24 SPORT IN THE EASTERN SUDAN 



It is almost essential that the sportsman be some- 

 thing of a taxidermist, as few Arabs know anything of 

 the art. Eowland Ward's " Sportsman's Handbook " * 

 should form a portion of his library, but as that work 

 at present gives next to no information about the treat- 

 ment of the hides of the pachydermata, I may note 

 here : (a) that if there is no intention of preserving the 

 epidermis, i.e. the hair and outer layer of skin, it 

 will suffice to cut the hide up into convenient seg- 

 ments and dry them thoroughly in the shade, pre- 

 ferably by suspending them with ropes among the 

 branches of a tree ; (6) that if it is desired to preserve 

 the epidermis, as in the case of the mask of a hippo- 

 potamus, it is absolutely essential to shave off the 

 entire thickness of the skin on the fleshy side, until 

 the residue becomes hard and horny throughout. If 

 there is the least feeling of pulpiness between finger 

 and thumb, on squeezing any portion of the skin, 

 one may be certain that decomposition is proceeding 

 inside, and the epidermis will finally scale off. Skins 

 of large animals, such as lions, are very liable to 

 damage during long and continued marches, and the 

 sooner they are sent to England the better. If 

 this cannot be done, it is, I think, best to place one 

 over the other in pairs, hair-side inwards, and pack 

 them so stretched out upon a bamboo framework on 

 the back of a suitable camel. Small skins will of 



* See Tenth Edition for new instructions on this matter. 



