754 
AFRICAN GAME ANIMALS 
whole margin and thrown away, as it is of no value in the 
the mounting and is very refractory when dried. The head 
skins of these four animals—the hippopotamus, rhinoceros, 
giraffe, and elephant—require to be pared down at least to 
half their original thickness in order to allow the salt to 
penetrate through the dermal layer to the epidermis. The 
necks of such large animals as buffalo, eland, and oryx also 
require a considerable amount of paring to insure preser¬ 
vation. 
The skins of antelope and the hoofed mammals generally 
can be most conveniently preserved as flat skins. In re¬ 
moving the skin for this purpose a longitudinal cut is made 
from the base of the tail forward to the point of the breast, 
to which four cuts are joined, one down the inside of each 
leg, beginning at the hoof. The cuts for skinning the head 
are made as usual on the nape. A further cut is made the 
whole length of the tail, following the median line of the 
under side. In skinning the body the leg bones are severed 
as far down in each hoof as it is possible to reach with the 
knife after first severing the bone at the fetlocks. In rhinoc¬ 
eros and hippopotamus the ventral cut must be continued to 
the chin, as it is not possible in such thick-skinned animals 
to peel the skin off over the head. In giraffe, however, it 
will be found necessary only to continue the neck cut along 
the dorsal mane to the withers. 
If the skins are desired for mounting it is better to make 
as few cuts as will answer the purpose of preservation. In 
such collecting, case skins may be advantageously made. 
In antelope and carnivores the cuts down the legs may be 
dispensed with, the leg bones in the case of antelopes being 
removed by first skinning down to the hock or knee from the 
