174 
FOURTEENTH REPORT. 
be preserved in lots when they are so taken, and the same care should be 
used in recording the data. 
Preservation of Skins. 
As a rule it will not pay the general collector to attempt the preserva- 
tion of specimens too large to be conveniently preserved entire in 
formalin. Small specimens of the larger forms may usually be had, 
and these will suffice. However, if one is willing to take the trouble, 
a few adult specimens of the large lizards, crocodilians, turtles and 
snakes will increase the value of the collection, and these may be pre- 
served as skins. In the case of lizards, make a cut along the median 
ventral line from between the fore legs to the forward end of the 
abdomen. Skin the neck and anterior part of the body through this 
cut, disarticulating the head and the fore limbs at the shoulder. Then 
hang the animal by a fish-hook thrust through the skinned neck and 
carefully skin the body backward, turning (lie skin inside out in the 
process and disarticulating the hind limbs at the pelvis and the tail, 
leaving these members, like the fore limbs and head, with the skin. 
Turn the skin right side out again. Determine the sex on the body and 
record it in flu 1 notebook, and then, after removing the stomach and 
tying it to the skin, throw the body away. Label the skin and preserve 
if in formalin. i j . 
Large snakes to be skinned are treated as follows: First measure the 
total length and length of tail. Then slit the ventral surface along the 
median line from the neck to within one or two inches of the anal open- 
ing and skin the body through this slit, disjointing the head and tail 
and leaving these members with the skin. Label the skin, tie the 
stomach to it and preserve in formalin. If there are any embryos, re- 
move the oviducts and preserve under the same number as the skin. 
Hornaday’s* method of preserving large, crocodilians has proved very 
satisfactory. “For the sake of science in general, and the taxidermist 
in particular, measure the crocodile carefully and record the dimensions. 
Divide the skin along the under side, following the median line from the 
throat to the tip of the tail, in one long, straight cut. Beginning at the 
end of each middle toe. divide the skin along the bottom of the foot and 
the under side of the leg, up to the point where the leg joins the body, 
bu( no farther. Then begin at the edges of the first cut, and skin as 
far down the sides of the body as possible. When the legs are reached, 
detach them from the body at hip and shoulder without cutting the 
skin, and continue on round the body until the backbone is reached 
and the skin entirely detached. Sever the head from the neck at the 
first cervical vertebra without cutting the skin. Skin out the tongue 
and remove the flesh from the palatal apertures and various cavities 
of the head. Skin each leg by turning the skin wrong side out until 
the toes are reached. Leave all the bones of each leg attached to each 
other and to the skin itself at the toes, but cut away the llesh carefully, 
the same as in skeletonizing. Remove from the skin as much as possi- 
ble of the flesh which will be found adhering to it. When the skin is 
thoroughly clean, immerse it in a strong bath of salt and water, and 
♦Taxidermy and Zoological Collecting, pp. 67-68, New York, 1894. 
