HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. \li 



American books on taxidermy are not nnmerous, but besides those 

 already noticed, we may name Maynard's *' Taxidermist's Guide " and 

 the "Taxidermist's Manual ;" also Joseph H. Batty's " Practical Tax- 

 idermy." Air. William T. Hornaday's "Taxidermy and Zoological 

 Collecting" is the best work that has thus far appeared, foreign or 

 American. 



Our "great lights," if such they may be called, are Charles Wat- 

 erton, of England, and Jules Verreaux, of France. The hrst was an 

 enthusiast and had many queer ways of doing things, while Verreaux, 

 of Paris, is said to have created masterpieces in the art fairly rivaling 

 " some of the examples of the higher plastic arts." Titian R. Peale, 

 an energetic collector, is said to have improved the art in the United 

 States. 



The distinguished naturalist, Prince Maximilian, of Nieu Wied, 

 Germany, for several years explored regions of North and South 

 America in search of specimens of birds and mammals. In the 

 American Aluseum of Natural History are numbers of examples in the 

 Maximilian collection bearing labels in the handwriting of the Prince, 

 with dates from 1812 upwards. 



Associated with the early beginning of the art of taxidermy in 

 this country is one Scudder, who was proprietor of a small museum 

 in the old alms-house in the City Hall Park, New York City. A little 

 later came an Englishman by the name of Ward who did work at this 

 museum which soon merged into a larger institution under the man- 

 agement of the Peales, whose museums in Philadelphia and New 

 York were patrons of the art in those days. Mr. George N. Lawrence, 

 the distinguished i\merican Ornithologist, and Mr. Daniel Holder, 

 were enthusiastic collectors and students of birds. They enjoyed the 

 acquaintance and friendship of Wilson, Prince Bonaparte, Audubon, 

 Nuttall and others of distinction. During Audubon's collecting tour 

 throughout the plains of the West he was accompanied by an artist in 

 taxidermy. Poor Wilson, on the other hand, in this capacity and 

 whatever he did, depended entirely upon his own efforts and genius to 

 make his name immortal. Dr. J. B. Holder states that some years 

 previous to 1840 a Mr. Mann established himself in Boston as a practical 

 taxidermist. His style of work was of the old school, and purely mer- 

 cenary. Soon after 1840 a Mr. Ogden came from England with inher- 

 ited skill in taxidermy and an enthusiasm that despised pecuniary 

 compensation as the sole incentive to art. The Boston Museum had 

 been established in Tremont Temple, and the Boston Society of 

 Natural History had not long before been organized. Through these 



