312 After Big Game in Central Africa 



the trunk. Beginning at the chest, you make one of these 

 cuts up the centre of the right leg, the other up the centre 

 of the left as far as the pastern or wrist, which you sever 

 and leave adhering to the skin. The same operation is per- 

 formed in the case of the hind-legs. If you have experienced 

 assistants you can leave them to do the remainder, which 

 consists in removing the skin from the body, always 

 respecting the cartilages of the ears and the interior of the 

 eyelids and mouth. The best thing to do is to cut these 

 parts summarily, leaving the mass of flesh adhering, and 

 finish the work after the whole skin is removed. The 

 pasterns, wrists, or paws are opened ; everything useless is 

 removed ; and ways are made for the preservative liquids to 

 penetrate to the extremities. The leg-bones and skull, 

 which must be preserved with the skin, are placed on one 

 side. 



The skin of the head of horned animals is removed by 

 cutting the skin right round the base of the horns. If these 

 horns are straight that is quite sufficient ; but if they are 

 branched you must join the two holes made around them 

 by a lateral cut, and make a third perpendicular cut towards 

 the neck. The third cut must be proportionate to the 

 breadth of the horns, which you pass through this opening 

 by turning the skin round so that the cut is in the same 

 direction as the broadest part of the horns. But in the case 

 of a buffalo, for example, you will have to open the entire 

 side of the head by making a cut from one horn to the ear, 

 and from the ear to the neck. In the case of animals with 

 manes, such as a koodoo, zebra, and sable antelope, it is 

 better to cut the mane in two longitudinally in such a 

 manner that the seam can be easily hidden when mounted. 

 With specimens intended for mounting you must be very 

 careful over the last-named point. 



The skin having been well cleaned and entirely rid of 

 flesh and fat, you remove the clots of blood on the hair by 

 washing it, and with an awl and strong thread immediately 



