24 
as the width of the tray bottoms are cut for each board but are not 
fastened to the board in any way. The width of these strips will govern 
the depth of the tray and should be such that when the requisite number 
of boards and strips are assembled, as shown in Figure 2, the last board 
comes nearly to the top of the case. A useful width of strip for the average 
small mammal will be inches, but some strips may be 2 inches, and at 
least one pair will need to be 3 or 3^ inches wide. The boards and strips, 
when not in use, lie flat in the bottom of the case, leaving most of the 
space available for packing equipment. When skins are pinned out on the 
boards, the boards are spaced one from another by dropping strips across 
the end. Holes near the ends of the strips and boards allow the fingers to 
be inserted to lift them out. If the skins are securely pinned into the soft 
wood, they will not shift during transportation. They should be placed 
rather close to one another and space (marked off by a line ruled parallel 
to and \ inch from the end of the board) allowed for the spacing strip, 
which will be inserted later. A thin layer of cotton laid upon the skins 
will make them still more secure when pressed down by the board of the 
succeeding tray. 
Frank A. Bryant, an experienced warden in the service of the National 
Parks Bureau of Canada, complains that the slippery surface of the standard 
fibre-case causes difficulty in lashing on pack-horse loads. He prefers a 
home-made case made of three-ply veneer covered with light canvas, with 
a strong, tough hardwood cleat screwed diagonally across each end of the 
case to afford a hold for the pack lashings. Such pack panniers can readily 
be fitted with light trays or loose pinning boards for specimens if desired. 
J. Dewey Soper, of the National Parks Bureau, has also devised somewhat 
similar packing cases and finds them very convenient for carrying tools 
and specimens in a motor car as well as on a pack-horse. 
When a steamer or locker trunk is used, the partitioned tray at the top 
may be left in and used for tools, supplies, etc., and the tops of the upright 
cleats cut off to allow for this tray. When using the bevelled horse-pack 
case, the tools, etc., may be put in the bottom and a supporting cleat cut 
to fit each end and support the bottom tray horizontally. Cases made in 
this way are very useful for expendable supplies, such as provisions, as 
the space can be used later for specimens. 
The ordinary light wooden boxes made to hold two 5-gallon gasoline 
tins are a good standard size for each side of a horse-pack. Specimens 
may be carried or shipped safely in these by putting in false bottoms made 
of spare boxes, separated by strips of board nailed to each end. As horses 
are apt to disjoint the cases by rubbing against trees or rocks, the cases 
may be made stronger by stitching a stout canvas cover around them. A 
favourite method of old-time packers was to stretch a fresh calf-skin around 
the box; this when dried and shrunk in place made a practically indestruct- 
ible rawhide cover. 
