386 APPENDIX 



tie ear must be turned through.. The lip must be treated thus : Pass 

 the knife between the mucous lining and the outer skin all round the 

 mouth so as to admit of the preservative penetrating this thick portion 

 of the specimen completely. The eyelids and feet must each be treated 

 in a similar manner for the same reason. Now peg the skin out with 

 the fur downwards for drying, and anoint it thoroughly with arsenical 

 soap if preferred ; but at the same time use freely a sufficient quantity 

 of powdered alum, especially on the lips, eyelids, ears, feet, and all 

 other fleshy parts. In regard to the employment of arsenical soap as 

 a preservative against insect ravages, it is not in my opinion always 

 completely efficacious. I therefore recommend that spirits of turpen- 

 tine should at the same time be freely poured over both sides of the 

 skin. When the skin is sufficiently dried it can be folded and packed. 



Although the process just described is a very good one, I should 

 myself adopt the foUowing, which would be much more simple, and 

 is thoroughly successful : The skin having been removed from the 

 carcase and cleaned, instead of being pegged out for drying, should 

 be thickly covered over the flesh side with powdered alum, then folded 

 in convenient form, and thus immersed in a barrel of brine, what we 

 technically call " liquor " ; add parts of alum and common salt in 

 the proportion of six pounds of alum and two pounds of salt to a gallon. 

 A number of skins may be placed in the same barrel, which is thus 

 ready either for storing or transit. They are quite exempt from the 

 ravages of insects; native dressing with lime and other deleterious 

 material is avoided. They wiU keep safely for a long period, and the 

 process is at once inexpensive and a saving of time. In the case of 

 homed beasts where the head only is frequently preserved, I have no 

 hesitation in recommending this system as the best. Of course in 

 such case the skull and horns are cleaned and packed separately. In 

 cutting ofE bison and stag's heads be sure to leave a long neck ; they 

 are too frequently cut close to the jaws, and this considerably mars 

 the effect when mounted. 



It is important for the proper preservation of the skulls of Felidw 

 that they should be protected from injury to or loss of the teeth. This 

 is best done as foUows : When the skull has been boiled and cleaned, 

 it should be tied up in a calico bag and placed in a separate compart- 

 ment of the packing-case designed for it. Stuffing should moreover 

 be put into each compartment to prevent the skull from injury from 

 being shaken. 



Small Mammalia, etc. — In the case of the small mammals the skull 

 and bones of the legs are to be left in the skins. The animal being 

 placed on its back, incision is made from the sternum (breast bone) to 

 root of the tail. The skin is then separated from the carcase as far as 

 can be conveniently reached, and the limbs are severed from the body 

 at the shoulder and thigh. Each limb can then be drawn out— as a 

 glove might be turned inside out — but the bone must not be separated 

 at its junction with the toe, or the skin of the foot or leg in any way 

 injured. The muscles can then be removed from the bone, and this 

 can best be done by cutting the tendons near the toes, and carefully 



