TAXIDERMY. 11 



cure it There remained then only the work of 

 the Abbe Manesse, and the tediousness of the 

 means which he pointed out, frightened all those 

 who desired to learn Taxidermy. The Professors 

 of Natural History to the central schools of the 

 departments, more than ever felt the want of a 

 work which furnished the method of preserving 

 and augmenting their zoological collections. 



In 1802 their wishes were nearly accomplished, 

 for there appeared almost at the same time two works 

 on Taxidermy, the one by M. Nicholas, a chemist, 

 the other by M. Henon. M. Nicholas makes an 

 analysis of all that had been said before on the 

 preparation of animals. This review comprehends 

 nearly hah the volume. Like the Abbe Manesse 

 he renounces poisons as dangerous to the preparers, 

 and insufficient to avert the destructive effects of 

 insects on zoological collections. He pretends that 

 with his soapy pomatum, and his tanning liquor, 

 stuffed animals are preserved a long time. The 

 drugs which compose his preparations do not in<- 

 jure those who use them. We allow that this is 

 not the case with the metallic soap, and supposing 

 M. Nicholas's preservative equally efficacious, we 

 should certainly give it the preference, but we have 

 tried it without success. We are therefore obliged 

 to retain the arsenical soap : I have employed it for 

 forty years, and have never been inconvenienced 

 by it. I can also instance Le Vaillant, Mauge, 

 B 6 



