•20 THE fctl 
ncls. All m:iiinei\-i uiid killers of caxider- 
mists exist,aiic] the3na 13' in specliil cases 
come to liave a veiy ]iio:h appreciation of 
scientific ornitholoi^y. Occasionally they 
labor in larg-e and handsome establish- 
ments of their own, and thron^h careful 
study, come to master scientific ornithol- 
oricil nomenclature ; mu3h ot topo- 
«^-raphical avian morpholo^^y; postures 
and habits of birds; acquire artistic 
tastes, and master the truly scientific pre- 
servation of birds. When thus skilled 
and fully so, a taxidermist of this order 
becomes an acquisition of the highest 
value in some laro:e general museum; 
and when there found, with every facility 
given his art, ornithology can be pushed 
no further in that direction. 
Passing to another class we find its 
lowest plane occupied by individuals the 
Avorld ovcr,who simply- collect bird-skins 
fo" the sake cf collecting them to look 
at. and. in a waj'", admire. People of this 
character may often be found who are 
also grossly ignorant of even the common 
names of many of the specimens belong- 
ing to their collection, aud could not 
give the scientific one correctly for any 
bird in their possession. Starting then, 
from such a point, and ascending a grade 
this line when pursued to its culmination 
i> found to be occupied by ornithologists 
of a very high degree of excellence. 
Thej'" may be the owners of ver}^ large 
imd complete collections of bird-skins 
of their own, or they may be the cura- 
tors of such collections in the various 
museums. Ornithologists of this order 
have a wide knowledge generally of the 
literature of ornithology, are enabled 
to scientifically name many liundreds of 
birds of the world's avifaima; are lai-ge- 
ly informed in all the habits and identi- 
ficatiouof the class; possess considerable 
information upon the geographical dis- 
tribution of birds, and the relation of 
these vertebrates to the other existing 
classes, and finally, may have a moderate 
degree of knowledge of bird structui-e 
and some few other kindred branches. 
Beyond this point, hovvever. they do not 
ascend. 
Very different is another class, and 
these may be designated as the ornitho- 
lor/ical booJc-ivorms ; and amongthem may 
also be found students ofevcy degree of 
proficiency, a^ they are passed in review 
along the line that terminates in the most 
learned type of the order. Selecting an 
example of the latter, we find a pei-son 
who may never have skinited a bird in 
his life; never have personally collected 
or dissected one; who rarelj^ has observed 
them in tlieii- native haunts; — and yet. 
such a one n)ay possess a most profound 
and far-reaching knowledge of scientific 
ornithology in a great many of its branch- 
es. We do not consider, however, ornith- 
ologists of this gi'onp to bi the most fin- 
ished ones to which the science can hiy 
claim. 
Lastly, we come to define these, and 
what may be considered the finished, sci- 
entific ornithologist, and the lines along 
which his studies lie,that lead up to the 
position he should eventually hold. He 
has passed through the classical collegi- 
ate education; he has mastered the art of 
taxidermy, practically, in all of its higher 
fields; he has had a wide experience in 
collecting birds over very varied and 
different geographical areas ; he has 
formed at least one scientific study — 
collection of bird skins, scientifically 
labeled; he possesses a comprehensive 
knowledge of the past and present 
literature of ornithology in its widest 
range; he is thoroughly informed upon 
the scientific names of many hundreds of 
birds and can so designate the speciihens 
on sight, as well as have a clear under- 
standing of the geographical distribution 
of the class, a knowledge of avian habits, 
nidification and allied subjects. More- 
over he is an artist, especially in water 
colors and has likewise mastered the 
