982 Taxidermia. 
The hind legs are then to be stripped down to the toes, the 
last joint of these being also left on the skin. The stripping 
is performed without exertion, and it is not easily possible to 
damage or tear so tougha skin. To convince yourself now, 
that life is not even yet extinct in the carcase thus beheaded, 
flayed, exenterated, and shockingly mangled, it is only re- 
quisite to strew over it a little salt, and you will be astonish- 
ed at the leaps it is still capable of makin ie 
With but little trouble, the eyes and the brains are taken 
out of the head from without, the skull and under jaw remain 
in the skin which is turned in, and this may be rendered easi- 
er by blowing air into it through the mouth repeatedly. 
Then comes the stuffing, or more properly the Alling. This 
is done with fine dry sand, termed writing or silver sand, 
which is poured through the mouth, and assisted by pressing 
and turning externally, and by repeated blowing through the 
mouth, until it enters down to the ends of the toes, so that the 
cin becomes quite plump (straff.) As it sometime happens 
that some moisture still remaining in the skin wets the sand, 
and prevents it from running into and filling properly the ex- 
tremities, you May give it air, or push it down with a blunt 
wire or knitting needle through the mouth, until every limb, 
as well as the body, is filled out as fully as it was before the 
flaying. But that the sand may not run out at the mouth, 
let the sand here be moistened a little, and the mouth either 
_ neatly sewed up or glued; finally, you wash the outside of 
the skin clean from all filth and sand, with pure water. If this 
be neglected, the sand that sticks upon the surface could not, 
after drying, be removed without injuring the whole, for 2 . 
viscous fluid, which spreads over the whole skin of the frog, 
resembles glue and dries very hard. Then, in order to give 
the stuffed frog its intended natural attitude, take a little block 
or board, fix the hind legs first in a natural position, then 
give she hoy, under the breast just behind the fore legs, @ 
support by a lump of rags or soft paper, squeezed together, 
and then fix the fore legs properly. The head will stand 
erect without support, but the flanks (lower belly abdomen) 
should be pressed by the fingers until they receive the pr 
e of the frog’s bod 
. 
nould endeavour, with a blunt wire, to pack the sand 
especially round the place where the skull, left In 
minates, as it is very apt to contract a hollowin this _ 
looks very unnatural. In the cavities of the 
