12 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY MANUAL 4 



tours of the animal. Before inserting the cylinder of cotton 

 batting, shape the front end of it into a cone somewhat like the 

 configuration of the head. Place rustless, annealed or tinned wire, 

 partly covered with cotton, in the skin to replace or supplement 

 bones of the tail and the legs and feet. Then sew up the skin 

 along the original incision, pin the specimen in the desired posi- 

 tion to a sheet of cork or corrugated cardboard, and allow it 



to dry. 



5. Save and clean the skull. Attach to it a tag bearing the 

 same number as that given to the skin, so that the two can al- 

 ways be associated. 



6. To the completed skin, attach a label giving the collector's 

 name and the collection number, the precise collecting place, 

 date, sex, and standard measurements of the specimen; allow a 

 space for filling in the name of the species when the specimen 

 has been identified. 



A specimen that is large may be prepared either in approxi- 

 mately the same manner as a small one or as a cased or flat 

 skin. An incision is made along each back leg from the base of 

 the toes to the anus; then the pelt is peeled forward over the 

 body — that is, it is cased. All bits of fat and flesh should be re- 

 moved. The pelt is then fitted over a board or frame that 

 is rounded at the front end; it is then allowed to dry. A 

 thoroughly cleaned and dried pelt will keep for months if stored 

 in a cool place, but tanning is required for long-time keeping 

 qualities and to reveal the beauty of a good pelt. A flat skin is 

 prepared in the same way as a cased skin except that additional 

 incisions are made from the anus to the mouth and from the 

 base of the toes on one front leg, across the chest to the base 

 of the toes on the other front leg so that the skin can be pinned 

 out flat to dry. A pelt that is to be tanned should be pinned 

 with the fur side next to the drying board to allow for rapid 

 drying. 



There are many details and precautions to be taken in meas- 

 uring and putting up mammal skins. The University of Illinois 

 Museum of Natural History has available a motion picture 

 showing how to prepare specimens. The following books de- 

 scribe the skinning and stuffing techniques: Methods of Collect- 

 ing and Preserving Vertebrate Animals, by R. M. Anderson, 

 1948. Bulletin 69, National Museum of Canada; Handbook of 

 Alammals of Kansas, by E. R. Hall, 1955, Miscellaneous Pub- 



