232 



TAXIDERMY ATSTD ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTING. 



FIG. 58. Mr. Webster's Prize Wood-Duck. 



seiited as standing- at the edge of a shallow lagoon, and the 

 third was sitting- on its nest of mud. The water of the la- 

 goon was successfully represented, as also were certain aquatic 

 plants by artificial productions of the finest kinds. At the first 

 exhibition of the Society, which was held in Rochester, in 1880, 

 this group, and also the first group of orang utans, " A Battle 

 in the Tree-tops," was exhibited. To the group of orang- utans 



was awarded the special- 

 ty medal, offered "for 

 the best piece in the en- 

 tire exhibition ; " but to 

 the surprise of every- 

 one, save the judges 

 themselves, and to the 

 consternation and cha- 

 grin of the founders of 

 the Society, the group 

 of flamingoes was en- 

 tirely ignored, and the 

 medal offered for the second best piece in the entire exhibition 

 was awarded to a solitary wood-duck, mounted by Mr. Webster, 

 and figured herewith (Fig. 58). 



The failure of the flamingo group to receive any recognition 

 caused deep disappointment to all those who had watched its 

 production with so much interest and hopeful anticipation. It 

 had been fondly hoped that it mig-ht prove to be the predeces- 

 sor of a long series of bird groups of the most varied and inter- 

 esting character. 



The judges of this exhibition were men of high scientific at- 

 tainments, and their honesty of purpose in making- their awards 

 could not be questioned for a moment. On being- mildly taken 

 to task for their failure to appreciate the group of flamingoes, 

 the judges maintained that such groups were not suitable for 

 scientific museums, as was the evident intention in its prepara- 

 tion. Arguments to the contrary were of 110 avail, and the 

 believers in such groups were obliged for the time being to 

 hang their harps on the willows. It is a pleasure to record the 

 fact that, although the time had not then arrived, subsequent 

 events have proved that the idea of the group -makers was a 



