90 TAXIDERMY. 



two-thirds of one of these little barrels with spirits* 

 We take notes on the fish to be preserved: 

 where it was caught ; whether it was male or fe- 

 male; if good or bad to eat; if it be salted in the 

 country, &c. This done, we wrap the fish in a 

 piece of linen, and sew it ; we then attach a little 

 plate of wood, on which we have engraved the num- 

 ber corresponding to our note, with a sharp knife ; 

 we then put the fish into the cask, which we close 

 hermetically, that the spirit may not evaporate. 



If, as it sometimes happens, the fish we preserve 

 has the belly very much swollen by spawn, we make 

 an incision in the anus, which we prolong to the 

 anterior part of the belly, to extract the eggs, 

 which if not taken away would soon suck up the 

 liquor. As we deposit a^bed of fish, we put a bed 

 of cotton or new flax, to prevent the rubbing and 

 tossing about in the conveyance ; in general the 

 vessel ought not to contain more than two-thirds of 

 fish, the rest ought to be flax or cotton, and 

 spirits. 



Mollusc a. 



The greater number of these animals live in 

 shells (testae), and particularly bear the name of 

 testacea ; we also include with them those which, 

 like slugs, are entirely naked, and give them the 

 general name of Mollusca. 



