Editorial Notes. 139 



seuni a very large and valuable collection of ivory carvings which will 

 shortly be placed upon exhibition. 



It is hoped that we may be able on the coming celebration of 

 Founder's Day at the end of April to throw open the Gallery of Rep- 

 tiles to the public. While it will be only scantily furnished, neverthe- 

 less it will contain much of interest, among other things a splendid 

 large group representing the Diamond-back Rattlesnake in its native 

 haunts, which has been completed by the Messrs. Santens and Mr. G. 

 A. Link. 



We are very desirous of completing our collection of the Birds of 

 Paradise. While possessing representatives of a number of genera and 

 species, there are many lacunae in the collection, which we desire to 

 fill, and all persons who have in their possession collections from which 

 they might possibly be able either by sale or exchange to help us fill 

 the gaps which exist in our collection, are requested to correspond 

 with the Museum. 



The celebration of Convocation Day by the University of Pittsburgh 

 on February the 12th, Lincoln's birthday, was utilized as an occasion 

 upon which to display to the public two important historical souvenirs 

 of "The Great Emancipator," which are in the possession of the 

 Museum. One is a life mask of President Lincoln, made by the 

 sculptor Clark Mills, assisted by his son, Theodore A. Mills. This 

 mask was made sixty days before the assassination of the President. 

 With it was displayed a cane which has a history. The director of 

 the Museum on placing these objects before the audience said, in speak- 

 ing of the cane, " When Abraham Lincoln passed through Pittsburgh 

 on his way to Washington to be inaugurated, he spent the night at the 

 Monongahela House, and the Chairman of the Republican County 

 Committee, Mr. M. McGonnigle, handed to him this cane. There 

 are fourteen knots on the cane, corresponding in number to the letters 

 in the name of the President, and on each one of these knots is a 

 silver plate with a letter, spelling the words A-B-R-A-H-A-M L-LN- 

 C-O-L-N. Below the handle of the cane is a silver plate on which 

 are inscribed the words ' Allegheny County, Pa. Lincoln, 16,725. 

 Fusion, 6,725,' these numbers representing the votes which had been 

 cast for the then President-elect. President Lincoln on receiving the 

 cane made a brief speech, in which he expressed his gratitude to ' the 



