SOME HINTS ON NATURAL HISTORY SPECIMENS, 105 
which is too often overlooked or only carried out in a most careless fashion. 
This is the recording of the— 
Measurements of the specimen. Until lately, almost every one has gone 
about this in his own particular way, with the result that the records are in 
many instances utterly valueless for purposes of comparison, The measure- 
ments that may be taken can of course be extended to an almost unlimited 
extent, but for all practical purposes the following will generally suffice, 
arranged in the order of their importance, They should, in the case of large 
animals, be recorded in feet and inches, being taken with an ordinary tape- 
measure—or better still with a steel-tape, which is not so lable to stretching 
or damage—and written down on the spot, 
(1), Length of the Head and Body.—¥or taking this measurement the 
animal should be laid on its side, and the body, neck and head straightened 
out as much as possi le, Then measure in a straight line from the tip of the 
nose to the root of the tail. To enable this to be done accurately it will 
generally be of assistance to set up perpendiculars with sticks at the two 
extreme points of measurement, 
(2). Height at the Shoulder, This is always a difficult measurement to take 
from a dead animal, but with a little practice it can be done with reasonable 
accuracy. With the animal still lying on its side, set up a perpendicular stick 
at the highest point of the shoulder and measure in a direct line from this to 
the sole of the foot, the latter being. held in the natural position as if the 
animal were standing on it, and the leg quite straight. 
(3). Length of Vail —With the tail held down, measure from the uugle 
below the root of it to the extreme end withvut the hair, 
(4). Girth behind Forelegs—Vhis measurement should be taken at the point 
where the girth of a saddle touches a horse, and is absolutely necessary if the 
skin is going to be pegged out for drying, so that in doing so it may not be 
exceeded, It can be supplemented by other similar measurements such as the 
girth of the flank and forearm, 
(5). Length of Skull.—In the case of: a tiger, if the skull is not going to be pre- 
served, measure it along the ridge or ogciput, and also its greatest circumference, 
These measurements are generally a good indication of the size of the beast, 
In connection with the measurements reference may here be made to the 
desirability of also recording the— 
Weight of an animal whenever it may be pussible, and though a scale, ca- 
pable of doing this in the case of an animal of any considerable size, is not of 
course commonly part of the camp equipment—quite apart from the fact that 
the same will often be miles away—the result can at times be attained by weigh- 
ing it piecemeal on, say, a 50-pound scales, after it kas been skinned and cut up. 
Let us now turn our attention for a while to the Treatment of the Shin after 
it has been removed from the carcase. The first thing is to carefully clean 
the inside as much as possible of all remaining pieces of flesh and fat, That 
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