The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1911-01-27
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to the museums collection. Finally got shot
and down went the monster turned with a
shout of rejoicing to Heller, who was near me.
Heller went over and examined the elephant and
then turned to me with grave face and said,
Colonel this elephant died Of apopiexy You
missed him mile Heller keeps on telling that
story and am willing, for he gets lots of fun
out OF 1t. All have to say Is II the elephant
dropped dead Of apoplexy at the instant fired
It was the most considerate elephant that ever
roamed Africa"
In the African fields there are thirty or forty
species OF anteopes, one, the giant Gland, is big.
ger than an OK, and 1t inhabits a fever stricken
territory in which only few hunters and those
of the hardest kind will venture. The colonel Is
exceedingly proud Of the giant Glands which he
secured and which are now in possession of the
museum and in perfect condition for eventual
mounting for show purposes.
One of the antelopes which the expedition Sc
cured has remarkable hide Colonel Roosevelt
spent long time examining and admiring this
specimen. The skin is iridescent and as you
turn it at different angles to the light it sent
forth colors of blue, green, red and purple. 1t
has a watered silk effect, but perhaps no watered
silk that woman ever wore held such marvel.
GUS combination of hues.
Dr. c.. Hart Merriam. who is now as has been
said, the head of the Hartman Geological Foun
daton, was the first man to suggest to Theodore
Roosevelt that after he retired from the pres-
dency he ought to 60 to Africa to collect speci-
mems for the National Museum Credit for the
suggestion was given DR.. Merriam by Mr.. Roose-
welt In his lecture before the National Geographic
Society," 1t is probable that Dr. Merriam is the
foremost authority in the United States on sew
eral branches of natural science. He Is particu.
larry interested in bears and it was by him that
comparisons were made of bear skulls by which
recently a separation Of species was made where
It was not known definitely that difference
existed
1t must have been fully a century ago that an
English scientist hunter who had secured speci-
men of the cane brake bear declared that It was
a species distinct from the ordinary black bear
of the eastern United States, the bear known to
every dweller in the eastern region remote from
the popuous centers
There was a dispute among scientists about
the matter and It never definitely was settled.
the general opinion remaining that the cane
brake bear was simply the ordinary black bear
of the A1leghenies, the Adrondacks and the
woods of Michigan, Wisconsin and Maine. When
Colonel Roosevelt killed his specimens of the
cane brake bear he examined them and came to
the conclusion that the Englishman who had
separated 1t as species was right. Inc colonel
to put the matter to the test sent the skulls Of
the bears he had killed to DR.. Merriam who put
in lot of painstaking study comparing them
with the skulls of the ordinary black bear and
10 was found the Englishman who had contended
for separate species was right. If 1t had not
been for the Roosevelt study and his determine
ton to submit the matter to the test science
probably would still be holding to the belief that
the aastarn Tinted States have only one sDecieR
Of the bruin tribe.
In the bear room of the museum Mr. Roose-
gelt saw the skulls Of the species which he was
instrumental in giving separate place TO and
10 saw the skulls Of every bear known to the
world To the laymen present these skulls were
,othing but skulls and originally they might have
ormed the head bones of any kind of an animal,
but scientists can pick up bone of any kind and
,ot only tell what 1t came from, but from 1t can
construct the entire nainal.
In the room set aside for the present
storage place for the collection Of African birds