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Guide to Taxidermy 



pests. To a pint of alcohol is added one ounce of 

 corrosive sublimate (which is a white powder) ; 

 shake it and then allow to stand for a couple hours. 

 The powder will not entirely dissolve but you will 

 have the liquid above it fully saturated with the 

 poison. Carefully pour this liquid off into another 

 jar with an equal quantity of water. A skin may 

 be immersed in the liquid and then dried or it may 

 be sprayed on with an atomizer. Some taxider- 

 mists keep a metal-lined box filled with fine white 

 sand saturated with this solution, and bury their 

 skins to be poisoned in this box for twenty-four 

 hours. Moths will not touch a skin so treated. 



Cotton 



This is one of the necessities for the taxidermist. 

 It is used almost exclusively for the filling, in 

 making up skins, and for winding the artificial 

 necks of most birds. Ordinary cotton batting such 

 as all dry goods stores sell is the best for this 

 purpose, and will answer all the requirements of 

 the taxidermist. Absorbent cotton is the best for 

 putting in the mouths of freshly killed birds and 

 for stopping up shot holes, but it is much more ex- 

 pensive than the ordinary and the latter will do. 



Cyanide of Potash 



Is used in the making of cyanide jars for the 



