Parchment
the skin of a very young calf, sheep, or goat, dressed and prepared for writing on, etc. After re- PARDO BAZAN moving the wool, the skin is steeped in lime and stretched in a wooden frame, and its face is scraped with a half-round knife. The skin, previously sprinkled with powdered chalk or slacked lime, is then rubbed and scraped with a knife, and it is then rubbed with a lambskin having the wool on to smooth the surface and raise a very fine nap. The grain surface is then removed with a knife and the skin pumiced, if necessary, to give it an equal thickness. Extra fine, thin parchments are made from the skins of still-born lambs, kids, and calves.
Coarse parchment for drumheads, etc., is made from calves', asses', and hegoats' skins.