TAXIDERMY. 133 



place the skin in the case, which we cover all over 

 with pitch to defend it from damp, and to prevent 

 the air from getting in. For want of oil of petro- 

 leum, and spirits of turpentine, we may use a decoc- 

 tion of very bitter and aromatic herbs, with which 

 we wet the skins before we enclose them, and 

 besprinkle them internally and externally, with 

 pounded tobacco, pepper, and all-spice. 



The same precautions are used for birds ; each 

 bird must have a little cotton inside it, not to give it 

 its form, but that the different parts of the skin may 

 not touch. It should then be placed in a paper 

 bag well closed, and the bags put into a case covered 

 vvitli pitch. The above methods are simple and 

 easy, and take but little time. 



We are now arrived at the preservation of ani- 

 mals in spirituous liquors. Of all vessels, glass bot- 

 tles are the best ; whatever precautions are taken, 

 a portion of the liquor will evaporate through the 

 pores of the wood ; square bottles are to be preferred, 

 because they arrange better in cases. The perfect 

 preservation of the animal depends on the quality 

 of the liquor, the manner of placing them in the 

 bottles, and the method of luting these bottles. 

 We will give some important instructions on this 

 point, taken from a memoir of M. Peron's, inserted 

 in the sepond volume of his voyage to Austra- 

 lasia. We know that this naturalist, to whom the 

 Royal Museum owes its richest collection of animals 



