The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-28
DECEASED ANIMALS.
Opening Of the American Museum Of Natural
History-The Birds. Beasts. Fishes, Rep
tiles, Shells, Insects and skele.
tons on Exhib ton.

i
tiles Shells, Insects and Ekele.
| tons on Exhib ton.
| Yesterday the American Museum Of Natural
History was opened by private reception given to
NUMBER OF invited guests. The fact that New
YORK at last possesses q museum in this branch OF
which even IN its infancy 1t may well be proud is
something on which the metropolis Of the United
States may congratulate itself. The want OF such
museum was long keenly felt by such OF our citizens
who, travelling abroad had an opportunity OF View
Ing and admirtng the collections gathered by the
soverelgns OF Europe In their capitals and guarded
| win jealous care by their Swans. Not
merely that, bnt when denzen OF Chicago, Wash
ington Philadelphia the Hub Of the junk cart Of the
UNIVERSE Boston, visited our city chuckle OF cheap
! egotlsm invariably followed our shame-faced adj
mission that New York was destitute in the natural
history particular But New York, ike Brougham's
schoolmaster, mas been "abroad,n ana the result
In baby form, was seen yesterday. What it viii be
IN rev years, when 10 atta.ns to mans estate will
duly be neralded to the world in general and bump
| tious Boston In particular. AS 1t is
B0sToNs sENILE COLLECTION
| has been distanced In day.
The weather yesterday was OF that very unenjoy-
able sort which tends to diminish the attendance OF
the public on such occasions. the morning dawned
threateningly with an overcast leaden SKY and by
one O'Clock the rain commenced descending The
private reception was marked to take place between
the hours OF three and six In the afternoon and for
half an hour previous to the former hour q puvial
torrent was descending which gladdened nobody in
the Arsenal building, Central Park except Professor
Draper, OF the Meteorological Department, who
overfows with happiness when any Of the climatic
phenomena present themselves. In the present in
stance he regarded his self.registering rain guage
with
MoRBIDLY DELIGHTED EYE,
The Invited guests were far from sharing his feel
ings. 1t did not make much matter TO great many
Of them Tor their carriages rolled down the slope
from Fifth avenue by the cages OF the bears as il 1t
was nne mldsummer's day. The company there
sieve, was Of the very elite Captain Mills OF the
Park police clad IN his handsome light gray unit
lorm sheltered himself in the entry and looked rs
Within the building order seemed suddenly to
nave sprung out OF the almost chaos which existed
more and his accomplished assistant, Dr.. Holder.
te credit OF this pleasing state OF things is well due
In an article on the Central Park which appeared
In the HERALD two weeks ago passing descriDtlon
OF tne museum as 1t then appeared was given. The
THE ARRANGEMENT AND CLASSIFICATION
OF the SPECIMENS VIII convey an idea OF the pains
taken BY the Executive Committee to nave the mu-
have yet been prepared Indeed In Consequence OF
the OvercrOwded state OF the cases. 1t would be at
present comparatively worthless to the average
visitor. The best possible has been done under Ife
circumstances, and some six or eight additional
cases now being constructed, VIII do away with the
The two large stands one on the first door ana the
other on the moor above, were not laden with choice
on the part OF those having the matter In charge
and hence an agreeable feature was missing. Ine
the entrance on the first floor. while a bronze or
bronzed ngure OF Washington looked bilious ana
dissatisfied on the right;
are eight horizontal cases. which take up the
centre Of the room. These are made OF but
fitted with sets OF drawers underneath, in which
duplicates OF the objects exhibited will be kept Tor
mJ ogy and conchology. In this gallery are also
fourteen upright cases ranged round the room. The
specimens are ranged 80 as to follow the advancing
scales OF being. commencing with the upright
cases on the righthand side OF the ROOM in the rst
case win be observed the zoophytes, lnciualne
some BEAUTIFUL BLEAcHED SPECIMENS
OF brain coral the astras, or star coral and gor.
gnnae fan and feather coral. These last are par.
cock feathers In the second case are fine display
Q, madrepoIes, or leaf coral and branch coral,
bleached to u brilliant Wilderness. In the third case
prparec nslies, nlany OF them most ciiriousy built.
There for instance be found the sea porcupine
with his rotundity studded with long spines the globe
with hard, blIl.like mouths help them In search
ing for their alimentation. A dead dolphin, painted
her bright u TO VIM me reo &c
most OF them In alcohol This Is case to make one
feel uncomfortable. Snakes coiled and curlcd IN all
their briancy Of color, lizards OF the most forbid
ding varieties, and tOads Of gigantic mansions,
furnish food for very respectable nightmare.
South Sou American birds, many of them SUCH as
are rarely seen here, even In show cases, such as
the scarlet ibis and the TAIL hamngo nom bra1,;
sizes. There will be noticed the hooded sea- and
the sea lion, with family OF baby seals; sharks
of many varieties hammer-headed and bottle nosed;
crocodiles from the Nile and huge boa constructors
as thick as mans arm; raitesnakes and other
PIKE OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
and his smaller brother OF the Nile. The eighth
case exhibits that quaint animal ANNA; tme great
latter, with Arctic foxes, are white as snow.
The ninth case contains North and south Ameri.
Of f me MissIssppi Texas and Mexico ana the huge
king of the vutnres. The remaining upright cases
Among them should be Observed the trogon with Its
long, beautiful tail OF irdescent green; the nlFht
jarrer OF Brazil the owls eagles s ana an, nawss ,re
Gus sunshade Of black feathers: the helmet bill, the
halcyons and the dencately.colored bomoy.
BIRDS in all their gorgeous plumage; down
to the hummng bird, VIII be found nero
OF the horizontal cases The FIRST contains the com
stances, woods and other botanical products, am.
mooites, star fish, &c. The second, third and fourth
contain an assortment OF shells, some OF them very
fine. The 6rth Is studded with an array OF beetles
OF every Imaginable crawling kind, the git OF &r.
WNtnaus Inc siAtil scVculu uliu Sisu.ii aio Jew.
elled with moths and butterflies OF tie finest
tints. Around this gallery are the mounted
heads OF several rare descriptions OF acteloEes. On
the moor above are fifteen upright cases.
The first on the right exhibits some OF the mann
malta, such as monkeys, apes and bats. Inc large
vampire bat VIII be especially observed The second
case Is devoted 10
THE CAT AND DOC FAMILY
wolves, foxes, the black leopard weasles, staats
and the rare wolverine In the third are the arma-
dillo 1amily-pandoeons, sloths las lazy looking az
desrable), Kangaroos, the pouched Tasmanian wolf,
the Australian kangaroo rat and tho tiny mouse OF
mus m'nutig, which Is 10 the four.iootsd
feathered tribe The fourth and fifth cases
are tho gems OF the museum, containing the ex.
quslte anatomical preparations OF the late Edward
Velreaux, OF Paris. separated human SAUL ~
placed In iuxtaposition with thUse of the ourang
outang, the lion, the nippopotamus, 4c. Skeletons
OF bats, Ilamas hyenas, kanQarOos, alligator skuls,
armadioes, serpents, as delicate as ladys neck
lace; anteaters porcuplnes frogs, mo!es nshss To-