Green’s Dictionary of Slang

calfskin fiddle n.

a drum.

1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1881		Trumble Sl. Dict. (1890).
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 14: Calf Skin Fiddle, a drum.