INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING MAMMAL 9KIN8 237 



vevy thill, or the intestines will protrude and get in tiie way. Do not 

 be afraid of niakino- a large openiiip ; no object is gained and the skin 

 will probabl}' get badl}' stretched hy trying to prepare tiie specimen 

 throngii a small aperture. 



Work the skin loose along one side, more by pushing and 

 parting it from the fle^h than by cutting ; it is surprising how much 

 skin can be freed in small luannnals without cutting, but when 

 it is necessary to cut don't hesitate ; cut against the skin rather 

 than against the Hesh and don't be afraid to woilc boldly — little 

 niggling cuts waste time. 



Wiien the hind-leg is well exposed and the skin loosened round 

 the base, jiush it up from the outside and cut it througli at the knee-joint. 

 Pull the leg u]i from the inside strijiping the skin right down to the heel 

 and clear the flesh from the bone liy cutting it through round the ankle 

 and strip|)ing it upwards, leaving Ih.* leg-bone attached to the foot. 



])o the same with tiie other side and leg and tiien skin across 

 the rump as high up as possible and round and up tlie base of the tail. 

 'L'lien l)y holding the tail-bones lightly between the forceps or the 

 finger-nails, ])laced close against the inner side of the skin to retain it, 

 with the other hand pulling agaiurt these, draw the tail-bones out. 



Now turn the freed skin inside out over the shoulders and head, 

 and skin upwanls ; a greater amount of cutting will be neces.sary here, 

 as skin and flesh are rather firmly connected and it is well to skin as 

 cleanly as possible at first, as much troul)le is thus saved Liter on. 

 \\'hile this is being done any pull on the skin should only be m.'iintain- 

 ed at the place where the knife is biding used, otherwise the skin may 

 get unduly stretched or torn ; the bod^' will have to be turned occasion- 

 ally so that skinning may be done evenly all round. 



When the fore-limbs appear cut them through at the shoulder, 

 work them out of the skin as far as the wrist, free the bone from flesli 

 and cut away everything above the elbow. 



Skin up the neck, working evenly round it, and when the ears 

 appear cut them carefully through as close to the skull as possible but 

 don't injure the latter. Soon after the ears are passed, the e3-es will 

 be reached ; work the skin as far forward as possible and cut it free 

 close to the bone without damaging the latter or the eyelids ; a finger 

 of the left hand placed on the outside of th(^ skin and eyeball will be of 

 assistance in obtaining this result. 



Cut the skin from the skull until the Ups are met ; these are 

 to be caref'ullj- separated from the jaws close to the bone until the skin 

 hangs b)' tiie tip of the muzzle only : cut through the cartilage here 

 close to tiie skin taking care not to injure the extremities of the nasal 

 bones. 



The l)usiness of skinning is mui^h facilitated by a free u.se of 

 saw(bist which soaks up blood and grease and enables a grip to be 

 taken on the slip|)ery tiesh and inner side of skin. 



vni,. II, .M.w v.n; 



