474 APPENDIX. 



wums. Having thus taken off the skin, it must be cleaned of all 

 superfluous fat and flesh. The cartilage of the ear must be turned 

 through. The lip must be treated thus : Pass the knife between the 

 mucous lining and the outer skin all round the mouth so as to admit 

 of the preservative penetrating this thick portion of the specimen 

 completely. The eyelids and feet must each be treated in a similar 

 manner for the same reason. Now peg the skin out with the fur 

 downwards for drying, and anoint it thoroughly with arsenical soap 

 if preferred ; but at the same time use freely a sufficient quantity of 

 powdered alum, especially on the lips, eyelids, ears, feet and all other 

 fleshy parts. In regard to the employment of arsenical soap as a 

 preservative against insect ravages, it is not in my opinion always 

 completely efficacious. I therefore recommend that spirits of tur- 

 pentine should at the same time be freely poured over both sides of 

 the skin. When the skin is sufficiently dried it can be folded and 

 packed. 



Although the process just described is a very good one, I should 

 myself adopt the following, which would be much more simple, 

 and is thoroughly successful : The skin having been removed from 

 the carcase and cleaned, instead of being pegged out for drying, 

 should be thickly covered over the flesh side with powdered alum, 

 then folded in convenient form, and thus immersed in a barrel of 

 brine, what we technically call "liquor"; add parts of alum and 

 common salt in the proportion of six pounds of alum and two pounds 

 of salt to a gallon. A number of skins may be placed in the same 

 barrel, which is thus ready either for storing or transit. They are 

 quite exempt from the ravages of insects ; native dressing wdth lime 

 and other deleterious material is avoided. They will keep safely for 

 a long period, and the process is at once inexpensive and a saving of 

 time. In the case of horned beasts where the head only is frequently 

 preserved, I have no hesitation in recommending this system as the 

 best. Of course in such case the skull and horns are cleaned and 

 packed separately. In cutting off bison and stag's heads be sure to 

 leave a long neck ; they are too frequently cut close to the jaws, and 

 this considerably mars the effect when mounted. 



It is important for the proper preservation of the skulls of Felidce 

 that they should be protected from injury to or loss of the teeth. 

 This is best done as follows : When the skull has been boiled and 

 cleaned, it should be tied up in a calico bag and placed in a separate 

 compartment of the packing-case designed for it. Stuffing should 

 moreover be put into each compartment to prevent the skull from 

 injury from being shaken. 



Small Mammalia, etc. — In the case of the small mammals the skull 

 and bones of the legs are to be left in the skins. The animal being 

 placed on its back, incision is made from the sternum (breast bone) to 

 root of the tail. The skin is then separated from the carcase as far as 

 can be conveniently reached, and the limbs are severed from the body 



