NATURAL HISTORY. 245 



physis of the lower jaw, and another from tlie posterior end of the 

 breastplate to the vent or tip of the tail; skin oif these regiojis and 

 remove all fleshy parts and viscera without touching the breat[)late 

 itself. Apply preservative, stuff, and sew up again both incisions. 



" When turtles, tortoises, crocodiles, or alligators, are too large to 

 be preserved whole in liquor, some parts, as the head, the whole vis- 

 cera stripped down from the neck to the vent, and the cloaca, should 

 be put into spirits or solution." — R. Owen. 



4. FISHES. 



As a general rule, fishes, when not too large, are best preserved 

 entire in spirits. 



Nevertheless, they may be usefully skinned and form collections, 

 the value of which is not generally appreciated. In many cases, too, 

 when spirits or solutions cannot be procured, a fish may be preserved 

 which would otherwise be lost. 



There are two modes of taking the skin of a fish : 1. The whole 

 animal can be skinned and stuffed like a bird, mammal, or reptile. 

 2. One-half of the fish can be skinned, and nevertheless its natural 

 form preserved. 



Sharks, skates, stwgeons, garpikes or garfishes, mudfishes and all 

 those belonging to the natural orders of Placoids and Ganoids, should 

 undergo the same process as given above for birds, mammals, and 

 reptiles. An incision should be made along the right side, the left 

 always remaining intact, or along the belly. The skin is next re- 

 moved from the flesh, the fins cut at their bases under the skin, and 

 the latter inverted until the base of the skull is exposed. The inner 

 cavity of the head shoidd be cleaned, an application of preservative 

 made, and the whole, after being stuffed in the ordinary way, sewed 

 up again. Fins may be expanded when wet, on a piece of stiff" paper, 

 which will keep them sufficiently stretched for the purpose. A var- 

 nish may be passed over the whole body and fins, to preserve some- 

 what the color. 



In the case of Ctenoids, perches, and allied genera, and Cycloids, 

 trouts, suckers, and allied genera, one half of the fish may be skinned 

 and preserved. To effect this, lay the fish on a table with the left 

 side up; the one it is intended to preserve. Spread out the fins by 

 putting underneath each a piece of paper, to which it will adhere on 

 drying. When the fins are dried, turn the fish over, cut with scissors 

 or a knife all around the body, a little within the dorsal and ventral 

 lines, from the upper and posterior part of the head, along the back 

 to the tail, across the base of the caudal fin down, and thence along 

 the belly to the lower pgirt of the head again. The dorsal, caudal, 

 and anal fins, cut below their articulations. This done, separate the 

 whole of the body from the left side of the skin, commencing at the 

 tail. When near the head, cut off the body with the right ventral 

 and pectoral fins, and proceed by making a section of the head and 

 removing nearly the half of it. Clean the inside, and pull out the 

 left eye, leaving only the cornea and pupil. Cut a circular piece of 

 black paper of the size of the orbit and place it close to the pupiL 



