THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 



erected by the Trustees and a few other friends, in recog- 

 nition of his munificent benefactions to the institution. 



Circling this same hall is a portion of the Museum's col- 

 lection of meteorites, 1 popularly known as shooting stars, 

 ranging in weight from a few pounds to thirty-six tons. 

 The greater number of meteorites are stony, but the more 

 interesting are composed chiefly of iron, while certain of 

 them contain both stone and iron. The toughness of iron 

 meteorites is due to the presence of nickel, and the fact 

 that they were so difficult to cut led to the adoption of an 

 alloy of nickel and iron in making the armor plate for bat- 

 tleships. Meteorites have a very definite structure and 

 when polished (see specimen on the right with electric lamp) 

 show characteristic lines which together with their compo- 

 sition are, to the expert, absolute proof that the specimens 

 are meteorites. 



"Ahnighito," or 'The Tent," at the left, is the largest 

 known meteorite and was brought from Cape York, Green- 

 land, by Rear Admiral Peary. It weighs thirty-six and one 

 half tons, and its transportation to New York was an engi- 

 neering feat. Opposite, at the right, is the curiously pitted 

 "Willamette" meteorite from Oregon. The smaller meteor- 

 ites will be found in the Hall of Geology, fourth floor. 



gist and founder of the United States Fish Commission; James 

 Dwight Dana, geologist; John Torrey, botanist; Edward Drinker 

 Cope, paleontologist; Joseph Leidy, anatomist, and Robert E. 

 Peary, explorer. 



1 The Meteorites in the Foyer of the American Museum of 

 Natural History .10. 



8 



