East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1864-03-30
9oeal Matters.

BARNUM's MUsEUM.-Whoever visits
New York-and the cost of travel is
now so light that hardly any one is
debarred the opportunity--should
by all means visit Barnum's Museum,
fifty characterized by New York
journal as Zone of the most perfect in
situations of the kind possible to be
conceived" 1t combines novelty with
l.oo 90
amusement but school Of instruc-
ton. One might read books for years
without deriving as much practical
knowledge Of them as can BIO acquired
there in one afternoon or evening.
Nineteen years ago, on our first visit,
we regarded it as marvel; to-day it
is marvel Of marvels, a real temple
of wonders, having no counterpart in
the whole world. The following ex-
tracts give partial idea of the at
fractions it presents
There is no Snowman but Barnum,
and the Museum is his profit Many
and strange are the attractions which
meet the eyes of the curious who daily
crowd the galleries of the Museum
Birds of the air; beasts of the forests,
fishes Of the sea, and nondescripts
frvni no ono knows where are here
collscted. Down in the basement of
the building the whale spouts, the sea
lion puffs, and the grizzly bear shakes
his barred cage, and growls def
antly. In the upper story the clap
Ply family" consisting of many vari-
cites of animals and birds, makes it
self as happy as circumstances will
permit
On one Of tho lower floors is an un-
happy family" members Of which,
however appear to sleep oil the time.
This family is composed of monster
snakes. Near by is the grand aquar-
ium, with its vases Of living fishes und
growing sea plants. These are all in
teresting and well worth examining
Then there are wax figurs as large as
life, of notable and notorious persons,
singly and in groups, movable and inn
movable.
Lately the aquaria has received
important and brilliant additions, Of
which the Home Journal graphicly
says:
They are selected from the aris-
tocracy of the sea, and are covered
with scales of purple and gold, blue
and silver black and yellow. Sew
eral of them-the bashaws, we pre-
sume-are furnished with three tails,
which they use in dignifed manner.
Prominent among them for their radi-
ent hues are the "angel fish," which,
though fair to lock on, are buck to
onger and possess most voracious APP
petltes. Then there is the Spanish
lady, clothed is orange and black,
moving gracefully to and fro like the
beautiful Cuban, in her allotted apart
ment, and the Cow fish crowned with
n pair of horns, and continually SWIM
ming about, seeking for fresh fields
and pastures new amidst the sea
anemones which wind their living ten
drills around it. There, too, is the
"Parrot fish," with acurved beak,
like the bird from which it takes its
name The "Unicorn fish," with a
horn like that of the favored |
creature that figures on England's
coat of arms the Surgeon fish,"
fierce and vindictive wretch; and |
the "Zebra fish," with nary two stripes
alike" The "Porcupino fish," the
largest in the collection, with its pin
feather-like quilts, rests inactively up
on the pebbles of his aquarium, evil
IDENTITY concocting in his mind the fea.-
Utility of penning q dispatch to the
"still vexed Bermooths," from whence
he came. Next to this, in point of
size, perhaps, are the "Gold spotted
Carvaretta," one Of the most beauti-
full in the aquaria, and the "Jennie
Hine," though wherefore thus called
we know not The Peacock fish,"
is also an elegant specimen of South
crn fish, being of brilliant yellow,
spotted with black, and said to possess
four eyes, though two of them are pos
sibly blind eyes. Then there are the
the yellow snapper
and the Balloon" remarkable for
their rarity of beauty. Then there be
land-crabs or water-crabs, an electrical
eel and an eel that is not electrical
besides many other strange and won
ierful fish. So many strange fish are
now assembled in Barnum's aquaria
1T the Museum, have never before, we
will venture to say, been brought to-
sether. They are well worth going 1
o see, especially as we need not VEN {
,ure on the sea for that purpose"