The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-03-07
TRADE IN STUFFED ANIMALS.

business of the TaXiderinist 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 NAM
mails. Both are now a fad.
The greatest interest is taken in
deer heads, two or three hundred be-
ing mounted by one specialist wiUE--.
a single season. The ordinary mount
ing of deer head varies in cost from
! So to SIS, the mount complete selling
from $50 to $780, Horns in the velvet
cost more to mount than when hard.
Moose and elk horns are also popu-
lar. These cost from $35 to S45 apiece
to mount, and sell for from $125 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 it's
antlers, which had As points, was u
inches. This head was valued at not
less than $1,000 Caribou, the North
American reindeer, are mounted each
year, bat 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 all
are in demand. When mounted they
sell for from $40 to S175 Many Of the
fine specimens are rented to fur
houses during the fall season.
Hundreds of pet cats and dogs arr
mounted for owners who become at
tached to them before they took thei
$ earthly departure. The cost 0
mounting cat varies from So to $12
= dogs range as high as $40. Of fowl
there are birds of all sizes and dl
5 scriptions from the small bluejays :
|. quail, woodcock and large eagles an
k wild turkeys The price of mountin
n these varies from rs cents to 81.
il Heavy scale fish are much easier t
g mount than those having light scales
S In mounting fish the scales are place
S over an artificial body Black bias
st and trout cost from S. to SIS t
" mount
a In the process OF mounting animal
"a and other game the skins are tho
a. oughly poisoned with arsenic and co
T. rosiye sublimate to protect them fro
the ravages of bugs In the courS
d, of a season many odd specimen
as come under the observation of Il
a taxidermist. Last week four albiI
IL red squirrels were sent in from Ne
lie Jersey. Not long ago a taxidermi
FL had crow with white wing feathe
to mount The art calves and fl
ie- with two heads, sheep with five les
ed and dogs with a single eye in the fol
lie head. There is a man in New Jers
is with a collection of curiosities. par
ar. cularly freak antlers 1t is said to
is one of the finest collections in t
in country