124 TAXIDERMY AND MODELLING 



working around, cutting meanwhile toward the body, in order 

 that the knife might not slip and cut the skin. The skin of 

 the side being freed, the hind limb was treated in like manner. 

 When sufficiently loose underneath, the foot was disjointed at 

 the second joint of the toes ; in the case of the fore limbs, 

 these were disjointed at the same point, the large or innermost 

 toe ( = pollex or thumb), just above, being freed from its attach- 

 ment, and the remainder of the toes being left in for future 

 operations. When skinned on one side up to the centre of 

 the back, the other side and paws were treated in precisely the 

 same manner, care being taken at the thin part of the flank 

 not to cut the skin. 



After both sides had been sufficiently relieved, so that the 

 skin was loosened all along the back, the parts around the tail 

 were skinned out with care, and the tail itself released from its 

 skin. In this case the skin of the tail was split to the end, 

 but this will often skin and pull out, as in smaller mammals, 

 without cutting, so as to come out in a piece ; if, however, it 

 should "stick," the mode is to cut it underneath near the tip, 

 and flay back towards the body. 



The hind quarters were then slung by the rope previously 

 mentioned, and the skin was pulled from underneath them by 

 shifting the rope to the fore part so as to lift the head off" the 

 ground or table. The throat and neck were now skinned, 

 and, it being necessary that the skull should be retained to 

 show the teeth, etc., it was disjointed at the first or atlas 

 vertebra. (When, however, it is not necessary to retain the skull 

 within the skin, it should be freed therefrom at the junction of 

 the ears, care being taken not to cut to the outside. The ears 

 should be skinned a little way up, and, when slightly relieved, 

 cut off' close to the skull, so that there may not be a large 

 orifice. Great care is required, as there are many attachments 

 here, but if the rule be observed of cutting on to the flesh and 



