the reach of all amateurs.

Equal parts of salt, alum, and Glauber's salts, mixed with half a part
of saltpetre, the whole rubbed in several times a day, has been
recommended, but I have not tried it.

A mixture of sulphur and arsenic with soft soap is sometimes used to
dress skins with, and if left on for about a year certainly renders
them very pliant, after the removal of the grease.

The North American Indians, I believe, smoke their deer skins, etc. and
after working them, use brains to dress them with.

The skins of mammals in the flesh may, if bloody, be washed, should
the blood be new, or combed with the scratch card (see ante) if it has
dried on the hair or fur. In old skins washing is effective when the
animal is relaxed. Freshly skinned deer and bulls' heads should always
be washed and combed, and wrung out before having the preservative
applied.

Mammals' fur is also considerably improved in tone by being well
brushed with stiff horse or carriage brushes, and afterwards wiped
down with turpentine, followed by benzoline.

When a skin is properly cleaned and finished, it may be lined with
red or black cloth, or baize, and a "pounced" border of cloth
attached. The tools for "pouncing" are to be bought at most saddlers'
or ironmongers'.

I have been asked many times what to do, if camping out abroad,
supposing you shot a tiger or a bear, and wished to preserve the skin
as a "flat." Simply lay it on the ground and slit the skin underneath,
in a straight line through the under lip to the tip of the tail, then
make four cross cuts from the median line along the inside of the
limbs down to the toes, and skin out the body by stripping it in a
careful manner, not allowing any pieces to be cut away, in case you
might change your mind and wish it mounted as a specimen.

Take out the skull, clean and preserve it, and though skinning out
the toes completely, be careful to retain the claws in their seats.
When the body is removed, "flesh" the skin, which means scraping and
cutting away all superfluous flesh and fat, then lay it out flat and
rub it well in with the burnt alum and saltpetre (Formula No. 9). In
dressing thick skins, it will be advisable to make a paste of the alum
and saltpetre by mixing it with a little water, and repeatedly rub
this mixture into those parts where the skin is thickest, such as
around the lips, eyes, ears, etc, taking care that not a wrinkle in any
part escapes a thorough dressing,