The Taxidermist''''s Guide

The Taxidermist's Guide A COMPLETE INSTRUCTOR IN THE ART OF Collecting, Preparing, Preserving all Mounting and kinds of Animals, Birds, Fishes, Reptiles and Insects ADAPTED FOR THE USE OF AMATEURS TRAVELLERS AND PRACTICAL WORKERS NEW YORK: PuJhliislxecl fox- tlxo Trade The Skeleton of the Falco Palumbarius, or Goshawk, showing manner in which it is supported by a small iron rod; and also the names of the bones the Ulna.— b, b, b The vertebrae of the neck, or cerand d The Sternum.— e, e The Tarsus.—/,/ The Fibula.— g The Tibia.— h, h The metacarpal bones.—i, j The Ulna.—m The Pelvis.— n The Os Coccygis.—q The Clavicle.— s Vertebras of the back.—t The Os Humeri a Ball of the vical vertebra.— c '&' Tib tS?C? &MHKS THE TAXIDERMIST'S CHAP GUIDE I SKINNING, PREPARING, AND MOUNTING THE MAMMALIA, OR QUADRUPEDS SKINNING When a quadruped is killed, and its skin intended for stuffing, the preparatory steps are to lay the animal on its back, and plug up its nostrils, mouth, and any wounds it may have received, with cotton or tow, to prevent the blood from disfiguring the skin The fox will serve admirably our purpose as an example Therefore, Reynard being procured, we need not say how, lay him on his back in the same position as before recommended and, having first stuffed the mouth with cotton and tied it up, and measured his neck and body with rule and calipers, and noted them, proceed Make an incision from the last rib nearly to the vent, but not quite up to it Having done so, proceed to raise the skin all round the incision as far as the thighs, first skinning one side and then the other, using the flat end of the knife in preference to the blade to raise the skin Having reached the hind legs, separate the latter at the femur or thigh-bone, close to the ; back-bone, leaving the legs attached to the skin Now skin the head-quarters close up to the tail, and separate it from the body at the last vertebrae, taking care not to injure the skin Puli the skin over the heads of the hip-joints, and now the carcase may be THE taxidermist's guide suspended by the hind-quarters, while the skin is stripped by pulThe fore it gently and cutting towards the fore-quarters legs are separated from the body, as the hind ones had been, close to the shoulder-bone, and the skin fairly pulled over the head and close to the nose, when the head is separated from the body by cutting through the last vertebrae of the neck Reynard is nuw skinned, the head, legs, and tail being all attached to the skin, ling from which the carcase The flesh is now is separated cut entirely away from the cheek-bones v the eyes removed, the brains taken out by enlarging the occipital opening behind the cranium, the whole cleaned and supplied with a coating of arsenical paste, and stuffed with tow or wool, to the natural size now successively skinned by pushing out the bones and inverting the skin ov