The New Taxidermy. 
We have Just received from Oliver 
Davie, tlie India Iiili drawings executed 
by Tlieadore Jasper from which the plates 
for Prof. Davie's boolc on Taxidermy 
are U> be made. 
Dr. Jasper is an Ornithological writer 
with whom everj' Naturalist is more or 
less familiar. His India Ink work is ex- 
cellent and must be seen to lie appreci- 
ated. 
l^rof. Davie, throuoh his '■ Nests and 
Eg-u-s of North American Birds" is an 
author with whom the Collectors and 
Naturalists of North America are favor- 
ablj' acquainted. 
With Trof. Davie, the work has been a 
labor of love. The drawings have cost 
in the neiiihborhood of .S1500. An edition 
of 500 copies will cost .•$2300 more 
We think it is not asking- too ninch 
that 300 subscriptidus of ••iii3.00 cm h be 
guaranteed to Prof. Davie. It will not 
b" published without. About 130 sub- 
scriptions have already been received. 
Wlren ihe India Ink drawings arrived, 
we sent postals to every one likely to be 
interested and besides spent two days, 
assisted by Mr. E. T. Keim. in showing 
the drawings. The results were very 
favorable as \\ e had lifteen orders tor 
our trouble. 
Mr. Shaw generously consented to take 
three copies for the good of the cause. 
It wasProf Davie's lirst intention to pro- 
duce the \\oik in twelve monthly jiarts, 
at $1.00each, but has since decided tn i^-- 
sue it in one octavo volume, neatly bound 
in cloth atijio.OO per copy, provided adO 
bona fide subscriptions can be obvaiie'd. 
There are flfty full iiage plates ccnitain- 
ing several hundred figures, illu-iraling 
all taxideimal methods as well as I y ideal 
specimens from thi' variou> families of 
the animal kingdom in char:ie'rerist;c 
positions. 
Plate 1, illustrates the common Rfdjin 
in the successive steps of moiuiiing. 
beginning with the first cut in skinning, 
each step being shown, uidii, in Plate 3. 
the bird appears mounted on the drying 
perch wrapped in threads. 
Following this the various forms ami 
methods in making u]) " seientiiic skins" 
are illustrated. 
Then, plates illustrating different jiosi- 
tions of birds, both singlj' and in groups, 
the Blue Heron being particidarly tine. 
Explaining tlie pro(;ess necessary foi- 
small mamnnils tlw Fox squirrel is ilbi- - 
trated in all the difl'erent stages till com- 
pleted and mounted, perched on a 
branch as natural as life. 
For larger mammals ie([niring a fi'an)e- 
work the various steps necessai-y I'or the 
successful treatment of the dog. horse 
and elephant are shown, also the various 
steps taken in pre))aring lish. turtles and 
.snakes. 
Opposite each |)late will be exact and 
concise descriptions enabling immediate 
reference. 
Samples of the text and <'ngraving 
will be sent to each subscriber before the 
work is completed. 
This work is to be so complete, authen- 
tic and elaborate, that all subsequent 
writers on Taxidermy will be compelled 
to quote from it extensively. It will be 
known as the edition de tee and will be 
well worth double the money asked. 
Every public library, high school and 
private libiary of any pretense, should 
possess this valuable reference work and 
wc cannot urge too strongly that every 
Naturalist, whether interested in laxi- 
dermy cr not, shall send in a subscrip- 
tion, and as a guarantee of good faith, a 
dr.ift for one dollar, which, in case the 
w<irk is not published, \\'\\\ he returned. 
Subscriptions may be sent to Prof. 
Oliver Davie, (Jolumbns, Ohio, or to the 
editor of this paper. 
^lEadsmy nf SciEnEES, 
I.'c-oi-.yai! ized ISSll 
OFFICERS FOR 1390. 
I'KOF. KDWIX W.VLfi.RS, President. 
E. BU'fTS, Vice Presiaent. 
K. B. rKOLTSL,(jf, Recording Secretary. 
D.AVIJ.) H. rODl), Correspond ing Sec'y. 
EDWARD T. KEl-M, Treasurer. 
FKEDERTC'K iMcTNlOslI, Librarian. 
SIDNEY HARE.. Curator. 
EXECUTIVE COMIVliTTEE. 
EclT/trardT.Kehn, 
Dr, Oscar hraeclilein, 
Dr, Josepli Sliai'p, 
Dr, R Wood BroTOn. 
Charles W, Dawson, 
PUBLICAnON COMMITTEE. 
E, B, Trouslot, Edward T. Keirn, 
Cliarles W, Dawson. 
xQ.rtliur Winslow, - S;ate Geologist, 
Jefferson Olt-y, Mo. 
!!i'gnl;i r mci- 1 iii^;s tor i he no-xt si.\ rnon I li.- 
ocuui' on I he follow i ii^ iliil es : A|ivU s, M;> \ 
6, :Ji);JniM.' :!, 17; July I, 1=), 29; .\n-nsi l-.>, .c. 
M;iTINGS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE AT M G I 
Several humli-ed valnaljle scieidiflic 
v^'Ol•ks h.ive been kindly donated by Prof. 
Wm. Ferrel, I he great American nu'teor- 
ologist. 
At the lust meeting of the Acade\ny a 
I list of Kansas City fossils compiled by 
I Mr. Sidney Hai'e was presented and 
j adopted l)y the .Academy as a basis for 
! future wi'.rk. This list will be published 
I in the iM.av Natlikalist. 
MastiMloii Teotli. 
By ( '. A. Hess, TOdinburg. Incl. 
T<>eth of this huge post-tertiary ;iiiiiiial 
(Mastodon ijiyrivtens) have been found in 
various parts of the country. In some 
states they are more common than in 
others ; noted localities for them lieing 
New York, Kentucky and Indiana. This 
latter state wiis the '-field of investiga- 
tion." aiid most of my observations were 
m ade there. 
The size <.if mastadon's icetli have 
been frequently exaggerated. Ihe lar- 
g( St tooth yet discovered. w;:s found near 
Newburg, New York, and measured 
only inches. Several teeth 
nearly as large have been found in Ken- 
tucky especially at -'Big Bone Lick" 
where a large number have been unearth- 
ed. Most of the teeth from Indiana, were 
found in the southei-n jjart of the state. 
One very tine one from Spencer Co. was 
discovered by a farmer while plowing. 
The roots, crown projections, etc., 
were all perfect, except one sma 1 root 
which had been broken off. The stub of 
this root showed the interior color of the 
tooth to be yellowi.sh-white. Anyone 
could tell at a glance that the original " 
owner of the tooth, was a herbiverous an- 
imal. Below is the data of the tooth taken 
from a collector's note book who saw it- 
••Jan. 17th. 1S80. Quadrangular. Near- 
ly perfect. Found in marshy, clayey soil 
I'L^-^covered in Spencer Co., Ind. Length 
from top to bottom TJg inches. Top 
mea>uremeuts5t3x434; inches. Bottom -tftg 
xlj 3-(i inches. Lengi h of crown projec- 
tions 1 7-lG inches." 
BuMerflies at High Altitudes. 
1 have just re.id in an Eastern maga- 
zine an article on butterflies, whei-ein it 
is stated, as a f icf rather remarkable 
that among the Alps, buttertiies have 
been seen at altitiulesiis gi-eat as 8,000 feet. 
1 have on two oecasions seen them at 
heiglits considerably greater than 8.000 
feel but I did not I hen know that there 
was anythin;^' remark.-ible about it. 
Last summer, while on a peak of the 
Sierra Nevada mountains, at an altitude 
of 13,000 feel, I saw butterflies sailing 
leisurelj' about in the air above me, with 
no more ado than if it had been a lowland 
garden. That w as above the line of per- 
petual snow. In climbing that peak T 
had i)assed over snow I en feet deep, and 
1 he crags around m<' were covered with ice 
and sleet. The sun shone clear, yet the 
air was cold. 
At another time, in the summer of 1887. 
1 saw buttertiies at an altitude of 11,000 
feet, on a mountain of British Columbia, 
near the southeastern frontier of Alaska. 
There was a pass, although a high one 
in the mountain, and the butteiflies were 
going through it toward the East, and 
.seemed to be migrating. Although these 
wei-e not so high as those seen on the 
Sierr.i Nevadas, yet. in a latitude so far 
iKu-th it was more surprising to see them, 
practically almost under the arctic circle. 
The butterflies were several thousand 
feet above the line of perpetual snow. 
As I said, they seemed to be crossing the 
nioimtaiu, all going in the same direcl ion. 
'IMi'ise on the Sierra Nevadas. on the other 
hand, appeared to be flying about for 
their own pleasure, not going anywhere 
in j)articular. — Hu Maxtodl in Scientific 
American. 
RESURRFCTION FERN. 
No colleetorof cui-iosi t ii's eiin ;ill'oi-il tO tie 
willioul one OL- two Jiesn i rect ion t'ei lis. .-^iii- 
sle siiecinieiis 15 e.t.s. Two siM-eiineiis '.'oels. 
harKC .olieets .Oil els., 75 els. and $l.ii(i, post- 
paul. C. E. PLEAS, „ „ A 1, 
i_ .inton, Van Buien ( o., Ark. 
