TAXIDERMY AND MODELLING 



Captain Thomas Brown was the next who saw the matter 

 in the same light ; he writes ; ^ — 



Although considerable advances have been made of late years in 

 the art of taxidermy, it is still far from perfection. This is to be 

 attributed, in a great measure, to the education of the persons who 

 practise this art; for among all I have met with employed in the 

 preservation of animals, none have had the advantage of anatomical 

 study, which is quite indispensable to the perfection of stuffing. One 

 or two individuals, it is true, have attended to the structure of the 

 skeleton of man, and a few of the more common animals, but this is 

 far from the information which they ought to possess ; for nothing 

 short of a general and extensive knowledge of comparative anatomy 

 can qualify them sufficiently for an art which is so comprehensive and 

 varied in its application. 



These observations are particularly applicable to quadrupeds and 

 reptiles, for what are even the best stuffed specimens of the first 

 museums in the world compared to the living subject ? Nothing 

 better than deformed and glaringly artificial productions, devoid of all 

 the grace and beautifully turned points of living nature. A knowledge 

 of drawing and modelling are also indispensable qualifications, to 

 enable the stuflfer to place his subject in a position both natural and 

 striking. It is the too frequent practice for the stuffer to set about 

 preserving the animal without having determined in what attitude he 

 is to place it, so that it will appear to most advantage, and be in 

 character with the ordinary habits of the creature. This he leaves to 

 the last efforts of finishing his work, and, consequently, its proportions 

 and character are likely to be devoid of all appearance of animation. 



The first thing, therefore, to be attended to in all great national 

 natural history establishments, is to choose young persons who are yet 

 in their boyhood, to be instructed in this art, most important to science. 

 Their studies should be commenced by deep attention to drawing, model- 

 ling, anatomy, and chemistry, while they, at the same time, proceed 

 with the practical part of their art. Every opportunity of examining 

 the habits and actions of the living subject should be embraced, and 

 its attitudes and general aspect carefully noted. Without strict 

 attention to these points, so manifestly obvious, the art of preserving 

 ^ Taxidermists Manual, pp. 2-4, last reprint. 



