TAXIDERMY. 35 



portioned to its size, and make four holes in it, in 

 the same positions as those which we had bored in the 

 temporary board. We introduce the irons of the 

 paws, we rivet them underneath, after having 

 formed four little grooves, ending at the holes 

 above the plank, that the wire lodging in them may 

 not destroy the level of the plateau. 



Those already in the habit of preparing animals 

 may perhaps think that we have entered too much 

 into the details, but we have thought this necessary 

 to make those understand us who have not any idea 

 of Taxidermy, and for the same reason we have 

 employed the most familiar terms. 



No one ought to be alarmed, at the beginning, by 

 the length of our proceedings ; a little practice will 

 enable any body to prepare and mount a quadru- 

 ped, the size of a fox, in four or five hours. 



M. Nicolas skins quadrupeds by the back, he 

 unites the wires of the extremities to that of the 

 body before placing them, which renders it very 

 difficult to introduce this work into the limbs ; and, 

 besides, it is scarcely possible to form a leg well by 

 stuffing it in his way, and above all by not preserv- 

 ing the tendo Achillis. The camphorated liquor 

 which he recommends for imbuing the hair, must 

 necessarily injure it; none of the animals mounted 

 for the Museum have undergone this operation, and 

 yet they have all preserved extremely well. 



It is only after comparing and trying the different 

 G 6 



