/NSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING MAMMAL SKINS 233 



Forceps d or IM inclies lon<^ lor handling cotton Ijotiies, etc. 



File. 



Pliers with cuttin;^' edge for wire. 



("ompasses or dividers. 



.Metric rule. 



(I'alvanised iron wii'e of several sizes. ' 



A nii.xture ot three jKirts jjowderetl alum and one part arsenic, 



by weight. 

 Cotton-wool, jute, wood-wool or coir. - 

 Labels tor skins and skid Is. •' 

 JSeedles and thread, and pins. 

 ■Spirit in a wide-mouthed receptacle. 

 .Sawdust. < 

 Specimen bo.\ with tra\"s. '' 



All the above are desirable tor syslematic work, but an occn>ional 

 skin can be made in a sulHeiently salisl'actory manner with nothing 

 more than a knife, some wood-ashes, dried grass or leaves. 



1. It is not easy to indicate in a few. words tlie kind of wire 

 necessary wdiere it is not sold by named sizes, but a sup])ly ranging from 

 one to three millimetres in diamctu?r should be ])rovi(led ; the smaller 

 sizes being for shrews, bats, rats, stpiirrels, and the larger for moidceys, 

 civets, etc. If much collecting is e.xpv'cted, stretch and straighten, cut 

 to suitable lengths and point beforehand. Some e.\])crience is netiessary 

 to judge of the lengths re({uired : a wire that is too short is useless. 



2. '1 wo kinds ot cotton-wool are desirable ; a good (piality for 

 wrajiping tail-wires of small animals, such as is sold in rolls by chemists; 

 a commoner sort for filling small skins, of a kind that is sold in the 

 bazaar for a few cents a bundle ; silk-i;otton will servo but is scarcely 

 so easy to work with. 



Wood-wool is the niateri;d used in packing china, glass and 

 fragile articles ; a limitt'd auiount can often be obtained troni chemists 

 and i)rovision dealers. 



Coir is the cleaned fibre obtained from the husk of the coconut, 

 and is ver\' useful for filling the skins of lucdium-sizetl and large 

 animals. 



3. Skin labels can be made of pieces of foolscap about 4 inches 

 long by 1 i inches wide; this is doubled longitudinally and one end 

 then folded back for about three-cpiarlers of an inch, the thread being 

 |)assed through a hole there. No. 12 cotton should be used, tlie ends knot- 

 ted together at half to three-cpiarters of an inch from the end of the label, 

 (see Fig. 1.). For skull labels, ])ieces of thin visiting-card about 1 

 inch by i inch can be recommended. 



4. Fine sawdust obtained by sifting through a piece of mos- 

 cjuito net is invaluable for cleaning skins, soaking up blood and grease, 

 and for obtaining a grip on sliiipery surfaces. If sawdust is not to btf 

 had, sand or dry earth will serve at times. 



VOL. a, -MAV 1317, 



