dominal wall. Carry belly incision to close to the vent. In male
specimen run the incision to one side of the testes.

Next insert point of knife in fore center of pad or feet and paws and
with a gentle push carry these incisions upon back of wrists and inside
of ankles to where swell of large muscles is felt. In mammals the size
of woodchuck or raccoon, split toes on under side.

If a mammal skin is to be kept for some time, dried or in brine, split
the tail full length along under side. If tail skin slips easily and the
specimen is to be mounted at once, pull the tail out, splitting only the
very tip to allow arsenic solution to be run through. In many species
the tail must be split and peeled out with a knife because of tough
binding. (For general diagram of incisions, see Fig. 12.)

[Illustration: Fig. 12.]

The next step in handily skinning a mammal is to peel out the feet
through their incisions, severing toes at base and leaving them complete
in the skin. Peel the leg skins back over ankles and wrists (see Fig.
13).

[Illustration: Fig. 13.]

If tail was split, peel it down next, beginning at tip. Now return to
the abdominal incision and neatly peel the skin from the body, in many
instances using only the thumb nail for loosening it.

When the thighs are encountered, bend hind legs back and sever hip
joints from pelvis (see Fig. 13), cutting carefully through the large
muscles so that the skin on opposite side of them may not be punctured.

When the hind legs are cut free, peel around back of pelvis, loosening
skin to base of tail. Set the specimen upon its head end and, with thumb
and finger nails of left hand, grasp skin about the base of tail while
with right hand strip tail out with force.

Next peel the body down to shoulders. Hang large specimen up by cord
tied about loins, the more handily to finish the skinning.

Sever the forelegs at shoulder joint (see Fig. 14), using care not to
cut through skin.

[Illustration: Fig. 14.]

Peel skin down over neck to ears. Cut ears free from head, working with
knife close to skull. Peel to eyes. In cutting the eyelids free, work
close to eyeballs so that lids are not injured. Peel to mouth and cut
close to jaw bones in severing lips and nose from skull (see Fig. 15).

With the skin removed from the body, next peel out the legs.

Split inside of lips free with sharp knife, very carefully, so as not to
break edge of them.

[Illustration: Fig. 15.]

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