Taxidermy.

The word taxidermy is derived from the two Greek words, taxis, which means arrangement, and derma which means skin. Hence this term is applied to the art of preserving and mounting the skins of animals for ornamental and scientific purposes. Little is known of the origin of this art, but it would seem from books of travel and natural history, that it is at most, not more than three hundred years old. It began to be practiced in England about the beginning of the 18th century, which fact is proven from the “Sloane Collection” which was formed in 1825, as the nucleus of the present natural history collection lodged in the galleries of South Kensington. It was about the middle of the 18th century that the first book devoted to the principles of taxidermy was published in France. After this, others appeared from time to time in France and Germany, but England contributed no literature on the subject until about the beginning of the present century. In 1828 an Englishman named Scudder, established a museum of mounted specimens in an old alms house in New York City. Previous to this, the art seems to have been absolutely unknown in America. It was not till the exhibition of 1851, that the French and German taxidermists taught the English the principles of scientific treatment.

Since that time several works have appeared from the pens of English and American authors. Prominently among the American writers, were Charles Waterton and Titian R. Peale who greatly improved the art in this country.

Jules Verreaux, of Paris, brought the art to a still higher perfection, and introduced methods for giving to specimens a life-like expression, which elevated it quite to the realm of higher art. Great were his accomplishments in the art of expressing the actions and characteristic attitudes of the living animals. Since his day taxidermy has rivaled the plastic art, and today, it has reached such a degree of perfection that the most artistic and Æsthetic effects may be wrought by the hands of any operator who possesses artistic faculties. The Illinois State Natural History Society of Bloomington, published an illustrated pamphlet from the pen of one Mr. Holder, which is a very valuable contribution to taxidermic literature. The author was doubtless greatly improved by his associations with Audubon and Bell, and in his book he gives the results of a ripe experience. This book ranks as one of the best yet published. We submit the results of our own patient study and practical experience, and hope it may prove a worthy addition.

ARTICLE I.
ON SKINNING, STUFFING AND PRESERVATION OF BIRDS.

SKINNING.

Immediately after the bird is killed, the nostrils, throat and wounds should be stuffed with cotton to prevent the blood from oozing out and staining the plumage; but should any blood get on the plumage, it should be removed as soon as possible. This can be done by taking a cloth or sponge and dipping it in clean water, wringing it out so as to leave it only moist, and rubbing the feathers gently until all traces of blood stain are removed. Now sprinkle the feathers with plaster of paris, and shake out before it sets. Repeat this until they are perfectly dry, and then wrap the specimen in paper to protect the plumage until ready to skin, which should be done as soon as the bird cools.

In proceeding to skin a bird, spread a cloth on a board or table and lay the bird on its back. Separate the feathers on the breast with a scalpel or knife. Insert the knife at the top of breast-bone and cut the skin from there to the tail. Great care should be taken not to cut too deep over the intestines, as it is only necessary to cut through the skin. Now begin where you first inserted the knife and proceed to separate the skin from the flesh, either with the fingers or the back of the scalpel or knife. Tear some small pieces of paper, say about an inch square, and put under the skin on the flesh as you get them separated, which will keep the feathers from sticking to the flesh and becoming soiled; or sprinkling cornmeal over the flesh and skin while skinning, will answer the same purpose. Press carefully down each side to backbone. Now press the thighs forward and inward, draw the skin from the thighs, unjointing them at the first joint from the body.

The skin is now removed over the rump, and the tail unjointed, taking care not to injure the tail feathers. Now for convenience, take a cord and fasten it to a nail on the wall or ceiling, put a wire hook on the other end, and fasten in the bird so you can suspend it high enough above the table to work on it easily. Now pull the skin downwards until you get to the wings, which are to be unjointed at the shoulder joint. It is then pulled down over the skull until the ears are reached. Here many valuable specimens are spoiled by cutting the ears too close to the skin, so be sure to cut the ears close to the skull.

The eyelids are often spoiled also by inexperienced hands. Be sure and cut them well back and, if necessary, trim them afterwards. Now remove the eyeballs and unjoint the skull from the neck, enlarge the opening at the base of skull, where the neck came off, and remove the brain with spoon made for that purpose. Now remove the flesh from the thigh bone down to knee joint, and turn them back in place; then skin the wings out to first joint and remove the flesh. There is yet one job and the skinning process is completed. Divide the feathers on the under side of the wing between the second and third joints, cut the skin, and with a sharp knife cut out all flesh from the bone, and put in some of the preserving powder; cover it with a little cotton and sew it up, being careful not to draw any of the feathers in; press the feathers down smooth, and see that each is in its proper place.

There are some birds with large heads and small necks. With these we cannot draw the skin over the head, but have to push the skin as near the head as it is possible, and cut off the neck bone; then make an opening under the throat large enough to turn out the skull and the remaining part of the neck bone, and proceed to skin the skull, take out brain, etc., as directed heretofore. The flesh must be carefully removed from all parts of the skin, and the preserving powder applied, being very careful that all parts are well powdered.

If you now wish to mount the bird it can be done immediately.

STUFFING BIRDS.

In the first place take some plaster paris, mix it with water to a stiff paste, and fill the eye-sockets with it, then press the glass eye in the paris, using great care to set them in as near a natural position as possible. When the plaster has hardened, which it does very quickly, if the skin has become dry, dampen it with a damp sponge, and turn it back over the skull, then lay the bird on the table and proceed to put in the frame, stuff and sew up.

I give three kinds of frames. One is the wire and wood frame, which you see on page 78, Figs. 9 and 10. The others, wire frames, on page 80, Fig. 3, for birds; also Fig. 11, for humming birds and other small birds, on page 78.

Take frame described Nos. 9 and 10, having the leg wire AA detached from body board, fill the neck with tow, being careful not to fill it too full; run neck wire E through the center of the neck and pass it out at the top of head, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, or through one of the nostrils. I prefer the latter, because it does not break the skin and holds the head more steady. Then put the tail support E through the center or heavy part of the tail, raise the body board and place under it some tow or cotton; or pad the board by placing some cotton on it and tacking some cloth over it to keep the frame off from the back; then take the leg wires, Fig. 13, AA and put them in the legs, as shown in cut No. 3, and fasten on to the body board with blind staples, as represented in cut No. 3; proceed with the stuffing; finish filling out the neck and breast, shaping it while filling, using care not to get it too full, as that is a fault of most beginners; after filling it down to the opening, the next should be the legs; if the leg bone is left in from the knee up, wrap it to the leg wire with a strip of muslin and tie it; then stuff the leg up to the body, fill the body and sew up; in sewing be careful not to draw any of the feathers down with the thread. After it is all sewed up, place all the feathers down smooth and in their proper place, as much depends on this.

Next place the specimen on a board or perch; if on a board, procure a suitable one, bore two holes the size of the leg wires through it, then make a groove on the under side of board running off from each hole to lay wire down in; place the specimen on the board, running the leg wires through it, and draw the wires down until the legs set in proper position, bend the wires down into the grooves and fasten them with small blind staples. In this connection one should use his own judgment in placing the bird on the board; one leg should generally be placed a little in advance of the other. If the bird is to be placed on a limb perch, bore the holes through the limb, place the bird on, and draw the wires tight, and drive a wooden wedge in beside the wire to hold it, then file the wire off close to the under side of the perch. Pose the bird in as natural a position as you can, imitating nature as near as possible. Place the wings in position, then take a piece of wire heavy enough to hold the wings in place. Sharpen one end, and make a square turn about one-fourth of an inch from the other end to keep it from pulling through the wing. Now place the wings in proper shape. Pass the wire through the wings and body in a way to hold them in shape. Pull the wire until the turn on the one end presses against the wing. Cut the wire on other side of bird and turn it back, as on the other side, so that the wire cannot be pulled either way; then arrange the whole body—wings, neck, tail, head, etc. In case the specimen is a web-footed bird, take a thin piece of board, say from a cigar box, cut it to fit in between the toes, and tack them in to hold the web in shape while drying. This should be removed when dry. After all is completed bathe the buts of wings, the feet, legs and beak, with the preserving fluid; this should be repeated for three or four days. Then let the specimen dry in a shady place. It can then be placed on another board or perch and set in the cabinet.

MOUNTING BIRDS ON WIRE FRAME.

Skin the bird and prepare it as directed in this article. Fill the neck with tow, put in neck wire, letting the end come out through the nostril; bend leg wires AA back so as to get them in the legs; run them down on the inside of the leg, or through the center of leg bone, and come out in the center of the foot. (See cuts Nos. 2 and 3.) Put tail support E through the under part of the tail, and proceed as directed heretofore in this article, to stuff, sew up, etc.

Where the tow can not be secured and you have to use cotton in stuffing, always put in the neck wire first, and stuff around it or wrap the neck wire with strips of muslin, old calico, or anything that can be used for that purpose, always being careful not to make the neck too large. Excelsior can be used to good advantage in stuffing large bodies.

PELICANS.

In dressing a pelican always use the board and wire frame. For position, copy after some picture of the bird, which you can find in any natural history. The only difference in dressing from the goose, etc., is they have a game sack under the lower jaw, which is often as much as ten inches wide and sixteen inches long. I find the best way to dress that is to take a fine shingle, wide and long enough, and trim it in the shape of a sleigh runner, and put it inside of the pouch or game sack, with the straight edge up and the square end toward the neck. Draw the pouch smooth over the shingle, and tie the bill together, then wet well with the solution of corrosive sublimate. The board should be left in. Wire can be bent and placed in to answer the same purpose.

PEA-FOWL.

In dressing a pea-fowl, where the wings and tail have to be spread, extra wires have to be put in. The wires for the wings are fastened on to the body board, as when used for the fore legs of animals. Then, for the tail support, take a wire about five feet long and bend it in a hoop shape, leaving enough of the ends to extend into and fasten on the body board. This must be put on the board before putting it in the body. Dress the bird as others, letting the hoop or tail support extend out under the tail. After it is all stuffed and set on the board, bend the tail support up back of tail, and fasten the feathers of the tail to it by tying them, one at a time, with a heavy thread, in such a way that when all are fastened to the wire they will stand as when the bird was strutting. Arrange the wings and body to suit and let dry.

DRESSING BIRDS WITH WINGS SPREAD.

To dress a bird with wings spread, either flying or sitting, it will be necessary to put in wing wires to hold the wings out. The easiest way is to use the wire and board frame, using the front leg wires as used in animals, for the wings. See Figs. 7 and 8, board and body frame.

In dressing a bird this way, after skinning and wiring, as directed for bird, using frames 9 and 10, put in the wing wires and fasten them to body board, as directed for forelegs of animals.

If wishing to represent the bird as flying, take four cords and fasten them to the back of the bird in a way that will balance it; tie them together a few inches above the back and extend one cord longer than the others. It can now be hung from the ceiling by the cord; this will let the specimen turn about and present a fine appearance. The feet should be placed in as near a natural position as possible as when flying. In all large footed birds use plenty of the solution of corrosive sublimate or turpentine. The carbolic acid and water mixture is also used, and is good.

TO CLEAN FEATHERS.

As a test case take a bird after killing and smear it all over with blood, let it lie until dry. Then put it in a basin, and give it a good washing with soap and water, then rinse it clean. Now take a dry cloth and wipe it until almost dry. Then sprinkle it with dry plaster of paris and shake it out before it has time to set. Repeat this powdering and shaking until it is perfectly dry, and the feathers will look bright and nice. Try it.

PRESERVATION OF BUGS, ETC.

Take a large moth fly or miller full of eggs. Make an incision on the under side of body and take out all the eggs and entrails. Now put in some of the preserving fluid and fill the cavity with cotton and sew it up. Then run a pin down through the body and pin it to a board. Arrange its feet, moisten its body with the preserving fluid and the job is complete. Butterflies and small bugs need only the preparation over the body. Heavy bugs can be placed in a cup and the preparation poured over them. Let them lie in it a few hours and pin on board as directed in moth flies. When dry place in a glass case.

ARTICLE II.
OF SKINNING ANIMALS.

As soon as an animal is killed, take cotton and stuff in the wounds, nostrils and mouth, as directed in Article I. for birds; then let it cool before commencing to skin. In skinning a specimen be very careful about cutting holes in the skin, and also not to stretch it by pulling on it while skinning. All being ready, lay the specimen on its back, make an incision from the breast-bone back to the center between the hind legs, being careful not to cut too deep over the abdomen. Divide the skin right and left, putting cotton or paper on the body as the skin is removed, or sprinkle with corn meal, as directed for birds in Article I, to prevent the fatty matter from soiling the hair. When you come to the hind legs, pull the skin down over the thigh joint, and unjoint it, cut the leg off and skin down to the knee joint and unjoint there, taking out all the flesh down to the foot, then treat the other hind leg the same way. Now skin down over the rump and back to the tail. The tail is hard to skin. Take a forked stick, and after pressing the skin as far down on the tail-bone as possible, holding the bone as tight in the fork as you can, pull downward and the bone will slip out. If the animal is not too large it should be swung up with a rope or cord tied around the body just in front of the hind legs, or by attaching a hook to the rope which fastens into the flesh. Remove the skin down to the forelegs, and unjoint them at the body, and skin out in the same manner as directed for the hind legs, unjointing at the knees. Now skin the neck and head, and when you come to the ears cut them close to the skull; fine specimens are often spoiled by cutting them too far out from the skull. We next come to the eyes. Be careful not to cut the eyelids. It is better to cut close to the skull and trim afterwards than to risk spoiling them. Remove the skin. Unjoint the neck close to the skull, enlarge the opening at the base of brain and remove all the brains. Take out the eyes and tongue and remove all flesh from the skull.

This completes the skinning, except when the animal has horns. In that case, proceed as above until you come to the neck. Skin as far forward as you can and unjoint the neck at skull. Then cut across from one horn to the other and loosen the skin around the horns. Then make another cut from between the horns backwards along the neck far enough to make the opening large enough to take the skull out; skin out the skull and the skinning is completed. The flesh must now be cleaned from the skull by boiling until tender, then scraping it, or simply by cutting and scraping it.

Take out the brains, eyes, etc., we are now ready to anoint the whole inside of skin, skull, etc., with the preserving powder. Put in the frame and stuff the body if ready; if not, the ears, nose, feet and lips must be well wet with the preserving fluid and laid away in a cool, dry place.

After the skin is prepared, we will begin by preparing the skull. After cleaning as directed anoint it with the preserving powder, then put in suitable eyes, as directed in birds. Now if the legs are large enough to take in the leg wires, drill holes through the ends large enough to receive said wires. Next divide the skin of ears out to the points and place a piece of tin in them the shape of ear. Now turn the skin of head inside out and sew up the mouth, draw the under lip up under the upper lip and sew it there so as when turned back the stitches will not show. Next stretch the hide on the bench and measure it. In order to make the wire frame as shown and described in wire frames, Nos. 4 and 6, make the frame of suitable malleable wire, and place it in as shown, except the neck wire should be passed out at nostril. First put the skull in place and pass the neck wire through the nose. Then pass the leg wires out through the leg bones, or on the inside of skin where the bone is not large enough to receive it. Now cut the tail wire long enough to reach to end of tail and put it in place.

Now, if the skin has not been previously prepared with some of the preserving preparations, powder the whole inside with the arsenic and alum. However, the head and legs have to be prepared before putting in the frame. We are now ready for the filling. Stuff cotton in around the leg wires to make the legs proper shape, being careful not to get it in too tight. Take some sand and mix some arsenic with it; fill the tail with this, placing some cotton at base of tail to hold the sand in. Now stuff the neck and body with any suitable material, shaping and sewing up as you proceed. Examine the head, and where it needs filling out pass the cotton in through nose and ears, and shape it as in life, arranging the ears, nose and mouth. Now pose the specimen as you wish it to remain, and place it in a cool, dry place to dry. The leg wires should be bent so as to allow the foot to rest on board, and when dry the wires should be cut off at bottom of feet, and the projecting neck wire at end of nose should also be cut off. Anoint the feet, nose and ears with the preserving fluid once a day for a few days. The wood and wire frame is used in heavy animals, the wood simply taking the place of the wire along the back. By examining the cuts it is easy to see how they are to be used.

Wishing to stand animals, such as squirrels, groundhogs, etc., on the hind legs, they have to remain on a block or perch; so procure a suitable block or perch, and varnish it before putting the specimen on. Animals and birds can be stuffed with hay, or anything that you can get into them in good shape. I often mow fine bluegrass and dry it carefully, and find it makes splendid stuffing, especially for the bodies of animals and large birds. Excelsior also makes a good filling.

ON MOUNTING DEER HEADS.

In mounting a deer's head to look life-like (having horns on), proceed to skin, anoint with the preserving powder, build up the nose with plaster of paris, put in the eyes, sew up the mouth and neck, for which see directions in another article. Now take a 2×4-inch piece of pine for a neck support. Fit the end of it in the brain pit with plaster of paris. When the plaster has hardened sew up the mouth as directed in cat. Draw the skin up over the skull and sew the skin together, drawing it close around the horns. The skin being opened on back of neck, sew it up to within six inches of back end. Now make a board to fit in back end of neck skin, and fasten it to the neck support in such a way as to hold the head on wall as desired. Tack the skin around the board, being careful not to draw the hair down. Stuff the neck and finish sewing up. Cut the skin off at back of board. Arrange the whole head as directed in the cat and set away to dry. See that the ears and eyes are all right, and use plenty of the preserving fluid. When the head is completed make a suitable shield to place on back end of the neck; this should be of a neat pattern and nicely polished. Fasten this on to neck board with screws, then on the wall, also with screws, which should be passed through the shield, under edge of hair, to conceal the heads of screws.

FISH DRESSING.

Take a scale fish, say one that weighs two pounds, more or less, and if a fish on which the scales are tight, you can skin and dress it without losing any of the scales; but if a loose scaled fish, it will be better to protect them as follows: Take some tissue paper and press it gently on one side of the fish, then turn it over and treat the other side in the same manner. The natural glutinous matter which covers the scales will be sufficient to make it adhere firmly. Without this precaution the skin could not be removed from some fish without losing the scales, which would ruin the specimen. When these papers dry, lay the fish on its back, take a pair of scissors and open the skin down the center of the belly, beginning close up the gills and running clear back to the end of the body.

The skin should now be taken off with great care, using a smooth-edged knife for skinning, and a pair of scissors to clip the fins and other fine bones with. After the body has been skinned, take out the gills, tongue and eyes.

It is now ready for the preserving powder, which should be spread or dusted over the inside of the skin, being careful to reach all parts around the gills, in the mouth, eye sockets, etc. We now insert the frame E (see cut No. 1), which is simply a wire bent as shown in the cut, and sew up, beginning at the tail and ending at the gills, leaving the ends EE of frame projecting, as represented in cut No. 1. We now proceed to fill the body with plaster paris. Mix up a sufficient quantity, take a funnel, open the gills or mouth and insert the tube of the funnel therein, and pour in enough plaster paris to fill the body. Handle the body carefully, and shape it properly, while the plaster is setting, being careful to keep the frame EE straight with the body. When the plaster has set (or hardened), bore two holes in a rough board to set the frame rods EE in, which will hold the body up off the board. (See cut.) Now proceed to stuff the head with cotton, being careful not to press the gills out of shape, then draw the mouth together with a thread and tie it. Fill the eye socket with plaster paris or putty, and set the eye in the proper position.

We are now ready for the fins and tail; if they have become dry, wet them with water and spread them out; then take a needle and thread and draw them up, as shown in cut No. 1.

To make the frame, take a rough board, say one inch longer than the fish you intend to dress. For a fish a foot long, the board should be one inch thick and about three inches wide, and for larger fish in the same proportion, or large enough to support the fish. To one end of the board nail a piece of lath a foot long (see D in cut); on the other end nail a block (C in cut), to which nail an upright piece (B in cut). Tack the tail to the upright (B) with tacks (P). Raise the upper fins by drawing a thread through them and tying to upright piece, as shown in cut. Drive two nails in board (A), as shown (GH), to which fasten threads attached to lower fins as shown in cut. Set away to dry and when thoroughly dry wash the whole body, take off the tissue paper. When the fish gets dry, dampen all the outer surface with corrosive sublimate and set away. Take off the threads and place it on a nice, smooth board and give a light coat of varnish. The specimen is then ready for the cabinet.

Should you prefer to stuff the body with cotton instead of using plaster paris, proceed as follows: After skinning as directed, make a frame, EE, and take a straight piece of wire long enough to reach from the point of the nose to the other end of the body, fasten this to the frame, EE, at the upper end, by wrapping them together with a small wire or cord, leaving the frame EE as near the center as possible. Take cotton or tow and wrap the wire that is to run lengthwise of the body, say one-fourth as big as the body, then insert it in the skin and proceed to stuff with cotton, being very careful to get the natural shape. When this is completed, proceed to sew up and mount as directed when dressed with plaster paris. The Gar fish makes a fine specimen, by simply filling the skin with dry sand while drying, and let it out when dry.

ARTICLE IV.
HUNTING SPECIMENS AND CARE OF SAME.

In hunting specimens, birds or animals, it is best to take a double-barreled shot-gun, have your cartridges loaded some with fine shot, and some with coarse; keep one barrel loaded with one number and the other barrel with the other number, then you are ready for either small or large game. Have some cotton and old newspaper with you, and as soon as you kill a specimen, stop up the shot holes with the cotton, and it is sometimes best to stuff some in the nostrils and mouth. If any blood has run out on the hair, or feathers, as the case may be, wipe it off carefully, then wrap the body in paper and pack it in the game sack, using all care not to bend, break or soil the feathers, for if once soiled it is hard to make the work look well again.

On removing the birds from the game sack, if there is any blood on the feathers, wash it out with clear water, and wipe until nearly dry; then sprinkle with plaster of paris and shake until dry. In this way the feathers will look smooth and natural; but if, after washing, you let them dry without stirring, they will present a bad appearance. Where the blood has remained on the feathers they must be well washed and treated as directed in a test case as given at close of Article I.

The above cuts represent my wood and wire frames for animals and birds.

Fig. 7 is Fig. 8 reversed; Fig. 8, showing the way the neck and tail supports EE are fastened to the body board with blind staples. Fig. 7 shows the way the leg wires AA are fastened in the same manner. In making the frame, measure the animal from shoulder to hip, and cut the board a little longer than the measure taken; round the corners as shown in cuts, and round the upper edges to keep them from cutting the skin should it come in contact with it. Now take a wire or rod long enough to reach from the end of the tail to the end of the nose, bend the wire as shown in Fig. 8, and fasten it to the body board with blind staples, unless the specimen be a large one, then it will be necessary to put them on with strong wire staples. Next bend the wires for legs as shown in Fig. 12, which should not be fastened to the board until after being placed in the legs of the animal being dressed. They are then bent up as shown in Fig. 13 and fastened to the body board with staples to suit.

The frame for birds is made in the same way, excepting the forelegs, which is used on bird frames only when wanting to spread the wings. Fig. 11 is a single wire frame, to be bent in the manner shown, and to be used in dressing small birds. (See small bird page 5).

WIRE FRAMES.

The above frames are made as follows: Take a straight wire and turn a loop in the center as shown at B, Fig. 1. Take another wire about the same length and bend it as shown in Fig. 2. Now run Fig. 2 wire through the loop B in Fig. 1 down to bend E, fasten them in a vice at the loop B in Fig. 1, and plait the three together as shown in Fig. 3. To form the Fig. 4 frame, make another loop two or three inches or further up the neck wire E, bend another wire as Fig. 2, put this through the loop, and plait together as in Fig. 3. This forms the frame for animals, as shown in Fig. 4.

For Figs. 5 and 6, lay three wires together as shown in Fig. 5, put them in a vise and twist or plait together as shown in Fig. 6. This forms three wire frames—Figs. 3, 4 and 6.

The advantage Fig. 4 frame has over Fig. 6, is that it is easier bent in the center, there only being one wire.

ARTICLE VII.
MOLES.

It is not necessary to give more than one way to dress a mole. An expert can skin, stuff and sew up a mole in ten minutes in the following manner:

After killing a mole, let it cool; then make an incision along the abdomen, commencing at the tail and running forward two inches, or about to the center of the body. Skin out the hind legs, bone and flesh, down to the foot and unjoint. Press the skin back to the tail and unjoint it close to the body. Pull the skin off the body, taking care of front feet, not to pull them loose from the skin; unjoint them, or break the arm bone close to the foot; skin on down to mouth and cut the body loose, leaving only the jaw bones in the skin. Spread on the whole skin all the preserving powder that will stick to it, and turn the skin back inside out. Turn the hind legs and proceed to fill the body with cotton, using a wire to stuff the cotton in with, as in all other animals, being careful not to stretch the skin, and also not to get the cotton knotted up. After the body is filled sew it up and place on a board to dry. Place the feet in position, and wet them and the tail and nose with the solution of corrosive sublimate.

Other small animals, such as rats, mice, ground squirrels, gophers, etc., can be dressed in the same manner. After stuffing smooth the hair and shape the body before laying away.

ARTICLE VIII.
MODE OF DRESSING AND PRESERVING TURTLES.

A good sized turtle may be thoroughly preserved without the tedious process of unjointing, skinning, digging out the flesh, sewing up, etc., by observing the following directions:

Take a snapping, or any other hard shell turtle, say one that measures ten inches across the back, or smaller, down to the smallest.

The first thing to be done is to kill it, which is the hardest part of the operation, as it clings to life tenaciously, and large ones are very strong and hard to manage. One way is to get it to open its mouth, and catch it by the under jaw with a pair of strong pliers, hold its mouth open and make it swallow a quantity of the solution of corrosive sublimate; this being a deadly poison, it will soon kill it.

Another way is to hold its head as far out as you can pull it, and stick it as close to the under shell as you can, running the blade well back into the body. It takes some time for it to die after being stuck.

And still another way is to open its mouth and stick a knife blade up through the roof of the mouth into the brain.

I prefer the poisoning, as it seems to die easier and quicker, and it does not disfigure it. As soon as it dies, lay it on its back, and make an opening in the skin, under one of the back legs, large enough to take out all the entrails; now take a pair of pliers or a hook (made for the purpose); pull out all the entrails, liver, heart, etc. If the specimen is a large one, pour in some water and rinse out thoroughly, then put in a lot of the preserving powder, being careful to get it well distributed through the body. Then take some cotton and dust it well with the preserving powder, and fill up the inside, pressing the cotton in tight, filling the body full and sew up. Now open the mouth and pour some of the solution of corrosive sublimate down its throat, and press some cotton sprinkled with the powder down its throat, being careful not to stretch the neck out of proportion. Remove the eyes and insert the artificial eyes in their stead; fill the mouth with cotton and close it. Cut a hole in the bottom of each foot, and probe the legs with a knife or the blunt end of a wire; pour in some of the solution of corrosive sublimate, or work in enough of the powder to preserve the flesh; if the tail is a large one, it should be treated in the same way, and all sewed up. Now set it on a board and tack the feet to the board in as near the way it would hold them while walking as you can. Pull the neck out a very little, and put a little block or a small roll of cotton under it to hold it up in position while drying. Before putting it on the drying board, take a small paint brush, pour out some of the solution of corrosive sublimate in a dish and give the whole outer surface a thorough wetting. This should be repeated once a day for several days. This completes the dressing. After the specimen is dry, take it off the board and set in the cabinet.

Another way: After killing, as directed, lay the specimen on its back and unjoint the breast shell from back shell with a chisel or heavy knife blade; open the skin from the front part of the foreleg back and around to front of the other foreleg, cutting under the legs. Skin out all the flesh and bones of the legs and unjoint them at the foot, skin out the tail, then unjoint the neck bone from backbone, and skin it out and unjoint at the back of the skull. Take the flesh from back and breast shells, then anoint all parts with the preserving powder. Take a frame as Fig. 8, in article V, of the wire and wood frame, and put in legs, neck and tail, as directed in animals, letting the neck wire pass out through the mouth or nostril. Stuff the legs, neck and tail with cotton or tow, and sew up the sides, leaving an opening to stuff the body; fill the body, then finish sewing up. In stuffing the legs, neck and tail be careful to keep the wires in the center of each. Open the mouth and take out the eyes from inside and put in the glass eyes; put some cotton back of them to hold them in place while drying. Close the mouth, and wet the whole body with the solution of corrosive sublimate. This should be done once a day for several days. Place the specimen on a board to dry. For position, copy after nature as near as possible. After the skin is dry a coat of varnish adds much to its appearance.

ARTICLE IX.
KILLING AND DRESSING SNAKES.

To kill a snake without bruising or breaking the skin is a difficult undertaking, for, as a general thing, we are not looking for snakes, therefore we are not prepared to capture one.

When we do run across them, we generally kill them with the first thing we get hold of. If the snake is not too large, strike it across the back with a small stick. This disables him, and you now have time to prepare to finish him. Watch your chance and when the opportunity presents itself, tap it on the head a few times, and you can soon kill it without bruising. When it is dead, open its mouth and cut the tongue and fangs out, then unjoint the backbone from the skull and skin back on the body an inch or two, turning the skin inside out. Tie a cord to the skinned part of the body and pull on this with your right hand, while with your left hand you pull the skin off from the body, which is easily done if the snake is not too large in the center of the body; in that case it must be opened in the largest part of the body. Make the opening on under side of body, lengthwise of the snake, and long enough to allow you to remove the skin all around the body, then cut the body in two. Skin out both ends, unjointing the body close to the skull, turn the skin right side out and sew up the opening, taking short stitches. Now mix some plaster paris and water, leaving it thin enough to run; place a funnel in the mouth and pour the plaster in until the body is full. Lay the snake on a level board and coil it before the plaster gets dry, placing the head in the position in which you want it to remain. Take out the eyes and put in the glass ones; then wet the whole skin with the solution of corrosive sublimate. This should be repeated once a day for three or four days.

Another method is to skin and sew up as directed, then take a long wire and stuff the body with cotton or tow, being careful to get the stuffing in smooth, so that no lumps will show on the outside.

Another way is to fill the body with sand, and when the skin has thoroughly dried, make a hole in the under part of the body and let the sand run out.

In either of the above modes the snake should be coiled as soon as stuffed in the shape you want it to remain, and plenty of the solution of corrosive sublimate used over the skin.

Eels, frogs and toads are skinned and stuffed in the same manner as the snake, no frames being used.

ARTICLE X.
DRESSING ALLIGATORS.

Take an alligator, say five feet long, make an incision the full length of the body, on the under side, and skin out all the flesh and bones, as recommended in skinning animals. Scrape off all the fat or flesh that may be left on the inside of the skin, and give it a thorough coat of the preserving powder. Now proceed to stuff it without using any frame. First stuff the legs with cotton or tow, pressing it in very tight—their skin being very tough, there is no danger of stretching it. Sew the neck up, down to the front legs, and stuff tight; now sew up the tail to hind legs and stuff it; then take a piece of pine board, say an inch thick, two inches wide, and twelve inches long, place this inside of the skin, draw the edges together over it, and tack both edges close together on the board, fill the body up to the end of this board, and put in another board in the same way, and again stuff; when the full length of the opening is closed up in this way, before putting in the last section, have the body thoroughly stuffed and put the section in afterward.

The advantage in putting in the board is this: It is almost impossible to sew the skin, and as it is to lay flat, it is much easier to use the boards; they could also be used in the neck and tail, if you wish to lay them straight with the body. Lay the specimen on a flat board, and place his feet and tail as you wish to have them. The eyes should now be removed, some of the solution of corrosive sublimate put in the sockets, then put the glass eyes in with putty or plaster paris. Close the mouth and set a block under the jaw to hold it up while drying. Give the body a thorough wetting with spirits of turpentine, repeating it once a day for three or four days. After the skin becomes well dried give it one or two coats of varnish and you have a fine specimen.

ARTICLE XI.
DESCRIPTION OF FOOT-STOOL.

No. 5.