244 NATURAL HISTORY. 



usually supplied with numerous tendinous muscles, which require it 

 to he skinned hy making a cut along tlie lower surface or right side, 

 nraily I'oni one end to the other, and removing the bone and flesh. 

 It sht)uld then he sewed up again, after previous stuffing. 



For the continued preservation of hair or fur of animals against 

 the attacks of moths and other destructive insects, it will he neces- 

 sary to soak the skins in a solution of corrosive suhlimate in alcohol 

 or whiskey, allowing them to remain from one day to several weeks, 

 according to the size. After removal, the hair must he thoroughly 

 'washed or rinsed in clean water, to lemove as much as possible of 

 the sublimate; otherwise, exposure to light will bleach all the colors. 



Finely ])Owdered green vitiiol, or copperas, sprinkled on either hair 

 or feathers will have an excellent effect in keeping out moths. Cover- 

 ing with tobacco leaves will also answer the same end. 



In some instances, large skins may he preserved by heing salted 

 down in casks. 



3. REPTILES. 



~The larger lizards, such as those exceeding twelve or eighteen 

 inches in length, may be skinned according to the principles above 

 mentioned, although preservation in spirit, when possible, is preleia- 

 ble for all reptiles. 



Large frogs and salamanders may likewise he skinned, although 

 cases where this will be advisable are very rare. 



Turiles and large snakes will require this operation. 



To one accustomed to the skinning of birds, the skinning of frogs 

 ■or other reptiles will present no difficulties. 



The skinning of a snake is still easier. Open the mouth and sepa- 

 krate the skull from the vertebral column, detaching all surrounding 

 ■mufcles adherent to the skin. Next, tie a string round the stump of 

 the neck thus exposed, and, holding on by this, strip the skin down 

 to the extremity of tne tail. The skin thus inverted should be restored 

 to its proper state, and then ])ut in spirit or stutied, as convenient, 

 bkins of re])tiles ujay be stuffed with either sand or sawdust, by the 

 use of which their shape in more easily restored. 



Turtles and tortoise are more difficult to prepare in this way, 

 although their skinning can he done quite rajudiy. "The breastplate 

 must be sei)arated by a knife or saw from the back, and, when the 

 viscera and fleshy jiarts have been removed, restored to its j)osition. 

 T.he skin of the head and neck must be turned inside out, as far as 

 the heail, and the vertebrre ami flesh of the neck should be <letacheil 

 from the head, which, after being freed from the flesh, the brain, and 

 the tongue, may be preserved with the skin of the neck. In skin- 

 ninii: the legs and the tail, the skin must be turned inside out, and, 

 the flesh having been removed from the bones, they are to be returned 

 to their places by redrawing the skin over them, flrst winding a little 

 cotton or tow around the bones to prevent the skin adhering to them 

 when ir, dries." — IticUAUD OwE.v. 



Anotlier way of pieparing these reptiles is as follows : Make two 

 incisions, one from the anterior end of the breastplate to the sym- 



