10 
Turtles and large snakes will require this operation. 
To one accustomed to the skinning of birds, the skinning of frogs 
or other reptiles will present no difficulties. 
The skinning of a snake is still easier. Open the mouth and sepa- 
rate the skull from the vertebral column, detaching all surrounding 
muscles adherent to the skin. Next, tie a string around the stump of 
the neck thus exposed (see fig.), and, holding on by this, strip the skin 
down to the extremity of the tail. The skin thus inverted should be 
restored to its proper state, and then put in spirit or stuffed, as con- 
venient. Skins of reptiles may be stuffed with either sand or saw- 
dust, by the use of which their shape is more easily restored. 
Turtles and tortoises are more difficult to prepare in this way, 
although their skinning can be done quite rapidly. "The breast- 
plate must be separated by a knife or saw from the back, and, when 
the viscera and fleshy parts have been removed, restored to its posi- 
tion. The skin of the head and neck must be turned inside out, as 
far as the head, and the vertebrae and flesh of the neck should be 
detached from the head, which, after being freed from the flesh, the 
brain, and the tongue, may be preserved with the skin of the neck. 
In skinning the legs and the tail, the skin must be turned inside out, 
and, the flesh having been removed from the bones, they are to be 
returned to their places by redrawing the skin over them, first wind- 
ing a little cotton or tow around the bones to prevent the skin adher- 
ing to them when it dries." — Richard Owen. 
Another way of preparing these reptiles is as follows : Make two 
incisions, one from the anterior end of the breastplate to the sym- 
physis of the lower jaw, and another from the posterior end of the 
breastplate to the vent or tip of the tail; skin off these regions and 
