El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-11

iii "a CU4AC[L4DAA u 7EINAAAAH--~
w approaching 100000 in number
and representing most Of the To-
600 species Of mammals which now in
habit the earth, the National museum
stands second only TO the British mu-
scum among the institutions Of the
world in the work OF studying the
mammal creation of the earth. 1t IS
agreed by museum authorities every
where that the collections OF the olvl-
sion Of mammals in the National mu-
scum have developed more rapldly
than those OF any other museum IN the
world during the past score OF years
The whole world is IaInlllaI WIN
the collections made by eX-pfeSldenL
Roosevelt on his African eXpedlJlon.
Another man who has rendered a vast
service to science along similar INES
but whose work Is unknown 70 g.
but a comparatively few people, IS Dr.
w L. Abbott, who several years ago
fitted out a boat at Singapore ana ever
since has been visiting all the adjacent
coasts and islands IN searcn on w
material which he presents 10 the "a
tiOna1 museum. The specimens OF Nv
ing species in the museum range from
the great elephants, presented Dy
Roosevelt, to the tiny shrewmouses
whose body is less than an lnch ana
a half long.
Many American Species Extinct.
There are approximately z,OVU specIes
tinent of which about 1000 are 70 pc
found within the boundaries OF the
United States. Gradually many OF these
species are in process OF eXuncIloh'
The American bisOns which a halI' CEN
fury ago was still to be found IN groves
Of unnumber thousands on the west
ern plains, IS an extinct specie except
for a few members OF its race pre-
served for show purposes. The wapaL!
of Arizona is an animal IN process O
extinction The same fate is gradually
Overtaking the mountain sneep OF tns
Rocky Mountain country But Tor the
establishment by the government OF
large number Of forest preserves, II -
probable that another half century
would see the extinction Of hunoreos
Of species which a century ago were
renresented bv unnumbered thousands
of individuals. The work OF IoresI
preservation has been so successIul JnaI
European countries are laying out pre-
serves modelled after the Yellowstone
Park presentations.
Few Specimens Exhibited.
OF course only a few Of the specimens
contained in the museum collections are
.jeXhibited. The others are Kept IN ngnl
proof cases, to oe used for examination
and study by scientific men, One OF
the principal uses TO which they are
put is that of comparing them with
new specimens brought IN for the pur-
pose Of determining what are new
species. This work has been going on
for years and years. and the natural
lists of the civilized world who are
engaged in studying mammal life IN
this way, are finding and describing
from three hundred to four hundred
new species Of mammals each year.
When an expert sets to work to eX-
anime new specimens he goes 10 the
cases where the skulls, skeletons ana
skins are kept after the order OF
card index, and there selects what are
known as the related specimens For
instance, II he is examining some new
" arrived bats, he goes to the bat coll
lection and gets out the skulls and
skins most closely resembling the ones
which have just arrived. He groups
the skulls of each species together on
large platter, and then examines each
group Of skulls and compares the new
specimen with each group.
He also possesses a catalOg Of all the
different species described and If he IS
unable to find any exactly resembling
the new specimen. he concludes that he
has found a new species and so advises
the. scientific world by publishing de-
scrlptlon OF IL IN great zoologlcal
magazine printed in London. The small
Ter skulls are kept in little bottles,
though each one is given number
which is written in indelible ink on the
skull Itself, and this number cOrre-
spends with the number Of the skin
from the specimen. The skins are pre-
served by being busted with arsenic
germicide is kept in each case for the
purpose of additionally safeguarding
the skins from the intrusion OF ver-
min.
Preparing the Exhibits.
One of the most interesting phases
of the work of the division of mann
mails IS that Of preparing the exhibits
for the benefit Of the public. All Of
these exhibits are under the control
Of DR.. James r. Benedick He also
has charge of all other biological ex-
hiblts- Working under him is George
b, Turner, the governments chief tax
1deTmi ST Mr. Turner NJ an ca a1
In mounting several groups which, I
when completed, are destined to repre-
sent the highest achievement in the
taXidermist's art. One of these
group of Roosevelt lions, already has
been mounted and prepared for exhi- I
Dluon. 1t represents the king OF
beasts in his native haunts with his
loneSs and Whelps about him. Two OF
the young lions are playing together
like kittens. another is drinking wa
ter from a hole paved out by a Ze-
bra- Even down to the eyes, these
animals are absolutely lifelike in their D
appearance. A new system of painting /
animal eyes, perfected by Mr.. Turner, I
has served to give them a perfectly !
ilfelike appearance He takes hem /
spherical section of a hollow glass Z
globe and paints the inside with ap- /
propriate colOrs, When mounted in the I
head Of the prepared animal it is al 4
most impossible to see where in 1t diff /
1ers from the natural eve.
In ma king one OF these groups the /
chief taXidermist first prepares a model I
which he mOulds from clay, and after /
wards submits it to the museum au- 4
thorities for approval or change, Just I
as an architect submits his drawings to =
a prospective builder. After the model Z
has been approved, the taxidermist /
makes a rigid support, using a pedes- J
Ia and a cross piece firmly bolted to D
It, This crOss-piece serves in lieu Of I
a backbone The other parts Of the /
skeleton are attached TO it and placed |
in the desired position. After this the /
taNidermist puts the flesh on the bones /
as II were, using clay instead of actual I
meat From this he makes his cast OF j
reinforced plaster paris, over which 4
the skin is mounted.
The Practical Uses.
Many people wonder Of what practi-
cal use are such extensive studies Of /
animal life. And yet 1t has been on
such studies that all scientific knOwl- I
edge of the animal creation has been
based There is no problem whose So
luton holds more interest to the hui
man race than that of the question Of I
the beginning Of the beings of the
earth and its Inhabitants. Gradually
the horizon Of life is being pushed I
back by. men engaged IN scientific in
vestgations and the race is being given
a new view Of the earth and its in
40 q g.