THE MUSEUM. 



139 



-expert — not to remove th e eyeball, but 

 to simply puncture it to allow the es- 

 cape of its fluid contents. 

 Remove the brain carefully. 

 Wash and brush the skeleton if time 

 allows, and in making a bundle for 

 packing, bend the neck backward, and 

 fold the legs and wings closely along- 

 side of the body. 



SPECIAL POINTS. 



Cormorants have a small bone at- 

 tached to the back of the skull, and in 

 Auks and many similar birds there is a 

 small bone at the elbow. 



Sometimes there is a little bone at 

 the hinder angle of the lower jaw, so 

 that it is a good rule not to trim up a 

 -bird's skull too closely. 



TURTLES. 



In order to rough out a turtle the 

 'under shell or plastron must be re- 

 moved. 



In sea turtles and a few others this 

 can be cut loose by taking a little time 

 to the operation, but in more solidly- 

 built tortoises and most fresh-water 

 turtles it is necessary to saw through 

 the plastron. 



The interior of the body being ex- 

 posed, it is a comparatively easy mat- 

 ter to cut away the flesh. 



Beware, however, of cutting into 

 any bones, as they are frequently soft 

 in texture and easily damaged. Us- 

 ually this can be done without dis- 

 jointing any of the legs, and it is bet- 

 ter, especially in small specimens, to 

 leave them attached to the body. 



SNAKES. 



Snakes require very little care in 

 preparation after the skin has been 

 removed, but in the larger serpents, 

 such as boas and pythons, rudimen- 



Aspergillum vaginiferum, Lam. Watering-pot 



shell, from Red Sea. A very curious shell, 



and the finest of the family. 



tary hind legs are present and should 

 be carefully preserved. 



Externally the legs appear as two 

 little claws situated on either side of 

 the vent; internally they are slender 

 bones, about an inch and a half in 

 length, loosely attached to the ribs. 



It is a comparatively easy matter to 

 preserve both the skin and skeleton of 

 any good-sized snake by exercising a 

 little patience. 



Do not try to skin through the 

 mouth, but make a long cut on the 



