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The netted hunting bags of Mackenzie district are best treated with 
warm vaseline applied with a brush, though incidental trimmings of buck- 
skin, wool, and other materials have to be avoided. No organic oil should 
be used on babiche, as the acid formed when the oil becomes rancid will 
attack the babiche and “burn” it. 
Babiche is frequently attacked by insects and should be inspected 
carefully. 
Baleen 
Baleen, or whalebone, is essentially a keratin and of the same nature 
as horn. With the lapse of time, it becomes brittle, owing to the loss of 
moisture, and the edges of specimens are apt to fray. The pliability of 
baleen is considerably increased by immersing it in boiling water and it 
may then be restored to its original form if it has, at any time, become 
warped. It will also retain a shape given it while hot, if allowed to cool in 
the required position. The preservative treatment necessary is generally 
one which will prevent its becoming brittle. Experiments indicate that 
heating the baleen in a thin solution of gelatin in water, drying it, and 
immersing it in formal dehyde will form a coating resistant to water that 
will aid in the preservation of the baleen. 
Eskimo archaeological specimens made of baleen, such as matting, 
nets, and occasionally bows and sled runners, will sometimes be found to 
be thickly coated and impregnated with animal fats and grease. These 
should be soaked in a bath of benzine until all the grease is dissolved, then 
transferred to a second clean benzine bath, dried, and well soaked in a 
thin celluloid solution. Much dirt will be loosened in the first benzine 
bath, and should be washed from the specimen by agitating the vessel in 
which the benzine is contained. There should be no loose dirt present when 
the specimen is transferred to the celluloid bath. 
Baleen is slightly subject to the attacks of insects, especially when 
fresh, or impregnated with animal fats. 
Bone 
Bone specimens are of two principal classes: human and animal 
skeletal remains; and bone artifacts. 
Skeletal Remains. These should be handled as soon as possible after 
receipt; if damp they should be dried thoroughly but slowly, as rapid 
drying is likely to cause warping which might invalidate future measure- 
ments. The ear passages of skulls should be plugged with cotton wool 
immediately to prevent the loss of the auditory ossicles (if this precaution 
was not taken in the field). Frequently the meati are blocked with sand 
or other debris, in which case it is probable that the ossicles are still in 
place. If this is not the case, careful search must be made all through the 
wrappings and packing, as the ossicles are almost sure to have fallen out 
during shipment. The search is most readily made by unfolding and shak- 
ing every sheet of wrapping paper over a large shallow tray and then 
emptying into the same tray all the debris in the packing case. The 
materials so obtained are then put through two sieves, one coarse enough 
to let the ossicles through and one fine enough to retain them. Sieves with 
openings of one-quarter and one-tenth of an inch, respectively, are suitable. 
