46 
SOC. OF AM. TAXIDERMISTS, ANNUAL REPORT. 
or other material that would teach the eye to catch the requisite 
form readily. Indeed, all appliances that aid in the advance- 
ment of the artistic faculties are to he welcomed. Close obser- 
vation of nature, of living natural forms, their characteristic atti- 
tudes under the various conditions likely to occur, all are of 
infinite service. We may take this opportunity to illustrate our 
immediate theme by referring to an incident in our First Annual 
Exhibition, which was holden at Rochester. A piece consisting 
of several long-legged and long-necked birds, with some very 
pleasing accessory objects, including the quite unique nest, was 
under consideration. The Judges, as well as those who had ex- 
amined the group, very naturally were prepossessed in its favor 
as a suitable subject for the first prize in ornithology. Yet this 
beautiful and skilfully prepared piece of taxidermy, which was 
manifestly the most ai-tistic group of birds in the Exhibition, was 
rejected. It seemed at the time a sacrifice to hypercriticism. It 
proved to be more ; it was an error. One of the feet, which in 
some species of birds liaving the legs extended, as in this case, 
would naturally bend abruptly in the instep, was placed fiatwise 
upon the ground, and this was Judged to be a defect. A refer- 
ence to the attitude of the living bird showed the artist to have 
been a close observer; he was correct. An instantaneous photo- 
graph of a similar bird plainly indicates this feature — the feet 
placed fiatwise upon the ground, while the legs are considerably 
extended. This may teach us to look more closely to living ex- 
amples. It was a fortunate circumstance that, great as was the 
injustice to the eminent exhibitor, his pride was not, we may 
hope, deeply wounded ; especially, let us say, as he had borne off 
other important honors, and is known to number among those 
who are ready to sacrifice much and exercise great talents for 
their favorite art. ^ 
We are reminded in this connection of the singular attitudes 
of birds shown in Charles Waterton’s gossipy book of “Wander- 
ings.” Several herons are figured in most grotesque yet presum- 
ably natural positions, among them an Egret asleep. The Fla- 
mingoes are pictured in most extraordinary attitudes, seemingly 
too grotesque to be at all natural ; yet they are vouched for as ac- 
tually seen in the Zoological Gardens. They appear like some 
