CHAPTER IX. 



MOUNTING REPTILES, BATRACHIANS, AND FISHES. 



Mounting reptiles, batrachians, and fishes as 

 collected in this department is scarcely a part of 

 taxidermy. I shall only give general instructions 

 regarding mounting some species. Snakes may be 

 readily skinned by cutting a longitudinal insertion 

 about a fourth of the distance down from the head 

 on the lower side where the body begins to enlarge, 

 near its greatest diameter ; then the skin may be 

 speedily taken off both ways. When the vent is 

 reached the skin comes away harder, but in order 

 to make a perfect piece of work it must be skinned 

 quite to the end of the tail, even if it splits open ; 

 the eyes must be removed from the inside of the 

 head. The skin on the top of the head cannot be 

 removed in this class of animals, leaving the jaw 

 and skull. Cover well with preservative, and turn 

 the skin. To mount, two ways are practised, one 

 with plaster, in which the orifice on the inside and 

 the vent are sewed up, and the plaster poured into 



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