Taxidermy: A Victorian Cased Southern Banded Snake Eagle (Circaetus fasciolatus), by Edwin Ward, Naturalist, 60 Wigmore Street, Cavendish Square, London, a high quality diorama enclosing a full mount adult Snake eagle with a snake prey within its beak, stood perched atop a large simulated tree trunk, mounted amidst natural ferns, grasses and fauna, above soil and pebble covered groundwork, set against a watercolour painted graduated pale blue pink interior, enclosed within a large period ebonised single-glass display case, 84cm by 36.5cm by 91.5cm, taxidermist's full paper trade label to interior lower left. Edwin Ward was the elder brother of Rowland Ward and became a notable taxidermist in his own right, he was trained in his father's taxidermy studio before setting up on his own. Edwin Ward clearly has important social connections; he was granted Royal Patronage and was entrusted with the job of mounting a Chillingham bull's head that had been shot by the Prince of Wales (and intended for display at Sandringham). He also prepared an elaborate taxidermy compilation for the Empress of Austria as memento of her hunting trip to the Isle of Wight, and he did taxidermy work for Edward Landseer, the famous painter. (credit to Dr Pat Morris) Rowland Ward Taxidermist to the World, chapter 1, page 9 + 10