WARD’S HATTTRAL SCIENCE BULLETIN 
13 
TAXIDERMY AT HOME. 
The time was, and that not so very long ago, 
that in order to obtain line mounted animal spe- 
cimens for an American museum it was necessary 
to import either the specimens from Europe, or 
a European taxidermist to mount them on this 
side of the water. In those days the work done 
in this country was crude and imperfect, almost 
without exception. The extensive laboratory of 
Yerreaux Brothers in the Place Royale, Paris, 
produced the most perfectly finished work 
of that time. England and Germany have 
each developed a few genuine artists in taxi- 
dermic work, and during the last ten years con- 
siderable careful attention has been paid to this 
important branch in Italy at the museums of 
Turin and Florence. 
Our American museums are almost wholly to 
blame for the fact that until the last few years the 
American taxidermist has had no standing even 
in his own country. While many curators were 
indifferent to good work, others were unwilling 
to pay for it, and the worker was left without 
anything to stimulate his efforts or awaken his 
enthusiasm. It seemed to be taken for granted 
that the American taxidermist was sot to be 
trusted either for mechanical skill or scientific 
knowledge. 
Even so recently as 1875 the director of one of 
our largest museums considered it necessary to 
send over to Germany a series of several hundred 
American bird skins, in order to have them 
mounted ‘'in the highest style of the art.” for 
the Centennial exhibition. " The skins were 
mounted and sent back, but upon their return 
the specimens were condemned as unfit for exhi- 
bition, and never displayed. 
Ten years ago, when the taxidermic depart- 
ment was organized in Ward’s Natural Science 
Establishment, and museum work undertaken on 
a large scale, it was impossible to engage in this 
country a single taxidermist who could compete 
successfully with his trained European rivals. 
It therefore became necessary to engage Euro- 
pean preparateurs to come to Rochester, and 
besides doing the taxidermic work of the estab- 
Our Taxidermists at Work. 
lishment, to initiate a few promising amateurs 
into the subtle mysteries of the art. 
M. Jules F. D. Bailey came to us after fifteen 
years experience in the Yerreaux establishment, 
and as both taxidermist and osteologist he pos- 
sessed a high degree of skill and a very extensive 
knowledge of methods. M. Isidore Prevotel, a 
man of artistic talent as a modeler, sculptor and 
taxidermist combined, also came to us direct 
from Paris. Herr John Martens was engaged in 
Hamburg, and proved himself a man of rare 
talent in his special line — the mounting of large 
mammals. 
With such men as the above for a nucleus, a few 
enthusiastic and promising young amateurs were 
added to the force from time to time, and carefully 
instructed in methods. In 1878 Mr. F. S. 
Webster, of Troy, New York, came, and brought 
with him such a degree of both artistic and 
mechanical skill in mounting birds, and such 
a perfect knowledge of their forms and habits, 
that no European taxidermist has ever been 
able to add one iota to his professional ability. 
Mr. Webster is wholly an American taxidermist, 
with a true genius for bird work, and as such we 
are justly proud of him. 
With the exception of the four professionals 
named above, all the remainder of the fifteen 
taxidermists we have employed from time to 
time have been amateurs who have grown up at 
the establishment, and graduated into the ranks 
with the professionals. The most promising of 
the latter class now enjoys the distinction of be- 
ing chief taxidermist of the U. 8. National Mu- 
seum at Washington. Vacant places are eagerly 
filled, and at no time have we ever had fewer 
than five or six men engaged in this department 
alone. 
The circumstances surrounding our taxider- 
mists have been such that they have every in- 
centive toward the production of fine work. In 
the first place, each worker is surrounded by 
half a score of keen-eyed critics, each one of 
whom is secretly sure that he knows more 
about the form of an animal thau the one who 
is mounting it. These critics (and hypercritics!) 
are not only willing, but exceedingly anxious to 
discover a fault on a specimen, and every error, 
no matter how insignificant, is pointed out with 
the most charming frankness to the gaze of an 
admiring (!) crowd. Solitary taxidermists often 
suffer from lack of criticism, but no member of 
our force has ever yet entered a complaint on 
that score. 
The keenest rivalry exists between both our 
professionals and amateurs, and whoever ven- 
tures to grow careless or put any but his best 
efforts into his work, soon finds his reputation 
crumbling beneath him. The amateur has a 
reputation to gain, the professional has a reputa- 
tion to sustain, and the survival of the fittest is 
the ruling law. 
Every member of the rising generation of 
Preparateurs who has ever had a place in the skill- 
ed establishment has reason to rejoice that the 
professionals of our force have always been will- 
ing to teach. Seemingly Mr. Bailey’s greatest 
pleasure is in teaching the young idea how to 
“mount,” and even the most blundering ama- 
teur who goes to him for help and advice in his 
work always meets a cordial reception and gen- 
erous assistance. No man could be more gener- 
ous and liberal in this direction than Mr. Bailey. 
Messrs. Prevotel and Martens have also instruct- 
ed a goodly number of beginners. Mr. Webster 
also has been very patient in teaching aspiring 
young taxidermists, and his efforts have pro- 
duced several good operators. 
There are practically no secret methods em- 
ployed in our laboratory, and instead of the 
gnawing envy and jealousy sometimes seen be- 
tween rival taxidermists, our artists are always 
ready and willing to assist each other with infor- 
mation or advice. Every man feels a personal 
interest in all the work which is sent out, and a 
poor specimen is a cause for general regret. The 
men take pride in sustaining the reputation of 
the establishment, and study constantly to in- 
crease it. 
Aside from the advantages arising from such 
a keen but kindly rivalry, the bringing together 
under one roof of studious and observing taxi- 
dermists from France, Germany, Belgium, New 
York, Iowa, Massachusetts and elsewhere, ere- 
