92 THE NAUTILUS. 



is of the first importance) is indeed a most difficult art, requiring 

 not only a skillful artisan but a scientist as well. If a museum is a 

 collection of prepared specimens, here is a collection of museums in 

 course of preparation. This work is carried on by a force of from 

 forty to fifty in a group of twelve or fourteen large buildings, each 

 devoted to a special department. Our time being limited we could 

 only take a glance at most of the departments. The nearest build- 

 ing to Prof. Ward's residence contains the minerals. A rich collec- 

 tion of meteorites many of them cut in sections. A splendid series, 

 of the many varieties of Quartz. Many interesting forms of the 

 calcite group, including long stalactites, etc., also beautiful spec- 

 imens of apatite, garnet, malachite, stibnite, etc. In the next building 

 is the geological department ; and here we see a specimen which is a 

 treat to both the paleontologist and conchologist: this is the 

 Cerithium giganteum from the Paris Basin (eocene) with a })erfect 

 aperture. The entire shell is about a foot long, the aperture being 

 expanded like that of a Stromb. A great series of beautiful Ammo- 

 nites many of them cut and polished, makes the collector of recent 

 shells envy the paleontologist and wish that even one species had 

 survived with its near kinsman the Nautilus. Here, too, are 

 polished slabs showing sun-cracks, the cracks filled with calcite, 

 great slabs four to eight feet in length covered with ripple-marks, 

 while near at hand is the modelling room, where casts and restora- 

 tions of rare and unique fossils are prepared. A cast of a great 

 Glyptodon is in course of construction. In an adjoining room an 

 Irish elk is almost ready for the museum, also a beautiful piece of 

 work for an archseological museum, a model of the ' Serpent 

 Mound ' of Ohio. 



" The relief-maps represent a great deal of careful and accurate 

 work. This is the class of maps that should be in every museum, 

 college, and school. Prof. Ward is now at work on a large relief- 

 map of New York State for the State exhibit at Chicago. The 

 department of human anatomy contains many examples of exquisite 

 workmanship. Hastily going thi'ough the department of taxi- 

 dermy we note the large mounted elephant with its young, arranged 

 in a very natural and attractive manner; the Indian and American 

 buffalo, side by side ; the many species of Cervidw; the large groups 

 of monkeys ; superb specimens of the Bengal tiger, male and female. 

 ' The skunk family ' in and around their burrow, as natural as life, 

 is both instructive and amusing ; and the hundreds of other spec- 



