8TEUG-&LES OF AN AMATEUK TAXIDERMIST. 
91 
many a side talk with my pupils as a reward to them for good 
behavior and faithful study in the dry details of the three Es. It 
was the basis of my discipline, and doubtless saved me the un- 
happy experience of my predecessor, who was driven out of the 
same school-room by one of my own pupils with a cocked pistol 
at his head. 
Four years later found me installed as principal of an academy 
in southeastern Massachusetts. As my school increased in patron- 
age from the small beginning of a dozen pupils, and the abstract 
sciences were permanently established, my thirst for imparting to 
my pupils information in natural history returned. But as there 
were no academical text-books upon the subject forty years ago 
I was compelled to adopt the lecture system, and, instead of illus- 
trating cuts, bring before my class natural specimens fresh from 
the fields. The utter impossibility of furnishing even for a 
weekly lecture a sufficient variety, to say nothing of the expense 
and harassing disappointment of an unsuccessful hunt, convinced 
me, ere I had closed my first course, that I must have a perma- 
nent museum, that would avail me year after year. Calling upon 
Mr. Mann, the veteran taxidermist of Boston, he would do noth- 
ing for me unless I paid him $50 to begin with, and then but two 
hours instruction per da}’’ w^ould he promise. Having but five 
days of vacation at my disposal I declined his offer, and ran- 
sacked the bookstores of Boston for some work on taxidermy, 
I could find none in English, but at Burnham’s antiquarian book- 
store on Cornhill I found one in French, which I purchased, and 
for a few months endeavored to make of some advantage. But 
experience soon taught me that either I was very unskilful or 
the art of taxidermy is not to be learned from books. Through 
the kind advice of Dr. Augustus A. Gould, the distinguished 
conchologist, and with a letter of introduction from him, I sought 
instruction of Mr. Ogden, the accomplished taxidermist alluded 
to in the address of Dr. Holder. As a special favor, and be- 
cause of my endorsers, he agreed to give me instruction succes- 
sive afternoons for three hours at $5 a sitting — ^payment at the 
close of each sitting. To these terms I readily acceded, and at 
the close of the fifth sitting my instructor was honest enough to 
say : “ I can give you no more instruction in general with profit 
to yourself. Put in practice what I have shown you, and when- 
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