INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING MAMMAL SKINS 239 



eil liy ruljljiiig witli sawdust. Skins which are very fhl and iVwty may 

 be washccl with soap, or soda, and watei', and dried witli sawdust after 

 draining. 



Ijarge blood-stains can be waslied away with a pad of wool and 

 water and the fur dried with sawdust : sniull ones may be left till the 

 skin is drj' and then cleaned by brushing or rubbing with sawdust. 



Treat the inside of the skin with preservative applied with a 

 brush or i)ad of wool, not forgetting the limbs : if the inside has got 

 so dry tiiat the powder will not adhere, damp it. C)nlinarily, more 

 preservative is not called for than will stick to the slcin, but the lips, wrista 

 and ankles should be free!}' treated and some jiowder should be shaken, 

 or rammed with a wire, down the tail. Small skins can be proceeded 

 with as soon as the preservative has been applied. 



Makixo vr THE Skix. 



Tear off a tapering piece of cotton-wool and wrnp the slender 

 end round an arm-bone a little above the wrist : do not wrap thickly 

 here as all that is needed is tliat the wool maj' get a tight grip of the 

 bone so that it will not slip when the limb is returned to its proper 

 position : the broad end of the cotton should fill the upper part of the 

 limb where there is no bone and project a little into the bodj'-space. 

 After wra|iping the bone ])ull or |nisii it so that the limb comes right 

 side out. Having wrapped ))oth fore-limb.s turn the body, skin right 

 side out and proceed in the same way with the legs. 



Ne.xt take a piece of galvanised wire (of about the diameter of 

 tlie lead in a pencil or a little larger) long enougii to reach from the 

 tip of the tail to the upper end of the body-opening, straighten it and 

 point one end with the file. This wire is to sup])ort the tail and b'-fore 

 insertion has to be wrapped with cotton-wool. I The best way to do 

 this is to lake a long slender wisp of wool much thinner at one end 

 than the other, moisten the point of the wire and lay it on the table 

 with one inch or so of the butt projecting : laj' the cotton also on the 

 table with its narrow end on the wire about half-an-iiicli below the 

 point, the wire and cotton forming a /\, place the k-ft hand over both 

 to keep them in position and with the other hand twist the wire to- 

 wards the right ; the result should be that the cotton becomes firmly 

 wrapped about the length of the wire, tapering smoothly and evenly 

 from butt to point, so that both together can be inserted into the tail ; 

 the puitited end uihsI reach the e.rlreme tip, otherwise the latter will get 

 broken when dry. (However it is effected, the wrapping must be done 

 so smoothl}' and tightly that it can be passed on the wire down the 

 tail to its extremity without jaunning or breaking the skin). 



Take a piece of cotton-wool of a size to fill approximately tiie 

 head and body of the skin, and pass a few turns of thread round one 



1 Of ilie hcttcr kind lefcrrcd to in the tirst section. 

 VOL. II, JUY 13K. 



