ON THE MOUNTING OF TUKTLE8. 
85 
killina: of turtles. “ I am told” — but have never tried it — that a 
short immersion in warm water is fatal, and sincerely hope it may 
be so, as these reptiles are ordinarily very tenacious of life. 
Cyanide of potassium, so deadly to animals more highly organ- 
ized, acts very slowly, and although the spinal column becomes 
paralyzed in a few hours, the limbs move at the expiration of a 
day and a half. Chloroform, however, appears to kill rapidly 
and easily, and it is only necessary to saturate a wad of cotton 
with the liquid, tie it over the animal’s nose when he draws in 
his head, and leave for half an hour or so. In the absence of 
chloroform and warm water there remains only the barbarous Imt 
rapid plan of sawing through the shell into the heart. 
The dotted lines in these diagrams indicate where cuts should 
B. — Tortoises and Terrapins. 
A. — Snapping Turtle and Sea-Turtle. 
To skin a turtle with any degree of comfort it is absolutely 
necessary to have a small saw. If wealthy, and addicted to the 
collection of good tools, buy a small dissecting saw, which costs 
twice as much as it should. A very good substitute can be made 
by breaking three or four inches off a hack saw and fitting it to 
a wooden handle, drawing the temper at one end to punch holes 
for the rivets. A pair of bone forceps may be a luxury, but they 
