The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-10

that room of very moderate dimensions
is capable of exhibiting all the chief types
of form and structure that prevail in the
animal kingdom. and of thus teaching
some of the most important lessons to be
derived from the study of nature. Ii con-
stitutes of itself a typical museum of ami
NAL life, and is more really instructive.
as well as more interesting, than many
museums which contain ten times the
number of specimens and occupy far
greater space" DR.. Wallace particularly
recommends this exhibit as a model of
the kind of room which should form part
of every local museum of natural history
leaving all the remaining available space
for the purpose of giving a complete rep
resentation Of the local fauna and flora.
\ show of Birds and Fishes.
The third floor is taken up wholly with
exhibition rooms. The large gallery of
vertebrates. before alluded to, is of suffi-
cient extent to exhibit all the chief modi-
fications o. form and structure without
confusing the spectator" as DR.. Wallace
says. by a vast array of closely allied
species or badly preserved specimens.
4 large gallery is devoted to the syste-
matte display of reptiles, and on level
with it are suspended the skeletons of
finback, a sperm, and a right whale, so
that they can be thoroughly examined
from above and below. Four other rooms.
of the standard siZe-40x30-are devoted
to similar representative collections OF
birds. fishes, mollusks. and poiyps, with
collections of batrachians, crustacea, IN
sects and worms. echinoderms. acalephs,
and sponges in the galleries above. These
five rooms therefore, are to be considered
sthe expansion OF the Synoptic Room.
containing as they do the fully developed
systematic collections of which that bad
been the germ. In spite OF strictly scien-
tific arrangement, no effort has been
spared to give the collections popular In
teTest. The central case in the bird room,
for example contains the largest speci-
mems OF the ostrich type, associated with
which are the various eggs, examples OF
the young OF several of the more notable
species. and the huge skeleton OF mag
nifcent specimen of the extinct Dinormis
Maximus. of the same type. Fossil spec
linens are an interesting feature in the
collection OF shells, and among the lower
forms are to be seen the beautiful glass
models of polyps made by the same
Biaschkas who have created the models OF
glass flowers in the Harvard Botanical
Museum.
But perhaps even more interesting are
the rooms on the other side OF the gal
lery Of vertebrates which contain the COL
intended TO illustrate the geographical
distribution of animals-the North Amer
lean group that is, the South American.
the Australian. the African. the lndo-
Asiatic. and the group of Europe and 81
IBERIA, together with two additional rooms
for the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic
Ocean fauna. Dr. Wailaee's comment on
the North American group will illustrate
the intention and scope OF these remark
uhIa rnaciaI cfNIIpcfi ions
From Forests of North America.
Beginning with a room devoted TO the
North American fauna" he says, I'VE at
once note its general characteristics, In
its wolves, foxes, bears. and seals; its
numerous deer and squirrels. its noble
bison now approaching extinction. A
closer examination shows us its more spe-
cial peculiarities. its prong horn antelope;
its raccQon skunk, and prehensile-t tailed
porcupinc; with its numerous small car
nivora and rodents. Among its birds we
notice the Wild turkey, the black vulture
or turkey buzzard,' the fine ruffed
grouse and crested quail. as characteristic
features: while among the smaller birds
its numerous woodpeckers, its tyrants
and its preitily colored thrushes warblers,
and fnches are most prominent. It's rep
tiles and amphibia are characterized by
numerous fresh-water toTtoises, many
curious lizards. the rattlesnakes, and
other striking forms; many varieties OF
frogs come OF large size; and Its very
curious and interesting zalamarders and
other tailed batrschia. lis fishes are rich
In fine and characteristic forms. and We
notice specimens OF the siluroid catfish,
the garpike. and the mudfish. belonging to
the extremely ancient type Of the ganoids,
the huge deyilfsh OF South Carolina. one
of the most gigantic OF the rays; with
many others. Among It's shells the fresh
water Unicdae are prominent, and. In the
Insect collection the number OF large and
brilliantly colored butterflies Is very strik-
ing as compared with those OF Europe"
The differences In the various groups
are most nteresting-betwe@n the large
mammals OF Africa, for example, ard The
comparatively iDconspieuous ones from
Australia; or between the bright colors of
the South American fauna. with It's gor-
geous birds and insects and the duller-
colored fauna Of Europe, and NorJhern
Asia.
Dr.. Wallace remarks on the fact that
no European museum has attempted 20
make a similar exhibition of the fauna OF
the great divisions OF the earth TT Is a
remarkable thing" he says, that so In
teresting and instructive n mode OF ar
ranging 4 museum, and one so eminently
calculated to impress and educate the
general public. has never been adopted Ia
any Of the great collections of Europe, in
all Of which ample materials exist for the
purpose. II is striking proof CT the
want of any clear perception of the true
uses and functions OF museums that per-
wade the governing bodies of such inati-
tutions, and also. perhaps. OF the d"aden-
ing influence of routine and red-,apeism
in rendering any such radical change as
this almost impossible"