350 TAXIDERMY AND ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTING. 



look poorly and lessen their value. Beaver are sometimes 

 stretched almost round, but appear very much better stretched 

 oblong 1 . Value by the skin, never by the pound. They rapidly 

 lose heavily in weight. They bring 1 most sold by the skin. 

 Muskrats must be ' cased,' but with fur side in. Chop off the 

 tails as explained. Skin at the nose and make rumps square. 

 Round tails have less value and do not sell well. Muskrats must 

 not be injured by shooting or spearing 1 . Trap them. 



" Skins that have dried without proper care can be treated 

 same as fresh, green skins. Otherwise they have no vah;e. 

 Dissolve a handful of common salt in a pail of fresh water, and 

 apply frequently with brush or rag (to pelt side only, as it 

 spoils appearance to wet the fur) until the pelt becomes per- 

 fectly soft. Then handle as explained. The same with ' open ' 

 skins. 



" Cautions : Do not cure with alum or salt. It injures them 

 for dressing and spoils their sale. Do not dry skins at a fire, 

 or in the sun, or in smoke. It often ' burns ' them ; when they 

 then spoil, and ruin on being 1 dressed. Dry in the open air 

 where shady. Meaty skins often ' burn.' The meat and fat on 

 them heats and ' burns ' them, and they then go to pieces and 

 rot on being dressed. Too much warmth curls and spoils the 

 top fur or hair. Never stuff furs of any kind ; dry and stretch 

 as explained. Do not stretch out the noses and make them 

 pointed. It gives a Southern appearance and lessens value. 

 Do not cut off heads, ears, or noses, or mutilate in any way. It 

 lessens value and injures sales. Remove as much of bone from 

 tail as possible, otherwise the tail rots. 



' Trapping : Fur-bearing 1 animals must not be killed till they 

 have at least a fair growth of fur. Stop trapping as soon in 

 early spring- as the fur begins to shed or becomes thin, or a lit- 

 tle faded. These too early or too late caught furs are a dis- 

 grace to fur trappers and collectors, and a wasteful, worthless 

 slaughter." 



