TAXIDERMY. 123 



The mammifera, too large to be put into spirits, 

 should be skinned, and care taken to leave the feet 

 and head (from which the brains must have been 

 removed) ; or, if that be not possible, we must at 

 least send the jaws. We shall hereafter speak of 

 the methods to be used, and the precautions to be 

 taken for preserving skins, and for animals which 

 are put into spirits. 



When we can add the skeleton to the skin, it 

 would be a great service to science ; this would be 

 a very easy operation for the surgeons of ships, 

 who might feel sufficient interest in zoology. 



It is not necessary to mount the skeletons. After 

 having boiled the bones, taken the flesh off, and 

 dried them, we put all those belonging to the same 

 animal in a bag, we fill up the bag with moss, sea- 

 weed, shreds of paper, or any other soft and dry 

 substance, that they may not bruise each other. 

 We envelope those in paper, which are very fragile, 

 and take great care not to lose any. 



Those who procure us birds, must take care to 

 proportion the shot to their size, not to injure the 

 skins. When the bird falls, they must wipe the 

 blood away as much as possible, and put a little 

 cotton in the beak, that the blood may not run 

 from it and injure the feathers, particularly those 

 of the head. After the bird is cold, and the blood 

 is coagulated, they must take it by the claws and the 

 G 2 



