[ 5 ] PREPAKATION OF ROUGH SKELETONS LUCAS. 
In small quadrupeds it will be unnecessary to detach the legs, but, 
whenever convenience in roughing out or packing renders this needful, 
cut the collar bone loose Irom the breastbone and leave it fastened to 
the shoulder blade. 
The legs being finished, disjoint and ch an the skull. Be careful in 
removing the eyes not to thrust the point of the knife through the thin 
portion of the skull back of them and in deer, antelopes, or other 
ruminants, take care not to break through the thin bone back of the 
ui)per teeth. Also be careful not to cut off any projections of bone. 
Remove as much of the brain as possible with a scraper, bent wire, 
or small stick. 
In cleaning the ribs take care not to cut the cartilages joining them 
to the breastbone, and, when the tail is reached, look for a few little 
bones projecting downwards from the first few vertebrfe. 
Fold the legs snugly along the body, or, if they have been detached, 
tie them together with the skull on the under side, as much as possible 
within the chest cavity; also turn down the tail and tie it upon itself. 
Roll up in a bit of rag and fasten securely to one of the long bones 
any bones which may have been detached or any splinters from a broken 
bone. 
Hang the skeleton to dry in the shade,* where it will escape dogs, 
cats, and rats. 
Lastly, in case a small skeleton is likely to be some time on the road, 
give it a very thin coat of arsenical soap to preserve it from the attacks 
of Dermestes and other insects. 
On short collecting trips the poisoning may be omitted and the speci- 
mens treated when they reach their destination, but where small skele- 
tons aie to lie for some time uncared for, they should be poisoned, 
otherwise they may arrive in a very much mixed and dilapidated con- 
dition. 
The breastbones of large animals should also be well poisoned. 
The best method of poisoning small specimens is to dissolve arsenic 
in hot water, and when the solution is cold soak t he skeletons in it for 
an hour or so. All the small rough skeletons stored in museum collec- 
tions, as well as those in the stock of dealers in natural history material, 
are or should be thus treated. The addition of a little washing soda 
will cause water to take up much more arsenic than it otherwise would. 
Should any of these small specimens be needed for disarticulated 
skeletons the arsenic can be extracted b3^ soaking in a hot solution of 
washing soda. 
* In this as in many other particulars the collector will necessarily he governed by 
circumstances, for in moist climates, or on shipboard, it maj be needful to dry speci- 
mens in the sun, or even by the aid of a fire. 
