BULLETIIV 



OF 



THE CHARLESTON MUSEUM 



Vol. 4 CHARLESTON, S. C, NOVEMBER, 1908 No. 7 



CONCERNINQ TAXIDERHY 



With the increasing number of boys interested in bird study 

 through the Natural History Society, a growing interest in tax- 

 idermy is evident. Indeed we have had several very creditable 

 beginnings of this work brought to the Museum. We regret 

 that the Museum does not have an active department of tax- 

 idermy in which we might help boys who really wish to learn 

 this art. Without this, however, we wish at least to extend a 

 little advice and suggestion to would-be taxidermists through 

 the pages of the Bulletin. 



Good taxidermy is a very difficult and complicated art while 

 poor taxidermy is worthless. The library contains much inter- 

 esting material aljout the methods of modern taxidermy and the 

 Museum may later offer a talk on this subject to boys who are 

 interested. The point of the matter is, however, that good tax- 

 idermy cannot be learned in a day — nor in a few weeks — and 

 depends upon certain fundamental operations to which most 

 boys pay far too little attention. The first of these is the pre- 

 paration of good skins. Some of the best ornithologists we 

 know put up exquisite skins but never attempt to mount a bird. 

 Unmounted skins of birds and animals are of great value to 



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