82 



Guide to Taxidermy 



Immerse the whole specimen in a pail of lukewarm 

 water, moving it about a few seconds to remove air 

 bubbles and insure all parts of the skin being wet- 

 ted. Float a piece of board on the water to keep 

 your specimen fully immersed. A specimen up to 

 the size of a crow will usually become relaxed in 

 12 to 16 liours. so if it is put into water at night it 

 should be ready to mount the next day. Birds the 

 size of a crow or over should have the legs and feet 

 wrapped in wet cloths for about twelve hours before 

 placing the specimen in water. The skin of the 

 feet and legs is so dry and tough that otherwise 

 they would not be relaxed enough to bend freely 

 when the remainder of the skin was ready for 

 mounting. 



Rub the skin inside thoroughly with the thumb 

 nails, or if it is a large bird scrape it with a knife to 

 remove fibre or fat. Rub the inside of the neck and 

 head with a knitting needle, inserted through the 

 neck or eye as is most convenient. Then put your 

 skin back into a pail of fresh warm water, and leave 

 for a couple of hours longer. 



Now turn the skin inside out, working very care- 

 fully for the skin will not yet give as much as that 



