CHAPTEH IX. 



Skinning^ Peeserying, and Mounting Eeptiles. 



The chief requirement in preserving reptiles is a fine and 

 delicate liand, in order to deal successfully with, these mostly 

 thin-skinned objects. I will now take one of the easiest reptiles 

 as our first study, viz., the common snake. Formerly, by the 

 old method of skinning, the bodies of all snakes were removed 

 through an incision made along the skin of the stomach. This 

 was a mistake, for the smaller snakes may be skinned through 

 the mouth, in this wise: Open the jaws of the snake to their 

 fullest extent, taking care, if a venomous one, not to scratch the 

 fingers with the fangs, which, in the adder or viper, lie folded 

 backward along the roof of the mouth. If the fangs are not 

 required to be shown, the safest plan will be to cut them away 

 with a pointed pair of scissors. Holding the snake by the back 

 of the neck with the left hand, push the pointed knife or scissors 

 into the mouth towards the back of the head, feeling at the 

 same time with the point of the knife for the first joint of the 

 cervical vertebrae, having found which proceed to dislocate it 

 with the point of the knife, gently feeling your way, and cutting 

 downward toward the right hand, the thumb of which presses 

 against the snake's head at the under jaw. Feel round with 

 the point of the knife or scissors up toward the outer skin, 

 gradually working the flesh away. Cut away the under jaw, 

 inside the skin, from its attachment to the flesh, pushing the 

 point of your scissors or knife at the same time as far as you 

 can get it down inside the skin. This all requires time and 

 patience, lest you push the point of the knife or scissors through, 

 the skin, and also as you will not at the first trial succeed in 



