Tlic Moose (iroiip, on ;i similar scale 

 and with ((Hial detail and realisiii, illus- 

 trates the life history of the larj^ost f^ame 

 animal ol America, with its entirely dif- 

 ferent habits and haunts. The elk, the 

 Barren (Jround earil)ou of the Alaskan 

 I'eninsnia. tiie musk o\ of Arctic Amer- 

 ica, the wliite slice]) of the northern 

 Kockies. tlie Atlantic walrus ami the 

 Alaska fur seal, arc each placed hefore 

 the \isitor in a way to illustrate im- 

 ])rcssi\'ely their hahits and the condi- 

 tions under which they li\('. All ()f the 

 nuimmals characteristic of New ^ ork 

 State, except the field mice, shrews and 

 hats, are similarly illustrated, so that 

 the children of Xew York City have 

 thus the opportunity to see and become 

 in a way familiar with the principal 

 mammals of Xew York, many of which 

 they would never see in life, and of 

 none of which would they ever he able 

 to obtain more than fleeting glimpses in 

 a state of nature. 



The bird groups, with their j)ano- 

 ramic backgrounds and elaborate treat- 

 ment, now occupying the entire gallery 

 of the north wing of the Museiun, jjossess 

 an educ-ational \a.lue not easily over- 

 estimated, illustrating as they do the 

 principal types of North American bird 

 life in a way to bring vividly before the 

 visitor not only the habits and haunts 

 of the species represented, but also the 

 types of country they iidiabit. They arc 

 thus highly educational from the standpoint of geograi)liy and climate, as 

 well as eminently pleasing a'sthetically. The accompanying descriptive labels 

 supply the necessary information to render the groujjs easily understood. 



The interest and \alue of this visual instruction to the children of the 

 schools is best api)reciated by witnessing the avidity with which they scan 

 these elaborately j)resented glimpses of bird aufl mammal life, these bits 

 of nature transferred to the nmseuin where they may be studied in detail 



anfl at leisure. 



249 



The MiiscHim proxidcs instructors to 

 guide teachfrs and classes, explaining 

 at request exhibits that correlatf with 

 classroom work 



