The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1884-01-26
N. C. FISHES
ARE COMING, ONE OF EVERY
KIND, TO OUR ARK OF PROG R ESS
In Handsomer and More Natural Gar.
ments than Fishes ever before W ore
ont of Water

In Handsomer and More Natural Gar.
ments than Fishes ever before Wore
out of Water.
There is thing doing right here under
our noses that 10 new under the sun and
that is of exceedingly great interest 10
naturalists all over the world; and that
thing is ichthy-taxidermy. IL you don't
know what ichthy -taxidermy is, read and
you will be wiser presently.
When the fishes OF North Carolina were
sent to the Boston Exposition. they were
sent in jars of alcohol, as all fishes until
recently were preserved. The collection
and the skill aud neatness with which it
was preserved were complimented by all
the ichthyologists who saw it. Among the
visitors whose attention was attracted WAS
DIR. II. E. Davidson, OF Boston. Not long
ago DIR. Davidson wrote to Mr.. S. G.
Worth, the Fish Commissioner OF North
Carolina, and told him Of new process
that he had hit upon OF preserving fish, and
this new process with very proper regard
for Greek, he called ichthy-taxidermy. By
it the fish is perfectly preserved and rem
dered indestructible. Every scale and fin
and every shade of color is kept as In life,
and the fish is mounted neatly and dura-
bly, on board.
DR.. Davidson sent specimens of his work
to Mr.. Worth, and Mr.. Worth with char
acteristic enterprise and ingenuity went
to work and hthy-taxidermy is an art
now practiced only in two places in the
world, namely by DR.. Davidson at Boston
and by Mr.. w Worth at Raleigh. The Ma
tional Museum has no specimens preserved
by SO cheap or by SO satisfactory process.
All the fishes in that museum and In other
museums are preserved in alcohol or are
represented by plaster casts, and the casts
are costly.
The new process is, briefly, to put the
hoh tn .of tINSr
from the skin and to fill the skin with plas-
ter. The preservation is perfect, and the
plaster-stuffed fish screwed to the board Is
ready for exhibition until all things end.
| The cost is not more than 81 fish.
Mr.. Worth, by this piece Of enterprise,
| has at one stroke attracted the attention
| of ichthyologists, placed the North Carroll
Ma Fish Commission in this peculiar work
| ahead Of the work in any other State and
| even ahead OF the National Museum.
| By the time the State Exposition is
ready to receive fish, fowl, mechanism and
man, the fishes of North Carolina will be
more satisfactorily and more economically
| displayed than the fishes of any other
part of the globe ever were displayed be-
fore.
Progress in North Carolina? Why nat.
uralists, to say nothing OF capitalists and
practical fishermen, will come here pur
posely to see this. Besides all the f1she,
OF the State, Mr.. Worth will have the
aquatic birds of North Carolina stuffed
and mounted. Whatsoever things swim il
our waters or fly above them, we shall see
And more the illustrative explanation
of the gigantic industry Of fishing-all thu
processes from seine-making to canning
will be made not only as we do the bust
ness in North Carolina but also as it il
done elsewhere.
OF this great industry and OF its still
greater possibilities, we who dwell out 0
scent of the sea have no notion. The
wealth Of our waters is greater than tn,
wealth of our mines, because it is perpet
ual. And this exhibition will be revela
ton TO fishermen themselves of the posi-
bilities of this industry which is yet in it
infancy.
Take it all in all, the thing that spread
out the furthest, reaches highest, goe
deepest down and finds beauty and hop,
everywhere is this thing now about to b.
born which We have agreed to call th'
State Exposition.
Be we laggard or eager the fishes of ou
| streams will be there, in more natural ant
beautiful costume than the fishes ever be
fore wore out Of water-thanks to DR.
Davidson's ichthy-taxidermy and to Mr.
WOrth's quickness to catch the idea an
enterprise to carry it out.
| That's what ichthy- -taxidermy is; an
that's what we are doing in North Caro-
| lima.