PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY: A MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR THE AMATEUR IN PRESERVING, AND SETTING UP NATURAL HISTORY SPECIMENS OF ALL KINDS. By Montagu Browne, F.Z.S., etc. Third edition. Revised and brought up to date by G. Ebsworth Bullen. Illustrated.

(1878) 1922 3rd edition. Small 8vo (127 x 187mm). Ppxiv,281,i. B/w photographs and illustrations. Binding B. Blue cloth, upper board and spine titled in black, gilt and black lion motif to upper board.

This third edition is seen in two variant bindings, both in blue cloth with black titles to the upper board and spine. The first issue has a gilt and black lion motif to the upper board. The second issue has the same lion motif but it is printed only in black. This is a copy of the second issue. The third edition was revised and brought up to date by G. Ebsworth Bullen. It was shortened quite considerably and the editor says in his foreword "...in consideration of the fact that the volume was to be reduced in size, it appeared to be no easy task to lop the tree without destroying something of its vitality." Chapters include:- Necessary tools; Preservative soaps, powders, etc; Skinning and preserving birds; Skinning and preserving mammals; Modelling of animals by substitution of clay, composition, plaster casts, or wax for loose stuffing; Skinning, preserving, and mounting fish, casting fishes in plaster etc; Skinning, preserving, mounting and modelling reptiles; Curing, dressing, and softening skins and furs; Relaxing and cleaning skins - "making-up" from pieces; Colouring bills and feet of birds, bare skin of mammals, fishes, etc. - restoring shrunken parter by a wax process - drying and colouring ferns, grasses, sea-weeds, etc. - "piece moulds" - modelling fruit in plaster - preserving spiders - making skeleton leaves, etc. - polishing horns, shells, etc. - preserving eggs - additional formulae etc; Cases, mounts, shields, egg cabinets, rockwork, ferns, grasses, sea-weeds, etc., for "fitting up"; General remarks on artistic mounting, modelled foliage, screens, household objects, natural history jewellery, etc; Collecting and preserving insects; Some notes upon the formation and arrangement of natural history museums.