48 SOO. OF AM. TAXIDERMISTS, ANNUAL REPORT. 
be in ornithology what Angelo is to sculpture, you must apply 
to profound study and yonr own genius to assist yon ; and this 
may be called the scientific requisites. You must have a com- 
plete knowledge of ornithological anatomy. You must pay close 
attention to the form and attitude of the bird, and know exactly 
the proportion each curve or extension or contraction or expan- 
sion of any particular part bears to the rest of the body. In a 
word, you must possess Promethean boldness and bring down 
fire and animation, as it were, into your preserved specimens. 
Repair to the haunts of birds on plain and mountain, forests 
and swamps and lakes, and give up your time to examine the 
economy of the different order of birds. Then you will place 
your eagle in an attitude commanding, the same as Kelson stood 
in the day of battle, on t\iQYiGtory’s quarter-deck; your Pie will 
seem crafty, and just ready for flight, as though fearful of being 
surprised in some mischievous plunder ; your Sparrow will retain 
his wonted pertness, by means of placing his tail a little elevated, 
and giving a moderate arch to his neck; your Yulture will show 
sluggish habits by having his body nearly parallel to the earth, 
his wings somewhat drooping, and their extremities under the 
tail instead of above it, expressive of ignoble indolence.” 
This is the outburst of the generous and kindly old naturalist, 
after his long life of adventure and studies of nature. Further on, 
concluding a series of details concerning the preparation of birds 
after his extraordinary methods, which are known to most, our 
eccentric and learned author adds : “ Should you find these 
instructions too - tedious, let the wish to give you every informa- 
tion plead in their defence. They might have been shorter, but 
Horace said : ‘ By laboring to be brief you become obscure.’ 
If by their means you should be enabled to procure specimens 
from foreign parts, in better preservation than usual, so that the 
naturalist may have it in his power to give a more perfect 
description than has hitherto been the case ; should they cause 
any unknown species to be brought to public view, and thus add 
another to the page of natural history, it will please me much. 
But should they, unfortunately, tend to cause a wanton expense 
of life ; should they tempt you to shoot the pretty songster war- 
bling near your door, or destroy the mother as she is sitting on 
