Montagu Browne

“ Mammals are cut along the stomach from nearly the middle to the breast, and are skinned by working out the hind legs first, cutting them off under the skin at the junction of the femur with the tibia, and carefully stripping the skin off the lower back and front until the tail is reached, the flesh and bones of which are pulled out of the skin, leaving the operator free to follow on up the back and chest until the fore legs are reached, which are cut off in like manner. ”

“ The ordinary glass eyes are discarded, and hollow globes, specially made, are hand-painted from nature, and are fixed in the head so as to convey the exact expression which the pose of the body demands. ”

“ Reptiles, when small, have their skin removed by cutting away the attachment of the skull to the cervical vertebrae, and by turning the decapitated trunk out at the mouth by delicate manipulation. When large, they are cut along their median line, and treated. in the same manner as mammals. ”

“ Fishes, after being covered on their best side with paper or muslin to protect the scales, are cut along the other side from the tail to the gills, and are skinned out by removing “cutlets,” as large as is possible without cracking the skin, which, indeed, should be kept damp during work. ”

“ The great American museums have extended a similar method to the mounting of even large mammals, whilst they have made bird groups naturally still more life-like by panoramic backgrounds and top and side lighting of the cases. ”

“ Like all arsenical preparations, this is exceedingly dangerous in the hands of unskilled persons, often causing shortness of breath, sores, brittleness of the nails and other symptoms; and, as arsenic is really no protection against the attacks of insects, an efficient substitute has been invented by Browne, composed of 1 ℔ of white curd soap and 3 ℔ of whiting boiled together, to which is added, whilst hot, 11/2 oz. of chloride of lime, and, when cold, 1 oz. ”