SOUTH AMERICA. 



295 



destroyed, and a set of new ones given to it, by what Fourth 



Journey. 



means has this hitherto nnheard of change been effected ? — 



Nobody in any of onr museums has as yet been able to 

 restore the natural features to stuffed animals ; and he 

 who has any doubts of this, let him take a living cat or 

 dog and compare them with a stuffed cat or dog in any 

 of the first-rate museums. A momentary glance of the 

 eye would soon settle his doubts on this head. 



If I have succeeded in effacing the features of a brute, 

 and putting those of a man in their place, we might be 

 entitled to say, that the sun of Proteus has risen to our 

 museums : 



Unius hie facieni, facies transfomiat in ouines; 

 Nunc homo, nunc tigris ; nunc equa nunc mulier." 



If I have effected this, we can now give to one side of 

 the skin of a man's face the appearance of eiglity years, 

 and to the other side that of blooming seventeen. We 

 could make the forehead and eyes serene in youthful 

 beauty, and shape the mouth and jaws to the features of 

 a malicious old ape. Here is a new field opened to the 

 adventurous and experimental naturalist : I have trodden 

 it up and down till I am almost weary. To get at it 

 myself I have groped through an alley, which may be 

 styled, in the words of Ovid,— 



" Arduus, obUquus, caligine densus opaca." 



I pray thee, gentle reader, let me out awhile. Time 



