The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1902-03-22
TRADE IN STUFFED ANIMALS

Business of the Tsxidermist ON the In
crease.
The business of taxidermists is said
to be on the increase-a fact that has
been especially noted since the open
ing of the fall hunting season. Many
strange animals are to be seen In the
shops, but most of the mounting is
being done for private collectors.
Within recent years there has been
considerable improvement in the art
Of the taxidermist. Workers are CIV
ing better shapes to the stuffed birds
and animals, that is, thorugh careful
study of the position and habits Of
living animals they are able to give
the mounts a more natural appear
ance. Renewed interest in stuffed ami
mails has grown in proportion to the
relative interest taken In live man.
mails. Both are now a fad
The greatest interest is taken In
deer heads, two or three hundred be-
ing mounted by one specialist within
a single season. The ordinary mount
ing of deer head varies in cost from
$12 to SIS, the mount complete selling
from $25 to 500. Horns in the velvet
cost more to mount than when hard.
Moose and elk horns are also popu-
lar. These cost from $35 to $45 apiece
to mount, and sell for from s125 to
$3.50 each, according to the size of the
antlers. Occasionally there are high
er priced specimens. Some time ago
an Alaskan moose head, one Of the
largest ever known, was sent to this
city to be mounted. The spread of its
antlers, which had As points, was ~
inches. This head YVES valued at not
less than $1,000. Caribou. the North
American reindeer, are mounted each
year, but not in so large numbers as
the moose and elk. Many animals
have freak antlers, but. strangely,
there is little sale for them in this
country. They are shipped to Europe
where the freak horns are in great
demand.
There is always a brisk trade in
bears. Black bears. white bears
brown bears and persimmon bears ali
are in demand. When mounted they
sell for from $40 to SITS. Many of the
fine specimens are rented to fur
houses during the fall season.
Hundreds of pet cats and dogs are
mounted for owners who become at
tached to them before they took their
earthly departure. The cost OF
mounting a cat varies from So to $12;
dogs range as high as $40. OF fowls
there are birds of all sizes and de-
scrlptions, from the small bluejays 20
quail, woodcock and large eagles and
wild turkeys. The price of mounting
these varies from Is cents to $40.
Heavy scale fish are much easier to
mount than those having light scales.
In mounting fish the scales are placed
over an artificial body. Black bass
and trout cost from IS to SIS to
mount.
In the process of mounting animals
and other game the skins are thor.
oughly poisoned with arsenic and cor.
rosive sublimate to protect them from
the ravages of bugs. In the course
of a season many odd specimens
come under the observation of the
taxidermist. Last week four albino
red squirrels were sent In from New
Jersey. Not long ago a taxidermis.
had crow with white wing feathers
to mount. The art calves and fish
with two heads, sheep with FIVE legs,
and dogs with single eye in the fore.
head. There is a man In New Jersey
with collection of curiosities. parti-
cularly freak antlers. It Is said to be
one of the finest collections in the
country.