GAVIAL SHOOTING ON THE JUMNA. 43 



as near as it was prudent to go, then crept along the bank through 

 a field of dal, until I arrived opposite the group. The distance 

 was only about ninety yards, for a wonder, and my first shot 

 stopped the largest reptile. In a moment the men rushed across 

 the sand and seized him. He kicked and struggled and snapped 

 vigorously, but the men held him fast until I ran do%vn and broke 

 his neck with another bullet, which killed him instantly. This 

 one measured eleven feet eight inches, and having two lai'ge 

 specimens, we decided to stop and dissect them without delay. 

 The boat was brought down to where our last victim lay, moored 

 to the bank, and dragging our specimens out upon the level sand- 

 bar. Carlo and I rolled up ovu* sleeves, sharpened our knives and be- 

 gan work. 



We prepai'ed the skeleton of the first gavial, an operation which 

 was accompKshed as follows : After ha\ing measured the animal, 

 the skin was slit open along the under side, from the throat to the 

 tip of the tail, and removed from the body in the most expeditious 

 manner. The forelegs were detached from the body at the shoul- 

 ders, the hind legs at the hips, and the flesh carefully cut off the 

 bones of each leg and foot. The head was detached from the body 

 at the first cervical vei'tebra and the tail cut off close uj) to the pel- 

 vis. Thus the animal was divided into seven parts. From each of 

 these all the flesh was cut away piece by piece until only the bones 

 remained, which were always left united by their Hgaments. The 

 vital organs were removed from the trunk, the flesh carefully cut 

 from between the ribs, from the pelvis, from the vertebrae of the 

 tail, and from the head. After the flesh had been carefully cut 

 away so that only small fragments remained, each part of the en- 

 tire skeleton was rubbed thoroughly with strong arsenical soap * 

 to preserve all the remaining flesh and the hgaments from decay, 

 and protect the bones from being attacked by rats and Dermestes. 

 When the bones were thoroughly anointed, the skull, the tail, and 

 the legs were carefully packed into the cavity of the thorax and the 

 bundle tightly bound up with strong twine. In a few days the 

 skeleton becomes perfecth' dry and hard, is free from all bad odors, 

 and can be packed without loss of space. Such is the character of 

 a "roujzh skeleton." It is about five hours' work for one man who 

 understands the process to prepare the skeleton of a ten-foot gavial 

 in this manner. 



* See Appendix. 



