The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-18
CAN'T u NATURE.
Museums Rarely Deceived ~ limitation
Fossils, Says DR.. Matthew.

According to DR.. w. d. Matthew, as
sistant curator OF the American Museum
Of Natural History, there is fttie fofGOry
Of fossils and such things. For ono reason
the prices paid for articles in this city are
not high enough to tempt forgers or even
TO repay the work necessary TO produce
a successful imitation.
Yet some limitations are put on the market.
There was, for instance, the fraud OF which
Prof. Cope was for a time the victim.
Prof. Cope made a speciality Of fossils
and in one OF his treatises announced the
discovery Of the Cano5dsileus FREMONT
| gerus, q new variety Of msstodon. In
u note in q subsequent edition he aoknowl-
edged that he was mistaken n that no
such animal ever existed.
He was led into error By purchasing
what was represented to be q tooth OF q
hitherto unknown herd. Prof. Cope ct
out to discover the animal to which " had
belonged and classified 1t among the mas
todons. 1t was not until after his pub
LEGATION Of the fact that he discovered the
fraud that had been practised On him.
Three teeth OF a familiar variety bad been
glued together in q way that could not be
detected except by microscopic exarnina-
ton. Prof. Cope worked out his animal,
and it was something even larger b a
ommon or garden mastcdon before he
took to the microscope.
In the same way a noted English natural
LIST was several years ago made a victim
Of a similar deception. A curious and
unprecedented tooth was sold to him by a
man who declared that he had found It in
o part Of France especially rich in fossils.
M tz.N, hal ~ II nuNtnOt yynrtAhV-Qf nm
his special study. He was working hard
over this tooth and was prepared. to pro
duce almost any kind OF exotic and extinct
animal when his suspicious were awakened
as to its authenticity.
1t was then discovered that it consisted
Of three teeth taken from the remains OF
prehistoric fish and glued together. The
teeth Of the fish we're common enough ana
singly could have been recognized immedi-
ately. II was only the appearance OF the
three together and attributed to a m
that mystifed the learned doctor.
The Indian relics that are now dug up IN
the Southwest are not believed TO be forged
to any considerable extent. Every pieco
that Is bought for a museum OF any preten.
sion must be properly accredited, and X
its pedigree contains the name Of no reputa-
BILE scientist there Is little chance that It
will be accepted. In case 1t has such
authentioation the testimony Of this expert
will be sought.
lHeIO uhN0 uu1OupVouJ bOOh OuaoSC -
which articles dug up at the home OF former
cliff jewellers were deposited there In ad-
vance, but such frauds have been de-
tected and the money brought by these
objects is not sufficient to make imposture
on any extensive scale worth while.
Indian dress, arrows, household goods
and similar relics are manufactured by
the Indians for sale Just as they always
nave been, and they are notsold az antiques
by any but the small dealers. The same
holds true of the Alaskan relics that ara
beginning to have an interest for American
collectors.
They are made now In larger quantities
than ever and are not always what the ;
shopkeepers represent them to be. They
are too crude and too easily initiated for
the temptation to be resisted, but there
Is no trouble in finding the genuine relics
in sufficient supplies for the museums.
Even they are not sold at very high prices.
1T is the ~cheapnees Of most Of the objects
that helps to prevent imitation, y DR.. Mat
thew told THE Sun reporter, and the money
paid for them is not enough to make the
industry profitable on any large scale.
IF anybody should send to the museum
here the teeth hat deceived Prof. Cope We
should not pay more than $40 for them.
SO you see IL Is not worth while to maxi 4
very Elaborate fraud for that"