Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-07
OBJECTS OF INTEREST
Specimens Received at the
National Museum.
ST. LOUIS EXHIBIT
RARE COLLECTIONS ARRANGED
FOR THE PUBLIC EYE.
Department Of Agriculture Introducing
New Varieties of Rare
Plants.
ST. LOUIS EXHIBIT

In spite of the fact that q great many Of
Uncle Sans scientists are away at this
time of the year. there is much of interest
at the National Museum and the Agricul-
| tural Department. A number of fine, new
| specimens have been received at the mu-
scum and are now being unpacked and pre-
pared for the show cases. Among them are
fossil remains of curious star fish, huge
skeletons of extinct birds, enormous eggs
as hard as rocks and elaborate and peculiar
| implements of peace and war, used by peo-
pies in little-visited islands of the south
ern seas.
A New Zealand Bird.
Mr.. Lucas and Prof Merrill. who has re-
Gently returned from trip to the coast of
Maine, where he has been visiting his fam
lily, described. this morning. New Zealand
bird, which has received the name of syor-
mis- casuarmus, kind of small moa, and
which is supposed to have become extinct
shortly before the historical era. A Star re-
| porter was told that splendid specimen
Of the skeleton of this bird has recently
| been purchased from London dealer. 1t
belonged to tribe, ranging from five to
ten feet in height, with small wings,
short, heavy body, even more bulky than
that of the ostrich, and very strong legs,
with which it ran with remarkable swift
ness to make up for it's inability to fly.
his specimen, which is not yet unpacked, is
dDOuI HFe Ie6C Tall. 1ner6 are already tWO
other specimens of this same tribe in the
museum. though they are not Of the same
species.
Prof. Merrill, who has charge of the de-
partment of mineralogy, stated today that
two of his associates, Mr. Schuchert and Mr..
Tassin are at present away on expeditions
of mineral research, the former in Europe
and the latter in the state of New Jersey.
Mr.. Schuchert is attending geological con-
gress in Vienna, beside keeping his eyes
open for museum material.
Exhibit at st. Louis.
It seems probable that the museum will
have an unusually attractive exhibit at st.
Louis next year. A special feature, it is
said, will be a beautiful collection of fos-
sis. These are not usually regarded as
very interesting. but an effort will be made
to secure especially beautiful specimens,
and some beautiful crinoids are at present
in possession Of the museum. Two fossil
sea lilies, in slate slabs, are of unusual size
and color, being a soft, slaty gray and
having length of three or four feet and
head six inches long, while that of the Or
! binary crinoid is scarcely more than one
inch They are the fossils Of a kind Of star
fish, which were held to the ground by long
stems. The present specimens were pur-
| chased from Krantz. great dealer in fos-
sis. in Bonn Germany.
There is also large chalk slab found In
Kansas and presented to the museum. con-
tanning crinoir, bearing the name 'uinta-
| crinus, derived from the Uinta mountains.
where the species was first found. The
chief interest of this crinoid Is in its arms,
which are three or four feet long and have
a spread of from six to eight feet. Another
popularity is that these are fioaters, not
| being attached to the ground as are the
great majority of their Kind. The crinoid.
| while closely resembling plant or kind Of
seaweed. Is in reality an animal These
MES, as the chalk slab (some five feet
square) Is one mass of them, all crowded
together.
A Mammoth Egg.
An egg foot long and ten inches wide,
weighing as much as twelve dozen hens
eggs, and laid by bird with legbone as
large that of an OK would be wonder
full and almost incredible thing to see. But
| just such an egg has recently become part
| of the museums collection. 1t was found
| in Madagascar and brought here from
France. and is only the second one ever
| seen in this country. 1t Is found in the
swamps and sands of the island. Its shell
| hard as stone. The aepyonis is supposed to
| have laid 1t, about the beginning Of the
period of known history. for eating utensils
| have been discovered made out of its SHE'LL
| It Is said that the bird itself was not nearly
SO large as would be supposed from the
! size of its immense egg. 1t Is one Of the
| largest. IL not the largest, egg in existence
1t Is claimed.
The scientists are jubilant over receiving
| another splendid collection of chronological
| and numerous other materials from DR.. w.
| L. Abbott. wealthy Philadelphia. who
spends his time and means in travel all
| over the world, both for pleasure and scien-
| tifc research. A Star reporter found Mr..
| HUH OF the museum in the midst Of about
| 700 beautiful and valuable articles such as
| domestic utensils, pottery. clothing made of
| soft tree bark, beds, boats with curiOuSly
| ornamented paddles, tree-climbing appa-
ratus for reaching the lofty tops of the
,4Y,- RoI,t Inc 1,<~~~
arrows, elaborate war spears, strange
| swords and wicked-looking stone daggers
with gorgeous handles.
Aren't these fne!" he was saying. en-
| Enthusiastically, as he went from one to the
| other, labelling and arranging them. ''They
! are from the islands of Mas and Pagi. Off
| the west coast Of Sumatra. DR.. Abbott is
| surely q thoughtful traveller"
Articles Of Especial Interest.
| He pointed to shields made of soft wood
and strengthened with rattan sewing, which
| were as light as feathers. finely worked
| ivory ornaments for personal decoration;
| peculiar cord-twisting devices; old fire.
| sticks, puzzles, tops and toys OF all Sorts
| Then he showed some wooden household
| gods. which were carved to represent both
| Of the sexes. and to which. 1t is said the
| natives feed the blood of chickens. Besides
| all this there Is a set Of armor. woven out
| of some vegetable material. The collection
4 Is one Of which the museum can well be
| proud. when 1t Is all arranged and ready
| for exhibition: for no other museum in the
| country has one to equal 1t. The only other
| collection from these islands was made by
| Italians The whole thing mammals,
birds. reptiles and all. arrived last Satur-
| day, packed in twenty-five boxes.
| In the Department of Agriculture there is
| also much interest In progress. but the in
| vestigators are more reticent in regard to
| their half-f1nished experiments.
New Plants for the United States.
Mr.. Walter T. swingle arrived here yes
terday from southern Europe, where he
has been studying plants for introduction
into the United States. Mr.. Swingle intro
| duced the much-talked-of fig insects into
California. and also the date palm into Ari-
| zona-
Mr.. o. F. Cook. botanist. In charge Of in
| vestigations in tropical agriculture, and his
assistants returned from an expedition of
several months duration in Costa Rlca,
about the LIST Of July. Mr.. Cook was sent
| by the department to study Coffee rubber
| and the banana. with a view to finding out
their adaptability to the conditions Of our
| island possessions. He will soon have
ready for publication bulletins on each Of