244 MR. C. BODEN KLOSS ON 



(lie animal l3"incr on the g!\)Uii(l back-upsvards, and pull the skin otf 

 the bones ; the hands, both available for the purpose, holding the sticks 

 in such a manner that while the bones slip through easily, the skin 

 cannot follow. 



Bats. 



These sliotild be skinned much as directed above, but the greater 

 part of the tliigh and upper-arm bones should be left in the skin, 

 though their heads maj' be cut oflf j and they need not be wrapped. If 

 the tail is verj' short or slender it may be left in the membrane, cutting 

 it cff where it joins tlie rumji. 



Pin the s|)ecimen to chy with the forearms lying close against 

 the sides of the body and the legs backwards as in other mammals. 

 The fingers and membrane should be gathered up and lield in place by 

 pins close against the forearm, and the extremities of the wings mAy 

 be allowed to dry pressed against the abdomen where they will not be 

 is danger of getting broken. . Care should be taken that the thuuibs do 

 not project in di'ying and that their claws lie close up against the wings. 



Iil.xcept ''flying foxes" and other large species, the majority of 

 bats should be preserved in fluid. ' 



L.\RGE M.'iMM.ALS. 



The skins of large mammals such as sambnr, tiger, etc., are 

 preserved flat : they are opened by cuts made as shown in Fig. 6 ( un- 

 broken and dotted lines together). 



After the median body-cut is made, the skin of the legs should 

 be opened upwards from the feet, cutting up the back of the leg until 

 the first joint is reached, when the cuts should be graduallj' brought 

 round to the inner side of the limbs. 



The measurenients already advocated should be taken, together 

 with any others that ma}' seem of interest, such as heiglit at shoulder. 



If the mask only is to be kept, an ample length of neck-skin 

 should be retained. All natural folds of skin — eyelids, dewlaps, etc., 

 besides those previously mentioned— must be split and opened out 

 from inside. Hkins that are de.^tined for mounting should not be 

 pegged out or stretched while clrying, and all the leg-bones should 

 be kept, tied together and labelled. When neai'l}' dry, skins should be 

 rolled up or compactly arranged with as few sharp folds as possible. 



A preservative that never seems to fail with large skins, from 

 that of an elephant downwards, is formalin in a fuur or five per cent 

 solution. 



it has, howeve!', one gi'oat drawback where facilities for packing 

 are limited and transport of heavy or bulky objects is impossible, in 

 that skins so preserved must not be allowed to dr}' if subsequent 

 treatment, such as mounting, is required ; for once dry and hard 



1 Mill' '■Ak'oliiil ami l''nriMiilin". |i. I'-l.'). 



JOL'R.N. -NAT. HIST. SOC. SUM. 



