10 



COLLECTORS MANUAL 



All noticeable fat, adherent flesh, and loose tissue should be 

 removed from the raw side of the skin, taking care not to stretch 

 it. Fat, when present, must be removed by scraping the inside 

 of the skin with a knife or scraper. Loose scraps of fat and 

 grease maj 7, be removed by applying corn meal or fine sawdust 

 as an absorbent and then scraping them off. 



4 mile* «*. T-U-W 



£iiftgsi To«gKcm\ -p. -240 



W.L.Abbott H.F.-W 



Coltt-i S rates 



National Museum, j =- j 



Sjl 



f.3umfttra:Aru Bay Dec. 2* i^05j 



Fig. 4. — Sample skin and skull labels for mammals. 



Large skins may be scraped more readily on the rounded 

 surface of a smooth log than on a flat surface. For them a hack- 

 saw blade makes a satisfactory scraping tool. 



The tails of mammals with a hard shell (armadillos) or with 

 a covering of scales (pangolins) should be split down the center 

 of the under side to remove the vertebrae. South American spiny 

 rats have tails that break off at the base with the slightest tug. 

 It is therefore necessary to apply rolling pressure with the flat 

 surface of a large knife to the entire length of the tail to 

 loosen the attachment of the skin to the flesh and vertebrae before 

 attempting to slip the tail vertebrae from the skin. 



