PREPARING ANIMAL SKINS FOR MOUNTING. 63 



with alum, salt, and saltpetre. Dry the skin as quickly 

 as possible in the open air, without exposing it to the sun. 

 The skins of all large animals may be prepared in this 

 manner, except those with small heads, without antlers 

 or horns ; then, the incision in the back of the neck is 

 omitted, and the neck-skin is turned inside out and 

 drawn over the head. 



Before large animal skins become dry enough to crack, 

 they should be given a heavy coat of arsenical soap, and 

 folded in as small a space as possible to facilitate trans- 

 portation. Elk antlers are " elephants " at camp, in a 

 wagon, or on a mule's back, and no little pluck is required 

 in transporting them through a hunting campaign. In 

 travelling, they should be lashed on the bows of a wagon, 

 on the bow of a boat, or on the top of a pack-mule's load. 

 In the latter case, the mule should be led, for if it once 

 begins " bucking," trouble, and plenty of it, follows. I 

 have seen a good mule killed by " snagging " himself on 

 the antlers of an elk swung over his back. 



The skins of small animals should have but one incis- 

 ion, that made from the middle of the thorax, down the 

 belly to the vent, and should be removed in the same 

 manner as those of larger animals. The skulls are left 

 attached to the skins by the lips, which are split from the 

 inside. The leg-bones should be left hanging to the feet. 

 The flesh sides should be primed with pulverized alum, 

 salt, and arsenic, the skulls filled with stuffing, the leg- 

 bone? trapped with the same, and the skins returned in 

 natural position, and filled out. The smallest of skins 

 are usually sewn together down the belly, and covered 

 with wrappers of thin paper or sheet cotton. Some skins 

 are much more difficult to prepare than others. Those of 

 the bear, porcupine, seal, etc., should be thoroughly 

 cleaned of fat by scraping with a dull knife. The tails 

 of most animals are easily drawn when started from 

 the base with a knife. The thumb-nail will strip the 



