THE OSPREY. 



CupyriKht. 18»8, by 1). Appk-ton S Vo. 



MANIKIN FOR ZKBRA, COMPLETED, READY FOR THE SKIN. 



ffield for the taxidcrmio artist and the large series 

 "of bird groups now on exhibition in the Anieri- 

 ■can Museum, of which our plate of the Duck 

 Hawk group may be taken as a fair sample, are 

 • a constant source of delight to the many visitors 

 who daily throng the exhibition halls. In pre- 

 paring these groups, as well as the series of 

 mammal groups also in course of construction, 

 the utmost care is given to details, each leaf and 

 Iblade of grass being as carefully modeled as 

 'though it. and not the completed group, were 

 the main consideration. 



In order to follow out the details of construc- 

 tion of a group prepared on these principles, the 

 taxidermist must familiarize himself with our 



common plants at least, and be able to manu- 

 facture good imitations of them in wax or fabric. 

 The taxidermist nowadays who permits his 

 groups to be embellished with milliner's leaves 

 and dyed grasses is woefully behind the times; 

 and in competition with other groups containing 

 faithful reproductions of the plants he desires to 

 imitate, his groups must be adjudged second rate. 

 In conclusion, when we consider that the 

 methods now used by the taxidermist are iden- 

 tical with those of sculpture and painting, the 

 time is past when ta.xidermy. properly practiced, 

 should longer be called a trade. It may now be 

 placed on a level with painting and sculpture 

 and be called truly an art. 



THE BOOBYS OF THE REVILLEGIGEDO ISLANDS. 



BY A. W. ANTHONY. 



WITH PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE LIVE BIRDS tiV THE AUTHOR. 



DAYLIGHT of themorning of April2g. i8j7. 

 found US in tropical waters, nearly 200 

 miles off Cape St. Lucas, headed toward 

 San Benidicto Island, still thirty-five miles to the 

 southwest. As it became light enough to see 

 distinctly, I discovered a large light-colored bird 

 coming towards us. flying high and with an 

 easy, powerful flight. Several times it circled 

 about the schooner, even attempting to light on 

 the ball at the topmast head. Its curiosity was 

 only equaled by my own, for if I was the first 

 naturalist it had ever seen, I. on my part, was 

 making my first acquaintance with the Webster's 

 Booby, a species that was seldom out of our 

 sight during the six weeks that followed. The 

 Webster's Booby is a new species lately dis- 

 <!overed by Sir Walter Rothschild. The bird 



was previously considered identical with the 

 Red-footed Booby. 



As we approached the island birds became 

 more and more abundant. Blue-faced Boobys 

 turned aside from their line of travel and came 

 a mile out of their way to inspect the curious 

 object that so seldom disturbed the waters 

 around the Revillegigedo Islands. 



At twentv miles from Benidicto a dozen or 

 more of both species were following in our wake 

 or trying to steal a ride on the bowsprit or the 

 end of the main boom. A few Brewster's Boobys 

 joined the procession, while high overhead 

 floated a long line of man-o-war birds, so light 

 and airy that thev seemed to have severed all 

 connection with earth and specific gravity. If a 

 bird left the flock two were coming to take its 



