3% TAXIDERMr. 



Qouagga, the wild bull, the condoma, the oryx, se*- 

 veral species of bubalus; and when he tries t^ 

 obtain and bring away the skins of these animal:* 

 lie will doubtless meet with many difficulties, 

 since it is often embarrassing to transport even the 

 necessaries of life. But these obstacles, far from 

 lessening the courage and perseverance of the 

 zealous naturalist, will excite in him afresh ardour; 

 and, proud of the spoils of an animal which he can 

 never hope to meet with elsewhere, he would de- 

 prive himself of every thing rather than lose the 

 fruits of his labours. * 



It would be very unfortunate, if a traveller with 

 such inclinations, was ignorant of the methods he 

 ought to employ to preserve what may have cost 

 him so much privation. We will suppose then 

 that the animal killed is the size of an ox ; he 

 should make an incision under the belly in the form 

 of a double cross ; the middle line or cut must 

 reach from the chin to the anus, the two others, 

 crossing the middle one, must be cut from one 

 foot to the other, as before, observing to make 

 them all within-side the limbs, that the seams 

 may be less apparent. When he mounts the 

 animal he must detach the hoofs with a hatchet, 

 striking it above with a mallet or stone. The 



* Le Vaillant brought the skin of a camelopard, which Ire 

 had killed in Caffraria, more than 200 leagues from the Cape 

 erf Good Hope. 



