44 



sraall animals, the same process is required. The 

 operation must commence by making a slit, of any 

 length, along the belly, so as to give the greatest 

 facility in using the fingers, or a knife, to sepa- 

 rate the skin from the muscles, &c. The legs 

 of small animals may be pressed inwards, and 

 the skin stripped over them, inside out, great 

 care being taken in passing the joints : the feet 

 and tail must be preserved as vrell as possible, 

 by cutting out the flesh, and preserving the 

 hoofs, nails, or claws. The skin, freed from 

 the extremities, and separated from the abdo- 

 men, may be stripped over the back to the neck. 

 Particular attention will be required in stripping 

 it from the neck to the ears and the nose, from the 

 latter of which it must be cut off at the termina- 

 tion of the bone, carefully preserving tlie extre- 

 mity. The skin, if necessary, may be cut under 

 the jaw, as it can afterwai-ds be sewed up. The 

 head of the animal may now be cut off, at the 

 back of which a hole must be made to extiact 



