COLLKCTINC; AND IIUOSKKVINCJ M AM M AI^S. 



487 



(Fi^. 1): (1) Frorn the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail 

 (without uieasuring the hairs) with the animal extc^nchul at full 

 lengtli, but not stretehed. (2) The tail, from its junction w^ith the 

 body, when pulhnl at right angles with the })()dy, to the tip. (3) 

 The hind foot from the heel joint to the most distant claw tip. It 

 is desirable that the measurements be given in millimeters and that 

 they be put on the label in the order named above for the sake of 

 convenience in comparing with the measurements of other collect- 

 ors. Measurements can be made more accurately with a pair of 

 dividers than with a rule or tape alone. 



Fig. 1. — Diagram of a iiiou.se, showing measurements to be taken and method of 

 pinning and labeling a skin. 



To skin a mammal, lay it on its back and with a pair of small 

 scissors slit the skin along the middle of the belly from the tail to 

 the breast bone. With the fingers, w^ork the skin back from the 

 body and along the sides to the hind legs, and by bending the legs 

 at the knee joint, work the skin off all the w^ay around each of them 

 and sever the leg from the body near the knee. Push the skin back 

 along each leg to the foot and. with a knife and scissors, strip the 

 fieshs and tendons from the bone. In animals no larger than a rat, 

 it will be sufficient to skin the leg down to the ankle joint, but in 

 larger ones the tendons and flesh should be taken out of the foot 

 also. By placing the finger nails, a pair of forceps or sticks about 

 the base of the tail inside the skin, the skin can be pulled off of the 

 tail except in the muskrat and a few other fleshy-tailed animals 

 Avhere it must be laboriously cut off. The bones should always be 

 removed from the tail. 



When the tail and hind legs are free, turn the skin back over the 



