HINTS rrox Tur, VRnrAKATiox or ;?ooi,oc;uai. spf.cimf.\s. 39 



In presenting this essaj' to the readers of the Journal, the writer 

 wishes it to be distinctly understood that he does not lay claim to any 

 new discoveries oi profess to teach a better mode than is taught or used 

 by others; on the contrary, he is willing to confess that from his limited 

 acquaintance with naturalists he has been unable to obtain any informa- 

 tion on the subject : he, therefore, f^ives merely the result of his own 

 experience, and a description of that method which he has found by 

 trial to be most convenient, and will be much pleased if tlie defects of 

 liis system shall elicit a better essay from some one able to do the sub- 

 ject justice ; in the mean time he will indulge the hope, that the perusal 

 of this article will furnish the Students of Pennsylvania College with 

 the means of adding very consideralily to the collection of their Institu- 

 tion, and with a source of agreeable and profitable recreation to them- 

 selves. 



The instruments and materials are few and simple. They consist of 

 a knife, a small quantity of wire, a phial containing a mixture of arsen- 

 ic and water, with a small brush for applying it conveniently to the skin, 

 some raw cotton or tow, a small file and a gimblet or a sprig-awl. 



The mode of operating is as follows : Suppose the subject to be a 

 small animal, as a rat, or squirrel : make an opening at the lower end of 

 the abdomen, detach the skin carefully from the hip, keeping the open- 

 ing as small as possible, and when the finger can be passed entirely a- 

 round the leg, cut it oft" at that joint which connects it with the body, 

 draw it carefully out as far as the last joint to which the toes are at- 

 tached, and cut it off — do the same with the other leg : next remove the 

 muscles and vertebrae of the tail, which can generally be drawn out en- 

 tirely. The posterior part of the body is now completely detached ; 

 proceed to strip the skin over the body, which can be readily done with- 

 out increasing the size of the original opening, and detach it as far as 

 the extremity of the muzzle. The ears should be taken off close to the 

 skull, the eyes removed from the sockets. This done, cut off the head 

 by a section through the back part of the skull, and remove the brains, 

 tongue and muscles. Next apply the arsenic with a brush to the inside 

 of the skin, giving a double portion to those parts from which the flesh 

 may not have been entirely removed. 



An artificial body must now be formed, and in this consists an im- 

 portant part of the process. The most convenient way of preparing it 

 appears to be asi follows : 



1. Make a block of wood of such a size and shape as will com- 

 pletely fill the cavity of the skull, from which the brains have been re- 

 moved ; with a knife or chisel endeavor to give it such a shape that 



