you took. This should not be unexpected even in this modern day of more hi-tech methods of taxidermy. I thought a brief review of taxidermy might provide an interesting perspective upon which to evaluate some of the comments from Larry and others. What is Taxidermy? Taxidermy is a general term describing the many methods of reproducing a "life-like three-dimensional representation" of an animal for permanent display. In some cases, the actual skin (including the fur, feathers or scales) of the specimen is preserved and mounted over an artificial armature. In other cases, the specimen is reproduced completely with man-made materials. A Matter of Art Among professionals, it is generally agreed that the most difficult branch of taxidermy is fish mounting. Creating a technically accurate fish mount can be a real challenge. The top awardwinning fish taxidermists are almost all outstanding flat artists as well. The ability to draw, paint, mix colors, and sculpt are shared among most of the world's best fish taxidermists. It is significant to note that 'world class' taxidermy and taxidermists in the 1930's, 40's and 50's were not generally found in small rural communities such as Hayward, WI and the surrounding area. Mounting a fish not only requires the ability to accurately recreate the anatomy of the subject, but to restore all of the colorations as well. When a fish skin dries, most of the color goes away, leaving only brownish patterns on the skin and scales. Fish taxidermy is the one area of wildlife art where the
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