l82 



THE MUSEUM. 



Murex ramosus. White Murex, Japan Arabia, East Africa, etc, One of the most common and 



best known of the Murex family. 



used him as a hat-rack, but that fool 

 Homersby got up a quarrel with him 

 late one night and spoilt him. That 

 was before your time. It is hard to 

 get skins, or I would have another. 



"Unpleasant.^ I don't see it. Seems 

 to me taxidermy is a promising third 

 course to burial or cremation. You 

 could keep all your dear ones by you. 

 Brie a-brac of that sort stuck about 

 the house would be as good as most 

 company and much 

 You might have them 

 clockwork to do things. 



"Of course they would have to be 

 varnished, but they need not shine 

 more than lots of people do naturally. 

 Old Manningtree's bald head. Anyhow 

 you could talk to them without inter- 

 ruption. Even aunts. There is a 

 great future before taxidermy, depend 

 upon it. There is fossils, again." 



He suddenly became silent. 



"No. I don't think I ought to tell 



ess expensive, 

 fitted up with 



you that. " He sucked at his pipe 

 thoughtfully. "Thanks, yes. Not 

 too much water. 



"Of course, what I tell you now will 

 go no further. You know I have made 

 some dodos and a great auk.'' No! 

 Evidently you are an amateur at taxi- 

 dermy. My dear fellow, half the 

 great auks in the world are about as 

 genuine as the handkerchief of Saint 

 Veronica, as the Holy coat of Treves. 

 We make 'em of grebes' feathers and 

 the like. And the great auk's eggs 

 too!" 



"Good heavens!" 



"Yes, we make them out of tine 

 porcelain. They fetch — one fetched 

 /'300 only the other day. They are 

 wholly genuine, I believe, but of course 

 one is never certain until you get them 

 and afterwards you have to get them 

 dusty, for no one who owns one of 

 these precious eggs has ever the temer- 

 ity to clean the thing. That's the 



