PREPARING SKINS OP MAMMALS. 
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should be as described, except that when the combined lengths of 
bod}' and tail exceed thirty-nine inches the tail should be bent round 
sideways on itself or along the side of the body. 
WANTED, generally, all small Mammals, however common — i.e. 
Squirrels, Rats, Mice, Shrews, Moles, Bats, Weasels, Stoats, etc., etc. 
Domesticated animals are, however, not wanted, nor are Rats or Mice 
caught in houses in towns. Do not be afraid of sending too many 
of the same sort, if carefully prepared and labelled as above described. 
This direction, however, would necessarily be modified in the case of 
specimens collected for sale. Series of skins representing the different 
seasons are always of interest. 
Such animals are to be obtained chiefly by setting traps in likely 
places, runs and mouse-holes being specially looked for. A stock of 
small metal traps should be taken out by the collector, who should 
also look out for effective native traps. Pitfall-traps, made out of 
glass or metal jars sunk in flush with the ground, are also very 
often successful. 
N.B. — In view of the pathological importance of Ticks as trans- 
mitters of injurious blood-parasites from one mammal to another, 
sportsmen and trappers may do great service to science by collecting 
the ticks so often to be found adhering to the skins of living or 
freshly killed animals. The ticks should be placed in alcohol in a 
glass tube, and labelled with the locality, the date, and the name or 
number of the infested host. 
