In Wildest Africa ^^ 



the class of rodents is brought before us in ahiiost poetical 

 surroundings, that seem quite to justify the German animal 

 stories of the Middle Ages, and that are calculated to pro- 

 duce quite a different eft'ect on the mind from that of a 

 stiftly arranged exhibition of the regulation type, especially 

 in the case of the rising generation. But on account of the 

 difficulty of securing and maintaining certain species, and 

 their shortness of life in close captivity, our zoological 

 gardens can only jjroperly carry out their programme so 

 long as it is j:)Ossible for them to continual]} renew their 

 stock of animals. 



On the other hand, the museums are all the more 

 responsible for setting before our eyes the various species 

 of animals even long after these have become extinct, and 

 they must do this by means of works of art executed by the 

 hand of man, masterpieces of taxidermy. 



And by masterpieces of taxidermy I mean artistic 

 groups of " stuffed " animals that will, as far as may 

 be, show us their life and action, their ways and habits. 

 In former times this work was left to the so-called "animal- 

 stuffer."' He took a hide, filled it out with some material 

 or other, and then, so far as he could, gave it the appear- 

 ance of a quadruped or a Ijinl. Thus one sees a stufi'ed 

 hippopotamus of this good old time which looks, not like 

 such an animal, but like a gigantic sausage. One sees 

 stags or antelopes that somewhat resemble the wooden toys 

 associated with the Christmas boxes of m\" (.hiidhoml, and 

 not the j)articular sj)ecies of animals which they arc intended 

 to represent — in short, wretched caricatures with neither 

 beauty nor fidelity to nature. 



162 



