Halifax Grammar School - Grammarian Yearbook (Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada)

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- 5 - HALLOWE ' EN Here are some black cats. I ' m scared of the witches with their brooms. See the skeletons trying to scare us! Henry Rojo, Form F Age 6. THE SQUIRREL The squirrel ' s a jolly fellow With a beautiful reddish coat. He hibernates in winter, And in summer time he ' s out. Autumn is the time When he goes and gathers nuts. He runs around, gathering busily. To fill all his huts. In winter time he sleeps so soundly While there ' s not a stir But then he ' s finally up in spring And brushing out his fur. Paul Trapnell, Borm B Age 10. MY STRANGE HOBBY Ky strange hobby is skull collecting and preparing. At least, I think it is an unusual hobby. Three years ago my mother went to work at the Museum of Science, and I started to visit the museum regularly. I became very interested in biology, the animals, and the exhibits. Two years later, Gary Rhindress, a friend on the staff of the museum gave me a squirrel skeleton, prepared. I put the squirrel together and became interested in this part of science. Later, on a hike, I found a raccoon sk ill. When we returned to the museum, Gary gave me a paper which told me how to prepare my own skulls. After that Gary let me do my own skulls at the museum. To prepare a skull, you remove the fur with a sharp scalpel and clean out the inside of the skull with a brain hook. The skull is now placed in a gallon of water to which cup of household ammonia has been added. It is allowed to soak for two or three days. Next the skull is boiled for at least half an hour in a solution of two gallons of water and a handful of ordinary washing soda. When the flesh on top of the head shows a tendency to separate from the cranium, the skull has cooked enough. The skull should be cooled gradually to avoid cracking the teeth or beak. This can be done best by allowing fresh water to run into the cooking solution. After the skull is completely cooled, the remaining flesh must be removed with a small scalpel or special bone scraper.

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- 6 - Gently pull dovm the lower mandible (jaw) as far as it will go J then it can be separated from the skull without breaking the union of the rami. It is not necessary to remove every particle of flesh at this stage, because the final scrubbing accomplishes this more easily. Next tie the lower mandible to the skull and place in a strong ammonia bath — one cupful of household ammonia to two gallons of water. Allow the skull to remaia in this solution from two to six days. If commercial hydrogen peroxide is available, add a cup of this to the ammonia solution and a better bleaching will be obtained. At the end of the bleaching period, the skull should be washed in sodium hypochlorite. If this is not available, javelle water may be used. Javelle water is made by mixing one can of chlorinated lime, an equal amount of washing soda, and one gallon of water. Javelle water is used hotj sodium hypochlorite is used cold. Place a rubber glove on the left hand, and hold the skull over the dish containing the solution. Now dip a long-handled brush in the solution and scrub the skull vigorously. All surfaces must be scrubbed clean of flesh. Be sure none of this solution is splashed on bare skin or clothing as it has a burning action. Further steps in the final preparation of a skull involve some very dangerous chemicals. I suggest, therefore, if any one becomes interested in this subject, he go to the Museum of Science for expert instruction. Don ' t you think this is a rather unusual hobby? Eric Myhre, Form A Age 12. THE BEl GAL LAITCERS I am a Bengal Lancer. I ride a horse named Lady Bug and another named Mischief. I fell off a horse two times. We trot on the horse and there is a girl or boy walking beside us just in case the horse gets scared and jumps around. There is a lady in the middle of the ring and she is our teacher. We have fim on the horse. There are boys who march around near the ring and sometimes they scare my horse that I ride and he jumps around. Once there was a boy holding the horse very loose and those boys were marching and the horse got away and went all the way to the other field and then he stared. Some people say that he wants to march with them. Robert Quigley Form E Age 7.