Guide to Taxidermy 



145 



skin is well wetted with it. Then put the board 

 away and allow the skin to dry. The skin will turn 

 white under the influence of the tanning liquor, 

 which eats into the fibre so as to make it break up 

 readily. The following day or at least in two days 

 the skin should be dry. 



A single application of the liquor is usually 

 enough for a fox skin, while a dog, coon or larger 

 animal may require two or even three applications, 

 letting the skin dry between each, and rubbing it 

 with some blunt ended instrument, such as the 

 square end of a file or even the end of a stick of 

 wood. 



The skin can now be removed from the board and 

 the edges be trimmed with a sharp scalpel. By 

 brisk and continued rubbing of all parts of the 

 skin between the hands, the fibre may all be broken 

 and the skin made very soft and pliable. The 

 longer it is rubbed the better the tan will be, al- 

 though fifteen or twenty minutes should suffice for 

 a fox skin that has been properly treated. 





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Lining the Skin 



After the skin has been made pliable it can be 



10 



