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themselves to bring them over to Europe, is entirely 

 thrown away as regards science. It is scarcely pos- 

 sible to skin these large species unless we first make 

 an opening, and we recommend this opening to be 

 made on the side, beginning from the termination 

 of the scales, and not crossing or dividing them, 

 according to the usual method. The reason which 

 leads us to this observation is, that these animals 

 are classed, and their species recognised, by the 

 number of their scales ; and it is less easy to deter- 

 mine them if these are destroyed in skinning. We 

 ought to preserve the head ; for this part is as essen- 

 tial for natural history as it is for taxidermy. 



Once taken off, the skin can be rolled up for the 

 convenience of transportation; the small species 

 may be put in spirits.* To mount them we take an 

 iron wire the length of. the animal, we twist un- 

 chopped flax round it until it has attained the na- 

 tural size ; the skin being softened in the usual way, 

 we extend it on a large table, place the factitious 

 serpent in the middle, sew the skin up the whole 

 length, and put in the eyes. The iron in the 

 middle allows us to twist the animal at pleasure ; 

 when it is dry we give it a coat of varnish. 



Every one knows, that in warm countries we find 

 a great number of venomous serpents, the bite of 

 which sometimes causes death in ten minutes : such 



* For the strength of the spirit, &c. see p. 134. 

 8 



