For light-dressing hides and similar skins, which have hitherto been treated with pigeon dung, the skins are washed in the usual manner after the liming process, heated to 37° C., and placed in a wheel or paddle containing the improved bate, preferably in an acid condition--that is, before the ammonia or alkali has been added--the strength of the bate being equivalent to five grm. of original gelatin contained in the nutrient medium to each litre of the bate used. When the lime has been removed from the skins by the bate, which will be in about one hour, a quantity of the original culture previously neutralized with ammonia or other alkali and equal to about one-half of the quantity of the original culture first added is placed in the wheel and the bating continued until the process is completed, this being judged by the feel of the skins. If in the above method the chemical reaction of the bate be examined before the second portion of culture be added, it will be found neutral, and the action of the enzymes takes place in a neutral or alkaline solution, as in the first-described method. The character of the principal enzyme in dung and in the improved bate is a proteolytic one; i.e. it resembles the trypsin contained in pancreatic juice. Instead of adding an organic acid and neutralizing it by an alkali, as described with reference to both processes, there may be added an organic salt of the same character as that formed by the combination of the acid and the alkali. _Claim._--1. A bating liquor or bate containing enzymes of the same character as the enzymes contained in dog dung, an organic acid, and an alkali, or their chemical equivalent, i.e. an organic salt substantially as herein set forth. 2. A bating liquor or bate containing enzymes of the same character as the enzymes contained in dog dung and produced by fermentation an organic acid and an alkali, or their chemical equivalent substantially as herein set forth. 3. A bating liquor or bate containing one or more enzymes of the character of the enzymes contained in dog dung, an organic acid and an alkali, or their chemical equivalent substantially as herein set forth. 4. A bating liquor or bate containing one or more enzymes of the character of the enzymes contained in dog dung, or produced from bacteria obtained from dog dung, an organic acid, and an alkali or their chemical equivalent substantially as herein set forth. 5. A bating liquor or bate containing enzymes of the same character as the enzymes contained in dog dung, two to six grm. of an organic acid to each litre of the liquid and neutralized by an alkali substantially as herein described. 6. A bating liquor or bate containing enzymes of the same character as the enzymes contained in dog dung, from two to six grm. of lactic acid to each litre of liquor and neutralized by ammonia substantially as herein described.