RELAXING AND CLEANING SKINS. 203 



relax them, wi-ung out, thinned down wliere required, and 

 mounted straight away; a wet skin being an advantage when 

 modelling mammals, wet cloths even being necessary to cover 

 over certain parts, should the mounting occupy more than a day 

 or so. This, if the skin is properly cured, does not injure the 

 fur or any part in the slightest degree, while, at the same time, 

 it thoroughly relaxes. 



As newly relaxed skins (especially those of birds) dry rapidly 

 it will be advisable to have everything ready, and shape them up 

 as quickly as possible. 



The colours of the bills and feet of most birds recover their 

 pristine hues whilst being relaxed — a matter of great importance 

 as assisting the naturalist to the subsequent natural rendering 

 of those parts. 



Cleaning Birds' Skins, &c. — Formerly, it appears, the or- 

 thodox method of cleaning birds' skins was by the application 

 of water and plaster of Paris. When it was wished to remove 

 blood, or other stains, from a white or a light- coloured bird, this 

 was effected by means of a soft piece of wadding saturated with 

 warm water, and then rapidly and lightly applied to the stained 

 part, followed by plaster of Paris dusted on the way of the 

 *' grain," and allowed to remain on the specimen until perfectly 

 dry, when it easily came off in cake-like pieces, leaving the 

 feathers thoroughly cleansed of all impurities. If the wadding 

 became overcharged with blood, it was, of course, changed from 

 time to time before the plaster was thrown on. Though this 

 method does very well for blood stains of a recent date, it will 

 not remove grease or the stains from old skins. This was always 

 a weak point with the taxidermists of yore, who used, with very 

 meagre results, turpentine and plaster of Paris to clean their 

 skins. This went on for many years, and, though an unsatisfac- 

 tory state of things, had to be endured, as nothing better was 

 known. 



Some few years ago " benzine coUas " was introduced, and the 

 taxidermists were not long in finding out its valuable properties 

 for feather cleaning. " Benzoline " (Benzol, or Benzine 0^11^, see 

 pp. 84, 85), then came into more general use, and was, of course, 

 found to have all the properties of the so-called "benzine 

 collas." This discovery, we may say, completely revolutionised 



