22 TAXIDERMY. 



is to say of the size of a fox. Skin the animal, take 

 away its flesh, only separating the head to take out 

 the brain more easily, by the occipital hole. When 

 the flesh is separated from the bones, put the whole 

 of the skeleton to macerate in a vessel of water, 

 with a little quick lime added, which has the pro- 

 perty of whitening bones. After two or three days' 

 maceration, the skeleton is extended on a table, and 

 by the aid of a scalpel all the remaining flesh is 

 scraped off. If the solid parts adhere too much, 

 the skeleton is again put to macerate, until the 

 bones are completely cleaned, taking every pre- 

 caution to preserve all the ligaments which fasten 

 the bones one to the other. These ligaments ac- 

 quire much consistence when they are dry, and are 

 sufficient to keep the skeleton upright, when it is a 

 small animal. If there be any reason to suspect 

 that they will not, an iron wire is passed longitudi- 

 nally through the vertebral column at the end, 

 which must pass out anteriorly, to fasten the head 

 to the cervical vertebrae. Two forks are formed, 

 the one to support the anterior part, the other for 

 the posterior ; for this two pieces of iron wire are 

 taken, the height of the animal, they are twisted 

 together, leaving a fork at each extremity, and are 

 both fastened on the board destined to receive the 

 skeleton. The one ought to pass, or enter, the 

 ribs, and encompass the vertebral column between 

 the shoulder blades ; the other between the bone* 



