Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-10-31
ROOSEVELT TROPHIES
AMID AFRICAN PLANTS
Animal Groups Will Be Givern a
Natural Setting at the Ma
tional Museum.

An interesting feature of taxidermy
is soon to be exhibited in the National
Museum. In connection with the re-
arranging of the scenic effect or one
of the Roosevelt animal groups. actual
African plants and grasses are to be
filed with plaster and preserved In
their natural state to give the animal
specimens local color.
In the art of modern taxidermy the
old system of simply ''stuff1ng" the
skins Of animals has been done away
with and a standard method of accu-
rate Hfe-size modelling established.
Over a carefully made plaster cast of
this model the skin is stretched. glued
and sewed, so that it is difficult to see
how it was accomplished; for the mo-
ment it is easy to believe that the
animal itself has been preserved in
tact in some marvellous manner.
For many years past the National
Museum has been employing natural
scenery-real grass, foliage and soil.
groups, much as in theatrical effects,
to create a natural atmosphere. Nova
days museums do not simply mount In
dividual animals on platform and
ed in natural attitudes and groundwork
suitable to both the environment and
the posture of the figures is prepared.
In Social Groups.
The animals are often arranged in
family or social groups that the stu
dent or spectator can CLEAN something
more than an impression of how an
isolated specimen looks. Physical geog-
[raphy, geology, botany and other stud
les now enter the field Of taxtdermy.
In preparing a new setting for the
African buffalo group. built in the Ma
tional Museum about year ago, the
three animals are to be left in their
original positions. which indicate alarm,
just as they were first discovered by
the hunters. but in addition they are
to be represented as standing on the
edge of an African papyrus swamp.
sent the effect of the marsh land where
the buffalo live. the grasses and plants
being added, that a complete picture
Of the African swamp may be effected.
Since nearly all grasses and foliage
are subject to decay and shrinkage.
and color. they, like the skins of the
animals, are especially prepared. Few
grasses, as a rule, can be dyed or pre-
served in anything like their natural
form, but, fortunately, to this end the
papyrus lends itself very well.
Preparing Plants.
The plants having thick stems are
opened. and the pithy inner removed;
they are then bent or curved and Sc
cured in the position desired. wired and
filed with plaster. When the plaster is
set, the plants are painted to represent
their colors in life and grouped to-
gether with other grasses to form q
setting for the animals.
When the African buffalo group was
first assembled. as no African material
was yet at hand, 1t was decided to use
temporarily cosmopolitan foliage which
was to be found here as we'll as in
Africa. Although the artistic effect
proved very satisfactory, the museum
officials determined to have this group
rs technically correct in every detail as
the lion, the hartebeest and the rhi-
noceros groups already on exhibition
and finally arrangements were made
whereby the native African material
was obtained. Several cases Of papyrus
plants and arundo grass were secured
from the natural habitat Of these buff
falo. and the animals. set in their true
environment, will soon be placed on ex-
hibition again.
This process makes for keener inter-
est to the general observer as well as
the special student in mammalosy. and
forms one Of the latest developments
In museum exhibition work.