328 AN INTRODUCTION TO ZOOLOGY. 



ence — the origin of manj the origin and nature of life, 

 the past and the future of our kind, and of ourselves. 

 The student whose work is dignified by thoughts of 

 these things, not degraded by a coarse inquisitive- 

 ness, may fitly and rightly undertake the work of 

 dissection. 



In procuring the material for dissection, the thought- 

 ful student will hesitate to take life for the mere 

 gratification of curiosity. There are often sick or 

 superfluous domestic animals which from motives of 

 humanity have to be destroyed ; and a thorough study 

 of the dissection of the cat and dog will form an excel- 

 lent beginning for the student, especially as the two 

 are nearly related, and will give practice in dis- 

 tinguishing the smaller and less striking differences 

 which exist between allied genera. Some of the bones 

 of the first specimen will probably be spoiled in dis- 

 section ; a second one of each should be got, the bones 

 cleared so far as possible, and then macerated, i.e. 

 soaked in water till the remains of the tissues are de- 

 cayed and can be easily cleaned away. The process 

 may be hurried up by partly boiling the skeleton ; but 

 this spoils the colour of the bones. In any case, the 

 use of a little bleaching powder will improve the colour. 

 Great care must be exercised in making sure that none 

 of the bones are lost; ascertain their right position, 

 and wire them together. Rats and mice may easily 

 afibrd the student's next lesson. These animals, which 

 by their rapidity of multiplication would otherwise 

 starve us out, have to be destroyed, therefore use them 



