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CHAPTERS ON THE NATURAL HISTORY 



measurements; we must make accurate records of the coloration 

 of all skin and other parts as they appeared in life; and finally, 

 in every step of the mounting we must keep nature in our eye, 

 so that the hands faithfully reproduce all that the mind sees and 

 our knowledge appreciates. Faultlessly reproduce nature, and 

 in a manner that the methods employed result in rendering the 

 work practically permanent, unchangeable, and indestructible 

 by the ordinary action of time, pests, and climatic influences. 

 When you can do this, fame soon follows. 



Another good piece is the Fox shown in Fig. 126. It is a very 

 neat and natural piece of work, and does the artist credit. 



How often it is that some sportsman loses a favorite dog, and 

 would love to have him prepared by the hands of the taxidermist 



FIG. 126. MOUNTED SPECIMEN OF Fox (Canis wdpes). 



By H. H. ter Meer, Jr., in the Leyden Museum of Holland. 



in some natural, restful, and yet characteristic attitude, so that 

 some nook in the gun room might harbor the hero of other days, 

 and recall hours spent together afield in seasons long gone by. 

 What are the results and the outcome of such a wish in the vast 

 mjority of instances? Terrible. Stiff, awkward, and scarcely 

 recognizable. " Poor old fellow! " you say, as it is brought home, 

 and the first desire that siezes upon you is that the hideous phan- 

 tom of your old favorite be hastily and forever now removed from 

 sight. You cannot bear to look upon those senseless eyes and 

 that distorted form. Yet did you but possess a good photograph 

 of the animal, and the dead companion were prepared after the 

 methods employed at the Leyden Museum, how different the re- 

 sult would be; you would know your friend whenever your eye 



