Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-17

THE EVENING STAR.
! coon. is about universal throughout the
states. Similarly familiar will be the in
teresting group of specimens of the only
marsupial eXtant north of the Rio Grande
The positions of these opposums in and
about their holes under the roots of tree
are beautifully natural though the average
visitor has little of admiration to spend on
the stupid and uncouth animal itself. 1t
is a relic of former ages, when mammals
with brains no better, or little better, than
those Of birds and reptiles inhabited the
earth.
The Ant Eater.
One other peculiar member of the North
American mammalian fauna is also rem
nant of an order of creatures whose best
days went with the past. That is the ar
madillo. Three are represented in the
thorny environment of their Texan home
in a small case which elcits many ex-
carnations from visitors. Partly concealed
by the stiff leaves of a yucca plant may be
seen the burrow of the harmless creature
descending beneath the dry surface of the
sultry plain, covered with cacu and other
harsh vegetation. The hard coat of the
ant eater is eminently in keeping with the
crusty demeanor of its inhospitabie sur
roundings. Another case with burrow is
that containing family of badgers. The
body of thirteen-lined spermophile in his
mouth. In the west this ground squirrel
is the principal food of the badger. The
spermophile is a famous tunnel excavator,
but unfortunately for the little rodent the
carnivorous digger is its superior under
ground.
One large case is devoted to four rats.
But the space is not wasted. The specl-
mems are wood rats from southern Califor-
MIA. and are remarkable for the immense
houses they construct of sticks. The rodents
in the case are represented as engaged upon
one of these structures nearly four feet In
height. These Neotoma (as they are termed
by mammal students) do some strange
things. seemingly out of d pure taste for
industry, such as changing the location OF
large pile of unshelled corn in single
night though the change may give them no
apparent advantage. The wood rat is not
even a close relative of the common house
rat, the cotton rats and rice rats OF the
south having characters more In common
with the immigrant from Europe.
The mes. in the case Is not a "made-up"
affair, but was transported bodily from the
locality where the little animals had piled
the sticks Wherever among any of the
new groups soil or plants are used in rep
resenting the environment the materials
have been obtained from the home of the
animal Thus the moss in the caribou cases
was brought from Alaska and Newfound-
land, the yucca, with the armadillos, from
the southwest, and the soil In which is
made the badger burrow from Kansas. The
taXidermist has aimed at scientific truth
fulness.
Some FossiIizcd Forms.
Students OF structure will find that Mr..
Lucas has added much attractive material
to the collection of the department of COM
parative anatomy, presenting the organic
mechanisms of typical forms from the low
est to the most highly specialized in such
a manner as to interest any reflective and
observant mind in this fascinating field Of
science. In the case devoted to the for
amenifera will be found marble-like sec
ton of stone displaying what is taken to
be a fossil of one of the earliest known
forms of terrestrial life, the cocoon of the
old Canada limestones. Revelations OF the
anatomy of the bee, the horse and man
represent some of the upper extremities
of the diverging scale of organic develop
ment. AS of intermediate position are In
teresting models of the internal arrange
ment OF the domestic fowl, the leech, the
star fish, the octopus and others. A long
series of cases display bone sections and
the modified limbs of various vertebrates.
Coloring is used to aid the student in fol-
lowing the same bone in the skulls of anil
mails of each of the five vertebrate classes.
Perhaps the most gratifying tofthe general
visitor is series of ten hen eggs show
ing the gradual development of the I'M
Matched chick throughout the whole process
of incubation, and the most striking are
the skeletons of man and horse side
by side. the former rearing in the air. On
each bone OF these skeletons the name is
inscribed.
The new bird groups will repay any lover
Of the beautiful for a visit to the Smith
sonian building. Near the entrance stands
Mr.. Woods superb collection or pigeons,
fluttering and standing in life-like attitudes
about the porches of a handsome pigeon
house. Mr.. Wood has made special study
of bird expression, which tells in his work.
Some of the specimens in this collection
are of great value; the variety is wonderful.
Opposite the pigeons the visitor will no.
tice something certain to arrest his atten-
ton. Four bower birds from Australia are
chasing each other in playful manner
through and about a bowerlike structure
whose entrance is strewn with shells.
One species employs flowers in place of
shells, replenishing the supply as fast as
the blossoms wither. This structure is not
a nest but kind of festive hall. for Use
during the social season of courtship.
A little further away is the representation
of what may be called a prize ring. A
group of western grouse are arranged about
well-sCratched plat of ground where the
males will settle the question Of ascendancy
In regular barn-yard fashion. The defeated
bird selects one of the hens in haste and
together they make off She seems to think
she has some great lordr
Speaking of these birds, Mr.. Wood reach
ed up to a shelf in front of him in the taxi
dentists shop and held before the writer
a specimen still bound in strings, which
seemed to be the same in kind. But it was
an eastern grouse, one shot in Long Island.
1.-The last of its race" This species is now
Almost extinct. and before long will be as
valuable as the Greek AUX.
Almost Extinct Species.
Nine of the old-fashioned native carrier
pigeons are mounted upon an oak branch in
one case. These birds are now about gone,
while in former years trees were actually
broken down by the weight of the immense
flocks Still another bird now almost ex-
tinct is the paraquet, which formerly ranged
from Florida to New York and Ohio. Quite
a number OF these are mounted upon
cockleberry bush. eating the seeds. Walk
ing upon the lily leaves of a glass pond are
two beautiful aquatic specimens. armed with
short horns upon the wings. These the
Mexican Spaniards called Jesus BIRDS" as
they seem to walk about the surface of
the water.
The nest Of the song thrush in the black
berry brlars and of the butcher bird in the
thorn tree are placed near each other. On
the limbs of the tree hang the pierced bodies
ff rnuy1 md 1Au-