COLLECTING AND PRESERVING MAMMALS. 49 



Very large animals, such as Deer or Bears, should not 

 be filled out in this way, but placed flat. In skinning large 

 animals, make an incision in the form of a double cross, 

 by making a longitudinal cut between the hind legs, from 

 the root of the tail to the breast, between the forelegs; 

 then a transverse cut from the knee of the foreleg down 

 the inside of the leg to the opposite knee. The same 

 operation is repeated upon the hind legs. Then proceed 

 as before, only, when the skin has been removed from the 

 flanks, the animal must be suspended to facilitate the re- 

 moval of the rest. 



In skinning a mammal with horns, make a longitudinal 

 incision from the back of the neck to the occiput, or back 

 of the head ; then make a transverse cut across the head, 

 commencing about four inches beyond the right horn, and 

 ending about four inches to the left of the left horn, the 

 cut passing close to the base of the horns, thus forming a 

 T. Remove the skin from the body as far as the neck, 

 which is cut at its junction with the body. The skull, horns, 

 and neck are drawn through the above-mentioned orifice. 



In skinning large animals, it is well to take the diameter 

 of the eye before it is removed, so that an artificial one 

 may be inserted of the same size, if the animal is to be 

 mounted, as the eyelids shrink very much while drying. 

 All mammals should be skinned as soon as possible after 

 they are killed, especially small ones, as in a few hours 

 decomposition will commence ; then the hair will come out. 



While skinning the legs of ruminants, such as Deer, 

 Sheep, etc., it will be found that the skin cannot be drawn 

 over the knee-joint ; then cut longitudinally through the 

 skin below the knee, and after severing the bone at the 

 hoof and knee, remove it through this incision. The in- 

 cision should be about one fourth the length of the dis- 

 tance from the knee to the hoof. 



Bats are to be skinned in the ordinary manner, remov- 



