Was Waterton's method of taxidermy better than other work of the day?

As far as it is possible to judge, Waterton's specimens do appear to have been better than others preserved in the nineteenth century. He certainly believed it to be so.

He particularly stressed that you should observe the live bird carefully to ensure that the stance or form of the museum specimen was correct. Unfortunately his method was difficult and slow and it has seldom been copied since.

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