Transcribe Lucas, Fred A. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1882-03-06)

seen them mounted before - so that it took William two days to mount an Oeydrimus and Webster nearly so long for an Apteryx. There has been a King Penguin on hand for the last four years. The Emu had been in Webster's hands four days when your letter arrived. Now as regards Osteology the case is much the same. All save a few skulls </u have > their teeth glued in, and the only reason why they have not springs is because the springs oxidize and look badly besides occasionally getting stretched: it is poor policy to put springs on skulls before they are called for. As to mounting those skeletons which most need it, or are most likely to sell, or which you have most of that is exactly what I have done. Why do you continually persist in misinterpreting my words? You must think but poorly of my intelligence if you imagine that when there is no custom or ordered work on hand I have the men lie idle. On the contrary there never has been a time when there have been so many of certain forms, as Codfish, Turtles, Snakes and Frogs on hand at once, as there is at present. It has always been my aim to keep on hand as many as possible of such things as are most likely to be