REPTILES AND FISH. 243 



Burnt alum will be found very useful in cleaning 

 the fingers whilst skinning birds and animals, 

 and also applied to those which have a good deal 

 of fatty matter adhering to them. 

 Re tiles and These are best preserved in spirits, 

 each specimen being previously wrap- 

 ped in a linen cloth; but when too large to 

 be so treated, serpents and fish may be care- 

 fully skinned, with the least possible injury to 

 the scales or any of the external organs, and 

 with especial caution not to destroy the form of 

 the skin, which may be preserved by stuffing it 

 tightly with cotton or tow, or by filling it with 

 sawdust, and the skins dried, with the head, feet, 

 and fins on. Instead of being skinned whole, 

 fish may be divided into two nearly equal por- 

 tions, by an incision passing longitudinally 

 through the vertex of the head, the back and 

 belly, but on one side of the dorsal, caudal, anal, 

 and ventral fins, so as to leave one-half of the 

 animal with the gills and all the organs of motion 

 perfect. Their flesh may then be easily removed 



