308 OUT OF DOORS. 



the stuffed skin, with its round staring eyes, its 

 withered ears, lips, and nostrils, and its mummified 

 feet, which bear no more resemblance to the extremi- 

 ties of the living creature than Yorick's skull to the 

 living face. Even in the best specimens that have 

 been stuffed in the ordinary manner, the feet, paws, and 

 tail are at least sure to be failures after a few years 

 have elapsed, while the ears and all parts of the body 

 where the skin is devoid of covering become more 

 and more shrivelled as time passes on. It is true that 

 defective taxidermy is not generally detected, simply 

 because those who look at a stuffed lion, eagle, snake, 

 or crocodile are not sufficiently familiar with the living 

 beings to appreciate the short-comings of the prepared 

 skin ; but if they were as thoroughly acquainted with 

 those creatures as with their own pet dog, cat, or bird, 

 they would be equally capable of comprehending the 

 effect which a badly prepared skin has on a naturalist, 

 grating on his mind like false harmonies on the ear of 

 a musician. 



It is evident that the fault in defective taxidermy 

 is twofold firstly, ignorance on the part of the op- 

 erator, and, secondly, the insufficiency of the method 

 which he employs. Putting aside the former and more 

 obvious cause, let us see how it is that even a dog or 

 cat cannot be stuffed so that the prepared skin shall 

 look exactly like the creature while instinct with life. 

 The fact is that the present system, as generally em- 

 ployed, is radically false, and can but produce imperfect 



