August, 1886.] 
_ AND OOLOGIST. 
121 



The following is from the Vermont 
Standard, of May 6: “Died at his home 
in Taftsville, Vt., April 22, 1886, of con- 
sumption, Charles O. Tracy, aged nearly 
thirty years. He had been failing in 
health for some time—indeed he never re- 
covered from the assiduous watching and 
careful nursing of his beloved wife. He 
endured his sickness with fortitude and 
very remarkable patience, never complain- 
ing, heroically struggling with disease 
when there was no hope of recovery. Mr. 
Tracy was a gentletaan of culture, of 
genial and happy disposition, and of 
exemplary moral character. He was well 
known and highly respected in the com- 
munity where he resided, always intimate 
in good society. He was a true friend of 
temperance—true to principle, never for- 
saking the cause when others faltered, or 
grew weary in battling its enemies; many 
years a member of Good Templars in 
Taftsville, and filled from time to time its 
offices of trust and responsibility, and 
always with kindness and courtesy, where 
his loss will be deeply felt. The loss of 
him will also be felt by his neighbors and 
friends, but most especially by his family. 
To them he was inestimable; to us he was 
a dear friend and valued associate. He 
expressed much confidence in the mercy 
and loving kindness of God all through his 
sickness, conversing always cheerfully of 
his approaching death, and at all times en- 
treated his friends not to mourn for him.” 

Foreign vs. American Taxidermists. 

Montague Browne, F. L. 8S. &e., in his 
revised edition of Practical Taxidermy 
pays the following graceful compliment to 
American Taxidermists: Ranking the tax- 
idermists of the world, after reviewing the 
Germans, he says, “‘ Next come the French, 
then the English, and lastly, the Ameri 
cans. The Americans are the worst sim- 
ply because they adopt the crudest English 
methods of taxidermy, with other bad 
habits of ours. I may say that I never 
saw an artistic piece of work, not a well 
made skin, coming from America, unless 
done by a German or a Frenchman. I be- 
lieve, however, the European element is 
working wonders among them, and read- 
ing Mr. Batty’s book, (if he be a true 
American), I was very favorably impressed 
with the signs of progress contained there- 
in, and I should not at all wonder if soon 
our American friends ‘go ahead’ and quick- 
ly leave us behind. Prof. Henry A. Ward, 
in a well written article in one of his ‘ Bul- 
letins’ sent to me, has, since I wrote the 
above, confessed the great superiority of 
European over American taxidermists, but 
says that within the last few (very few) 
years, their native taxidermists have great- 
ly improved, owing to the importation of 
clever foreign artists, who are gradually 
educating the American workmen. Just 
before this there was an entertaining article 
in the Century Magazine, and illustrations 
were given showing the best work of the 
American taxidermic artists, I must say, 
however, that unless the draughtsman 
failed to copy what an educated eye looks 
for, none of this work struck me as being 
of a high order—one or two ‘pieces’ being 
decidedly capable of improvement.” 
If Mr. Browne had been the possessor 
of several lots of skins that it has been 
our misfortune to have been at the expense 
of importing from his country, he would 
substitute English for American. It isa 
peculiar fact that we have arrived at the 
same conclusion in regard to the incapa- 
bility of the English taxidermist to make 
what we consider good skins. We, how- 
ever, would not publish it as a fact, lest 
we display the same lack of knowledge 
that he has. Taxidermy is young, compar- 
atively with us, but for several years there 
have been first-class skins prepared by 
Americans, in the market, and we can fur- 
nish workmen who can compete with for- 
eign artists. So far as artistic taxidermy 
is concerned, we have seen the article in 
the Century referred to, and if that maga- 
