Section I.: Skinning Small Mammals.—Lay the animal on its back, make an incision about one-third of the length of the body on the under side of the body from the vent forward, peel down on either side until the knee-bones are exposed, then cut the joint and draw out the leg, at least as far as the heel. Remove the flesh, cover well with preservative, and turn, then proceed thus with the opposite leg. Pull down to the tail and draw out the bone by placing a stick on the under side of it and pressing backward. If the tail bone does not readily come out, as in musk-rats, wrap the tail in cloth and pound it with a wooden mallet, and it will then come out without further trouble. Peel down on either side until the front legs appear, cut off at elbow joints, and draw these out; remove the flesh, cover with preservative, and turn. Skin over the head, taking care to cut off the ear next the skull, so as not to cut through into the exterior surface; pull down the edges, cut between the lids and eye-sockets down to the lips, cut between these and the bone, but near the latter, thus removing the skin entirely from the skull; cover the skin well with preservative, after removing all fat and surplus bits of flesh. Then turn the skin, detach the skull from the body, by carefully cutting between the atlas, the last vertebra joint, and the skull. The skull should be boiled to remove all the flesh and brain; or, if this cannot readily be done, and if the mammal be very small, roll it in preservative, and lay it one side; if the animal be large, cut off all the flesh possible, and work out the brain through the opening in the base of the skull. It is always, however, best to remove the flesh by boiling; after which care should be taken to tie the lower jaw firmly to the upper.

Section II.: Skinning Large Mammals.—Large mammals should be skinned by making a cross incision down the entire length of the breast, between the fore-legs to the vent, then down the under side of each leg quite to the feet. Remove the skin but leave in two bones and the joints in each leg. In removing the horns of a deer or other ruminant, make cross cuts between the horns, and then back down on the neck for a short distance. The lips of a large mammal should be split open carefully, and the ears turned out quite to the tip; this can be done with a little practice. Cover with preservative, well rubbed in, and dry as quickly as possible without tearing.

Section III.: Making Skins of Mammals.—Remove all blood and dirt, by either washing or by continuous brushing with a stiff brush. Dry off with preservative: rub it well into the hair. Draw out the bones of the leg, wrap them well with cotton to the original size of the leg; then fill out the head to the size and form of life, sewing up the neck, and fill up to the body to the size of nature with cotton or tow. Sew up the orifice, then lay the skin, belly down, with the feet laid neatly; and if the tail is long, lay it over the back.

Mice and other small mammals should not have the bone of the tail removed, as the skin cannot be filled and turned over the back easily. Large mammals may be also made up if they are to be used for cabinets or for skins.

Section IV.: Measuring Mammals.—It is quite as easy to measure mammals as birds. The dimensions to be taken may be seen by the accompanying filled blank, which is the form I always use.

Arctomys monax.