64: SOC. OF AM. TAXIDERMISTS, ANNUAL REPORT. 
taxidermists produce skilful pieces tliat shall arrest the eye 
and command admiration, both on account of the combination 
and their style of mounting. 
ISTature provides us with creatures in endless number, wonder- 
ful in color, vieing even with the precious gems, to draw from, 
hlo hand can paint nor mortal powers produce such wonderful 
tints and colors as are furnished by the plumages of the many 
birds. The student taxidermist should study the secrets of 
color and artistic effects, and acquaint himself with the needs of 
a house, both useful and ornamental. 
Study what is admissible and w'hat is objectionable in the way 
of wall and floor ornaments and decorative furniture. Then, 
with gome settled and comprehensive ideas in your mind, set out 
to produce something ; have it entirely new if possible ; do not 
be narrow-minded enough to conflne yourself to simply copying 
the productions of others. Be large minded, and seek to produce 
something new and effective. 
Bear in mind this one necessary conviction : Whatever you 
plan, plan to serve some positive purpose — a useful purpose. In 
fact, make everything to be decidedly valuable, either as a means 
of novel decoration or to be of some practical use. Combine all 
this with the beautiful, and you have hit upon a happy medium 
of success. 
Do not make a piece to clutter up a house or to be awkward 
in handling or difficult to care for and preserve. As I under- 
stand it, decorative taxidermy implies just this : If an article of 
taxidermy is handsome, it is decorative in itself ; and if it is 
designed to serve a useful purpose, as Are, window, hand, or 
lamp screens do, and the many handsome pieces intended for 
hall, library, and dining-room decoration that are made of the 
antlers and horns of Deer, Antelope, and Ox, it is decorative 
taxidermy. 
It has the two principal features necessary to make them de- 
sirable whenever they are articles of use and articles of beauty. 
I might go on and enumerate scores of articles that would come 
under the head of decorative taxidermy. Some of them I will 
mention. 
Medallions of the various birds adapted to the purpose ; game 
