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like that of the muskrat, and heavy muscular or fat tails like those of 
the skunk, porcupine, or beaver, must be split on underside. In fact, 
any tail of an animal larger than a squirrel should be split open to re- 
move fat, etc., and enable it to dry more readily. The tail being free, 
work the skin gradually free from the body. For the convenience of 
beginners, and, in the case of large skins, of anyone, the body may now 
be hung up by a slip knot around the hips or legs, so that the operator 
may have both hands to work with. Dust on plenty of sawdust from 
the time the opening cut is made, to absorb blood and grease, and to 
afford a better handhold on the skin. Avoid stretching the skin. Cut 
off the fore legs and continue peeling the skin down to the head. When 
the bases of the ears are reached, these may be cut off with the scalpel 
as close as possible to the skull. The eyes will soon be seen, and the 
membrane attached to eyelids should be cut through with the scalpel, 
but with great care not to cut the eyelid itself. This necessitates cutting 
deeply with the point of the knife. If the animal is large enough, thrust 
the finger into the eye from the outside and cut against the finger. This 
will ensure proper care. Cut around the lips close to the skull at the 
inner edge of the gums; and free the nose by cutting through the carti- 
lage near the tip (Figure 10). The remainder of cartilage at tip of nose 
may usually be peeled out by the thumb or finger-nail, or by scraping with 
knife, and it should be carefully removed or the mammal’s nose will shrink 
to a peak when drying. 
Figure 10. Skinning head of small mammal. 
The skull then comes out and should have a label attached and be 
hung up to dry. Scrape or pull off any bits of fat or meat on the skin, 
using sawdust as an absorbent. The flesh and fat may be removed from 
the skin of body and legs with a knife or notched scraper, but around 
the eyes, ears, cheeks, and nose, the scissors come into play. Hold thumb 
or forefinger on fur side and stretch skin over it, then shear away flesh 
by holding the scissors flat on the skin. Avoid cutting any wrinkles or 
through roots of hair. Bring lips together with a stitch or two. Cut or 
scrape away any bits of meat from the stumps of the leg bones and skin 
these as far down as the skin will slip conveniently without tearing. 
Sponge off any blood or grease from the hair, and rub dry preservative 
into all parts of the damp flesh side of the skin. 
Make a stretcher from a piece of thin board, cardboard, or corrugated 
pasteboard, or use a stretching frame (Figure 11) about the width of the 
cased skin as it lies flat, and pull the skin over the stretcher, fur side out, to 
dry (Figure 12). Animals larger than a squirrel should be put on the 
