48 , The National Collection 



As a special favor to the Forest, Fish and Game Society of America, a 

 large portion of this collection was loaned for exhibition at its first Sportsman's 

 Show, held in the Grand Central Palace; but because of the dangers of fire, 

 and the impossibility of ever replacing these specimens, if once destroyed, they 

 never again will be sent away from the Zoological Park for exhibition, or for 

 any other purpose. 



The Moose Heads. Of all the big animals of Alaska "big" bear, "big" 

 caribou and others, the "Giant" Moose, (Alces americanus gigas) appeals 

 most strongly to the imagination of everybody in general, and to the sports- 

 man in particular. It is truly the colossus of the North; and if the people of 

 the United States ever permit it to be even practically exterminated, they will 

 merit the scorn of all coming generations. Professor Osborn has said that 

 "Nature has been a million years in developing that wonderful animal; and 

 man should not ruthlessly destroy it!" 



The sight of one fine head of an Alaskan Moose should be enough to in- 

 duce any good American citizen to support heartily the principle of game pro- 

 tection in our arctic province. 



Thus far the largest Moose and the largest of all Moose antlers have come 

 from the Kenai Peninsula. It was there that Mr. Reed hunted Moose in Sep- 

 tember and October, 1900, and shot the six specimens whose heads now form 

 the most imposing feature of his collection. One only (Figure 15) has been 

 mounted ; and although the skins of the other five heads are present, in a fine 

 state of preservation, it seems to be the universal opinion of the animal painters 

 and sculptors, and horn experts, also, that the antlers look far more imposing 

 as they are, unmounted. We have been strongly advised by Mr. Carl Run- 

 gius and others, never to permit the grand-prize 76-inch antlers to be mounted. 



It is well, however, to have one mounted head of an Alaskan Moose, in 

 order that the enormous bulk of the living animal may be appreciated. 



The largest pair of Moose antlers (Plate IX) in this collection is, in the 

 opinion of the writer, the finest pair in the world. Its palmation is far wider, 

 and it has more points, than the antlers in the Field Museum, at Chicago, which 

 in spread surpass this pair by 2j inches. When killed, this head had a spread 

 of 76 inches, but in eight years of drying it has shrunken to 75 inches. All 

 Moose antlers lose width in about that proportion. Up to this time, Moose 

 antlers have been ranked by their spread alone; but I think that is a mistake. 

 In my opinion, area of palmation should be regarded as the leading feature, for 

 it is that which is most impressive in Moose antlers, far more so than wide 



