


























HINTS ON TAXIDERMY. 485 
thetail. It should then be set aside in the air to dry, care 
being taken not to expose it to the rays of the sun. When 
dry the paper which covers the exposed side and with which 
the rays are distended, may be removed in the manner pre- 
viously stated, and the glass eyes inserted with a little 
putty. As the glass eyes used by taxidermists are generally 
too spherical, and polished, it is well to manufacture them of 
. . Wood, using common paint to restore the color, avoiding the 
= Wseof varnish. Finally the skin should receive a coat of 
= thin colorless varnish, after which it is ready for the cabinet. 
In sharks and large fishes an incision should be made below 
the head at its base, along the ridge of the back, following 
to either side of the dorsal fin down to the tail. The skin 
‘ean then be separated on each side, and by severing the ver- 
tebræ at the head and tail, the entire body may be removed. 
The tail having been skinned, the head should be pushed 
inwards and the skin passed over it, when all the cartilage 
can be freely cut away. In stuffing these large species it 
omes necessary to use a body support, and a bar of light 
99d may be used for this purpose; this should enter the 
skull, thereby being more easily kept in position, and extend 
the base of the tail. Hooks can be fastened to this bar, 
and by means of wire the specimen can be suspended from 
above, The body should then be stuffed with hay, and the 
incision upon the back carefully sewed up. If the first coat 
of varnish is observed to rise in scales it should be removed 
with a solution of nitric acid and water, and the skin allowed 
dry, when a second application of varnish will ever after- 
Wards remain quite solid. 
We may state in conclusion that with the exception of 
large turtles, alligators and their allies, large sharks and a 
few other fishes of great size, stuffed specimens of the two 
 C'asses of reptiles and fishes are very unsatisfactory to the 
haturalist, and that whenever it is practicable to preserve 
: sed specimen in aleohol that method should be adopted in 
ce of Skinning and stuffing. 
