The word "taxidermy" is derived from two ancient Greek words; taxis, meaning movement; and derma, meaning skin. Therefore, loosely translated, taxidermy means the movement of skin. This is a fairly appropriate definition as many taxidermy procedures involve removing the natural skin from the specimen, replacing this skin over an artificial body, and adjusting the skin until it appears lifelike.   Thousands of years ago when man first hunted for his food, he found that the skins of his prey, when treated with certain substances could be preserved and used for clothing and shelter. The first taxidermists were primitive hunter-gatherers who crudely formed animal skins over mud and rock for use in their hunting rituals. Over the eons, as methods to preserve these skins improved and the need for tanned skins increased, the tanner became one of the most important members of the tribe.   As the demand for quality leather and skins grew, the methods became more and more sophisticated. By the 1700s almost every small town had a prosperous tannery business. In the 1800s, hunters began bringing their trophies to upholstery shops where the upholsterers would actually sew up the animal skins and stuff them with rags and cotton. The term "stuffing" or a "stuffed animal" evolved from this crude form of taxidermy. This practice produced some terrible looking mounts and gave taxidermy a bad reputation, which still haunts the industry to this day. Professional taxidermists still shudder and take offense at the term stuffing. (The preferred word is mounting.)   In the early 20th century, taxidermy began to evolve into its modern form under the leadership of great artists such as Carl E. Akeley, William T. Horneday, Coloman Jonas and Leon Pray. These and other talented pioneers developed anatomically accurate manikins which incorporated every detail, right down to each muscle and tendon of the animal, in artistically pleasing poses. They invented new techniques for mounting that allowed them to portray animals with uncanny lifelike accuracy. They created mounts in realistic settings and poses that were more appropriate for the species. This was quite a change from the crude, snarling caricatures that were popularly offered as hunting trophies.   Taxidermy in the latter part of the twentieth century has developed into a full-fledged form of wildlife art, and the successful taxidermists of today must also be considered as fine artists in their own right. There are many different methods used today for producing mounts (or re-creations) of different species   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.   The modern practice of taxidermy incorporates many crafts, such as carpentry, woodworking, tanning, molding and casting; but it also requires artistic talent, including the art of sculpture, painting and drawing. In a modern deer head mount, for example, the only natural parts of the animal used are the antlers and the skin. All of the other organs and tissues are recreated with man-made materials. The eyes are made from glass, the eyelids are sculpted from clay, the soft tissues of the nose and mouth are sculpted from epoxy or wax, and the manikins or "form" (which incorporates the anatomy of each muscle and vein) is made from polyurethane foam.   Today, some taxidermy mounts (most notably saltwater fish) do not contain any parts of the animal at all. They are completely re-created from man-made materials. This is ideal for catch-and-release anglers, who can release their gamefish unharmed, and can still have a life-sized trophy produced from a good color photo and measurements.   Works of taxidermy are displayed in museums, educational institutions, businesses, restaurants, and homes. There are many different methods for producing mounts (or re-creations) of different species