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British Museum (Natural History).

Instructions for Collectors:

No. 14.—MAMMALS, Parr II.

SKELETONS, with Special Notes on the
Collection of Specimens of PACES A

\ A
‘ o Re s Ww |
By S. F. HARMER, Sc.D., F.R.S.,

Keeper of the Department of Zoology.

?
——

DAR S53

LONDON:
1917.
PRICE THREEPENCE.
(All rights reserved.)

Specimens intended for the Natural History Branch of the
British Museum should be sent to

THE BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY),
CROMWELL ROAD,
LONDON, 8.W.

All communications should be addressed to the DIRECTOR.

NOTE.—Boxes of Specimens so addressed are not opened by
the Customs Officers at the Docks, but are sent on to the
Museum under seal.

a

BY

e Trustees

or

No. 1a.

Mammals, Part II.

SKELETONS, with Special Notes on the

Collection of Specimens of CETACEA.
ara Jeric

By S. F. HARMER, Sc.D., F.R.S.,
Keeper of the Department of Zoology.*

I.—Mammals other than Cetacea.

1. PrReuIMiInary Hunts.

THE preparation of skeletons in the field should go no further than
the removal of sufficient flesh to ensure freedom from putrefaction.
Hvery care should be taken to leave the bones naturally attached
to each other, and with this object in view it will be sufficient, after
removing the internal organs—heart, lungs, liver, intestines and
Se) on—to cut the flesh roughly from the body and legs, and to
expose the carcass thus cleaned to the sun. In small animals the
limbs should not be separated from the rest of the skeleton. In
those of larger size, the fore legs should be removed with the blade-
bone, and the hind legs should be detached at the hip-joint. If
not too large, the limbs should then be tied firmly to the rest of
the skeleton. This is most important, especially where several
skeletons are packed in the same case. To save space and to
facilitate packing, each limb should be folded on itself. In very
large skeletons, it may be necessary to separate the fore leg from
the shoulder- blade, and even to subdivide the limbs; care being
taken to cut the principal joints without injuring the bones. The
tail should be turned forwards so as to le inside the body. On
no account should any preservative be used.

If the skin of the animal is being prepared as well as the
skeleton, the bones of the feet should be left in the skin, unless
the specimen is of large size. If the entire skin is not being

* In drawing up these Instructions I have received much valuable assist-
ance from my colleagues Mr. O. Thomas, F'.R.S., and Mr. W. P. Pycraft.

yu

kept, it may be desirable to leave the hands and feet covered by
skin, in order to avoid the loss of any of the small bones, and to
prevent those of different limbs from being mixed. If these bones
are brought back loose, it is impossible to arrange some of them
(particularly those of the fingers and toes) with any certainty that
they are being placed in their proper order. Whenever possible,
skeletons should be secured of male, female and young animals.
In every case in which the species is not definitely known, care
should be taken to attach to the skeleton a characteristic piece of
the skin, showing the colour of its fur or wool. This must belong
to the particular ‘individual whose skeleton is being prepared. It
is very desirable to indicate what species the skeleton probably
palneas to by reference to the collector's number of skins sent at
the same time. In all cases, a label recording the precise locality
in which the animal was killed, with altitude and date, and the
sex of the specimen, should be tied to the bones. If the skeleton
is sent in more than one piece, each part should be separately
labelled, so that there can be no possibility of mixing the parts of
different individuals.

Morr Derainep INSTRUCTIONS.

After the removal of the skin, the abdomen should be cut open
from the end of the breast-bone to the hip-girdle ; and from the
cavity thus exposed the whole of the contents should be removed.
After the intestines, liver and stomach have been taken out, the
“ ynidriff,” at the front end of the cavity, should be cut through
to allow of the removal of the heart and lungs. The gullet and
windpipe can be pulled out from the front of the neck. Special
care must be taken to avoid injury to the hyoid bones or tongue-
bones, which generally run from the region of each ear towards
the lower surface of the larynx (at the front end of the windpipe)
and back of the tongue, where the two series are joined by means
of a bone in the middle line.

All superfluous flesh should next be cut away from the limbs,
trunk and head. In small animals there is no need to remove any
flesh from the ribs. Particular care should be taken, throughout
the operation, to avoid cutting or breaking any of the bones.

The skull should be severed at the joint which connects it
with the neck, and not by chopping through the neck-bones. In
very small animals it may, however, be left in place. After the
separation of the skull, as much as possible of the brain should be
removed by stirring up the contents of the brain-case, through the
opening at the back of the skull, with a blunt stick. This process
will be facilitated by pouring water into the brain-case. The top of
the skull should not be sawn off, and no attempt should be made
to clean out the whole of the brain from the more inaccessible
regions of the skull, since injury may easily be caused to the
hones lining the brain- -case if too much cleaning is attempted.

Unless the animal is of large size, the tongue may be left to dry
up, and the tongue-hones already alluded to will thus be retained
in place.

If time permits, and there is an abundance of water at hand,
it is well to remove the blood from the roughly cleaned skeleton
by soaking it for a day or two in water, preferably running water.
For safety’s sake the carcass should be placed in a basket, or tied
up in a sack. Special precautions may be required in places
where there are predaceous. animals such as Crocodiles or other
aquatic carnivorous forms. But where the climate is unfavourable,
or water scarce, this soaking may be dispensed with.

The further treatment of the skeleton must depend a good
deal on the size of the animal. If it is small, there will he no
great difficulty in getting it properly dried, and it can then be
packed in one piece, taking the precaution of turning the end of
the tail in so as to be protected by the backbone and ribs: If it is
large, the limbs may be detached separately; removing the
Phoulder: blade, which carries the rest of the fore limb, from the
ribs, and dividing each hind hmb from the pelvis or hip at the
articulation of the thigh-bone with that part.

It may further be necessary to cut the backbone into sections
of convenient size for packing. This division can be effected at
any point, provided it is made in such a way as to avoid injuring
the vertebrae or constituent bones of the backbone. It will be
found quite easy to separate two vertebrae from one another if the
knife is inserted first on the lower side (that which comes nearest
the cavity of the thorax or abdomen). ‘The two parts of the
backbone on either side of the cut are then bent upwards, away
from the cut. The following may be indicated as convenient
points for dividing the backbone :—junction of neck and thorax ;
junction of thorax and abdomen. If the cuts are made as above,
the thorax, consisting of vertebral column, ribs and breast-bone.
may be packed so as to contain the skull and some of the other
parts of the skeleton.

The rough skeleton, or the parts into which it has been
divided, should next be hung up in a dry place, where there is a
free current of air, and protected, if necessary, from attack by
predaceous animals. Before the parts become quite dry it will be
advisable to fold them in a position convenient for packing.

When thoroughly dry, the skeletons may be packed in boxes.
Sawdust, especially pine sawdust, may conveniently be used, as it
absorbs moisture and prevents any unpleasant smell. Hach
skeleton should be wrapped separately in paper or canvas, to
avoid the danger of getting its parts mixed with those of other
specimens, which might happen, for instance, in a skeleton attacked
by beetles on the way home. This precaution is specially im-
portant for skeletons of small size ; but in every case the greatest
care should be taken to label and pack the parts in such a way
that no admixture of this kind is possible. The value of a

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specimen is destroyed if there is any suspicion th at all the bones
may not be those of a single individual.

The skin of an animal prepared for permanent preservaulon
should always be accompanied by 7s own skull, even if the rest of
the skeleton has not been kept. But a skull by itself may be
worth preserving if the collector gives every possible assistance in
determining the species to which ib belo ongs. This is best done by
stating that it is of the same kind as some other specimen,
obtained at the same time, whose skin is in the collection sent to
the Museum. If this cannot be done, part of the skin can some-
times be sent to aid in the determination, and notes may be made
of the coloration of the living animal.

In the males of Monkeys, Carnivora and Rodents there may be
present a loose separate bone in the penis, which should also
be preserved, dried and fastened to the rest of the skeleton.
And in some few animals, notably the Cats, the collar-bone is
rudimentary, and care should be taken that it is not thrown away
if the limbs are taken off.

Il.—Cetacea (Whales, Dolphins and
Porpoises).

The collection of Cetacea offers special difficulties, but useful
work may be done if advantage is taken of suitable opportunities.
Whales and Dolphins are not infrequently stranded on the coast,
and smaller kinds are sometimes caught in fishermen’s nets.

No satisfactory way of dealing with the skins of these animals
is known, and it is accordingly not desirable to waste time in
preparing skins which can neither be stuffed nor made much use
of in any other way. The skeleton is the part which is most
valuable from a scientifie point of view, but it is important to have
a record of the external appearance of the animal from which it
was derived.

In collecting Cetacea, the first thing to do with any specimen
is to make certain measurements and notes on its external
appearance.

The more important measurements to be taken are those
indicated in Fig. 1, B; but the length of the paddle or flipper (fore
limb), Tarot along its lower Wonder and the distance between
the vent and the opening of the reproductive organs should also
be recorded.

It should be ascertained whether the mouth contains “ Whale-
bone’’ (baleen) or teeth. In the former case, note the number of
blades of baleen* which grow on each side of the palate (Fig. 2),
and, if possible, the length and breadth of the eet blade. The

a The number of the larger pina Sa consti tute the main
serles—should alone be counted,

Ae ee a

5

colour of the baleen-plates and of the hairs which fringe their
edges turned towards the cavity of the mouth should be carefully
recorded, and it should be noted whether all the blades are of the

PADDLE
-

TAIL-FIN
(horizontal)
Bs

ie
a

4
BACK-FIN

a ee ~~ — TOTAL LENGTH — — — —- —— — — — ~— ara
j LENGTH ,TO BLOWHOLE |

(See
' LENGTH OF SNOUT
CT ae ‘
ee

5 &
‘

Fie. 1.—A, Back view, and B, side view of a Dolphin (a Toothed Whale), to
show how the principal measurements should be taken,

BALEEN OR WHALEGONE

Fic, 2.—Head of Whalebone Whale, showing the whalebone or “‘ baleen ”’ of
one side in place and the grooves on the skin of the throat.

same colour. The characters of the baleen are particularly im-
portant in distinguishing the species of the Whalebone Whales.
Tn Whales of this kind, note further whether the skin of the throat

6

and lower part of the thorax is marked by a number of deep
longitudinal grooves (Fig. 2).

‘Tf teeth are present, state their number, on each side of each
jaw, recording also their average diameter at the base, their length
and thei: shape. In several kinds of Whale the teeth are greatly
reduced in number, even to a single pair (Fig. 3); or one or more

/
THROAT-GROOVE

Fic. 3.—Head of a male Sowerby’s Whale, in which only two 4acee are
present, one on each side of the lower jaw. In the females and young
of this species, the teeth are concealed beneath the gum, and none are
visible.

pairs of teeth may be present beneath the gum, the animal then
appearing toothless. In Whales with only a few teeth or none
visible, note whether there are a pair of longitudinal grooves on
the skin of the lower side of the throat (Fig. 3).

The shape of the head should be described, and a sketch made
of the profile (side view). In many kinds of Dolphin, the front
part of the upper jaw is sharply marked off from the rest of the
head (Fig. 1). The length of this snout or “‘ beak” should be noted.

The external coloration should be recorded, special attention
being given to the distribution of the dark and lhght colours
respectively.

A large Whale is too bulky an object to be dealt with by an
unaided collector. It will thus be sufficient to note the above
particulars and to secure a blade of baleen or a tooth, as the case
may be. If a whaling station is visited, there may be an
opportunity of securing some of the remarkable shell-like ear-
bones which are readily separated from the skull in Cetacea.
Special care should be taken to ascertain what kind of Whale each
such ear-bone belonged to.

The skeletons of Whales or Dolphins are prepared in the same
way as those of other Mammals. In opening the abdominal cavity,
to remove the viscera, look specially for the pelvic bones (Fig. 4, 7),
which represent the hip-bones of other Mammals. These are a
pair of separate bones, perhaps six inches in length in a large
Dolphin, which are embedded in the flesh near the vent, one on

=~

each side of that aperture. They
are not always easy to find, as
they are not articulated with any
other part of the skeleton. The
hyoid or tongue-bones should be
looked for, as in other Mammals:
but they offer little difficulty, as
they are of considerable size.

In commencing operations, the
two lobes or flukes of the tail and
the back-fin may be cut off, as they
contain no part of the skeleton. It
is generally advisable to cut through
the blubber,and to remove it in strips,
starting from the tail and working
forwards along the body to the head.

The paddles or flippers should
be cut off at the shoulder-joint ; or,
in the case of the smaller species,
the shoulder-blade, with the flippers
attached, may be removed from the
body in one operation. The flippers
should in all cases be preserved
entire, no attempt being made to
remove their skin or blubber or to
separate the bones supporting them.
They need practically no prepara-
tion, and may be left to dry up as
far as their oily nature permits them
to do so. Any ordinary disinfectant
may be applied to their surface
occasionally if signs of putrefaction
should be noticed.

Complete paddles, with the skin
intact, of the following species of
the larger Whales are specially
wanted :— the Greenland Right
Whale (Balaena mysticetus), the
Pacifie Grey Whale (hachiancectes
glaucus), and the Southern Pigmy
Right Whale (Neobalacna mar-
gindta).

After the removal of the blubber
and flippers, and after the pelvic
bones have been taken out, the
intestines and other viscera may be
removed, and the flesh cut away from
the bones, in much the same way as
in the case of any other Mammal.

JQOg9ae0000~

a 2

Yl

3
=O
=>,

b, Position of blow-holes :

The breast-bone is not represented,

e Whale).

Whale (a Whalebon
low the lower jaw.

tongue-bones are indicated, just be

The
> natural size.

ail
12

p, pelvic bone.

Tic. 4—Skeleton and outline of the Common Rorqual or Fin-
About

8

The skull should be carefully disarticulated and the brain removed
through the hole at its base, the flesh being cut away from the
head so far as this can be done without injuring the bones. The
backbone should be divided into sections, if necessary, the
divisions recommended on p. 3 being equally suitable for Cetacea.
In the case of large specimens it may be necessary to separate the
ribs from one another. In doing this, avoid injury to the breast-
bone, and disarticulate each rib from the backbone in such a way
as not to damage it.

Many species of Cetacea have been described on the evidence
of skulls or other bones, no information as to the external
appearance of the living animals having been given. In other
cases the reverse has been true, species having been described
from their external characters without reference to the bones.
It is accordingly specially important to make sketches or take
photographs of the external appearance of a Cetacean before
preparing its skeleton ; and work of this kind may be important
in helping to decide difficult questions relating to the species. It
is specially desirable to obtain information, based on actual
specimens, with regard to the species of Dolphin which inhabit
the open ocean, far “from land.

If the entire skeleton is not prepared, the skull and the two
flippers (complete, with skin intact) should be secured, the external
characters of the living animal being noted and sketched.

Hyery specimen should be carefully labelled with locality, date
of capture, total length of specimen and sex. The male organ of
Cetacea can be completely retracted, and when it is thus concealed
it may be possible to mistake a male for a female. The female
may be recognized as a rule by the occurrence of a longitudinal
slit in the skin, on each side of the reproductive opening, “this. slit
usually concealing the retracted nipple. The length of the interval
between the vent and the opening of the reproductive organs should
be stated in the measurements of the fresh specimen.

British Muszum (NarurRan Hisrory),
CROMWELL Roap,
Lonpon, S.W.
March, 1917.

LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED,
DUKE STREET, STAMFORD STREET, S.E., AND GREAT WINDMILL SYREET, W.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COLLECTORS.

Handbook of Instructions for Collectors, issued by the British
Museum (Natural History). With Illustrations. Third Hdition.
Pp. 144. Index. 1906, 8vo. 1s. 6d. Postage 34d.

Instructions for Collectors :—

No. 1—Mammals. Fourth Edition. Pp. 8. Text illustrated.
1912, 8vo. 3d. Postage 3d.

No. 2.—Birds and their Eggs. Sixth Edition. Pp.14. 6 Text-
figures. 1917, 8vo. 3d. Postage 3d.

No. 3.—Reptiles, Batrachians and Fishes. Fourth Edition.
Pp. 12. 1916, 8vo.3d. Postage 3d.

No. 4.—Insects. Fifth Hdition. Pp. 11. Text illustrated.
1911. 8vo. 3d. Postage 3d.

No. 5.—Diptera (Two-winged Flies). Third Edition. Pp. 16.
Text illustrated. 1908, 8vo. 3d. Postage $d.

[No. 6.]—Mosquitoes (Culicide). [Third Edition.] Pp. 8.
1 Plate. 1 Text-figure. 1904, 8vo. 3d. Postage 3d.

No. 7.—Blood-sucking Flies, Ticks, etc. By E. E. Austen.
Fourth Edition. Pp. 24. 13 Text-figures. 1914, 8vo. 3d.
Postage td.

No. 8.—Spiders, Centipedes, Peripatus, etc. Third Edition.
Pp. 4. 3 Text-figures. 1914, 8vo. 3d. Postage 3d.

No. 9.—Soft-bodied and other Invertebrate Animals; Shells of
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No. 10.—Plants. Fourth Edition. Pp. 10. 3 Text-figures.
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No. 11.—Fossils and Minerals. Fourth Edition. Pp.8. 1913,
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No. 12.—Worms. By H. A. Baylis. Pp. 23. 17 Text-figures.
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Applications to the Museum direct for any of these Instruc-
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Written communications respecting them should be addressed to
the Director, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road,
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