Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-03-25
AMERICAN ANIMALS
STATUES PREFERRED
Dr.. ShufeIdt Would Give Them
Preference in D. C. Zoo
logical Art.
OPPOSES LIONS AND TIGERS

American animals. such as the bears,
antelopes, deer. mountain goats and buf-
faloes. should have the place of honor in
geological statuary in the National Capt.
tai. rather than acknowledgements animals.
such lions and tigers, DR. r w Shu-
feldt told members of the Biological So
ciety at its 56sth meeting held at the
Cosmos Club last night
1T is lions here lions there. lions every
where. and several of them very impos-
sible lions at that" DIR. Shufeldt declared
in the course of his illustrated paper, in
which he advocated proper establishment
of the various entrances to the National
Geological Park by means of animal stat
uary of the perfectly good United States
animals named.
''In Washington, foreign animals have.
altogether too often. been employed as
subjects for statues the speaker stated.
He scored the lions on the Connecticut
Avenue bridge and those on the Columbus
memorial at the Union station as belong
ing to the impossible lion group, char
actertzing the Connecticut Avenue bridge
kinds of the desert as looking as If they
are sick.
Doesn't Like Eagles, Either.
Or. Shufeldt doesn't like the statuary
eagles around the city, either.
Among birds. the eagle is the only
species that has been selected for repre-
sentation. in so far as / have observed,
he said. He stated that he owed thanks
10 Col. William W. Harris. superintendent
of public buildings and grounds, and to
Daniel ]. Donovan. secretary TO lne DIs
trict Commissioners, for aid given IN pre-
pairing the paper.
The selection of the eagle. Or. Shufeldt
believed, is due to the fact that it hap
pens to be the emblematic form selected
FOR the United States of America
In no instance known TO me Is the
eagle represented naturally in any
piece of sculpture. or in any metal
reproduction in thee of Washing,
ston-that is, in so far as exposed
groups In public places are concerned.
the speaker declared.
Scores of these birds are to be
found. but they are all more or less
localized. and performing some feat
that makes them appear ridiculous
from whatever viewpoint we may Sc
.lect The arrangement and number
of the feathers in the wings and TAN
ure invariably incorrect
Better Models in Zoo Park"
= There are plenty of live eagles in
the Geological Park that the sculptors
might select as models for their works,
DR.. Shufeldt advised.
Bisons on the Q street bridge came
In for high praise from DR.. Shufeldt,
who instanced them as fine examples
Of virile American animals put into
statuary form for the people of the
land to come and admire in ages to
come, when bisons are one with dino
saurs and dodoes.
= The Zoo is a splendid place for the
introduction of such sculpture, accord
ing to the lecturer. who declared that
-all the entrances to this grand reser-
walton are singularly unattractive and
primatiye in character" 1t is high time,
he said that a suitable sum he appro-
priated for giving Zoo" entrances
character in keeping with. the natural
magnificence of the park.
statue of bull elk was recon-
mended for the main entrance at Con-
Hecticut avenue.
W, p. Taylor gave notes on Aplodonta,
and W. Dwight Pierce paper, illustrated
by diagrams, on 1.-The Extraordinary
Strepsipterous Type of Parasitisn.