Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-09-12

it is chiefly museum of industries,
and that pure science is given but
small representation Take for ex-
ample, the departments Of textile
fabrics, metallurgy, lithology, fish
and fisheries, all very good in their
way, but they are of far less interest
to the average visitor than would be
the natural history collections, which
are conspicuous for their absence.
The Hall of American Archaeology
has lately received wonderful adj
dition in the shape of a collection of
plaster casts of the most celebrated
relics Of antiquity, the originals Of
which were discovered at the site of
the ancient Pagan Temple of the
Aztecs, which stood upon the ground
now occupied by the magnificent
cathedral, near the centre of the pres
ent city Of Mexico. The Aztecs
were the most powerful Of thenumer-
GUS tribes which occupied the coun-
try at the time of the early cOnquests
by the Spaniards. They were sun
Worshipers, and their principal tenn
pie, which was destroyed by Cortez,
contained many tablets and monu-
ments, commemorative of their re-
ligiOus rites, the originals Of which
constitute the most notable possession
of the Mexican National Museum.
Perhaps the most interesting Of the
thirty-four pieces constituting this
collection is the Sacrificial Stone,
upon which human sacrifices were
offered. The stone is circular in
form, and has at its centre a huge
representation Of the sun, with four
smaller suns at the sides. The peo-
pie believed that the sun had died
four times, or that there had been
four suns, each of which had ended
in universal cataclysm, and the
present sun was the fifth. This idea
is represented in many of the figures,
each bearing representations of one
large and four small suns. Other
pieces of interest are the Calender
} Stone, which was set in the court
yard, and was used in determining
!, the time of day, month, year, changes
| of season, &C., by means of shadows
cast upon its surface. The Goddess
: of Death is represented by the figure
t of woman, whose face issubstituted
by the heads of two snakes, while 8
necklace of human hands and pouches
containing incense to the gods encir
: Giles her neck. The originals of these
| figures weigh many tons, and thu
| casts now at the museum are valua
t BILE as the only copies which tn,
e Mexican Government has permitted
L W DC
r In the work of preparing and ar
: ranging the exhibits at the museum
: the management have been remark
}, ably fortunate insecuring theservices
S of men possessing a thorough under
L standing of the work in their reSpec
: tive departments, among them ma.
n be mentioned the celebrated modeler
: Prof. John w. Hendley, or as he i
e Familiarity termed, the Wizard of tn
d National Museum, whose wonderful
d ability to reproduce in plaster an.
/ object either of animal, vegetable o
mineral nature has attracted the nc
d tice of scientists throughout thewOrld
:, His life-sized figures of fishermen
It which formed part of the Unite
= States exhibit at the Exposition c
| Fish and Fisheries in London, cor
" stituted the principal attraction {
n the exhibition.
The marvellous rapidity with whic
Prof. Hendley turns out copies of Ii
dian relics, tropical fruits, plant
Ii &C., is truly wonderful, and the copit
N are frequently so accurate as to def
e. detection. The compositions use
III are all Of his own invention. A
i0 ranged about his studio may be see
i copies Of fruits, plants, bread, butte
i oysters upon the half shell, and II
r. dian relics Of all descriptions, viii
of artificial flies and other insects al
Id perched upon the windows and wal
rs of theapartment.
is Much could be said if space permi
ted of the work which is being doI
in the department of taXiderm,
n which is in charge of Prof. Horn
day, the president of the Associate
h of American Taxidermists. Many
es the animals exhibited in the museu
to were killed by Prof. HOrnaday
al their native jungles, and their ski
81 afterwards prepared. Among Il
I'd specimens recently received in til