Guide to Taxidermy 



107 



from the cartilage. This is done from the inside of 

 the skin, turning the ear inside out, and pushing the 

 skin away from the cartilage with the nails or han- 

 dle of the scalpel. They usually skin quite easily 

 and seldom require cutting with a knife. 



The skin is now cured with arsenical soap if you 

 are going to mount it immediately, or put into the 

 salt bath as described in Chapter 10 if you are to 

 keep it a number of days before mounting. The 

 whole skin of any animal may be salted as de- 

 scribed for deer scalps on page 1'27, and will then 

 keep indefinitely and be ready for mounting at any 

 time upon soaking the skin in water. Of course, you 

 will see the necessity of taking a number of meas- 

 urements; the more the better. You want (a) the 

 entire length of the animal; (&) from nose to back 

 of skull; (c) from back of skull to shoulder joint; 

 (d) from shoulder to hip joints; (e) from shoulder 

 to root of tail; (f) width of body at shoulders; (g) 

 width at hips; (h) girth back of fore legs; (i) 

 girth in front of hind legs; (j) girth of neck back 

 of ears; (k) at base; (I) height of animal at fore 

 shoulder; (m) height at hind shoulder or hip. 



With these measurements you cannot go far 



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