14 IN BRIGHTEST AFRICA 
durable materials. There is nothing to rot or shrink 
or to cause shrinkage or decay in the skin. Of the 
animal itself only the shells of the hoofs and horns, 
and the skin are used, and the skin is much more care- 
fully cleaned and tanned than those of women’s furs. 
An animal prepared in this way will last indefinitely. 
This was a long step from the methods we used at 
Ward’s of filling a raw skin with greasy bones of the 
legs and skull and stuffing the body out with straw, 
excelsior, old rags, and the like. 
I believe that there has not yet been devised a bet- 
ter method of taxidermy than that described here and 
its use has become almost universal. Although it 
does not take much time to tell about it, the mounting 
of an animal in this way is a long and tedious process. 
Moreover, it is hard work. Consequently, but few 
of the people using it do a thoroughly constructed 
manikin. In an attempt to save time and money 
cheaper processes are resorted to and many animals, 
mounted by methods that only approximate that 
which I have evolved, fail to show good results. 
When the method was first introduced at the Ameri- 
can Museum of Natural History, the authorities 
objected to its expense, and to cut down the cost a 
light plaster cast, believed to be “just as good,” 
was substituted for the manikin. Many specimens 
mounted in this manner have since been thrown on 
the dump heap. 
I finally got the four deer groups finished and the 
Field Museum bought them at the price agreed upon. 
When I figured it out financially I found that I had 
