SKINNING, PRESERVING, AND SETTING UP REPTILES, FISHES AND MOLLUSCOUS
ANIMALS, ETC.
TORTOISES AND TURTLES.
SKINNING.--The first operation is to separate the back and breast-shells
with a strong short knife or chisel. If the force of the hand is
inadequate, a mallet may be used, taking care not to strike so hard as
to crack the shell.
These two bony plates being covered by the skin, or by scales, the
scapula, and all the muscles of the arm and neck, in place of being
attached to the ribs and spine, are placed below, from which cause the
tortoise has been termed a retroverted animal. The vertebral extremity
of the scapula is articulated with the shield, and the opposite
extremity of the clavicle with the breast-plate in such a manner that
the shoulders form a ring for the passage of the windpipe and gullet.
After the turtle is opened, all the flesh which adheres to the
breast-plate, and also to the upper shell, is removed, while attention
is paid to the parts as above described. The head, fore-feet, and tail
are skinned as in quadrupeds; but none of these must be removed from
the upper shell, but left attached.
All the fleshy parts being removed, the shells are washed out with a
sponge, and carefully dried. They are then slightly rubbed with the
arsenical soap.
STUFFING.--Wires are now passed through the middle of the legs, after
the skin has been rubbed with the preservative. The skull is returned
to its place, and the whole of the head, neck, and legs stuffed with
chopped flax or tow. The parts of the skin which have been cut are then
sewed together. The back and breast-plates are then united by four
small holes, being bored at their edges, and united by strings or small
wires. The junction of the bones may then be attached with the cement,
colored so as to correspond with the shell.
If the calipash is dirty, it may be cleaned with a slight solution
of nitric acid and water; afterwards cleanly washed, oiled, and then
rubbed with a woolen rag, to give it a polish.
CROCODILES AND LIZARDS IN GENERAL.
SKINNING.--All this tribe are skinned in the same manner as quadrupeds.
Care, however, is required in skinning the tails of the smaller
species, as they are very liable to break. The skins being of a
dry nature, require but little of the preservative. After they are
thoroughly dried they will keep a very long time without decay.
STUFFING.--Stuff them as directed for quadrupeds. They admit of but
little variety of attitude. The small species are exceedingly apt
to change color in drying; which must be imitated with the colored
varnishes, and afterwards dimmed with sand-paper. To keep them in their
natural colors, they should be preserved in spirits.
The skins of such as are glossy should be varnished after they are
perfectly dry.
SERPENTS IN GENERAL.
SKINNING.--In skinning serpents there is some nicety required, to cut
them so as not to disfigure the scales; the opening should be made in
the side, commencing at the termination of the scales; and they should
on no account be divided, as upon their number the species is mostly
determined.
It is a very frequent practice to send home serpents without the
head, which renders them quite unfit for any scientific purpose. This
proceeds from the fear of receiving poison from the fangs. But there
is not the slightest danger of being affected, as these can easily be
cut out by means of pincers. The head should be cleaned and the brain
removed, in the same manner as recommended for birds and quadrupeds,
the skull anointed and then returned into the skin.
When the skin is removed, it may be rolled up and packed in small
space. The simplest way to preserve small species is to put them in
spirits, which must not be too strong, as it will destroy the colors.
Mr. Burchell, in his four years' journey through Africa, glued the
skins of the smaller serpents perfectly flat on paper, which preserved
the size of the animal, and the skin retained all the beauty of life.
STUFFING.--The skin, if not recent, must be first softened in the
manner recommended for birds. A piece of wire is taken, the length
of the animal, which must be wrapped round with tow till it is of a
proper thickness, and above the whole a spiral band of sliver should be
carefully wrapped. It is then placed inside of the skin, and sewed up.
The eyes are placed in as directed for quadrupeds and birds. When dry,
give the serpent a coat of varnish, and then twist it into any attitude
wished. A favorite and striking one is to have it wound round some
animal, and in the act of killing it.
FROGS AND TOADS.
SKINNING.--The mouth is opened, and the first vertebræ of the neck is
cut. The whole inside of the mouth is cut out with scissors. The two
jaws are next raised up, and the skin is pushed back with the fingers
of the right hand, while the body is drawn back in a contrary direction
with the other hand, and the whole body is then drawn out at the mouth.
The legs are then returned to their proper place.
STUFFING.--The simplest method of stuffing these animals is with sand.
A small funnel is placed in the mouth, and pour in well-dried sand.
When full, a small piece of cotton is pushed into the throat, with some
of the cement, to keep the sand from escaping on moving the animal.
The Frog is then placed on a board, and in an attitude. When quite dry,
give it a coat of varnish. When this has perfectly dried, very small
perforations are made under the belly with the point of a needle, and
the sand allowed to escape, leaving the body in its natural form.
These animals are liable to change of color from drying, and should,
therefore, be painted with the varnish to their natural hues. There is
less difficulty with Toads in this respect, as they are usually of a
brown color, and not liable to much change.
They may be perfectly preserved in spirits.
FISHES.
The best method of securing the scales and colors of Fish, is, as soon
as they are caught, to apply cambric or tissue paper to them, which
will soon dry and adhere firmly; the body may be then taken out and the
skin dried. When the skin is to be stuffed, roll it in a moist cloth,
which will not only render it pliable, but also soften the tissue
paper, so as it can be removed, when the colors will be found to be
much brighter than by any other method with which we are yet acquainted.
LAMPREYS, EELS, AND OTHER FISH OF SIMILAR FORM.
These species may be skinned in the same manner as Frogs and Toads, by
drawing the body through the mouth.
OF SKINNING FISH IN GENERAL.
The fish should be procured as fresh as possible, more particularly if
it is one of those on which the scales are loosely attached. Lay it
on one side and cut the gills with a pair of scissors; then introduce
a little tow or piece of sponge into the place to prevent the blood
from flowing during the process of skinning; let the fins be raised
and gently extended, and two pieces of paper, something the shape
of each, be placed under them, only extending a little beyond them.
Coat the paper with a weak solution of gum-arabic, and put a piece of
similar size on the top of the fin; by pressing these gently they will
adhere and dry in a few minutes; these will keep the fins extended, and
preserve them during the operation of stuffing. When these are dry,
take a piece of tissue paper or thin silk, and press it gently on one
side of the fish. The natural glutinous matter which covers the scales
will be sufficient to make it adhere firmly; it will soon dry and form
a strong protection to the scales during the skinning. Without this
precaution the skin could not be removed from mullet, sea beaver, etc.,
without the scales being much disfigured, and losing many of them.
Indeed, in such fishes, it is not amiss to put on an additional coating
of paper with gum-water. This will not only secure the scales, but
will also assist in keeping the proper form of the fish, by preventing
distention.
When these papers are thoroughly dry, turn the fish on a soft cloth,
with the uncovered side upwards, and open it with sharp scissors from
the bottom of the tail-fin to nearly the point of the snout, keeping as
correctly on the lateral line as possible, which can be seen in most
fishes. The cheek should be afterwards cut open, so that the flesh may
be removed from it; cut also the flesh from the opposite cheek, and
supply its place by cotton. The skin must now be detached from the
flesh, which will require some care at first. It must be commenced at
the head, and separating it downwards with the assistance of a knife,
and the fin-bones must be cut through with scissors. The spine must now
be cut through close to the head, and also at the tail, and the body
removed.
All the animal matter having been completely removed from the skin,
the inside must be wiped dry, and the preservative applied in the same
manner as directed for birds and quadrupeds. Great care is necessary to
prevent it from being too much distended.
IN SHARKS and LARGE FISHES, an incision is made below the head, and
extended to the fin of the tail; the skin is then separated on each
side with a scalpel, cutting back as far as possible, so that the
vertebræ may be cut close to the head. The tail is then skinned. The
head is pushed inwards, and the skin passed over it above, and all the
cartilage cut carefully away. Care must be taken not to enlarge the
branchial openings too much, which would render it necessary to sew
them up again, and it is not easy to hide a seam in a fish's skin.
DIADON, TETRADON, and BALISTES, and their congeners, are opened by the
belly. The ostracion is enveloped in a skin, which consists of a single
piece, the tail of which only is free and flexible. The opening in the
belly must not be large; the tail must be opened, the flesh cut away,
and stuffed with cotton.
STUFFING.
The skins, being properly anointed, are filled with tow or cotton. This
must be so managed that there will be no prominences on the outside of
the skin, which in fishes, is smooth and even for the most part. When
properly filled, they must be sewed up, and set aside to dry in the
air, but not exposed to the rays of the sun. In a few days, the papers
with which the fins were extended are taken off, by damping them with
a sponge. The glass eyes are now introduced, after filling the orbits
with cotton and a little cement to secure them in their places. The
skins may then be coated with turpentine varnish.
SHARKS.--In stuffing these large fishes, it is necessary to use a
stick for a center support. This must also enter the head, through the
opening of the throat. If it is intended that the specimen shall be
suspended from the ceiling, wire-hooks must be fastened into the wood.
From these must be placed upright wires, so that they penetrate the
skin, and pass through the back. Let the whole internal surface of the
skin be well rubbed with the preservative. The body is then stuffed to
its full size, and afterwards sewed up. The stuffing of the head must
be completed through the orbits of the eyes, and also by the mouth.
This finished, the glass eyes are inserted, as in other animals, and
fixed by means of cement.
Many species of fish have semi-transparent cartilages connected with
the eyes. These must be imitated with gum-arabic and powdered starch,
as well as the cornea of the eyes.
The skins of all fish, which are similar to that of sharks, must be
well supplied with spirits of turpentine, after they are mounted, more
particularly the head and fins; but as they are not glossy, they do not
require to be varnished.
When the fins are strong, it is necessary to keep them extended by
means of a wire introduced through them.
In the Diadons, the chief thing to be attended to, beyond what we have
stated, is, to take care that the spines, with which their skins are
beset, are not broken or depressed in any way.
Salmon, Trout, Tench, Carp, Pike, etc., are very easily preserved, as
the scales are firmly attached to the skin; and although they become
somewhat dim from drying, their colors and brilliancy are considerably
restored by means of varnish, if applied before they are thoroughly
dried.
After a lapse of time, the varnish will rise into little scales; to
remove these, nitric acid, diluted in water, must be applied to the
whole external surface, which has the effect of completely taking
off the varnish, or at least of raising it from the skin, which,
when allowed to dry, can be wholly removed by rubbing it with a
small brush. It may then be varnished again; when dry, it will ever
afterwards continue quite solid.
What is above recommended will apply to almost all fishes.
LOBSTERS, CRABS, ETC.
In this class are included crabs, lobsters, and their congeners. These
animals are all protected by a coriaceous covering, or shell, which
is easily preserved, although there is considerable difficulty in
preserving the colors of some species.
The flesh must be extracted from the large claws of lobsters and
crabs by breaking the smallest possible piece from their points and
introducing a small, crooked wire; in the smaller claws the flesh must
be allowed to dry, and to facilitate this extremely small perforations
should be made in opposite sides of the shell by means of a sharp,
triangular awl, so as to allow the air to pass through it.
In lobsters the branchiæ and all the intestines must be cut away;
the latter is effected by separating the body from the lower parts,
and then extracting the internal parts with any sharp instrument;
it should then be dried and cemented together, after being well
anointed with the preservative. In crabs, the body, with all the limbs
attached, is pulled separate from the back shell and the whole fleshy
matter carefully picked out and preserving powder and the solution of
corrosive sublimate applied to the different internal parts. In drying
lobsters, crabs, etc., they should be exposed to a free current of air,
but not to the sun's rays, as it reddens the shells of crustaceous
animals.
It need hardly be mentioned, that before applying the preservatives,
the shells should be well washed with cold water.
The Hermit-Crab always takes possession of the shell of some turbinated
Univalve as its domicile. These are easily preserved by pulling out
the animal after it is dead. An incision is made in the soft tail of
the animal, and the contents allowed to run off; it is then filled
with cotton and imbued with the preservative; some cement is then put
on the tail and the animal returned to its shell, which completes the
operation of preserving.
In sending home crustaceous animals, the larger species should be
emptied of their fleshy matter, which, however, is not necessary with
the smaller species; they should be packed in middling-sized cases, and
each wrapped in separate papers, with a thick bed of cotton or flax
between each. In Lobsters, and the species which are allied to them,
great care must be exercised in preserving the tentacula or feelers
which emanate from their heads, as these become very brittle after they
are dried. In proceeding to set up specimens which have been sent
home, they should be immersed in _cold_ water for some time, to give
pliability to the tentacula and other parts, without which it will be
impossible to set them up in any way without their breaking.
Mr. Bullock recommended that Crabs and all other crustaceous animals
should be immersed in corrosive sublimate and water for an hour
previous to their being put into attitudes.
When the joints become loose they are in general attached by glue, but
the cement is much better.
N. B.--On no account whatever use warm water in cleaning crustaceous
animals, as it is certain to change their colors.