184: ZOOLOGY. 



the common bait for the hook is the entrails of fish or other 

 offal ; which generally answer for most predaceous fishes ; 

 others, particularly the fresh water kinds, are caught with 

 insects, artificial flies, or various preparations of paste ; 

 ■which can scarcely require repetition in this place. 



Fishes, perhaps of all animals, afford last interest in a dry 

 or preserved state ; as they all loose their colours, and mostly 

 their forms ; but for such as will admit of preservation in 

 spirits, the preparation recommended for Lizards, &c.,will be 

 found to answer as well as any, and by this mode, their true 

 structure will always be evident; whereas, in skinning, various 

 curious characters, are either so distorted or destroyed, as 

 to afford only incorrect ideas of their exterior forms ; the 

 great size of numerous species, forbids all attempts at pre- 

 serving them either entire or skinned ; in every practicable 

 case, the head and gills should be preserved whole, as from 

 these are generally formed the essential, or generic characters. 



Such species as cannot conveniently be put into spirits, 

 may be kept for a few days, till putrefaction has commenced, 

 when, by making an incision along one side, the skin w ill 

 readily slip off ; which may either be dryed and placed 

 between paper, or the skin may be stuffed out to its proper 

 extent ; in either case the antisceptic powder should be ap- 

 plied, as recommended for other subjects. A plan has been 

 adopted, which though it represents the subjects of their 

 proper size, still is attended with numerous inconveniences ; 

 it is, that when the skin has been opened, and the flesh all 

 removed, to fill the skin with plaster of Paris ; this will 

 certainly fill out the skin to its proper extent, but the sub- 



