18.53.] 



DIRECTIONS FOR COLLECTING, &c., SPECIMENS OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



173 



sliin by iiipans of a string, ^vliicli sliouM be passed between the 

 lower ends of the two bones joining tlic toivarm, previously, 

 however, cutting otf the slump of the arm, if still aflhering at 

 the elbow. Tie tlie two ends of the string so that the wings 

 shall be Uept at the same distance apart, as wdien attaelied to tiie 

 body. Sk;n the leg down to the scaly part, or tarsus, and re- 

 move all the musele. A]iply the arsenic to the bone and skin, 

 and, wrapping cotlon round the bone, pull it bauk to its ]>lace. 

 Remove all the nniscle and fat whicli may adhere to the base of 

 the tail or the skin, and put on ]'lenty of tlie preservative 

 wherever this can be done. Lift up the wing, and leniove tlie 

 muscle from the forearm by making an incision along it, oi-, in 

 many cases, the two joints may be expo:^ed by carefully slipping 

 down the skin towards the wrist-joint, the adhesion of the quills 

 to the bone being loosened. 



The bird is now to be restored to sometliing like its natural 

 shape by means of a filling of cotton or tow. Begin by opening 

 the mouth and ]>utting cotton into the orbits and upper part of 

 the throat, until tliese parts have their natural shape. Next take 

 tow or cotton, and, after making a roll rather less in thiekncss 

 than the original neck, put it into tlie skin, and push tirndy into 

 the base of the skull. ]3y means of this you can reduce oi- con- 

 tract the neck if too inueh stretched. Fill the body with cotton, 

 not quite to its original dimensions, and sew up the incision in 

 the skin, commencing at the upper end, and passing the needle 

 from the inside outwards; tie the legs and mandibles together, 

 adjust the feathers, and, after preparing a cylinder of paper the 

 size of the bird, jiush the skin into it so as to bind the wings 

 closely to the sidi's. The cotton may be put in loosely, or a body 

 the size of the original made by wra]iping with threads. If the 

 bird have long legs and neck, they had better be folded down 

 over the body, and allowed to dry in that position. Economy of 

 space is a great object in keeping skins, and such birds as herons, 

 geese, swans, <fec., occupy too much room when all their parts ai-e 

 in a natural position. 



In some instances, as among the ducks, woodpeckers, &c., the 

 head is so largo that the skin of the neck cannot be drawn over 

 it. In such cases, skin the neck down to the base of the skull, 

 and cut it off there. Then draw the head out again, and making 

 an incision on the outside, down the back of the skull, skin the 

 head. Be careful not to make too long a cut, and to sew up the 

 incision again. 



" 2. Mammals. — The mode of preparing mammals is pr'^cisely 

 the same as the preceding, in all its general features. Care 

 should be taken not to make too large an incision along the ab- 

 domen. The principal difficulty will be experienced in skinning 

 the tail. To effect this, pass the sli]3-knot of a piece of strong- 

 twine over the severed end of the tail, and, f;rstening the vertebras 

 firmly to some support, pull the twine towards the tip until the 

 skin is forced ofl". Shoidd the animal be large, and an abundance 

 of preservative not at hand, the skin had better remain inverted. 

 In all cases, it should be thoi-oughly and rapidly diied. 



Skins may also be preserved, for a time, in spirits, in the 

 absence of other preservative. This would, at all events, be better 

 than their drying, especially in localities abounding in noxious 

 insects. 



For the contirnied preservation of hair or fur of animals against 

 the attacks of moths and other destructive insects, it will be 

 nece&sary to soak the skins in a solution of corrosive sublimate, 

 in alcohol or whisky, allowing them to remain from one day to 

 several weeks, according to the s'ze. After removal, the hair 

 must be thoroughly washed or rinsed in clean water, to remove 

 as much as possible of the sublimate ; otnerwise, exposure to light 

 will bleach all the colors. 



In some instances, large skins may be preserved by being salted 

 down in casks. 



With regard to the tails of mammalia, it may be well to re- 

 mark that in si me it can nexer be forced off in the common way 

 of doing this operation. This is pai ticulai ly the case with beavers, 

 oposmniif:, and those species whicn use their tail for pieliension 

 or loco'.iiotion. Hero tin tail is usually supplied with numerous 

 tendino\is muscles, which require it to be skinned by making a 

 cut along the lower surf ice or right side of that organ, nearly 

 from one end to the otiier, and removing the bone and flesh. It 

 should then be sewed up again, after a previous stuffing. 



3. Reptiles. — The larger IharJs, as those exceeding twelve 

 or eighteen inches in length, may be skinned according to the 

 princi|iles above presented, although preservation in spirits, wdien 

 possible, is preferable lor all I'eptdes. 



harge frogs and salamanders may likewise be skinned, altho' 

 cases ndiere this will be advisable are very rare. 



Turtles and large snakes will lepiire this operation. 



To one accustomed to the skinning of birds, the skinning of 

 frogs or other reptiles will present no difficullies. 



The skinning of a snake is still easier. Open the mouth and 

 separate the skull from the veitebral column, detaching all sur- 

 rounding miisjles a Iherent to the skin. Next, tie a string around 

 the stump of the neck, and, holding on by this, strip the skin 

 down to the exti-emity of the tail. The skin thus inserted should 

 be restored to its proper state, and 'hen put in s]>irit or stufi'ed, 

 as convenient. Skins of reptiles may be stuffed with either sand 

 or sawdust, by the use of which their shape is more easily 

 restored. 



Turtles and tortoises are more difficult to prepare in this way, 

 although their skinning can be done quite rapidly. " The brea.st- 

 plate must be separated by a knife or saw fioin the back, and, 

 when the visceia and fleshy parts ha\e been removed, restored to 

 its position. The skin of the head and neck must be turned 

 inside out, as far as the head, and the \ertebrce and flesh of the 

 neck should be detached from the head, vhich after being freed 

 from the flesh, the brain, and the tongue, may be preserved with 

 the skin of the neck. Jn skinning the legs and the tail, tlie skin 

 must be turned inside out, and, the flesh having been removed 

 from the bones, they are to be returned to their places by re- 

 drawing the skin over them, first winding a little cotton or tow 

 around the bones to prevent the skin adhering to them when it 

 dries." — Richard Owes. 



Another way of preparing these reptiles is as follows : Make 

 two incisions, one from the anteri:r end of the breastplate to the 

 symphysis of the lower jaw, and another from the posterior emi 

 of the breastplate to the vent or tip ot (he tail; skin off these 

 regions and remoie all fleshy parts and viscera without touching 

 the b.eastplate itself.. Apply preservative, stufll ajd sew up 

 again both incisions. 



" AVhen turtles, tortoises, crocodiles, or alligatoi-s, are too large 

 to be presented ^yho!e in liquor, some j^arts, as the head, the 

 whole viscera stripped down from the neck to the vent, and the 

 cloaca, should be put into spiiit or solution." — R, Owen. 



4. Fishes. — As a general rule fishes, when not too large, are 

 best preserved entii'e in sjiirits. 



Nevertheless they may be usefull}- skinned and form collections, 

 the v: lue of wdiich is not generally appreciated. In many cases, 

 too, wdien spiiit or solutions cannot be procured, a fish may be 

 preserved which would otherwise be lost. 



There are two modes of taking the skin off a fish: 1st. The 

 wdiole animal can be skinned and stufi'ed like a bird, mammal, or 

 reptile. 2d. One half of the fish can be skinned, and nevertheless 

 its natural form preserved. 



Sharks, skates, sturgeons, garpikes or garfishes, mudfishes, 



