HOW TO MEASURE AN ANIMAL. 



ERNEST SETON THOMPSON. 



Although a complete series of observa- 

 tions, on the Big Game of our country, is 

 urgently needed and continually demanded 

 by the taxidermist, the painter, the sculp- 

 tor, and the scientist, as well as the sports- 

 man, it is a remarkable fact that no such 

 thing exists. Even such common species 

 as the Virginian, or White-tailed Deer 

 have escaped full and careful observation. 



The readers of Recreation have unu- 

 sual opportunities to gather the necessary 

 information, and for their guidance the 

 following scheme of measurements is pre- 

 sented. 



At the outset, it cannot be too emphati- 

 cally laid down that guesses, estimates, etc. 

 are not wanted, and that extraordinary 

 measurements can scarcely be accepted 

 without extraordinary proof. A series of 

 measurements is all the better if attested 

 by 2 or more witnesses. 



All measurements should be in a straight 

 line, excepting where otherwise stated. 

 Calipers are best, but a 2-foot rule and a 

 tape are more likely to be handy and can 

 be made to answer. Here is a general for- 

 mula for measuring mammals: 



Name of animal 



Sex 



Age 



Condition 



Where killed 



Date 



Who measured it 



Witnesses 



Live weight (on reliable scales, or not at 



all) 



Dressed or gutted weight (ditto) 



i. Length. — Lay the animal flat, stick in 

 a straight, sharp peg, at right angles to the 

 ground, at the point of the nose, A. Then 

 pull the nose, the back and the tail out, 

 as^nearly as possible in a straight line, and 

 put another peg where the bone of the tail 

 ends. B. Measure in a straight line be- 

 tween these points. This is the length of 

 the animal. AB, Fig. i. 



2. Tail. — Turn the tail straight, at right 

 angles to the back, alone a rule or stick held 

 firmly down on the upper side, and mark 

 where the bone ends. Note that as " length 

 of tail," CD. 



3. Hind Foot. — Measured in a straight 

 line from the top of the hock, or heel, E, to 

 the point of the longest hoof (or claw), F. 

 This is the length of the hind foot. 



4. Length of the Head. — This is best 

 measured with calipers, but it can be done 

 with the pegs. Peg A is still in place. Put 

 another, G, at the back point of the skull, 

 that is just on a line with the back of the 



ears. This point is called the hind-head 

 point or occipital tuberosity. See also Fig. 

 4, A2 G2. 



5. Height at Shoulders. — Put in a peg, H, 

 tight against the withers. Put the foreleg 

 at right angles to the axis of the body and 

 push it up toward the spine, so as to get 

 it as nearly as possible in the ordinary po- 

 sition of standing, in life. Put a peg, I, 

 at the heel — i.e. the ground line. The dis- 

 tance between the pegs is the height. 



6. Length from Shoulder Head to Thigh 

 Head. — Measure as nearly as possible from 

 the middle of the head of the shoulder bone, 

 J, to the middle of the head of the thigh 

 bone, K, where it joins to the hip bone. 

 Make sure, by working it, that you get the 

 thigh bone. 



7. Length of Body. — Put a peg in the 

 ground, tight against the manubrium or 

 front point of the breast bone, L; another 

 against the ischium, or bone that is felt 

 on each side below the tail, M. The dis- 

 tance between is length of body. 



8. From the breast between the forelegs 

 to the ground stake, I. 



These are the important measurements, 

 but the following are also desirable: 



From elbow N, to ground stake, I. . . . 



From wither stake H, to breast stake, O 



From hock E, to ground stake at hind 

 foot, P 



Girth of chest, behind forelegs (snug), 

 .13, Fig. 1 



Girth of belly, at biggest place (snug), 

 14, Fig. 1 



From point of shout to nearest edge of 

 eyeball, AQ, Fig. 1 



From point of snout to front edge of 

 base of ear, AR, Fig. 1 



Greatest length of eyeball 



Length of ear, ST Fig. 2 and ST Fig. 7 



Greatest width of ear, Fig. 7, WD, ER. 



Width across ears, from tip to tip, TU 

 Fig. 2 



Greatest width of the head, XY Fig. 2 



In bears, wolves, etc., this will be be- 

 low and behind the eye, Fig. 4, ZZ2. 



Width between the outside of each eye- 

 ball, VW Fig. 2 



Girth of front leg, above knee, at thick- 

 est part, 10 Fig. 1 



Girth of shank, below knee, at thinnest 

 part, 1 1 Fig. 1 



Girth of hind shank, below hock, at 

 thinnest part, 12 Fig. 1 



Depth at loins, from stake DL 1 to 

 stake DL 2, Fig. 1 



Thickness from one shoulder head, J, 

 through to the other on the opposite 

 side 



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