National Republican., 1884-06-28

agricultural department in which speci-
mems of the moro bulky products of the
soil arc exhibited. But this is not the
only museum, or even the most important
one, connected with the department.
Tho second floor of the main building is
entirely given up to a museum Of natural
history. Any one that loves birds can
spend whole day in looking at tho beau
tiful specimens that have boon gathered
hero from all parts Of the world. They
have been stuffed and mounted by
taxidermists of the highest skill, and all
the beauty of the live bird, in plumage,
form, and pose, has been preserved. Tho
glass case containing the pheasants is q
study in ITSELF
Most Of the beautiful birds Of the
pheasant family come from the east-from
India, the Malay peninsula, and the
islands of the Chinese archipelago. A
Swinloes pheasant from the island Of
Formosa excels all the rest in wealth of
plumage. It would be difficult to tell the
prevailing color, there is such q combina-
tion of rich tints that change with the
light in which they are viewed red, blue.
and green blend with oil the prismatio
colors until they are absorbed. There is
another bird called tho horned pheasant,
prince among tho feathered tribes, who
wears the insignia of his rank. He has
o little plume of feathers on the top of his
head, such rs is worn by the golden sea-
bright rooster. and the lower feathers on
each side appear to lose the vane, while
the quill is twisted around, 30 as look very
like horn. His suit might be described
as changeable silk, variegated with
round white dots. On his breast he wears
q golden shield, which is SO sharply de-
fined that IL looks like some royal decora-
tion hung around the neck.
The argus pheasant is remarkable for
his prodigious tail. When little children
draw birds on their states they are pretty
sure to adorn them with tails three or four
times as long as the body. These iu-
fantile artists do not exaggerate the tail
of the argus pheasant. 1t consists of
q couple of strong feathers that sweep
backward in the form of q curved Malay
sword, but much longer.
There are cases filed with all manner
of amphibious animals. especially those
whose skins are most highly priced by
the fashionable world such as the seal
and the beaver. A splendid collection of
butterflies attracts the attention even
of those who have no technical knowledge
of the science of entomology.
There are cases containing specimens
of all the insects that prey upon the grow
ing crops and upon fruit and forest trees,
with sections Of the plants in which they
mako their homes and propagate their
kind. Tho ingenuity and strength of
some of these pests of creation are truly
marvellous. An observing boy or girl,
who likes to study the habits of insects,
could find great many things in the en-
tomological department of this museum
The process of making silk, from the
Matching Of the egg in which the worm
has its birth to the ruling Of the silk from
finished cocoon, is shown.
Prominent in the collection of noxious
Insects is the tarantula who may be called
The boss" spider. He is not q beautiful
object to contemplate, and he is univers-
ally hated and feared, but he is one of
the most wonderful mechanics in tho
whole insect world. The specimen in
this collection, when pinned to the wall
with his radiating legs extended, is prob
ably five inches in diameter. If an ordi-
nary spider is put under powerful mi
croscope the distorted image bears some
resemblance to the tarantula. His legs
sro covered with hair, as is also his round
head, which is nearly as big as his body.
In addition to the great, sprawling legs
on which he walks ho has pair of sharp,
pincer-like claws, which run back ward
rom his sides and curve toward each
other at the end of his body. He prob
ably uses these in his various mechanical
operations, as he certainly does in taking
care of his house.
AS house builder the tarantula excels
even the common spider, who Is q great
architect in his way. As it lies on the
ground the tarantula's dwelling might be
taken for piece of clay which some child
had nodded in the shape of pudding.
1t is about six inches long, somewhat
cylindrical in form, but very irregular on
the outside. The inside, however, is bored
out as neatly as If the work had been
done with drill. although the hole is not
entirely straight; the axis seems to defect
little from q straight line, probably to
form little private recess for tho occu-
pants, which cannot be seen when looking
in at the door. This hole is about three
fourths Of an inch in diameter, and runs
back the whole length of the house. The
inside he lines with fine satin spun by
himself.
The most wonderful part of tho struct.
ure, however, is the door. IL is neat
little disk, made of burnt clay, which fits
nicely into the mouth Of tho tube, the
edge of which Is dared and the edge of
the disk is beveled at precisely the same
angle, so that the door fits into its place
with mathematical accuracy. This door
has hinge at the lower side, which 10
mado of tough, flexible substance,
probably furnished by tho tarantuIa
himself. 1t opens and shuts as nicely as
awateh case. When he Is out the door drops
down and remains open till he returns.
In the inside of the door, near the upper
edge, are two little round holes, into
which the tarantula thrusts the points of
his pincer claws as he passes in aud draws
the door up behind him. 1t is not un-
reasonable to suppose that he has some
sort of lock inside to hold the door, so
that no one can open it without waking
up the master of the house, although it is
80 nicely fitted that it would remain shut
without any fastening. The clay is no
doubt moist when this skilled potter
molds it according to his will, but the
lun bakes it hard. and the finished house
Is simply piece of sun-dricd pottery.
The tarantula is very vicious and
very poisonous insect. Its bite sometimes
produces death.
In another section of this museum there
arc glass cases in which the productions
of the various states are exhibited. Cot
ton is shown in all stages of Its growth,
and in all tho forms to which 1t is re-
duced. Cotton seed, which used to be
thrown away as worthless, has acquired
great commercial value, and all its pro-
ducts are exhibited here. The shells are
burned and the ashes are used us q fertil-
izer The kernel is ground into meal, and
from this an oil is pressed that is used as
a substitute for olive oil. The cake that
Is loft after the oil has been squeezed out
is again ground into meal and fed to cattle
and sheep. Edwin Atkinson says that
the wool product in North Carolina and
South Carolina ha, been greatly improved
since the practice of feeding cotton seed
cake to sheep was commenced. From
this it would seem that cotton makes
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