TAXIDERMY. S3 



nails must remain attached to the skin. This 

 done, he first skins the feet, legs, and thighs, 

 and continues in the mariner pointed out for the 

 elephant. However, he must here try to pre^ 

 serve the bony part of the head, and in such a 

 manner that it is only attached to the skin by 

 the muzzle ; although this operation will -consider- 

 ably augment the difficulty. He will not leave 

 any muscle about the head, and will make the 

 bones as clean as possible. 



It is natural to suppose that the animal should 

 have been killed far from any habitation, and con- 

 sequently there is no way of macerating the skin 

 in alum water. Neither is it the time to make 

 use of the arsenical soap, the leather being too thick 

 to allow the preservative to penetrate. Besides, 

 the skin being far from its destination, it would 

 be dangerous to those who touched it during the 

 journey. The traveller must have a fire to cook 

 provisions, he will then make it as large as pos- 

 sible, that it may produce a great many winders, 

 and when the skin is cold, he will take these cin- 

 ders and sprinkle them over it on the inside, after 

 having extended it on gome boughs for the air to 

 circulate above and below. If he has preserved 

 the bony head, he will cover it again with its 

 skin, and will not forget to put spirits of turpen- 

 tine on the ears, lips, and four feet, several times, 

 3 



