TAYLOR. 



649 



attempt to collect specimens as nearly as possible in a 

 state of nature. Even Audubon paid no attention to 

 taxidermy. When he secured a rare bird he pinned it 

 to a tree and made drawings to reproduce, as nearly as 

 possible, the natural tints of the plumage. After this 

 the skin was removed and dried ; but no attempt was 

 made to stuff it so as to resemble the bird while alive. 

 The collection of drawings left by Audubon have 

 always been highly prized ; but if, instead of the draw- 

 ings, the great naturalist had acquired the art of taxi- 

 dermy, his collection would have been more valuable. 

 The noted English naturalist, Charles Waterton. was 

 the first in his special line of investigation to practise 

 taxidermy. His specimens, now in the American Mu- 

 seum in New Yoik city, are of great value as attempt- 

 ing to show the natural positions of the birds. Waterton 

 left particular directions as to the stuffing of birds. He 

 pointed out that a bird's body is not completely covered 

 by feathers, but has places about the .shoulders, under 

 the wings, and on the thighs, where the skin is nearly 

 bare. Unskilful taxidermists stuff these parts to a 

 fuller extent than in i ature, with the result of destmy- 

 ing the original proportions. He also pointed out 

 that, in mounting, tlie legs were usually too much 

 lengthened, and advised that the three bones of the 

 Mould be fixed to form the letter Z, because the 

 upper joint of the thigh is never straight. 



In the practical work of taxidermy, the skin of a 

 bird demands the most careful attention from the 

 moment it is killed. Cotton should be used to till the 

 wounds, and a damp sponge to wipe blood from the 

 feathers. In cold weather the bird may be allowed to 

 become cold before skinning; but in hot weather it 

 niust be skinned at once. Tim operation is this : be- 

 ginning, at the breast-bone, the skin is slowly separate-! 

 by furring a blunt instrument between it and the !' -li : 

 the bones of the wings are cut at the shoulder-joints, 

 and whin getting the. skin from the skull the vcrtcbtiv 

 can be imjointcd ; then remove the brains and eyes; 

 the flesh is taken from under the bill, using care not to 

 mutilate the openings of the ears or eye-lids ; the skin 

 should then be rubbed with a solution of arsenic or 

 corrosive sublimate and prepared for drying. 



Dr. Jared 1*. Kirtland. of Ohio, one of the best 

 taxidermists in the United States, but more especially 

 in the \Vcst. gave the following instructions to young 

 taxidermists. The implements needed are : a glover's 

 three-cornered needle, a knitting-needle sharpened and 

 fixed in a handle, and a sharp knife. Arsenical soap 

 is to !H> prepared as follows : pulverized arsenic, 2 Ibs.; 

 potash in powder. 12 uz. ; camphor gum, 5 oz. ; white 

 >ap, 2 Ibs.; lime in powder, 4 oz. Shave the soap 

 into final! piii'es. pluee it in a pipkin over a slow fire 

 and add a little water; stir with a wooden spatula till 

 the soap is dissolved ; take it off and add potash, 

 and stir well ; add the lime by small quantities and then 

 the arsenic, stirring till ail are thoroughly mixed; 

 when nearly cold add the camphor, dissolved in strong 

 nlchnl ; if the mixture becomes too thick, add water 

 sufficient to reduce. Dr. Kirtland advised that the 

 bird be allowed to lie from 2 to 4 hours before skinning, 

 without regard to the tem|>craturc of the day. In 

 handling the damp skin care should be taken not to 

 s|in-i-/.e the head. The throat should be swabbed with 

 cotton ind filled with powdered plasterof Paris. Cotton 

 should also l>c -rowiled into the month, and plaster into 

 all the cavities of the head. The cotton and plaster 

 prevent fluids from issuing out of the head ami spoiling 

 the skin. Having smoothed the feathers carefully with 

 cotton, lay the bird upon a piece of thick pasteboard 

 or a thin board covered with canton flannel, soft side 

 up. Place the bird upon this with the head toward 

 the left hand. Separate the legs and feathers and at 

 the end of the breast-bone begin to cut through the 

 skin, downwards. If blood or other fluids i-siie, put. 

 in plaster of Paris to absorb them. I to the left side 

 in the same manner, cutting the muscles and the flesh 

 from the body. Cut the muscles of the wings. The 

 Voi, IV. 2 Q 



membrane of the ear must be undermined by a knife 

 and the knife forced upwards, bringing out the ends 

 nearest the bill. Remove the eyes. Clear away the 

 brain, tongue, and muscles. Wash the inside of the 

 skull with arsenical soap and fill the skull full of pow- 

 dered arsenic. Then press a piece of cotton into the 

 sockets. Leave the bones of the wing and cut the 

 muscles. Insert a thread at the other end of the bone 

 in the skin ; break the knob off at the end of the wing- 

 bone. Take the muscles out of the legs and sometimes 

 take the fat off the legs. Lubricate with arsenical 

 soap and wind the bone with cotton. Then tie the 

 winirs with threads, not too tightly. Lubricate the 

 whole with arsenical soap. Get the ball of cotton out 

 of the nostrils. Run a little awl, of the size of a small 

 wire, behind the toes to the joint ; then straighten the 

 legs and tie the bone to the wire. Take the cotton off 

 and put more on with arsenical soap. Prepare a cork 

 body of the length of the bird and as large round as a 

 large-sized bottle-cork. Join the two wires which are 

 already in the logs, and another for the neck to the 

 cork body, leaving them to project 3 or 4 ins. outside 

 the real body. Wind cotton upon the wire till it be- 

 come.- as large as the neck, and lubricate with arsenical 

 soap. Wind cotton around an instrument like a knit- 

 ting-needle till it is about the size of the little finger 

 and take them ofF as last as made and lay them on, 

 iimler, and around the cork body. Press it from time 

 to time and put in arsenic powder. Insert the leg 

 wires ; do not place the legs too far back or make the 

 In east too full. Use arsenic freely. Begin at the 

 upper part to sew. Put a little aqua ammonite in the 

 e\e siukets and let it remain for an hour. Then clear 

 away unnecessary matter and put putty ill the cavities. 

 Imbed a glass eye. in the putty, taking care not to let 

 the natty show. (P. a. M.) 



TAYLOR, GKOBOB (ITHHTRI), a signer of the 



Declaration of Independence, was born in Ireland, and 

 emigrated to Pennsylvania as a " rcdi mptioncr " in 

 From being a laborer in an iron-foundry he rose 

 to be a proprietor in .Northumberland co. . and in 1704 

 was elected to the colonial assembly. After 5 years' 

 service he was made county judge, .ind in 1775 was 

 again a member of the assembly. Here he took the 

 patriotic side, and on Julv 20, 1770, was one of the 

 new members chosen as delegates to Congress. As 

 such he was allowed to affix his signature to the famous 

 Declaration on Aug. 2. He was afterwards employed 

 in negotiating treaties with Indian tribes. His servica 

 in Congress was brief, and he died at Easton, Pa,, 

 Feb. 23, 1781. 



TAYLOR, NATHANIEL WILLIAM (1780-1858), the- 

 ologian, was born at New Milfbrd, Conn., June 23, 

 1786. He graduated at Yale College in 1807, studied 

 theology, and in 1812 was ordained pastor of the 

 First Congregational Church of New Haven. In 

 1823 he was made Dwight professor of didactic theol- 

 ogy in the seminary then established in connection 

 with Yale College. During his 36 years of service in 

 this position about 700 students received his instruc- 

 tion. His essays and sermons attracted marked at- 

 tention. He carried further Dwight and Edwards' 

 modification of Caivinistio theology, and in his Works 

 insisted that man, though by nature indisposed to 

 holiness, was yet not without ability to repent. This 

 view he maintained not only in his lectures on the 

 " Moral Government of God," but also in the Chris- 

 tian Spectator^ which he edited for twenty years. In 

 it he also vigorously opposed Unitarianism. He died 

 March 10. 18.">8. Rev. Dr. Noah Porter, his son-in- 

 law. edited his W,,rla (5 Vols., 1858-C2). 



TAYLOR, WIU.IAM MACKF.ROO, minister, was 

 born at Kilmarnoek, Scotland, Oct. 23, ]829. H' 

 graduated at the 1 1 Diversity of Glasgow in 1849 and 

 Studied theology at Edinburgh. He was ordained 

 pastor of a United Presbyterian church at Kilmaurs, 

 Scotland, in 18,i;{, and in 1855 accepted a call to a 

 chureh in Liverpool. In 1872 he became pastor of 



