Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-16

Some Secrets Of the TaNidermist'
ART Exposed. '" .


There is one corner in Savannah at
which every stranger stops in passing
the hrst time. That corner is Mobiles,
the northeast of Bull and Hull streets.
inside the window there IS triangular
space crowded with odd specimens OF the
taxldermist's art. Pheasants, partridges,
Owls, monkey. two or three kinds of
ducks and score of other birds and ami
mails are perched in the window, gazing
solemnly at the passers through glass
eyes and looking as natural as lie. The
owl ana the monkey seem to be bordering
some grave matter, as, for instance, the
possibility of their being able to digest
the cotton with which they are stuffed,
Mr.. George Noble is the only profess
slonai taXidermist in the city. "a stuffed
bird Will keep forever said he yester-
DAY, pointing TO some nonparells that
were stuffed more than Fifteen years ago.
Ihelr plumage is as bright as it was the
day they were killed
Nhen taXidermist wants to stuff and
mount dead bird or animal he has to go
10 work carefully and meth0dically. If
be has bird in hand the skin ia cut with
sharp scalpel along the breast from the
throat TO the taIl. w lille this il being
uone the feathers ave blown aside. in or
DER to escape blood. Then, with the same
scalpel, the skin is pulled back on each
side OF The breas bOue. and, as the work
progresses, liquid arsenic is applied. This
Is to preserve the skin. W hen it is removed
from the body Of the bird the tail and
throat are cut through and the carcass is
lifted out. The skin is pushed back over
the Skull, the brains are removed. and
AFTER The legs are cut at the second Joint
ana the flesh removed, the skin is ready
Tor stuftng. Wires are placed in the legs,
tall and wings, enough raw cotton is put
IN the skin to distend IL as in life, glass
eyes are inserted and the skin is then
sewed up aud the wires hent To give the
blrd natural position. Four bandages
nave 10 he kept around the BODY until
the skin is dry to keep it in shape.
81 stuff more canaries than anything
else" remarked Mr. Mobiles. Ladies'
brlhg their dead pets here and cry about
them and declare they would not nart
with them for anything. Every once in "a
while, though, there is some one whose
grief is not lasting and the pet is left on
my hands, and then it is matter for me
to grieve over"
"There is parrot that belongs in Ma
con-" he continued noddiug in the direc-
llnn OF Polly that was sitting demurely
under glass cover. ''Of course no one
wants TO buv some one elSe'S dead pet.
and II the birds are not called for they are
dead loss. 1t Is the same everywhere.
and taXidermsts now generally require
deposit AlllgatOrs are I'm fair demand
IN the winter when the tourists are pass
ing through. Live ones are too much
trouble, while a stuffed one answers the
same purpose"
Mr.. Noble has gators of all sizes. from
tiny one three inches long to an old
saurIan every inch OF nine feet long.
II don't like 10 stuff a snake" the taxi
dermlst observed, "and | am glad that
there IS very little occasion to have them
stuffed. Poisonous snakes have to be
handled very carefully, and there is al
ways more or less risk. Cats and dogs
are frequently stuffed, and now and then
squirrels and white rats. SpOrtsmen often
have bird. or fox or deer head mounted
as a sort of trophy"