G86 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. [1885. 



Boxes should be tight, so as to shut cut hungry dogs, and prevent 

 entirely the attacks of rats and mice. I have frequently seen valuable 

 skeletons ruined in a single night by the ravages of one or two rats. 



Fig. 12. — Skeleton of Mountain Sheep : AA. places ■where bactlione may be disjointed ; E, place 

 where cut should be made to separate lib from breast-bone ; S, sesamoids. 



Care should also be taken not to leave boxes open over night while 

 being packed, lest mice should make a nest in the packing material and 

 be shut up with the specimens. 



Straw or hay is the best packing material, but Spanish moss, shav- 

 ings, " excelsior," or cocoa liber will do, Usuallj' but little is needed, 

 the main point being to jirevent the skeletons or loose bones from 

 rattling about to the inevitable damage of the weaker portions. 



Beware of sea-weed. No matter how dry it appears to be, it contains 

 so much salt as to become wet when exposed to a moist atmosphere, 



ISTever put alum on a skeleton nor soak any bones in a bath contain- 

 ing alum. 



In hot, moist climates it is occasionally allowable to sprinkle a little 

 salt on the bones of a large animal in order to keep the flesh from pu- 

 trefying instead of drying u}). 



Small skeletons should on no account be salted, nor should large ones 

 be boiled to remove the flesh. 



