13^ 



THE MUSEUM. 



a basket was full of cacti, a huge toad 

 was tied up in a handkerchief, a second 

 basket was full of rocks, and we could 

 hold or carry no more. The rest of 

 the day, until darkness stopped work, 

 was devoted to exposures, the results 

 of some of which you see. Late at 

 night we trudged to camp, tired and 

 hungry, but how different from the 

 night before. We two at least were 

 happy enough to dance a gig before 

 going to bed. 



At a later date a list of the insects 

 collected around Manitou will be given. 



Bloomington, 111. 



Proceedings United States National Museum, 1885. 



Notes On the Preparation of 

 Rough Skeletons. 



BY Frederic A. Lucas. 



[Continued from February No.) 

 cetaceans: porpoises, blackfish.etc. 



Porpoise skeletons are very easily 

 prepared, but one or two points, such 

 as the slender cheek-bones, and the 

 pelvic bones or rudimentary hind limbs, 

 require special care. 



The pelvic bones are so small and so 

 imbedded in the flesh that they are 

 only too often thrown away. 



It often happens that the last rib lies 

 loose in- the flesh, with its upper end 

 several inches from the backbone. 

 This should always be looked for. 



There are no bones in the sides of 

 the tail or flukes nor in the back tin, 

 and they can be cut off close to the 

 body and thrown away. 



The hyoid is largely developed in 

 most cetaceans, and will be found 

 firmly attached to the base of the skull. 



birds. 



In preparing a bird for a skeleton a 

 little more care must be used than is 

 necessary with a quadruped, the bones 

 being lighter and more easily cut or 

 broken. 



The wings terminate in very small, 

 pointed bones, and there is a similar 

 bone — corresponding to the thumb of 

 mammals — hidden in a tuft of feathers 

 on the bend of the wing. 



It is a good plan to leave this tuft 

 untouched, as well as the outermost 

 two or three wing feathers, so as to 

 lessen the risk of removing any of these 

 little bones with the skin. 



Other parts requiring special atten- 

 tion are the slender points on the un- 

 der side of the neck vertebrae, those 

 projecting backward from the ribs, 

 and the last bone of the tail. 



It frequently occurs in birds that 

 many of the tendons become ossified, 

 as they do in the leg of a turkey. 

 Look out for such on the under side of 

 the neck, in the legs and wings, and 

 along the sides of the back, and do 

 not tear off the muscles as you would 

 if preparing a skin. 



Considerable flesh may be left on 

 the neck and back and a ////;/ coat of 

 arsenical soap will serve to keep out 

 the Dermestes which would otherwise 

 attack these places. 



The hyoid, or bones supporting the 

 tongue and attached to the windpipe, 

 should be saved, as should also the 

 windpipe itself whenever, as in many 

 ducks, it has bony structures developed 

 in part of its length. 



In many birds, and esj)ecially in 

 birds of prey, there is a ring of bones 

 surrounding the pupil of the e}'e. It 

 is therefore best — unless \o\\ arc an 



