New-York tribune., 1911-09-10
NEW EXHIBITS IN MUSEUM
Natural Settings for Beasts and
Birds Supplied by Artists.

Visitors at the Brooklyn Museum i'm the
last Few days have been Interested hy the
work OF an artist in the natural history
division. Under his skilful touches lit
tie alcoye Is assuming the appearance Of
4 wild country as caught by the eye from
considerable altitude Seemingly below
are the tops of trees. and Tar away In the
distance a river winds between marsny
banks In few days his work viii De
finished. and he will be followed 10y other
employees ~ the museum
The next time you go 10 tile museum
YOU will ind upon looking through win
dow that you are standing beside the top
most branches Of a giant tree. and right
before YOU will he the nest Of family of
bald eagles
The work eff uncompeted at the
museum when Curator Lucas was placed
at the head Of the American Museum of
Natural History is being carried out by
Acting Curator Morris. Not only Is the
bald eagle setting under way.tbut TWO new
exhibits are being prepared besides. IheSe
are "A seven-foot sturgeon and a collection
of crawGsh I'm surroundings like their nat
ural environment
several interesting exhibits have eeeh
placed In the cases in the last few weeks
Most conspicuous OF these is the moose
group y male and female of the species
are shown. with their calf, in an alder marsh
similar 20 those on the coast of Maine TWO
other conspicuous exhibits are those OF
Grants zebra and OF zebu Another con-
spicuous group is made up Of several long
tailed duck in the Long Island room Inc
birds are exhibited on and about little
lake.
Some Of the most interesting eXhibY are
not al all conspicuous. Probably every vis-
itor has seen the large model OF a white
shark from Proyncetown Mass. on one OF
the walls Of the natural history division
II is conspicuous. but II is only plaster at
best. But down in one corner of a case
rear by is the yellow skeleton Of the head
and laws Of the biz fish. They are the real
bones. not imitation. and it takes little i'm
agination to figure out how the sharp, tri-
angular. inturned teeth bit and tore in the
DAYS when the shark was one of the terrors
Of the sea.
Not far from the last mentioned exhibit
ic case Of hornblls and California wood
peckers. Up in one corner, almost ont Of
sight is an example Of the methods which
the hornbillS employ TO keep their women
folk AT home when their presence. is re-
CURED The hornbill digs out a large hole
i'm a tree and inside the nest is built. After
the eggs are laid and ready to hatch. the
man Of the house pasers his mate inside,
ust leaving enough room for her to stick
her heak out for food. lie provides the
food. Whether Mrs. Hornbil has any i'm
portant club engagements or not, she is
forced 20 stay in the house and hatch out
the brood That being accomplished Mr..
! Iiornbill breaks away the plaster. and his
wife is at liberty To return TO her discus
e!ons on tic suffrage question. or whatever
questions agitate tho ladies in her circle.
The California woOdpeckers have an odd
habit They dig out holes in soft trees and
force acorns into the openings for winter
use. or what corresponds to winter use
The acorns are wedeed in so tightly that
they can hardly be pried out. When they
are needed the birds pick them loose and
eat them, together with any insects that
may have sought homes in them. They
make what may be called nut sandwiches
and are no doubt excellent eating from the
woodpeckers' point Of view. The museum
has recently put on view two logs that are
packed with acorns. tIst as the birds pre-
pared them.
Fishermen will be interested by a small
exhibit showing the development OF fioun-
ders from the egg. In the early stages the
fish have eyes in opposite sides of their
heads. In the slow course Of development
the right eye gradually works over the top
Of the nose. until II assumes its regular
position on the left side or upper side. Of
the head, beside the original left eye An
other new exhibit is that Of the skeleton OF
python. Although the reptile measured
about fifteen feet when alive the ribs are
small and thin. No one would suppose that
they could ever have borne the strain OF
crushing the life from the animals on
which the reptile fed.