[Proceedings United States National Museum, 1883. Appendix. ] 
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 
UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 
No. 22. 
BRIEF DIRECTIONS FOR REMOVING AND PRESERVING THE SKINS 
OF MAMMALS. 
By WM. T. HORNADAY, 
Chief Taxidermist, National Museum. 
GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 
It is a simple matter to prepare the skin of an ordinary quadruped, 
provided the operator is not afraid of getting a little blood on his hands, 
and is not naturally indisposed to physical exertion. A few minutes’ 
work suffices for the skin of a small mammal, and a few hours for a 
large one, up to the size of a buffalo. With a sharp knife, detailed in- 
structions, some cheap preservatives, and a little patient labor the thing - 
is done. One specimen properly prepared in the field is worth ten that 
have been slighted. 
The great principle, which is the foundation of all valuable field work 
on mammal skins, is this: A skin must be so taken off, cleaned of flesh, 
and preserved that the preservative powder or fluid cas act directly upon 
the roots of the hair from the inner side of the skin and over every por- 
tion of its surface. Neither alum, nor salt, nor alcohol (unless it be of 
great strength) can strike through a thick layer of flesh and penetrate 
through the skin to the epidermis quickly enough to save it from decom- 
position. The epidermis of most animals is of such a close and oily 
nature that preservatives cannot strike through it from without, and 
therefore when a skin is removed it must be cleaned of flesh and fat, so 
that the preservative liquid or dry powder can come immediately in con- 
tact with the cutis. 
SELECTION OF SPECIMENS. 
When specimens are sufficiently numerous to allow of a choice of in- 
dividuals for preservation, select first the finest, largest, and most per- 
fect old male and female. Young animals of every kind are very desir- 
able, and specimens should be taken whenever possible. Of animals 
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