SCIENTIFIC TAXIDERMY FOR MUSEUMS. 389 



so generally in use, of the reproduction of many of the smaller animals 

 in the different. kinds of plastic material; he should be an adept in the 

 use of clays, was, wood, and other materials for the restoration of 

 parts. In short, now that taxidermy is a rapidly progressing art, the 

 advanced students and representatives of it, require, I think, no word 

 from me here to stimulate them to keep abreast of the many improve- 

 ments taking place in it. Among other things it should be the aim of 

 taxidermists to establish in this country at least several good soci- 

 eties, where from time to time they could meet and exhibit the most 

 recent successes in their art. Where papers could be read, and the 

 work of individuals generally compared. Organization, in other words, 

 I must believe, would at the present stage of the art's development, be 

 a benefit. 



The writer of this paper has ever been a strong advocate of the 

 establishment of large, thoroughly equipped Government institutions 

 of learning or universities, and of the nation's duty to educate in the 

 best possible manner her aspirants in the dirierent departments of 

 science and art. What a national safeguard it would be in such a 

 profession, for example, as medicine; what a source of stimulation to 

 such an art as taxidermy ? I weigh my words well, when I say that if 

 such an institution could annually graduate in this country 50 thor- 

 oughly educated and skilled taxidermists, it would in time, far more 

 heavily redound to our national credit than much else I could name 

 which our Government indulges in. Apply it to all the arts and 

 sciences, and we would command the respect of every nation of the 

 globe, and, better than this, it would be that kind of respect which 

 skill, knowledge, and culture always brings, and which brilliant dis- 

 play of warships, guns and warism can never inspire. 



Let us pass next to the consideration of the question of some of the 

 results now attained to by modern taxidermists in the preserving of 

 animals for museum exhibition. Here we meet with at the very out- 

 start, a phase of the art in which the workers at the IT. S. National 

 Museum have kept themselves tally abreast with the advances made 

 m it. llecently some beautiful work has been turned out here, espe- 

 cially in the line of single specimens, as well as groups, of marine in- 

 vertebrates for the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago. 



Take, for example, such an elegant reproduction of an Octopus as is 

 shown in Plate xv ( 0. vulgaris). This triumph in the matter of an exact 

 model, perfectly preserved, of a large soft invertebrate animal is ac- 

 complished through the use of the plaster mold, and gelatine cast, 

 now so successfully brought to such perfection. Under the careful 

 supervision of Mr. F. A. Lucas, whom I must thank here for the selec- 

 tion of the six specimens illustrating this department, the proper speci- 

 mens are first picked out from the collection or are chosen from plates, 

 and pass next in order to the most skilled modellers, casters, and color- 

 ers. Of the series 1 here present, Mr. A. H. Baldwin has made the 



