86 the taxidermist's guide. 



9 



. The skin will be sufficiently dried within two or three days, so 

 that the hair may be turned inwards. If some common salt can 

 be procured, a solution of it should be made, and the hair rubbed 

 with it. Both sides of the skin must be rubbed with this two or 

 three times, at intervals of a day. 



"When sufficiently dry, the skin may be rolled up and packed. 

 The hair ought to be inwards, with a layer of dried grass inter- 

 vening, to prevent friction during conveyance. The operation of 

 rolling up the skin must be begun at the head. 



If the journey is long, the skin should be unrolled, and placed 

 in the sun for a few hours, and the places liable to the attack of 

 moths should be again rubbed with turpentine. 



When a skin thus prepared has reached the place where it is to 

 be put up, it must undergo a preparation previous to its being 

 mounted. In the first place, it must be extended along the ground 

 with the hair undermost, so that it may acquire fresh pliability, 

 and those parts which remain stiff must be moistened with tepid 

 water. The skin must then be placed in a large vessel of water 

 saturated with alum, there to remain eight or ten' days ; after 

 which, it must be extended on half rounded pieces of wood, and 

 thinned with a sharp knife, which is facilitated by the projections 

 of the wood, enabling the operator the more easily to cut it, while 

 it is gradually shifted, till the whole has been pretty equally 

 thinned. When this operation is completed, it is allowed to soak 

 in water with an equal quantity of that saturated with the alum. 

 Twenty-four hours will be sufficient. 



In hunting for Snakes, great caution must be exercised, as it is 

 well known that the bite of some of theseproves fatal within a 

 quarter of an hour, jJarticularly that of the Rattlesnake and some 

 others. Indeed, it would be more prudent to allow the natives 

 to hunt for these poisonous reptiles, as they are better acquainted 

 with their haunts, and the means of defence to be employed in 

 this dangerous pursuit. They are also better acquainted with 

 those which are poisonous. We may, however, remark, that 

 the poisonous Snakes have, in general, much larger heads than 

 those which are harmless, and their necks are also narrow. 



SHELLS. 



Shells, on account of the elegance and variety of their forms, 

 and beauty of then* colors, are objects much sought after, not 



