New-York tribune., 1905-02-17
BRONTOSAURUS RECEIVES
II Tea to Celebrate Opening Of
Fossil Hall.

That magnificent educational institution, the
American Museum of Natural History. entered
upon new stage of usefulness yesterday, when
a large apartment which is devoted to sin
gle group of fossifs-the remains of dinosaurs
formally opened to the public. The room
adjoins the Hall of Mammals, and is at the ex-
treme eastern end of the building. Mounted in
the centre and facing the entrance, was a
lossal brontosaurus, the only representative of
its species yet placed exhibition anywhere
in the world while around the sides of the hall
were displayed portions of the skeletons of
scores of related reptiles. There. the invita-
tion Of the director Professor Herman c. Bump
us. a large company assembled in the afternoon
TO drink tea and do honor to an important class
of archaeological treasures.
The affair was called 'dinosaur tea" Sew
eral hundred invitations had been issued to ed
ucators and scientists and to the friends and
patrons of the Museum, and between 4 and 5:3O
practically all who invited enjoyed pri-
vate view of the huge fossil.
Present as the receiving party President
Morris X Jesup, First Vice President ]. Pier
pont Morgan, Second Vice-President Professor
Osborn, and Director Bumpus. Tea and choc-
olate were poured by Mrs. H Fairchild Osborn,
Mrs. c. Bumpus. Mrs Henry Wise Miller Mrs.
William Pierson Hamilton, Mrs. Hersert Par
sons and Miss Anne Morgan.
The tables decorated with ferns and flowers,
stood on the northerly side of the hail. in the
shadow of the towering saurian.
Among those present at the reception and tea
were DR.. Nicholas Murray Butler. of Columbia;
President John H. Finley of City College. Sir
Percy Sanderson and Mr.. and Mrs. Brander
Matthews
Naturalists employ the term "dinosaur' to
designate large group of reptiles, mostly OF
gigantic size. The majority lived on plants
IoI fo,,r 1o,Vc
quadrupeds the hind ones usually the
longest, so that when such animals stood on
AL fours' they were higher at the hips than
elsewhere. Several genera had stocky figures.
whereas others had long necks and tails. 1t has
been estimated that the extreme length of a
camara saurus might be nearly quite eighty
feet in length and it's height sixteen feet. The
proportions of a brontosaurus believed to
have nearly equalled these, and in exceptional
instances it is possible that the latter creature
was seventy-fve feet long The specimen now
on exhibition in West 77th-st has a length of
&c feet inches. 1t certainly bears wonderful
testimony to the virtues Of a vegetarian diet
and fresh water at a period dating back about
twelve million years The rocky stratum in
which it's bones were inbedded belongs to what
geoogists call the upper jurassic, and contains
evidence that it was deposited in a shallow
unsalted sea which overspread the interior or
the continent. Immediately before and after
this time the ocean seems TO have invaded the
region, because fossils or a truly marine type
are found above and below the layer in question.
The gigantic amphibian whose skeleton is
publicly displayed for the frs time was
discovered in Wyoming, about three miles
of the famous Bone Cabin quarry, in 1897. The
bones were removed within the next two years,
and nearly five years have been devoted to
freeing them from adhering material and ar
ranging them to tell their story to the OBJ
server. Two-thirds of the original skeleton has
been found. In completing the restoration, and
especially in supplying the skull, use has been
made of the remains OF related form, moso-
saurus, taken from the Bone Cabin quarry. The
work of preparing a specimen of this kind for
scrutiny by both the initiated and uninitiated
calls for a rare combination of mechanical skill,
anatomical knowledge and special familiarity
with Ancient form of life. Professor H F.
Osborn, curator of vertebrate paleontology at
the American Museum of Natural History, and
his assistants possess these qualifications in
such a measure to justify confidence in the
product of their labor. They and other officers
of the Museum received many congra tulations
yesterday the successful outcome and also
on the honor of anticipating similar exhibitions
elsewhere. Yale has brontosaurus of about
the same size as that in New-York and nearly
or quite as complete but for some reason it has
not yet been shown to the public.