48 TAXIDERMY. 



of the body, which we put into the inside, and in- 

 troduce a little way into the skull : we then anoint 

 and stuff the animal very close, that the skin may 

 be well stretched ; we leave its mouth open to show 

 its teeth, which, in this genus, are very beautiful, 

 and arranged with admirable symmetry. 



We leave it in this state for two or three months 

 to dry. At that period the fat, or rather oil, will 

 have penetrated the skin in several places, and the 

 whole body will be covered with very ugly spots. 

 To restore the skin to the gloss and freshness of life, 

 and prevent the same inconveniences in future, we 

 take a pumice stone, and reduce it to a very fine 

 powder ; steep it in olive oil, and rub it thickly on 

 the body with a hard brush ; when we have rubbed 

 over the whole body, we begin afresh, but this 

 time we put emery into the oil. When we per- 

 ceive that it begins to shine, we rub it dry with a 

 piece of woollen stuif, which we renew to give the 

 last polish. 



Some people have recommended gum arabic, 

 others white varnish, to restore the brilliancy oT 

 these mammiferse ; but in rainy seasons the hu- 

 midity expels the varnish and melts the gum, and in 

 very dry seasons both fall off in small pieces ; whilst 

 our method of rubbing stops up all the pores of the 

 skin, which thus always retains its freshness. 



