GROUPS WITH MODELLED FOLIAGE 301 



tion, illustrating the destruction of timber-trees by insects ; this 

 lasted until 1892, when they went to Washington, engaged by 

 the United States Government to model plants for their exhibit 

 at Chicago in 1893, under the direction of Professor Riley, who 

 sent Mr. Mintorn into Louisiana — a distance of 1400 miles — 

 in order to study thoroughly the growth and destruction of the 

 cotton-plant by the " Boll worm," which shows the enterprise of 

 the American Government even in their museum organisations. 

 In America the Mintorns appear to have earned literally golden 

 opinions, and their work has been recognised by press and 

 Government alike, the former breaking out into headlines such 

 as — 



TWO ARTISTS WHO MAKE BOGUS FLOWERS AND 

 PLANTS WHICH DECEIVE THE EYE, 



and the latter, in praiseworthy contradistinction to our own 

 Government, scrupulously printing on all their descriptive 

 labels : " Foliage (or ' Plants and Flowers ') modelled by Mrs. 

 Mogridge and Mr. Mintorn." At the end of 1 894 and for a 

 few months in 1895, in addition to their world-wide engage- 

 ments, they assisted the Curator of the Leicester Museum in 

 modelling foliage, chiefly for the exposition of the food-plants of 

 lepidopterous larvae, and of plants attractive to various orders of 

 insects. 



As showing the amount of work done by these artists, and 

 the thorough way in which the American Government encourages 

 such, it may be mentioned that, in one small group of little 

 mammals called " Woodchucks " {Arctomys monax), there were 



540 leaves of white clover 



30 blossoms ,, „ 



50 leaves of red „ 



6 blossoms „ „ 



f Sorrel 

 A large quantity of | ^^^.^.^^ 



