122 TAXIDERMY. 



quadrupeds or birds in their infancy, with whose 

 retreats or nests they may be acquainted. 



The younger the animals are, the easier it is to 

 accustom them to live in their cages. They will 

 at first require particular care, and they must al- 

 ways be nourished some weeks on shore, before they 

 are embarked, and we cannot take too much pains 

 to tame them. An animal who is not frightened 

 at the sight of those who attend him, is always 

 better, and more able to resist the fatigues of a sea- 

 voyage, than when he remains in a wild state ; and 

 there is scarcely any animal whom we cannot soften 

 by good treatment. An excess of nourishment 

 when animals are shut up, and not able to take 

 exercise, is very injurious to them. The surest 

 method of preserving them, is to give them strictly 

 what is necessary. After the proportionate nou- 

 rishment, the greatest requisite is cleanliness. We 

 can always find some person on board the vessel, 

 who will attend to them for a slight recompense. 

 It is also very necessary to take precautions, that 

 these animals may not be worried and irritated by 

 passengers. 



We must content ourselves by bringing the skin, 

 head, an<J feet of the large animals we have killed 

 in too distant a place to transport them entire. 



The mammifera, sufficiently small to be enclosed 

 in a bottle or barrel, ought to be put into some 

 spirituous liquor. 



