Skinning and Skin Mounts 89 



Many taxidermists and teachers of taxidermy advocate paint- 

 ing the inside of a fish skin with an arsenic paste or fluid prepa- 

 ration; this is ridiculous. Arsenic is a poison that should not 

 be used by amateurs in fish mounting or in any other form of 

 taxidermy for that matter. Bugs cannot get into a properly 

 mounted fish skin that has been varnished or lacquered, and 

 that is the purpose of using arensic— to keep the bugs from eat- 

 ing the specimen! 



If the fish is well cleaned the only preservative the skin re- 

 quires (if it has not been in Formalin) is salt; rub it well into 

 every part of the skin. Roll the skin up and leave it overnight. 

 A better method is to cover the skin with salt, place it in a can, 

 and add just enough water to cover the skin. Let it soak for a 

 dav or so. The salt will draw out juices in the skin. Be sure 

 to rinse out all salt before mounting the skin. 



A 10 per cent solution of Formalin— nine parts water, one 

 part Formalin— is a powerful disinfectant and a highly efficient 

 preservative. The skin and bits of flesh inside the head can be 

 preserved better by applying the Formalin with a brush. Do 

 not apply this liquid, however, until the skin is placed in the 

 mold or readv for mounting because the Formalin will set the 

 skin in short order in whatever position it happens to be at the 

 time of application of Formalin. Be sure to read Formalin in 

 Chapter 12. 



I feel stronglv against using materials such as gasoline and 

 arsenic on fish skins because there is no necessity for employing 

 such dangerous items. My first attempt at fish preservation was 

 at the age of five when I preserved two dinners, partially 

 skinned and housed in a jar of salt and water. I kept this trophy 

 on a small table by my bed for a couple of years until the salt 

 ate through the metal cover of the jar! At the age of seven I 

 caught my first trout which was a gigantic 14 inches in length. 

 I was beside mvself with concern when I realized that my great 

 trophy would not last forever in the ice box. With tears in my 

 eyes I cut off the brown trout's tail and then skinned one side 

 of the fish— minus head and fins. I scraped the inside of the skin 

 with my penknife. I glued the skin on a neat piece of cardboard 



