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 IS^autilus. 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, Avhere 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 archaeological 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 through the department of taxi- 

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

 in a very natui-al and attractive manner; the Indian and American 

 buffalo, side by side ; the many species of Cervidce; 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- 



