490 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 
once or twice. The skins of seals and small mammals may be simply 
packed in salt. 
3. In a tropical climate. Skins cannot be preserved with salt ina 
tropical climate, but must be immersed either in the salt and alum solu- 
tion, or alcohol, or else dried. Drying skins in the tropies is extremely 
difficult to accomplish successfully, and should be adopted only as a last 
resort. It may be accomplished as follows: After removing and clean- 
ing a skin, apply arsenical soap to the inside; then rub on powdered 
alum, very freely, over every portion. The safest and surest plan is to 
_ leave the skin turned wrong side out, bat skins so prepared are rather 
unsightly objects, and unfit even for study until relaxed and turned 
right side out. The neatest way is to wrap a little tow, oakum, rags, or 
even paper around the leg bones, turn the skin back over them, put a 
little loose filling in the head and body, and take a few stitches in the 
skin to hold itin shape. Do not put the skull back in the skin, but tie it to 
one of the fore legs. Comb the hair neatly, put arsenical soap and alum 
on the palms, face, and ears, and hang the skin up to dry in the shade, 
where the air will circulate freely around it. 
SPECIMENS IN THE FLESH. 
The most valuable of all specimens which come to us are those sent in 
the flesh. A rare animal so received is sometimes cast in plaster, skinned, 
dissected, skeletonized, and portions of the viscera preserved in spirits 
for pathological study. In this way a single subject is often made to 
yield a number of valuable scientific preparations. The institution will 
be very glad to receive the dead body of any foreign animal which may 
die in the Eastern United States, and also any rare or especially fine 
American species. 
FORWARDING ANIMALS IN THE FLESH. 
In cold weather, particularly from December 1 to March 1, a dead 
animal may safely be sent (frozen) from as far west as the Rocky 
Mountains. In the cool month of November and March specimens may 
safely be forwarded from points five hundred miles distant. From May 
to October animals should be disemboweled and packed in ice when 
sent from points more than twelve hours by rail from Washington. 
Large animals with thick hair, such as deer, elk, moose, bear, &c., 
can be sent without boxing, but it will be well to sew them up in coarse 
sacking to protect the hair. Small animals and others with close hair, 
such as the zebra, lion, tiger, or giraffe should be boxed and packed in 
straw or shavings to protect the hair from being rubbed off. Animals 
of the largest size, such as rhinoceros, elephant, or hippopotamus must. 
be skinned and skeletonized where they die by our own preparators, 
who hold themselves in readiness to start at once for any point on the 
receipt of telegraphic information. 
