species as the above, and, as our English cousins would 

 say, is " not half bad." 



MOUXTTW BATS. Having tried all known methods of mount- 

 ing and displaying these pestiferous little subjects, I finally 

 evolved an arrangement which I now conceitedly believe is the 

 only satisfactory solution of the difficulties they present. My 

 plan is to mount the bat without any wires, save in the legs of 

 the larger species, and when finished lay it on its back on a 

 smooth board, spread the wings, put pieces of pasteboard over 

 the membrane until all is covered, and pin them down. Of 

 courso the wings must be in perfect position. "When the speci- 

 men is dry, apply some royal glue of the best quality to the 



