Guide to Taxidermy 



119 



We advise the mounting of pet animals on finish- 

 ed oak bases^ while wild animals look the best on 

 artificial rock or groundwork, direction for making 

 which are given in Chapter 12. 



Making Animal Skins 



Animals, especially for study purposes, are fre- 

 quently made into scientific skins instead of being 

 mounted. The animal should be skinned the same 

 as though it were to be mounted. 



Poison the skin well; clean and poison the skull 

 and, after wrapping a little cotton about it replace 

 it in the skin. Wrap each leg bone lightly with 

 cotton and turn back. Fill the neck and body of 

 the animal loosely with cotton or excelsior, so as to 

 make the body evenly distended but rather smaller 

 than it was in life. Small animals (no larger than 

 a fox) can have the front legs stretched in front 

 one on either side of the head, and the back ones 

 straight behind. On larger specimens the fore and 

 hind legs are respectively doubled up against the 

 breast and abdomen. No attempt is made to have 

 an animal skin resemble a dead animal. The head 

 may be filled out a trifle through tlie eyes, and the 



