SKINNING- AND PRESERVING MAMMALS. 131 



jou come to the return of tlie fore-arm in precisely tlie same 

 manner as you liave done witli tlie hind, limbs. This point is 

 not so easy to find as is that of the hind legs, but if you will 

 twist the leg you will at once see the point of junction, where 

 slip the knife in and cut ofO as before. Turn the fox, and treat 

 the other leg in the same manner. Arrived at the neck, skin all 

 round until you arrive at the base of the skull ; you will then 

 become aware of two cartilaginous bodies standing up one on 

 each side — these are the ears. Having skinned a little on top of 

 these, with your finger and thumb raise them slightly and cut 

 them away from their attachment at their bases. Having freed 

 both ears carefully, skin on the top of the head and the side of the 

 face, until, at about two a,nd a half inches from the ear, and in a 

 line with it, you find the eye, which holds by a thin membrane 

 at this point ; carefully skin on the top until the eyeball shows 

 through, and very carefully free it from its attachment all 

 round, except at its lower angle, i.e., that nearest the nose ; do 

 the same with the other. JSTow skin a little more by the side of 

 the jaw until you find it firmly held by a return angle of skin; 

 there leave it attached. Turning the under jaw exactly upper- 

 most, skin along the bone toward the lip as far as you can get, 

 not, however, entirely relieving it from the jawbone at the side, 

 but only until a thin blue membrane appears, which take care 

 not to cut through; this is inside of the skin which comes 

 between the lower lip and the teeth. 



The fox's skin is now held to the body at five points, viz., the 

 lower corners of each eye, two ; at each return of the jaw just 

 underneath, two more ; and at the point of the junction of the 

 two lower jawbones close to the under lip. Procure a saw and 

 saw the head off, so as to expose the brain. On reaching the 

 flesh under the jaw, slip the knife up between on each side of 

 the jaw, which will have the effect of pulling out the tongue 

 attached to the body ; preserve the tongue for further operations. 



With a small chopper, or a mallet and chisel, cut away 

 part of the bone by the palate, between which and the skull 

 hones the brains are included. This considerably assists the 

 removal of the brain. A large quantity of flesh still remains 

 at the top of the head, which must be cleanly removed, and the 

 eyeballs taken out. You will then find just underneath the 



