174 
FOREST AND STREAM 
April, 1921 
PYRA MID 1 
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Put Your 
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Write for folder “Better Aim 
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110 West Street 
NELSON RUSH WOOD 
AN APPRECIATION OF THE WORK OF ONE WHO WAS 
PERHAPS THE GREATEST AVIAN TAXIDERMIST IN AMERICA 
By Dr. R. W. SHUFELDT 
HEN Mr. Nelson 
Rush Wood passed 
away on the 8th of 
November, 1920, the 
United States Na- 
tional Museum lost 
one of its workers, 
who is not likely to 
be replaced by a 
man of his skill for 
many a d'ay to come, 
while the host of na- 
ture lovers and natu- 
ralists, here and abroad, will learn with 
profound regret that death has claimed 
an avian taxidermist who stood almost 
at the very head of that department of 
the profession; indeed, in the mounting 
of all kinds of domestic fowls, game 
birds and pigeons, Mr. Wood had not his 
equal in America. Exception could be 
taken to this in but one instance, in the 
case of only one other taxidermist, still 
living, and the subject of this sketch 
readily admitted this. Mr. Denslow, of 
New York, has perfected a method of 
modeling the heads and associated 
structures of such domestic fowls as 
have featherless heads with some com- 
position that reproduces the parts so 
perfectly that it is almost life itself; 
heads of roosters and turkeys are so 
made, and with remarkable perfectness. 
My impression is that Mr. Wood never 
attempted anything of this nature in 
the line of art, though he found no 
difficulty in doing nearly as well in 
other ways. 
When Mr. Wood passed away in 
Washington, he was between sixty- 
eight and sixty-nine years of age. 
Upon starting out in the world, his 
pockets were empty, and his personal 
belongings consisted principally of the 
rather worn suit of clothes on his back. 
For some time he was obliged to work 
at the trade of harness-maker — even 
after the naturalist and taxidermist in 
him had become more or less pro- 
nounced. The story is told that he had a 
German acquaintance, a harness-maker, 
who knew some of those employed at 
Ward’s Natural Science Establishment 
in Rochester, N. Y. Wood desired to 
get work at Ward’s, and this man 
promised to assist him in that way; but 
when he came to his shop, Wood was 
informed that he did not believe his 
influence would be of any service to 
him ; moreover, he had no work for him 
either, in his trade, only he did want 
“a man to blacken the furnace in the 
cellar.” Mr. Wood asked him what he 
would pay for the job. “Fifty cents,” 
said the German; whereupon off came 
Wood’s coat, and he blackened that big 
stove for fifty cents. Years afterwards 
he said he was mighty glad to get it! 
T HE beginnings of the present Na- 
tional Zoological Park, at Wash- 
ington, consisted of some few birds 
and mammals, kept in a long, wooden 
structure in the rear of the old Smith- 
sonian building, and Mr. Wood was 
placed in charge of these, some thirty- 
three years ago. However, he was not 
long retained on such duty; for, as Ris 
talents in bird taxidermy developed, he 
was transferred to that department, 
which, in those far-off days, was up- 
stairs in a little, isolated, two-story, 
brick house, a few yards west of the 
Smithsonian. Here, too, worked the 
senior Palmer, Marshall and his son 
Mr. Wood at work completing the mounted specimen of the famous Bearded 
Vulture of Southern Europe. 
