106 TAXIDERMY. 



with their points in their natural direction. Those 

 which we catch in the Indian seas, and known 

 under the name of cidaris, are much more difficult 

 to preserve than others ; the heavy and calcareous 

 spines with which they are armed, fall from their 

 own weight. The method of preventing this loss 

 demands much precaution. 



When we procure an echinus, and whilst it is 

 still living, we enlarge the anus, and with a very 

 small spoon, or rather a large ear-picker, empty it 

 entirely by this opening ; we then soak it for ten 

 minutes in fresh water, taking care to prevent the 

 spines from coming off; after that, we introduce 

 some cotton into the shell, until it is quite full. 

 We must not put any preservative. We then 

 lay the shell on a plank, and between each spine 

 introduce a plug of cotton or paper, in such a 

 manner that all may remain fixed, directing them- 

 selves from the centre to the circumference, and we 

 let them dry in this position. 



To transport them, w r e must pack each sepa- 

 rately when they are large, always preserving 

 the cotton between the spines, and filling up the 

 box in such a manner, that none of them can rub 

 on their way. All large echini may be prepared 

 and packed in the same way ; the small ones may 

 be put several together into the same box. The 

 greater part of the large echini lose their spines, as 

 we have before said, and we rarely find one in our 



