146 
TJ IE SCIENTIST. 
more than one really great taxidermist. To 
be such requires perfect familiarty with the 
anatomical structure of. the various animals 
to he treated, and a careful study of the'r 
movements in their native haunts. 
Lewis Liiulsev Dvche was born at l-)erkley 
Isaliaio, Vntoersicti, Museuiit. 
Springs, Morgan County, W. Va., March 20, 
1857. When scarcely five weeks old, his 
father, Alexander Dyche, removed to Osage 
County, Kansas, and by thrift and that in- 
domitable will, so fully developed in his 
gifted son, achieved a full share of success. 
In that early day the only human beings seen 
were the Indians, save an occasional train of 
wagons on the old Santa Fe wagon trail, 
which passed near the farm. The child's 
earliest recollections were vivid with pictures 
of wild Indians, howling wolves, buffalo, 
deer, and countless other animals, .drawn 
there by abundance of food and convenient 
shelter. 
Wild turkeys and prarie chickens abound, 
ed everywhere. Some idea of their abun- 
dance may be gained when it is stated that 
Prof. Dyche's father shot two dozen one 
winter's morning from some elm trees near 
the house. 
The stirring events of these pioneer days 
served to bring out and incensify those char- 
acteris.tics, which have since carried Prof. 
Dyche by sheer pluck and perseverance 
up to that enviable position he now Ik^Us 
among the leading Naturalists of the world. 
We now recall a mo.-t vivid account of a 
destructive prairie fire, a most common oc- 
curence before the country was fully settled, 
which was related to us by Prof. Dyche as 
follows- 
rhe whole country was swept clean at one 
burning. We all stood in mortal terror of 
that dreadful day when the country would 
•'burn olT," as the phrase went. On one oc- 
casion. I remember seeing father fight fire 
until I th )ught he would drop dead. Of 
course farms and houses were protected 
bv i->lowing around them and burning wide 
fire ■•l)reaks" as they were called. But the 
high wmd would sometimes carry the fire 
by blowmg, burning, tumbling weeds etc. in- 
credible distances, It was on an occasion 
Group of Mountain Goats, {Mazama Mon- 
tana,) as mounted in Kansas State Uni- 
versitij, 
of this kind when father fought so hard to 
save his fences and hay. At the last mom- 
ent the fire broke over near the wheat stacks 
Father hastened to the spot, dragging me 
with him, as well as a piece of old wet 
blanket. He made a last desperate effort to 
save his wheat, He moved me two or three 
