HOW TO USE THIS FIELD BOOK 



National Museum has published a short account, Directions 

 for Preparing Specimens of Mammals, by Gerrit S. Miller, Jr., 

 which has gone through several editions. 



Briefly set forth, the purpose of a study skin is to show the 

 animal in a compact form which can be easily preserved and 

 stored. The small species. Mice, Rats, Squirrels, etc., are 

 skinned, poisoned with arsenic and alum on the flesh side of the 

 skin and then filled out with tow or cotton to somewhat the 

 original size. The stuffed skin is dried, with body, legs, and 

 tail straight, and if the specimen is stored away from moths 

 and bright sunlight, it will remain as a permanent and faithful 

 record for a great many years, probably several centuries. It 

 is well to adopt a standardized procedure in the preparation 

 of skins, since then comparisons may be made without undue 

 allowance for such man-made characters as over or under- 

 stuffing, distorted limbs, etc. 



Traps may be set in the places most likely to bs frequented 

 by the mammals desired ; in this field book the favorite haunts 

 for each type of mammal are given, as well as the food of that 

 species, and this data will be of service to the collector. 



