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recording data in field catalogue, the collector should plug with cotton the 
mouth, nostrils, and shot holes of the specimen if blood is apt to flow. If 
the animal has been dead for some time so that the blood is congealed, 
it is usually not necessary to plug holes. Lay the specimen on its back, 
part the fur along the mid line of abdomen, and make the opening cut from 
about the breast bone to the base of tail, making the cut run to one side 
of genital organs and perineal regions (Figure 13). After starting the 
incision, if the skin is loosened with the handle of the scalpel, and the cut 
is made with edge of blade up, there is less likelihood of cutting off the ends 
of hairs, and of penetrating the abdominal cavity. If the abdomen is per- 
forated, and juices run out, smother them with sawdust, and keep any 
exposed flesh coated with sawdust from beginning to end of the operations. 
The free use of sawdust will keep the fur clean and prevent hair sticking 
to the body, as well as giving a grip on the slippery surface of the skin. 
Use the fingers or flat end of scalpel handle to loosen the skin from 
the flesh, and work the skin loose from the knee and upper leg. Grasping 
the foot, thrust the knee-joint upward, disjoint it with knife, scalpel, or 
scissors (Figure 14), and work the skin as far back as it will go — usually 
to the heel in small mammals. Some collectors save time here by cutting 
the leg off at the heel joint, but pay for it later by not having the bone to 
wrap the leg filling around. Clean the flesh from the lower part of the leg. 
The muscles usually peel off easily by slipping the blade along the bone 
and severing the tendons near the joints. Skin the other leg in the same 
manner. 
Work the skin loose around the base of the tail and slip the tail 
vertebra out from the skin or sheath as described on page 48 (Figure 9). 
Sometimes a tail is broken in a trap, or is severed by a shot, and sometimes 
