UTILIZATION OF THE SKINS OF AQUATIC ANIMALS. 345 



the abdomen and the parts from the legs are folded over neatl}' and 

 the entire skin rolled up in a compact bundle and placed iri a dry, cool 

 place. Many hides spoil ])y reason of insufficient or indifferent salting, 

 the grain side becoming- so damaged that at best the}' are suitable only 

 for second-class leather. After thorough curing, the salted hides are 

 placed in boxes, barrels, or bags, and are bartered at the neighboring 

 trading store, whence they are dn\y shipped to the tanneries. 



The price received by the hunters for alligator hides varies from 15 

 cents to $2 each, according to the length and condition of the skin, 

 and averages probably about 90 cents. Prime hides 5 feet long, with 

 no cuts, scale slips, or other defects, are worth about 95 cents each, in 

 trade, when the hunter sells them at the country stores, and about 

 $1.10, cash, at the tanneries. Those measuring 7 feet are worth $1.55; 

 6 feet, $1.12; 4 feet, 52 cents, and 3 feet, 25 cents. Little demand 

 exists for those under 3 feet in length. 



TANNING ALLIGATOR HIDES. 



The principal tanneries in the United States handling alligator hides 

 are situated at Newark, N. J., and New York City, N. Y. Some hides 

 are also prepared in New Orleans, Jacksonville, and in one or two of 

 the tanneries in Massachusetts. Many are also exported to Germany 

 and to England and there tanned. Alligator hides of all lengths, 

 from 2 feet up, are used, but those most in demand are about 7 feet 

 long. Hides over 10 feet in length are not much used, owing not only 

 to their scarcity but to the hardness of the cuticular plates, making 

 them difficult to tan properly and almost valueless for leather purposes, 

 although some over 17 feet long have been prepared. 



Formerly only the skin from the underpart and the sides of the 

 animal was used, that from the back being so heavily armored with 

 tough, horn}' plates and shields as to be of little value, except in case 

 of very small hides. During recent years, however, a demand has 

 existed for "horn" alligator, i. e., leather from the back of the ani- 

 mal, and this demand has been supplied by the importations from 

 Mexico and Central America, a very large percentage of which are 

 cut down the abdomen so as to preserve the ])ack in one piece. The 

 Louisiana and Florida skins are not cut "horn back"'"' because they 

 are not so flexible on the Imck as the Mexican. 



On receipt at the tannery the hides are assorted according to their 

 size, the small, medium, and large being treated separately on account 

 of the difference in texture. With plenty of salt they are placed in a 

 suitable storage room, whence they may be removed as required. 



In the process of preparing for tanning, the skins are first immersed 

 in vats of clear water, the smaller ones remaining al)out two days and 

 the larger ones six days, according to the condition of the membrane. 

 When sufficiently soaked they are immersed in a solution of lime, 

 which should not l)e so strong as for depilating, and there they remain 



