THE CAYMAN. 



55 



may separate the tail at every other joint. 

 This division renders the process extremely 

 easy. The head also may be divided from the 

 body, and replaced afterwards with great 

 success. After the whole of the dissection is 

 finished, you steep the skin for about a quarter 

 of an hour in the solution of corrosive sublimate, 

 and then, by means of sand, you proceed to 

 restore the form and feature which the animal 

 possessed in life. 



An adept in this new mode of preparing 

 zoological specimens for Museums ( see the 

 Essays) would be enabled to bring home an 

 alligator very superior indeed to those hung 

 up in apothecaries' shops during the life of 

 Shakspeare — " An alligator stuffed." My 

 cayman is now in as good condition as it was 

 on the day in which I dissected it ; and it will 

 set decay at defiance for centuries to come, 

 provided no accident befal it. 



I have mentioned briefly in the Wanderings, 

 an account which the governor of Angustura 

 gave me of the boldness and ferocity of the 

 cayman. I may here repeat the story some- 

 what more at length. 



In the year 1808, I carried Lord Colling- 



E 4 



