g to be sewed up,
when skinned as they usually are through the mouth. In doing this the
entire body is dissected away through the mouth and the legs are
detached and skinned the same way.

After turning completely wrong side out and poisoning the legs are
wired, wrapped with tow or cotton in the same manner as other small
animals. One hind leg wire is cut long enough to reach through the body
and head and to this the other leg wires are twisted. Some claim that to
leave the vertebral column attached to the skin of the back is an
invaluable aid in giving that part its proper shape.

[Illustration: WIRING SYSTEM FOR FROG.]

The body filling is tow or cotton placed through the mouth in small
pieces until the proper shape is acquired. Dry sand has been used to
fill the bodies of frogs, being poured in the mouth through a funnel and
retained by a cotton plug until the skin was dry, when it was poured
out.

Painting and varnishing are required to finish mounted frogs. The frog
is a favorite with the caricaturist as it can be made to take almost any
human posture with laughable results.

Turtles may be mounted by wrapping and wiring legs, tail and head like
other small animals, after detaching the under shell on three sides,
removing the body and skinning the limbs. The tow wrapped legs should
have a covering of soft clay which can be shaped with the fingers after
they are returned to the skin.

Twisting the wires together is all right for the small turtles, large
ones need a block of wood to clinch the wires in. The under shell is
replaced and fastened with small wires and as enough skin was left
attached to it to sew to, all cuts are closed that way. Heavy wires are
seldom necessary in turtles. Those having bright colored shells will
need to be touched up with paint and all should be varnished thinly to
give a fresh appearance.

CHAPTER XXIII.

SKULLS AND SKELETONS.

While the preparation of skeletons for the cabinet is sometimes
undertaken by the general taxidermist it is more often the work of a
trained osteologist. Collectors in the field are often asked to preserve
rough skeletons of desirable varieties and the skulls at least should be
preserved with the skin of each quadruped taken for mounting.

A specimen with a damaged or imperfect skin may yield a good skeleton
and in the case of something very rare both the skin and skeleton may be
mounted separately. This process is one calling for a skilled