FISHES.—SKINNING.
These may be opened in two ways, according to the position in which the specimen is to be mounted. If the fish is to rest on its belly, an incision should be made the entire length of the ventral surface, from the gills to the end of the tail. If the fish is to rest on its side, the incision should be made on the side. Before proceeding farther cover the entire fish with tissue paper which will adhere with the use of thin gum.
Now, with the scalpel, handle carefully, detach the soft parts from the skin, cutting rib-bones with the scissors, until the back is reached. Cut through the fin-bones, and the body will be found quite loose. Detach the tail end, and remove all muscle from the remaining vertebrÆ. Cut through the body at the base of the skull; clean brain cavity thoroughly, and remove eyes. This latter operation may require some assistance from the scissors, on the outside. All muscles about the eyes and skull should be carefully removed. When your skin is ready, poison it well with the arsenic-alum powder.
MOUNTING.
The artificial body for your specimen may be made of the same materials as used in stuffing birds and mammals, of clay, plaster of Paris, or the skin may be simply dried. A tow body may be made and covered with a layer of clay, to give it a smooth, even surface. You may form a mould by pressing your specimen into damp clay, allowing this to dry and then coating the mould with colored varnish. When this is dry, pour plaster of Paris of the consistency of cream into the mould and let dry. The other side of the fish must be treated in the same way, and the two halves united by the solution of plaster. When your body is ready, place it in the skin and sew up. Place the specimen in the required position and fasten to a board by stout pins driven on each side. Spread the fins, tail, etc., by means of the wooden clamps already mentioned (Fig. 3, L), and set the specimen away to dry. A very convenient way of treating many specimens, especially hard-scaled fish, is to bring the sides of the opening together by a few stitches, and glue a strip of cloth the entire length of the incision. Before this is done, however, the end of the tail beyond the anus must be stuffed out with cotton. Take a few stitches through the gills to hold them down while drying. Now place a tin tunnel in the fish's mouth, and fill out the skin with fine sand. Place a wad of cotton in the throat, to keep the sand in; put the specimen in the desired position; remove the tissue paper with sponge and water; and set your specimen away for several weeks, to dry. When you are ready to mount your specimen, make several small holes in it, to let the sand out, and when quite empty fasten to a board; mount in a case, or in any way which your taste may suggest. It is sometimes desirable to retain only one side of a specimen. That side should be covered with tissue paper, as directed, and the other side, soft parts, bone, etc., cut away. Poison, place the skin on a board, and pin or nail the edges fast, that it may not contract while drying. Mount specimens with glass eyes, and brush over with a coat of varnish. If spots, etc., fade, they must be touched up with paint.
REPTILES.—SKINNING.
Snakes, frogs, etc. may be opened along the belly, or they may be skinned through the mouth. If the latter, open the mouth as wide as possible, and with the scissors cut through the body and first vertebra. Seize the stump with a pair of forceps, and carefully push the muscles from the skin, at the same time drawing the body out of the mouth. This, of course, inverts the skin. Poison thoroughly.
MOUNTING.
The best way to treat frogs is to fill out the skin with sand, and when dry let the sand out of it through pin holes. Put in eyes and varnish. Snakes may be stuffed out with sand, or a body may be made. For the latter, take a piece of annealed wire, rather shorter than the specimen, wind with tow to the required size, and place in the skin. The wire enables you to give the specimen any position desired; while, if sand is used, the specimen must either lie coiled up or straight. If the mouth is to be kept open, a tongue may be made of fine wire and painted red.
