Transcribe Hornaday, W. T. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1881-09-18)

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Society of American Taxidermists, Rochester, New York, Sept 18 1881 Now if you will sometime, </u just once >, allow me to plan and make up the collection of stuffed animals to send to an exhibition, I will guarantee that no other feature of your display shall be so striking and attractive, and no other more desirable to </u any > museum. I have lately developed a new method in mounting fishes which I think you will like when you see its results, and which I think you will like when you see its results, and which I intend shall cause an entirely new departure in this kind of work. </s and > I have just mounted one of my large Ceylon </u Trygous >, and when it was 3/4 done Mr Lucas declared he would sell it to Garman for $45.- and all on account of its being flat enough! </uClay > did it!

    I hear on good authority that Knowlton has a

French taxidermist who is a fine workman, "the best in New England." but we hope to hold our own with him in the Exhibition. If anybody beats my setter dog - surpasses it I mean - I will hire him to teach me without delay. By-the-bye, this re- minds me just in time. There is likely to be a dearth of good sized mammals (larger than a dog) in the Ex. and this must not be. Now Martens will not send anything, & we shall certainly send nothing for him, because he acted </u so > small last year. I fear Wallace will not .send much. Now some of us </u must > send </u some > large mammals. Wm Critchley & Webster have each mounted a Mountain Goat (for Bierstaitt) which will be sent. I shall ask Prof. Baird to lend me the Antelope I recently mounted for him, & think he will