THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



recently in close examination of the crystallographic treasures 

 in the mineral collection of the Museum. 



The value of the biograph for use in illustrating lectures upon 

 natural-history topics was demonstrated to the scientific staff 

 one afternoon by an exhibition of rolls of pictures of large and 

 small animals and of microscopic preparations. Among the 

 subjects were the culture of bees, life in aquaria and the circula- 

 tion of blood in living tissues. 



Four series of fine skulls and antlers of newly described 

 caribou have been mounted and placed on exhibition on the walls 

 of the east corridor near the halls of mammalogy. 



On Thanksgiving Day a special exhibit was made in the 

 central hall of the main floor showing the dift'erent kinds of game 

 birds which are used in connection with Thanksgiving feasts in 

 different parts of the country. The largest and most striking 

 of these of course was the wild turkey, the progenitor of the 

 familiar domesticated fowl. An interesting and little-known 

 fact was brought out upon the label accompanying this exhibit, 

 which was that the turkey, although a native of Mexico, and un- 

 known in Europe before the time of Columbus, was imported 

 into the northern part of the United States from Europe. The 

 supposed origin of the fowl is indicated in its name "Turkey." 

 In other parts of the world, other places of origin are indicated by 

 local names, as, for instance, in France, where the name " Dinde", 

 indicates that the people first supposed the bird to be a native of 

 India. 



The late Homer F. Bassett of Waterbury, Conn., was one of 

 the best-known authorities in the world on the Cynipidae or 

 Gall- Insects. In the course of his studies he assembled a large 

 collection which was remarkable for the variety and perfection 

 of its specimens. Mrs. Margaret D. Bassett, his widow, has re- 

 cently given to the Museum the duplicates from this celebrated 

 collection. The material presented contains several thousand 

 specimens of Galls and Gall-Insects, including the ty])es of 68 

 species described by Mr. Bassett. 



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