THE OOLOGIST. 



367 



lii.story for over a quarter of a century, 

 yet I here is searcely a page iu the new 

 work which does uot otTer valuable 

 suggestions to lue. 



With all due legard to the text, still 

 greater credit is due to the iucompara- 

 l)le illustrations. The illustrations so 

 essential to the beginner, yet so rarely 

 presented iu publications, are complete 

 in ever^^ respect, and it may be said 

 that a natural artist could mount a 

 bird, mammal or reptile from these 

 aids alone, and without reference to the 

 text. Tiiere is not a wasted sentence 

 in the i)ook, aud neither is there a point 

 lacking in the eograviugs; from the 

 tirst incision in the Ijird's breast to tt e 

 intricate work of turning the skin over 

 the. head — so dillicult to the beginner — 

 all is made perfectly plain. 



The test anil illiittrations go hand in 

 hand from the skiui.ing of the smallest 

 bird, to the complete mounting of the 

 ostrich and elephant. But in addition 

 to these, are chapters on mounting 

 heads, preservation of tish, reptiles, 

 (•rustaceans aud a dozen other subjects, 

 all profusel3^ iUnsirated. Of course 

 ample space is devotee! t.i the prepara- 

 tion of a colleciion of eggs, aud the 

 subject is handled, as with all others, in 

 a masterful manuei", and thoronghly 

 <-over.s the ground. 



Mr. Davie's aim is evidently one to 

 make accurate workers of ail collectors 

 and taxidermists; and with this idea, 

 he devotes his pages to practical sug- 

 gestion; utterly ignoring the;cstlietic in 

 the text, but aiming to convince all 

 through the meilinni of his illustration.*, 

 that 



•' X tiling of bf auty is a joy tovever." 



In a partial history of taxidermy, the 

 author gives evidence of his familiarity 

 with other works, and throughout his 

 incomparable compilation, repeatedly 

 refers in an admirable manner to other 

 taxidermists of note. 



Nothing can be sa d iu criticisius of 

 the gent ral text as regards the sense 



expressed, but there occasionally occurs 

 a misleading w^ord, or n ore rare]j% a 

 sentence. A sharp critic could also 

 pick flaws with the position of some of 

 the birds and mammal, bui iu the main 

 the illustrations are all that could be 

 desired, and perhaps it is not to the 

 artist's discredit in delineating attitudes, 

 which fail to meet my approval. 



There appears to be a growing ten- 

 dency in our country to adopt English 

 customs; and one, a most lamentable 

 fad, of issuing publications with uneven 

 sized and rough edged leaves, is upon 

 us. The idea is distasteful to all who 

 are not Anglomaniacs, even when the 

 custom is followed in story editions, 

 but to hamper readers with this I'idicu- 

 lous custom, and that, too, in a book of 

 reference, is far Irom meeting with the 

 approval of the sensible class of stu- 

 dents. 



The price of the work when adver- 

 tised was a surprise to me, and it was 

 felt that there could never be a demand 

 for it, but on examination of the publi- 

 tion my only surprise is in the fact that 

 Mr. Davie's "Methods in the Art of 

 Taxidermy" can be sold at its present 

 figure. 



The work is admirable. It is incom- 

 parable. It will instruct the youngest 

 as well as the oldest; the professional, 

 and amateur as well as the beginner 

 who is totally dependent on book in- 

 struction. Enough cannot be said in 

 favor of this remarkable publication^ 

 which will hardly be approached, sure- 

 ly never excelled within the age of liv- 

 ing man. 



MOKRIS GiBBS, M. 1)., 



Kalamazoo, Mich. 



The Barbarism of Fashion. 



It is with profound I'Cgrct that all 

 true Ornithologists and lovers of the 

 beautiful feathered denizens of our 

 tields and forests, learn from the recent 



