METHODS IX THE ART OE TAXIDERMY. 



•83 



Make the opening incision as we have it indicated in Vv^. 1, Plate 

 XLI\', beginning at a point between the fore legs and continuing to 

 the vent, but not through it." Lift the skin until you can see where 

 the legs join the body; sever them at these points, which are clearly seen 

 in the skinned carcass, Fig. 3, Plate XLIV. Now skin them down to 

 the end of the toes and strip them of their flesh.' Having cleaned the 

 legs of their flesh we now loosen the skin down on the back a little 

 and cut the tail vertebrae oflf at its base. Form a loop on a piece of 

 strong cord and fasten it over the end of the stump of the tail ver- 

 tebrce. By fixing the other end of the cord to some stationary object 

 and by placing the tail stump between two sticks and pulling steadily 

 the entire caudal vertebra; will slip out.^ 



Having thus far followed the directions, continue to peel the 

 skin down the back until the base of the skull is visible. Here 

 you will shortly discover the ears. Sever the ears by cutting slowly 

 and carefully close to the head and, presently, the eyes will appear 

 through the thin membrane. At this point work slowly lest in the 

 first efforts you may cut the eyelids. Cut through the transparent 

 membrane and the eyeball will be exposed. The best manner to skin 

 over the eyes of a quadruped, and especially the large ones, is to place 

 the fore finger under the skin of the eye and pull with sufficient force 

 to make the eyeball visible through the thin membrane. You will 

 then either cut through the membrane properly and around the eyelid 

 or into your finger ; so be careful. Most taxidermists, however, resort 

 to this method of skinning over the eyes. Now skin to the lips and 

 cut them away from the skull, and also sever the nose by cutting 

 through its cartilege. You will now have the skin turned wrong side 

 out ; the carcass will be lying before you as it appears in Fig. 3, Plate 

 XLIV. Before reversing the skin pare the lips down thin ; skin the 



1- The Opening Incision. — If the animal be a male, or if it possesses abdominal pouches, the opening cut 

 should be made to one side of the testicles or pouches as seen in Fig. 1, Plate XLIV, and these organs should be 

 carefully skinned so that their character can be preserved. If your subjecf be a monkey of any description 

 make the opening cut along the back. 



2. Skinning the Feet of Small Mammals.— All mammals having fleshy feet should have the sole of the foot 

 opened its full length, beginning from the end of the middle toe. The io.->t may then be completely skinned 

 and thoroughly poisoned. In order to skin with facility the feet of a fox, or those, of mammals larger, it is neces- 

 sary to extend the cut nearly all the way to the carpus joint and heel. The to ^s and fingers in the feet and hands 

 of all monkeys and apes must be opened from the outside and skinned entirely l,' the tips. The opening cuts are 

 shown in the foot of the chimpanzee, Fig. 4, Plate LXVIII. 



3. Skinning the Tail. — I shall recommend this method of skinning the tail in such mammals as squirrels, 

 weasels, minks, skunks, ground-hogs, raccoons, etc., but those having fleshy or flat I'ails like the opossum, kangaroo, 

 muskrat, beaver, fox, dog and monkey, the tail must be slit open on the underside, beginning just below the vent 

 and continued to within a half inch of the end of the tail. When the whole animal is skinned the carcass will be 

 seen as it appears in Fig. 3, Plate XLIV. 



