10 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. 



at Thebes), or tlie various bulls, cows, dogs, cats, mice, iclmen- 

 mons, bawks, ibises, fisbes, serpents, crocodiles, and otber sacred 

 animals (mummies of wbicb bave been and are constantly 

 found), must bave bad some glimmerings of taxidermy ; many 

 of tbe subjects are preserved in so beautiful a manner tbat 

 mummied ibises, bawks, &c., are occasionally discovered even 

 in a good state of preservation, and Cuvier actually found in 

 tbe intestines of a mummied ibis {Ibis religiosa, a species still 

 found, tbougb rarely, in Egypt) tbe partly- digested skin and 

 scales of a snake ! 



From tbis period of tbe world's bistory I can discover but few 

 links to tbe cbain of Practical Taxidermy 



True it is tbat tbe Greeks, Romans, and tbe tribes wbicb 

 inbabited ancient Britain must bave bad some knowledge of 

 preserving skins of animals slaugbtered by tbem in tbe cbase, 

 for we everjrwbere read of tbe skins of lions, tigers, wolves, &c., 

 being used for purposes of necessity, as in tbe case of tbose 

 barbarians wbo clotbed tbemselves witb skins as a protection 

 from tbe inclemency of tbe weatber, and also in tbe case of tbe 

 luxurious Greeks and Romans, wbo used skins in tbe adornment 

 of tbeir persons or bomes. In fact, tbe conversion of skins into 

 leatber must be of tbe bigbest antiquity, for, in tbe Leeds 

 mummy described in 1828, tbere was found on tbe bandages of 

 tbe bead and face a tbong composed of tbree straps of leatber, 

 and many of tbe Egyptian divinities are represented witb a lion 

 or leopard skin as a covering for tbe tbrone, &c. ; and do we not 

 read in many places in Holy Writ of leatber and of tanners ? — 

 a notable instance, to wit, in Simon, tbe tanner — in fact, tbe 

 ancient bistory of all nations teems witb tbe records of leatber 

 and of furs; but of tbe actual setting up of animals as 

 specimens I can find no trace. 



I doubt, bowever, if we can carry taxidermy proper fartber 

 back tban to about 150 years ago, at wbicb date naturalists 

 appear to bave bad some idea of tbe proper preservation and 

 mounting of natural bistory specimens ; but Reaumur, more tban 

 a century and a quarter ago, publisbed a treatise on tbe preser- 

 vation of skins of birds ; bowever, as bis plan was simply setting 

 up witb wires birds wbicb bad previously been steeped in spirits 

 of wine, tbis metbod did not find mucb favour. It appears tbat. 



