xviii The Mammals of Colorado 
Directions for Skinning Mammals for Scientific 
Purposes 
The following directions tell how a mammal should be 
skinned for scientific purposes, and the skin preserved so that 
it can be made up into a museum skin at any future time. 
It has not been thought best to give full directions for the 
making up of skins, such can be found in any good modern 
book on taxidermy (Rowley's Art of Taxidermy is very 
good), and the Biological Survey has published a circular 
giving directions which may be had for the asking. 
To skin mammals for scientific purposes make the opening 
cut along the middle of the belly from about the end of the 
breast-bone to the root of the tail. Do not cut through the 
walls of the body cavity if such cutting can possibly be 
avoided. Press the skin away on one side of the cut (sprink- 
ling on corn-meal if necessary, to keep the blood from staining) 
until a hind leg is exposed. Either cut the leg-bone with a 
pair of scissors, or, if the animal is too large or scissors are 
not at hand, cut apart at the knee-joint. Cut through all the 
flesh so that the leg is entirely freed from the body. 
Turn your attention to the other side and proceed in the 
same manner. Then work the skin away from around the 
tail and remove the bone from the tail, usually quite an easy 
matter. In the case of a small mammal it is not difficult to pull 
out the bone, if one grasps it between the thumb and fore- 
finger nails. In the case of larger mammals, two pieces of 
wood held one on either side of the tail-bone may be necessary, 
also cutting and working a little until the bone begins to slip, 
when it will pull out with little trouble. If blood is inclined 
to flow, sprinkle corn-meal liberally. 
Turn the skin back over the body, inside out, taking care 
not to stretch it. When the forelegs are reached, disjoint 
or cut at the shoulder. Continue skinning over the head, 
