23 



with either sand or sawdust, by the use of which their shape ia 

 more easily restored, or they may be simply flattened out. 



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

 although their skinning can be done quite rapidly. "The breast- 

 plate must be separated by a knife or saw from the back, and, when 

 the viscera and fleshy parts have been removed, restored to its posi- 

 tion. The skin of the head and neck must be turned inside out, 

 as far as the head, and the vertebrae and flesh of the neck should 

 be detached 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 skinning 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, 

 first winding a little cotton or tow around the bones to prevent the 

 skin adhering to them when it dries." — RiCHiiRD Owen. 



Another way of preparing these reptiles is as follows : Make two 

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

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

 breastplate to the vent or tip of the tail ; skin off these regions and 

 remove all fleshy parts and viscera without touching the breastplate 

 itself. Apply the preservative, stuff, and sew up again both inci- 

 sions. 



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

 to be preserved whole in liquor, some parts, as the head, the whoie 

 viscera stripped down from the neck to the vent, and the cloaca, 

 should be put into spirit or solution." — R. Owen. 



4. FISHES. 



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

 entire in spirits. 



