The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-25

occasion Of the first great public dinner
given by the city of London to Queen VIC
toria after her accession to the throne, in
front of her plate the queen saw num-
Der of peaches resting upon q mound of
flowers. These flowers were 50 beautiful
that she raised one to her nostrils to enjoy
its perfume. and her establishment at find
ing that they were artificial and not real
flowers led her naturally to inquire the
names of their producers. who proved to
be the brothers Mintorn, then IL years Of
age, and their sister, Mrs. Mogridge, who
at that time had reached the mature ago
Oft!
These bright children were not long in
realizing the perishable nature of wax and
substitute which they have used ever
since with the most remarkable success.
They were first turned towards the mod
cling of objects in natural history by .
commission from gentleman who wished
as they are found IN nature. The par
tridges were stuffed and mounted in nat
ural attitudes by taxidermist and the
MintornS solved the rest of the problem
by accurately initiating the nest and all Of
the surrounding vegetation. This group
was sent to the Crystal Palace exhibition
in London and attracted the attention of
DR.. Gunther, of the British museum. who
was SO struck by it that he Immediately
secured the employment of the artists by
the museum to model similar groups Of
other British birds.
The groups were realistic to the extreme
of fidelity, and form one of the greatest at
fractions to the natural history exhibit.
They were seen by prominent New York
L Al .~xk
natural history, and some six or seven
years ago Mrs. Mogridge and Fl. Mintorn
were brought to New York through the
liberality of Mrs. r. l.. Stewart. and the
results of their five years labor In the
same direction have interested thousands
Of sight-seers as well as all naturalists who
have visited the museum. Passing from
one case to another the observer feels
himself in the very atmosphere of the
woods or marshes, and not the slightest
incongruity is present to break the spell,
SO closely do these people observe and 50
faithfully do they reproduce.
Prof. Riley. having seen much Of their
work, especially in the way of reproducing
the foliage OF the various plants upon
which insects feed, particularly in the col
lection of Lord Walsingham, had been de-
sirous of obtaining their services in con-
nection with his work for the Worlds far.
Some Of the work they have done is quite
striking. They have modelled, for in
stance, hill of Indian corn growing in
the rank luxuriance of the prairie soil |;
one ear bursting open shows the attacks of
the corn ear worm; q leaf beyond is riddled
with the holes gnawed through it, while
young and still folded, by the corn hill
bug; another shows the ragged cuttings of
one of the leaf-eating caterpillars and the
caterpillar itself is shown at work. A
damaged potato stalk shows our famous
friend. the Colorado potato beetle, in all
stages of its growth, from the yeliowish
eggs on the underside of the leaf to the
handsomely coiored beetle just taking Its
flight from the top of the stalk. So real
istic is this piece that the average farmer
would instinctively look about for hand
full of paris green to sprinkle upon It,
while even the expert entomoiogist, with
out the most careful scrutiny. would be
deceived as to their real character.
These are only few instances OF many
which might be cited. Wheat plants show