42 
SOO. OF AM. TAXIDERMISTS, ANNUAL REPORT. 
stuffed bird is was received. No railroad connected the New 
England metropolis with the suburban toMms, save the one 
Providence line. Our relative in the far off New York had 
promised “ a case of birds ■’ on his next visit to the East. A l)ig 
cage of living lurds M^as, of course, in our untaught minds, all 
that was suggested. Surprise and delight quickly replaced our 
doubtful surmise, when the stage-top revealed, as it approached 
our dwelling, the remarkable display of a tree-load of brilliant- 
plumaged birds handsomely encased in all the richness of rose- 
wood and plate-glass. Here was a revelation. And one of the 
pleasant experiences of our later life was the friendship of the 
man who had impressed us as possessing such consummate skill. 
This personal application seems to exhibit as clearly as any, 
perhaps, the well nigh total want of knowledge of this art, even 
so near a great metropolis. 
Some years previous to 1840 a Mr. Mann was established in 
Boston as a practical taxidermist. He was very jealous of his 
knowledge, and would instruct no one outside of his own family 
at any price, till in 1846 he so far relaxed as to offer instruction 
at $50 cash down before coinmencing. His style of work was 
of the old school, and purely mercenary ; liut having no rival in 
the city, he was kept busy till dotage ended his manipulations. 
Soon after 1840 a Mr, Ogden came from England with both 
inherited skill in taxidermy and an enthusiasm that despised 
lilthy lucre as the sole incentive to art. The Boston Museum 
had been established in Tremont Temple, and the Boston Society 
of Natural History had not long lief ore been organized. Work 
was then in great requisition. We remember Ogden, with little 
assistance or none, struggling with the largest mammals as well 
as modelling the most delicate and minute birds. He had “ set 
up ” an elephant of goodly size, a giraffe of unusual height, 
which stand at this day examples of good art and the commend- 
able ambition of the proprietor of the museum for those days. 
The larger carnivora, and a host of species of smaller mammals, 
l)irds, reptiles, fishes, &c., were worked up by Ogden at this 
time through the liberal orders of Mr. Kimball, who held pro- 
prietorship. 
During this period the work seemed the very perfection of the 
