United States Department of Agriculture, 
BIOLOGICAL SURVEY— Circular No. 49. 
DIRECTIONS FOR PREPARING SPECIMENS OF LARGE MAMMALS IN 
THE FIELD. 
By C. Hart Merriam, Chief, Biological Survey. 
Specimens of large mammals, including everything from a mink to 
a moose, may be prepared roughly in the field and afterward put in 
perfect condition by a taxidermist. The field preparation is not diffi- 
cult and requires no special training. Any mammal can be skinned 
with a large pocket knife. 
A ' specimen ' is understood to mean the complete skin of an animal 
and its skull. When a skin is saved, the skull of the same specimen 
should always be preserved, even if imperfect, although skins with per- 
fect skulls are much more valuable. Skulls unaccompanied by skins 
are also of value and should be saved. 
The preparation of a specimen in the field consists in : ( 1 ) Measur- 
ing, (2) making the opening cuts, (3) removing the skin, (4) applying 
Ft a. 1. 
the preservative, (5) drying the skin, (6) preparing the skull, (7) 
labeling the skin and skull, (8) packing and shipping. 
MEASURING. 
while the carcass 
Three measurements should be taken (if possible, 
is still warm). 
1. Total length from tip of nose to end of tail vertebrae (to end of 
bone, not end of hairs). In taking this measurement extend the body, 
neck, and tail as nearly in a straight line as possible. 
The smaller animals should be measured on a table or 
board, the larger ones on flat level ground (fig. 1). 
In the latter case drive a peg at 'the end of the nose 
and another at the end of the tail bone and measure 
the distance between, in a straight line. Never meas- 
ure over the curves of the back. 
2. Length of tail from base to end of vertebrae. 
This is taken by bending the tail up at right angles 
to the back and measuring from its base (on the upper 
side) to the end of the vertebrae (fig. 2). 
3. Length of hind foot (held straight) from heel to 
point of hoof (fig. 3) or longest claw (fig. 4). In 
hoofed animals the ' heel ' is called the hock. 
In the case of large game animals, the height at shoulder is impor- 
tant, but is difficult to take accurately. It is best measured between 
