APPENDIX. 471 



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 turpentine 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 pow- 

 dered 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 with 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 stags' 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 $he 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 at the shoulder and thigh. Each limb 

 can then be drawn out as a glove might be turned inside out but the bone 

 must not be separated at its junction with the toe, or the skin of the foot or leg 

 in any way injured. The muscles can then be removed from the bone, and 

 this can best be done by cutting the tendons near the toes, and carefully draw- 

 ing the whole mass away at one operation. It must come in one piece, not 

 piecemeal. The bone will now be clean. Clean the skin of the limb, and at 

 the same time the remainder of the skin of all superfluous flesh and fatty 

 matter. Dress the inside all over with arsenical soap, and apply freely pow- 

 dered alum all over it, but particularly to the fleshy parts, as the eyes, nose, 

 lips, feet, etc. Then replace the bones in the limbs, having previously, if 

 possible, bound them with tow or similar material, so as to replace the muscle 



