The Collection of Fishes 431 



How to Preserve Fishes. — Fishes must be permanently pre- 

 served in alcohol. Dried skins are far from satisfactory, except 

 as a choice of difficulties in the case of large species. 



Dr. Giinther thus describes the process of skinning fishes: 



"Scaly fishes are skinned thus: With a strong pair of scissors 

 an incision is made along the median line of the abdomen from 

 the foremost part of the throat, passing on one side of the base 

 of the ventral and anal fins to the root of the caudal fin, the 

 cut being continued upward to the back of the tail close to 

 the base of the caudal. The skin of one side of the fish is then 

 severed with the scalpel from the underlying muscles to the 

 median line of the back; the bones which support the dorsal 

 and caudal are cut through, so that these fins remain attached 

 to the skin. The removal of the skin of the opposite side is 

 easy. More difficult is the preparation of the head and scapu- 

 lary region. The two halves of the scapular arch which have 

 been severed from each other by the first incision are pressed 

 toward the right and left, and the spine is severed behind the 

 head, so that now only the head and shoulder bones remain 

 attached to the skin. These parts have to be cleaned from 

 the inside, all soft parts, the branchial and hyoid apparatus, 

 and all smaller bones being cut away with the scissors or scraped 

 off with the scalpel. In many fishes which are provided with 

 a characteristic dental apparatus in the pharynx (Labroids, 

 Cyprinoids), the pharyngeal bones ought to be preserved and 

 tied with a thread to their specimen. The skin being now 

 prepared so far, its entire inner surface as well as the inner side 

 of the head are rubbed with arsenical soap; cotton-wool or 

 some other soft material is inserted into any cavities or hol- 

 lows, and finally a thin layer of the same material is placed 

 between the two flaps of the skin. The specimen is then dried 

 under a slight weight to keep it from shrinking. 



"The scales of some fishes, as for instance of many kinds of 

 herrings, are so dehcate and deciduous that the mere handling 

 causes them to rub oft" easily. Such fishes may be covered 

 with thin-paper (tissue paper is the best) which is allowed to 

 dry on them before skinning. There is no need for removing 

 the paper before the specimen has reached its destination. 



"Scaleless fishes, as siluroids and sturgeons, are skinned in 



