UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, DC 20549

                                  SCHEDULE 13G

                   Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                               (Amendment No.5)*

                               CONMED CORPORATION
                                (Name of Issuer)

                                  COMMON STOCK
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                   207410101
                                 (CUSIP Number)

*The remainder of this cover shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsquenent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).

1.  NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
    S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
          FENIMORE ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC.
          14-1564237

2.  CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*                    (a)
        Joint filing pursuant to Rule 13d-1 (f) (1)   See Item 2         (b) X

3.  SEC USE ONLY

4.  CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
        INCORPORATED IN NEW YORK STATE

NUMBER OF                5.  SOLE VOTING POWER                               -
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY             6.  SHARED VOTING POWER                     1,139,992
OWNED BY
EACH                     7.  SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER                          -
REPORTING PERSON
WITH                     8. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER                 1,139,992

9.  AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
          1,139,992

10. CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
          N/A

11.  PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
          7.59%

12.   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
        IA










CUSIP No. 207410101                   13G                      Page 2 of 4 Pages



1.     NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS
       I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)
           Thomas O. Putnam

2.     CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*              (a)
           Joint filing pursuant to Rule 13d-1 (f) (1) See Item 2     (b) X

3.     SEC USE ONLY

4.     CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
           INCORPORATED IN NEW YORK STATE

NUMBER OF                           5.  SOLE VOTING POWER                  -
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY                        6.  SHARED VOTING POWER           1,139,992
OWNED BY
EACH                                7.  SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER             -
REPORTING PERSON
WITH                                8.  SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER      1,139,992

9.     AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING
       PERSON
          1,139,992               

10.    CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN
       SHARES*
           N/A

11.    PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
           7.59%     

12.    TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
           IN







Cusip No. 207410101                 13G                       Page 3 of 4 Pages
          
Schedule 13G Additional Information

Item #
1. (a)  Name of Issuer:
          CONMED CORPORATION

   (b)  Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:
          310 Broad Street
          Utica, NY  13501          

2. (a)  Name of Person Filing:
          FENIMORE ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC.

   (b)  Address of Principal Business Office for Each of the Above:
          118 N. Grand Street, Box 310
          Cobleskill, NY  12043

   (c)  Citizenship:
          INCORPORATED IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK

   (d)  Title of  Class of  Securities:
          COMMON STOCK

   (e)  CUSIP Number:
          207410101          

3. This statement is filed pursuant to Rule 13d-1(b), or 13d-2(b).  The 
   person filing is a:
   (a) [ ]  Broker or Dealer registered under Section 15 of the Act
   (b) [ ]  Bank as defined in section 3(a)(6) of the Act
   (c) [ ]  Insurance Company as defined in section 3(a)(19) of the Act
   (d) [ ]  Investment Company registered under section 8 of the Investment 
            Company Act
   (e) [x]  Investment Adviser registered under section 203 of the Investment 
            Advisers Act of 1940
   (f) [ ]  Employee Benefit Plan, Pension Fund which is subject to the 
            provsions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or 
            Endowment Fund
   (g) [ ]  Parent Holding Company, in accordance with 240.13d-1(b)(ii)(G) 
            (Note: See Item 7)
   (h) [ ]  Group, in accordance with 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(H)

4. Ownership:
   (a) Amount Beneficially Owned:                                   1,139,992
   (b) Percent of Class:                                                 7.59%
   (c) Number of shares as to which such person has: 
         (i)   sole power to vote or to direct the vote                     -
         (ii)  shared power to vote or to direct the vote           1,139,992
         (iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of        -
         (iv)  shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition
               of                                                   1,139,992   

5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:
          N/A







CUSIP NO.  207410101               13G                        Page 4 of 4 Pages


Schedule 13G Additional Information  (continued)

Item #
6. Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person:
          N/A

7. Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired the 
   Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding Company:
          N/A

8. Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:
          N/A

9. Notice of Dissolution of  Group:
          N/A

10. Certification:

          By signing below, the undersigned certify that, to the best of their 
          knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were acquired 
          in the ordinary course of business and were not acquired for the 
          purpose of and do not have the effect of changing or influencing the 
          control of the issuer of such securities and were not acquired in
          connection with or as a participant in any transaction having
          such purpose or effect.

          After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, 
          I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, 
          complete and correct.

Date:      FEBRUARY 9, 1998                  Date:      FEBRUARY 9, 1998        
                                                                               
                                                                               
Signature: By /s/ Joseph A. Bucci            Signature: By: /s/Thomas O. Putnam
           JOSEPH A. BUCCI                              THOMAS O. PUTNAM       
           SECRETARY AND 
           COMPLIANCE OFFICER                
           FENIMORE ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC.





                                    EXHIBIT 1


          JOINT FILING AGREEMENT AMONG FENIMORE ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC.
                              AND THOMAS O. PUTNAM

         WHEREAS, in accordance with Rule 13d-1(f) under the Securities and
Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Act"), only one joint Statement and any amendments
thereto need to be filed whenever one or more persons are required to file such
a statement or any amendments thereto pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Act with
respect to the same securities, provided that said persons agree in writing that
such Statement or amendments thereto is filed on behalf of each of them;

         NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:

         FENIMORE ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC. AND THOMAS O. PUTNAM hereby agree, in
accordance with Rule 13d-1(f) under the Act, to file a statement on Schedule 13G
relating to their ownership of the Common Stock of the Issuer and do hereby
further agree that said statement shall be filed on behalf of each of them.

                                        FENIMORE ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC.


Dated:  February 9, 1998                By:      /s/ Herbert L. Schultz, Jr.
                                        Name:    Herbert L. Schultz, Jr.
                                        Title:   President

Dated:  February 9, 1998                By:      /s/ Thomas O. Putnam
                                                 Thomas O. Putnam