The New York herald., 1871-11-15
A SCIEE1IPIu AFTERNOON.
Reception Of The Trustees Of the Mu-
scum Of Natural History.
What Has Been Done During the Past Year
improved State Of the collsetisns-TAs Third
Annual Rep,rt-Monday and russday
for the FUTURE Reserved Days

rheumatic ache aud pain. there Was quite Q large
gathering OF ladies gentlemen yesterday after.
noon st the complimentary reception and private
view OF their collections given By tho trustees Inc
American Museum of Natural History. IN the Arsenal
building. Among the distinguished visitors Ceaeral
Sherman was. Of course. the central ngura.
ana be expressei great pleasure st the noble
character OF the work already accomplished. A
band Of music discourred gar strains on the top
moor, and the scene within. with the gllistering
eabinen nilsd with birds Of rare plumagc and ami
mah Of gnudycol0red furs. toe trustees exultant
evsr the compliments lavtshcd upon them nom ~
sides, and select company OF delighted visitors.
was. indeed, bright contrast 20 the view without
which, partially hid by driving mist and rain.
showed sun plainly enough she traces of the wild
WORK OF carly winter Although the
ADDITIONS o. srBcInExs
during the past nine months have not been very
considerable tho trustees and their employees have
pot, BY any means, boon idlc year ago the build.
Ing was chaos OF confused preparations for mu-
Beum-only that and nothing more. The spoils Al
ready captured ~ the Of specimens and curiosi-
ties were huddled togctncr with scarcely the fAinest
httemptat order or arrangement and the lower 1ocr
was stall used a. . homo for monkeys and Guinea
pigs, and hogs, and all sorts OF unsavory, though
Interesting, creatures whose fragrant odors perme-
Ated the entire building. Tue upper stories. Also
;W0ao Uus luturt u6c6
Now all Is changed Tue building has been
THOROUGHLY cLEANsED;
Improved arrangements have been made for warm
Ing It, and tho grand nuisance OF living animals has
been abolished BY their transportion 10 more suit
able quarters. A large part OF the collection has
been perfectly class.ned-the ANIMALS into their
various orders OF quadrumanous, carnivorous, her
bvorous, marsupal, &c, and the BIRDS insects ana
reptiles In cases OF ncariy allied families. Much
slso has been done In the, way OF improving the
general appearance OF the Museum. The ceilings
mowers pleasantly I'LL up the centre OF the noors.
s astonishing that the trustees should have done
they deserve 'dSs .Se warmess sSsss thanks ri
sne community for having shown SO Enthusiastically
p earliest possible date worthy museum Of Of
eat1ral history. OF course the collection is yet
Eepioraoly detective In many OF its features, but
LUIS VIII easily be amended by
(. VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS
Prom American travellers and merchants No pe0-
world, and 1t need only 70 be known that national
eposisSoey exists where proper care WIN
pow IN " with hSi Constant m noeraty. aiiIenS the SS
sv9stees are now endeavoring to acquire Mr.. jays
UeGon Jav oer. 2, s1es embracing $4,000 specimens
kratuitOusly II the Museum wul purchase from MIN
bs library n I On conchoogy at the price It has cost
But even as the Museum now stands visitor may
pend many an hour, wish profit as well % amuse-
Ehe cases or monkeys for instance, respectfully
ncn u stu very far from perfect. The specimens
Ind The glass eyes gleam out as brilliantly as though
ine Door little
were stin alive. Some IDEA Of the wondrous for.
type Of life may. therefore certainly he Cleaned
ereds OF variations In size and color arc
brought before the eye at single glance. Their
conception or sSe marvellous diversity Of nature ~, s
Prop0rionatcly great There Is also supplement-
ery case devoted almost entirely 20 the monkey
THE BIRD COLLECTIONS
Sppropriated almoss exclusively by nnmmina birds.
Some Of them are scarcely larger than bee, wnlle
ptners rival n weight ine sparrows That mt about
tlful and even the long slender beak, though 1t Is.
no doubt q departure from the ideal standard OF
blrd beauty, grows, when attentivey studied into
becoming an attraction rather than bemisn.
And then the variety and marvellous beauty OF the
eannos fail TO strike even the duest eye that gazes
upon them. 1t Is no slight advantage for society
Into sometSns ike an ADEQUATE CONCEPTION OF Al
least one side OF the world we live in, while It is
more than Likely that free museum such as this
will do more IN cultvatinR sentiment OF Kindness
and genteness towards the lower creation HAN all
the tracts OF the Society Tor the Prevention OF
fu perfection OF created life once stamped ndelliby
upon his mind, man, however brutal and de.
and beautiful example OF animate handiwork.
:. One Of the most interesting cases Is that or
THE BIRD sKEJETJNS.
The specimens range from the pelican to the spar
row, and are prepared with admirable skill. Ono
upper shelf is occupied exclusively with the smaller
aggregatons OF spider web, so airy and deicate
ana complex are the cxtremltes and ramihcatlons
Merely as examples Of patient and careful dlssecs.
ing, this case deserves special notice, particularly
when the peculiarly hollow character OF the bones
pf birds Ii remembered.
THE INSECT COLLECTIONS
are also very respectfully extensive at least in GER
rabe. Tney also bear striking witness to the skill
Of the entomolog,sts who have prepared them. In
moths whose ourspread wings In many cases would
not stretch across mans taumb nail, and whose
bodies Hre scarcely thicker than the pin That
Eastens them to the cork flooring. TO nave caught
these gossamerlike little beings and deprived them
Of their hreadSe limbs or brushing s on the m Hlle
Of col0red plates that their WINGS must Indeed
haye been task requiring consummate skill and
Of the highest moor Is lifc-like AsiatIc hunting
mounted on camel has been overtaken BY male
Killed ana is now lying dead on the eartn The The
beast with glaring eyes and opened mouth, has Just
one OF his cruel claws in the nesn OF the camel
while another tears the leg OF the man. He is on
n eSs % ms acs ns W Y sa
has raised his -, sabre ,ssr, for last desparins
stroke at his tnfurtated asSalant. The group has
been arranged with artistic skill, and 1t possesses
real dramatic interest. Many scho0lbOy In the
CeneraLion or two before us will r...e pp0n II with
Wondering attention. and il VII &c .onus 6 hiiar:
lze him with certain aspect Of Asiatic life than ali
fhe books. however attractively written. In the
SCs.ool library.
the following is the third annual report Of tho
trustees:-
The trustees Of the American Museum OF Natural History
have tue pleasure of presenting this their third annual
port with copies Of their charter constuton, bylaws the
letters presenting property to the Museum
the report OF The treasurer ne remaining OF tho
Verreanr collection, purchased in Paris which was
seizure Of the French capital has been % received IN
property In the Arsenal building on Central Park.
Tho most valuable donation which the Museum han re-
scented BY MI Robc L. stuart the rarest specimen IN
our large collection OF birds. -
Largo collection OF The coras OF Florida has been rur-
chased OF Captain Medary, United States Army
The cases FOR erhIbl,ine the Museum specimens COM
menced last by the Department OF Public rarks were
completed In spring temporary arrangement o.