Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-21

II some dime museum manager could
corral for his own use any one of these
marvels he would split his. throat yelling
| to the crowds about the wonders inside
the tent. You can imagine him. with
his red tie, blue shirt and checkered
| trousers, bawling out to the curious
crowd:
Inside! Inside, Inside. Hurry. Hurry,
Hurry. Only one more day left to see
this ineXplanable, indestructible elusive
marvel OF the age. An exhibit which the
scientists of the world have marveled at
and which cannot be duplicated in any
other show under the broad canopy of
heaven. Step right inside. ladies and gen.
tlemen. The price Of this exhibit is not
a dollar nor yet IS or 80 cents, nor even
a quarter, but can be seen for the last
time on these grounds for the marvel
ously low price OF 10 cents, one dime, the
tenth part of a dollar. No-positlvely
no free admission"
That would be the dime museum man.
But a Few of the Exhibits.
And yet these little things are but a
few of the ten million specimens of the
world famed collection of the National
Museum. These specimens enumerated
are merely jotted down at random by
a Star reporter who walked hurriedly
through the halls. These specimens.
too, are from the collections whiciE will
be practically new to the crowds which
are expected to go to the new building
Of the museum tomorrow.
There is not the slightest attempt on
the part of the museum to make "A blar-
ing circus exhibit of the Things 1T
has. The collection is arranged in
scientific manner, yet with all the scien-
"a has haan f,E he
curators have always kept the public
in mind, and the specimens view
represent only the finest and best of
their kind. They are put there because
they have a popular as well as scientific
interest.
The specimens come i'm at the rate OF
hundreds of thousands year Last
year the contributions to the museum
amounted to 100000, a wonderful show.
and yet thousands Of people of WASH
ington have never seen them until IL
was found possible to open the doors
Of the new building Sunday.
Now, from 30 to go O'Clock Sunday
afternoons the north door of the new
building at the foot of 10th street north
west Just south of Pennsylvania avenue.
is opened for all Washington.
Siamese Argus Pheasants.
The few exhibits mentioned were really
taken at random, with me exception of
pointed out by James r. Benedict, I'm
charge of that part Of the museum.
These birds are in a tremendous glass
cage on the second floor. The rest cf
the bird exhibit is not at all complete.
but is extremely interesting. and every
specimen is labeled. Succeeding Sundays
will see the birds added to- and one
week from tomorrow will see the opening
of an exhibit i'm the bird line which bids
fair to eclipse all others in popularity.
Just what this is has been kept a secret
so far. but those who know believe IL
will bring thousands of people to view il.
The pheasants have been mounted and
prepared by Nelson Wood, one OF the
most painstaking men in the employ of
the Smithsonian Institution. One of the
birds is meek-looking hen pheasant, but
as big as a Christmas turkey at that.
The big cock pheasant is doing his best
to attract her attention. Although the
argus pheasant does not have the same
sort Of coloring the peacock is blessed
with, the manner of spreading the tail
feature Of this bird is the great develop
ment Of what are known the sec
ondary feathers"
The third is male bird that is
minding his own business. He appears
as he always does I'm the forests OF
Siam. when there are no hens around:
These birds are rare, as far as exhipits
are concerned, because they are very
shy and have to be trapped. The group
is worth several hundred dollars
Huge Sea Serpent's Skeleton.
People talk about sea serpents with
a laugh. 1t is a fairy story and
nature fake with most OF them. but
right there in the paleontology exhioit
YOU can see the skeleton OF one It's
bigger than a whale and simmer. ana
he lived three million years ago. Theres
no fake about 1t. and the description
printed on the large piacard framed
Just beneath his jaws TENS All ~oout
him. A.. -,
reptile, seventeen feet long. furnished