II 
WARD'S NATURAL SCIENCE BULLETIN. 
“ from Greenland’s icy mountains ” or “ India’s 
coral strand,” from the forests of Maine or of 
Borneo, the chances are that some one of the 
taxidermists has seen the same species alive 
somewhere, and has carefully observed its form 
and habits. And he who has seen is always glad 
to inform the one who has not. In a multitude 
of councillors there is safety, and with such an 
intelligent force mistakes are of rare occurrence. 
Ever since the movement which resulted in 
the Society of American Taxidermists, early in 
1880, which, very naturally, originated in "our 
establishment, and was organized by our corps, 
a genuine enthusiasm has prevailed on the sub- 
ject of fine taxidermy. Although the society has 
cost us a great deal by interrupting regular 
work during preparations for the exhibitions, it 
has accomplished much good by stimulating and 
even inspiring the etiorts of our taxidermists, 
and in bringing out their highest skill. The 
work which now leaves their hands is without 
doubt greatly better and finer than such as they 
were satisfied with up to the organization of the 
society. 
Nothing short of the fair and friendly compe- 
tition afforded by the society’s exhibitions could 
ever so effectually have aroused the enthusiasm 
of the taxidermists of this country, and kept it 
at the highest pitch. Of a certainty the result 
will be a great gain to our American museums. 
The present state of our taxidermic depart- 
ment is the result of long study and experiments 
looking toward the production of work which 
shall be practically perfect. Having brought 
together a corps of workmen of acknowledged 
ability in all the various branches of taxidermic 
work, we have endeavored to make all their sur 
roundings conducive to the fullest exercise of 
their powers. 
Certain things are absolutely necessary to the 
production of fine work in a reasonable time, 
and without too much of a strain upon the eyes 
and nerves of the operator. Tim essentials are a 
dry work room, plenty of space for every work- 
er, good light, convenient tables, plenty of mate- 
rials close at- hand, arid ample facilities for the 
proper reception and safe !< p eg o e ' • -ns. 
It is with a feeling akin to 5 a present 
herewith an accn Uc m r . ’’ Taxi- 
dermist’s room, or e a: am,; p, - the ‘Large 
Museum, ' 
Although the apartment is mother grand in 
proportions nor ehga.nt in f : -- n e i 1 
may still be fairly taken a: ' of lie kind. 
T be sketch or. . - ...a • .. m ; . tv i sap- 
pily combines the rep: ad •, x in sev- 
eral different star 
The room itspi ; •• v feci -qn-: .with a 
floor two feet a a tl- e ad and a cei bag 
eleven and a half feat \ a. An a- ■' ace of 
light streams in from . go war V m- . dime 
sides of the room. At a . • vd : uadle 
doors, nine an i on. -d d } e; da a : . : .her 
pair of doors at the * , ‘ 1 - . a - 1 w ider, 
and ten and one bad ! d dm. In : - room 
the Cambridge elcph:.! rd na. ■ .end < a. IVet, 
was mounted and rvLni tie ■■■ gh if • {rout door 
on a pedestal ten inches d dm Emu I ng- bagged 
Jumbo could be “ stuffed ” in a. at room and 
easily taken out again 
To most persons a visit to the w .rk shop of a 
live, working taxidermdi is < •' vent fall of 
wonders, exclamations, mo - and ridicu- 
lous questions, an event never :.o S c f o Pen. 
But what must it be to be use. ed a > an airy, 
well lighted room, where five or' six did. d taxi- 
dermists are working as busy as 1 «. - . upon bird 
and mammal, reptile or fish, one can 'uveiv tell 
what except upon close inspection and not al ways 
even then. Even the wisest men are ignorant 
in the presence of a shapeless, half stuffed ani- 
mal, unless it be of a species so familiar as to be 
incapable of disguise. 
Most people are ready at a moment’s notice to 
invade the inner sanctum of a taxidermist, and 
ply him with questions until he cries for quar- 
ter. It is a natural aud healthy curiosity which 
should be gratified. Will the readers of the 
Bulletin take a peep at our “ stutters ” in spite 
of the odors of freshly tanned skins and drying 
specimens, and the presence of a good deal of 
litter, to be swept up clean when the day closes? 
The shop is for business, you know, and the boys 
“ hew to the line,” while the “ chips fall where 
they may.” If you can put up with the sur- 
roundings and keep “ hands off the specimens,” 
come with me. 
And this is what we find as we look through 
the middle window on the east, and survey the 
whole room at a glance: Ranged around the 
room, so as to give good elbow room, are four 
tables strewn with the paraphernalia of the taxi- 
dermist who sits or stands before it at work. 
There is another table in a corner, out of sight, 
but the stout and jolly-looking man who usually 
presides at it, he with the mustache and imperial 
of Napoleon III, now stands in the center of the 
foreground hammering and perspiring over a 
large rhinoceros manikin. A manikin is a frame- 
work of wood supported by heavy iron rods, and 
with straw bound down upon it until when fin- 
ished it has the form of the animal whose skin is 
then stretched over it and sewed up. An assist- 
ant is also at work on the manikin, but neither 
the mistakes he makes nor the jawing they cause 
show in the picture. 
In the right foreground sits a young man put- 
ting the last touches upon a monkey. He looks 
like a modest young amateur, and his monkey 
shows it, but his work is satisfactory neverthe- 
less. 
In the left foreground the bird taxidermist is at 
work on a Lyre bird, from far-off Australia, and 
when finished no living Lyre bird will be more 
life-like in form than this. 
We cannot see the shelves full of mounted 
birds, big and little, still in their winding 
threads, to the left of the “ bird stuffer,” but 
they are there all the same. The ladies always 
go into ecstacies over the exquisite birds of par- 
adise, the dainty but gorgeous hummers and the 
bright colored parrots, while the men admire the 
game birds. 
To the right and next to the door the foreman 
is packing a box of mounted birds for shipment. 
We can see by the solemnity of his visage that 
he is thinking of what he will catch if one of 
those birds should get loose and tumble about in 
the box. 
In the background at the extreme left, is the 
tank in which skins to be mounted are soaked in 
a bath of salt and alum dissolved in water, to 
soften dry skins and to tan fresh ones A curi- 
ous looking skin is suspended over the tank, 
dripping, to be taken in hand by somebody. 
Next to the tank the “ latest arrival ” at the es- 
tablishment is paring down a skin and making it 
ready to be mounted, as soon as the spruce look- 
ing young gentleman on his right shall have 
completed his kangaroo. 
The fine large gorilla who clings to a tree in 
the right of the background has just been fin- 
ished for the American Museum at New York, 
but it must be kept several weeks to dry thor- 
oughly before it can be shipped. This is the 
second adult male gorilla mounted here within 
the last eight months. Up the stairs, whither 
an assistant is carrying an adjutant, is the muse- 
um proper, in part at least, while one large room 
is filled full of beautifully mounted skeletons 
properly arranged aud labelled, and another and 
larger room, with a gallery on three sides, is 
filled with stuffed animals — mammals, birds, 
reptiles and fishes. 
Every month a dozen or twenty large boxes are 
packed full of newly mounted specimens in this 
room, and shipped east, west or south, to some 
zoological museum. We have reason to believe our 
work stands high in the estimation of the public, 
and we are also assured that never before have 
our birds and mammals enjoyed the reputation 
for accuracy of form and fineness of finish which 
they have attained during the last two years. 
So far as human effort can accomplish it, 
we are resolved that at no very distant day the 
taxidermic work of our establishment shall ap- 
proach perfection more nearly than anything 
ever seen up to this time. 
One of the Taxidermists. 
N. B. Since the above was written we have 
added two new men to the force of our taxider- 
mists, and are looking about for still one or two 
more good men with some experience in mount- 
ing either Mammals or Birds — or both. We also 
want a man who excels in mounting Fish, of 
which we have a large stock ready to be treated. 
THE MONKEY BEAR OF AUSTRALIA. 
(Pliascolaretos cinereus; Koala.) 
A SNAP SHOT BY A BUSHMAN. 
V oid of wit and void o E fear, 
Half a monkey, half a bear, 
Wholly free from thought or care 
There he sits all through the year. 
—Anonymous. 
THE MONKEY BEAR. 
Perched in the forks of a gum tree high, 
Which grew to a stature rare 
Beneath the bright beams of Australia’s sky 
And breath of its balmy air, 
In summer, in winter, in heat .and in cold, 
There may you Australia’s “ monkey” behold. 
There he braves alike the whispering breeze 
That comes from a summer’s cloud, 
And the tempest’s shock when the stout forest trees 
Bend low at its advent loud ; 
For he knows that his hold is certain and fast, 
And will bide the brunt of the mightiest blast. 
Taking his ease in that grand old tree, 
But little he recks or cares 
For aug-ht that befalleth on land or on sea, 
Or the tide of men’s affairs ; 
For church, for army, for physic, for law, 
He cares just as much as did “ Cowper’s Jackdaw.” 
Solid and stolid this monkey bear 
Looks down on the earth below, 
And would not give a tuft of his wooly hair 
For all that the world can show. 
For nothing he cares and for nothing he grieves 
But a daily supply of young, fresh “gum ” leaves. 
With his nose embraced by either arm, 
In his own peculiar way, 
Designing no ill and all heedless of harm, 
He slumbers the live long day ; 
Until the sharp stings of a keen appetite 
Wake him up in the gloaming of oncoming night. 
Now sitting erect he peers around 
To see if the coast be clear ; 
Then slowly and surely descends to the ground 
Stern first, like a ti-ue bred bear ; 
And while seeking fresh fields and pasturage new, 
We will for the nonce bid his bearship, adieu. 
Our readers will recognize in the above lively 
description of The Monkey Bear, the same facile 
pen which has already entertained us with life 
pictures of the Black Swan and the Lyre Bird, 
which abound around his Australian home. 
In some boxes lately received from him we 
find a dozen each of splendid skins and skeletons 
of this strangely grotesque yet pretty beast whose 
picture is at the head of this column. 
Although like other marsupials the Koala is 
provided with a pouch, the young leaves that at 
an early age and settles firmly on its mothers 
back between the shoulders, clinging tightly to 
the fur and peering to right and to left with a 
wondering and whimsical look. We have in 
our series quite a number of these young Koalas 
which we mount in the position mentioned. The 
two, mother and child, form an interesting pair. 
Its long wooly fur, cropping out in long tufts 
on its ears, give it a peculiarly cosy, comfortable 
look, which is also innocent and friendly. 
The adult is about two feet long and weighs 
forty or fifty lbs: Price of adult skin with 
skull and leg- bones, suitable for mounting, $8, 
to $12. 
