March, 1886.] 
AND OOLOGIST. 
41 



darker. Throat, pure white, shading on the 
breast and balance of the lower parts into an 
ashy white, which, on the sides has a tinge of 
bay. Tail, uniformly darker than most speci- 
mens of S. pallida, teathers conspicuously edged 
with white; bill, dark brown and quite com- 
pressed; tarsi, brown. The following are the 
measurements in inches and hundredths: Length, 
0.20; stretch, 7.20; wing, 2.50; tail, 2.35; tarsus, 
.69; bill, .80; color of irides, hazel; sex, ¢. The 
specimen was shot near Las Vegas, in San 
Miguel County, N. M., on May 11, 1885.—@eo. L. 
Toppan. 

Practical Taxidermy. 
BY FRANK B. WEBSTER. 
CHAPTER VII.—LARGE ANIMALS. 
With brain fairly reeling from the effect of run- 
ning through several works by foreign authors* 
treating upon heavy work, each varying in detail, 
but all showing the same general plan. I will 
endeavor to give the simplest method. For large 
animals it is necessary that the frame should be 
strong, light and correct in delineation. The 
large amount of filling required makes it neces. 
sary that it should partake more of the character 
of a form or dummy. I would call your atten- 
tion to the directions given for skinning small 
animals. The same directions are to be followed 
with the following variations: Skin legs down 
to hoof or end of 
toes, as the case 
may be. If the — WN 
=e 
subject is very —— 
large it may be 
necessary to cut 
the skin open on . x 3 F 
the inner side pp 
the legs, where 
it will be least 
seen after sewing. 
It is desirable that the leg bones should be retained 
if possible. If the subject has horns, skin to base 
of skull, sever the neck, and afterwards open the 
skin at top of neck and skin head as directed in 
previous chapter. Next carefully cut from skin all 
particles of flesh, fat and gristle, especially at feet, 
nose, lips, etc..—make a clean job of it. It is 
now ready to cure. The popular way of treating 
it is with pickle made by the following propor- 
tional receipt: 4 pounds English table salt, 2 


*T have carefully avoided reading any American work in 
order not to infringe on any original method advanced by 
their authors—on this particular subject. Iam, however, 
obliged to depend somewhat upon the experience of others, 
my own being limited in this branch. 
ounces saltpetre, 1 pound powdered alum, 4 ounce 
corrosive sublimate, 2 gallons of water. (The 
corrosive sublimate should be dissolved in a little 
alcohol.) I would suggest using burnt alum as a 
substitute for the common, as it is of a dryer na- 
ture. For ordinary work a large wash tub will 
answer. Place the skin and bones in it and 
cover with the pickle. Large bones should have 
holes bored in them to admit the pickle. 
(In warm weather a very little carbolic acid 
should be added—one ounce to ten gallons of the 
pickle.) 
The skin should remain in this until thorough- 
ly saturated. For a dog skin, twenty-four to 
forty-eight hours; deer skin, three to five days. 
I am informed that skins can remain in this 
pickle for a considerable length of time; but I 
should prefer taking them out and drying, and 
afterwards relaxing them when required. This 
pickle retains its virtue till skins show a tendency 
to become covered with slime; it should then be 
renewed. When the skin is taken out allow it 
to drain till the liquor has well run out and the 
hair is partially dry. With a sharp thin knife 
give it a good scraping or paring. Cut away all 
the superfluous hide. The more pains you take 
the better will be the result, the less the trouble 
from shrinking. In mounting heads alone some 
experts devote more time to this preparing of the 
skin than others to the whole job. Our skin now 
being ready we select a plank of 14 to 2 inches in 



thickness and from 6 to 12 inches wide, depend- 
ing upon the size of the subject. Saw it to length 
a trifle less than the original length of the body, 
(exact measurements must be referred to) round 
oneend. This is for a body board. The top 
should be sawed to a curve about the shape of 
the back. Next bore holes in both ends for each 
leg wire and for two neck wires. Fasten the 
neck wires; if the specimen is not very large 
wind one of the wires around the other and turn 
the end back; the other wire, which is to go 
through the skin, will be strengthened by _ it. 
Fasten a block under each leg wire hole. The 
board and block on each side should be the ag 
