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down inside the leg skin and the damp salt is shaken out after the skin is 
cured. This method is used very extensively in skinning short-haired 
tropical mammals, such as African antelope and gazelles. 
Curing Flat Skins 
The method of curing flat skins will depend somewhat upon the circum- 
stances in which the collector is placed. Large, flat skins, like cased skins, 
may be cured by simply drying without any preservative, as is the custom 
of professional trappers. The cased skin requires less attention, as it is 
stretched uniformly with no wrinkles to hold moisture. The ordinary 
trapper or hunter also saves himself trouble in many cases by trimming 
off the feet, as well as any odd corners, bare spots, and any fleshy protuber- 
ances that do not dry easily. For scientific purposes, or for mounting, the 
skin must be kept whole and unmutilated. A large skin dries more slowly 
than a small one and needs more watching while drying. 
In the woods, the ideal method is to hang the skin on a pole or a rope 
stretched in the shade, to get free circulation of air and to keep the skin 
out of the reach of gnawing animals. On the northern plains, or in desert 
country, it may be necessary to spread the skin on the ground for drying. 
If the skin is to be used merely for a robe, it may be pegged out, but a 
better method than making holes is to weigh down the corners of the skin 
with small rocks, moving them occasionally to allow drying underneath. 
Large leg skins in many cases shrink when drying, forming deep 
wrinkles from which the air is excluded, and in warm weather the skin 
will soon rot in the wrinkles and let the hair slip. This may be remedied 
by a few safety pins, blanket pins, or a few stitches to hold the leg skin 
wrong side out until dried. Split hoofs may be spread apart and ears and 
lips propped up with short sticks until the skin dries. A little pure alum, 
or alum and saltpetre, often is useful to rub into refractory soft spots, such 
as pocketed lips, ears, edges of hoofs, sheath, anal region, and inside of any 
wrinkles where the skin is not drying properly. Salt is not suitable for 
such partial or local curing. If used at all it should be used on the whole 
skin, as salt absorbs moisture from the air and the damp, salty area spreads, 
preventing the rest of the skin from drying. 
In the far north, large skins may be frozen flat after being cleaned, 
and hung up outdoors over poles or ropes. The dry cold air (from 30 to 50 
degrees below zero) will absorb the moisture from the skin in a month or 
two, and the skin becomes bleached, soft, flexible, and practically dry. 
Common salt is useful for temporary preservation of skins, is obtain- 
able anywhere, and is the best medium for poisoning the fresh hides and 
scalps of large mammals. Salt, the finer the better, may be used for 
preserving any kind of skin. Table salt is best for small mammals and 
ordinary barrel salt will do for the larger specimens. Skins designed for 
mounting are best preserved with salt. It should be applied plentifully 
and as soon as possible after skinning. One great drawback to salt is that 
it absorbs moisture very readily, and adds tremendously to the weight of 
the specimen, thus increasing difficulties of transportation. A raw hide 
weighing 150 pounds may absorb 50 additional pounds of water and unless 
barrelled up cause annoyance by dripping brine. Salted skins should be 
