J. F. G. Stokes' Visit to American Museum. 15 



not been overlooked, and several skeletons have been mounted so 

 that individual bones could be removed for study without disturb- 

 ing the others. Very fine bird groups were exhibited, among 

 others, the Duck Hawk Group being very remarkable. In mount- 

 ing groups, more attention has been paid to those of North America; 

 each group was composed of the male and female, with the nest 

 and eggs, their home surroundings being imitated in a way which 

 showed how near Art was to Nature. The same could be said of 

 the mounting of the mammals ; two large groups in particular, of 

 moose and bison, were reputed to be the best in the world. The 

 Archaeological Department has been well arranged, and was very 

 rich in collecftions from Central America and Mexico. Much at- 

 tention has been paid to these localities, and where an important 

 specimen has been unobtainable for the museum, it was repre- 

 sented b}^ a well executed cast. In ethnolog}^, some very fine col- 

 lecftions from the Pacific region were viewed. A colledlion had 

 lately been purchased, and an experiment was being made of 

 carding the specimens on dark buff boards — the specimens thus 

 mounted looked very well but required such a large space that it 

 has yet to be ascertained if the extra expense and additional room 

 needed will justify this method. A very neat and effecftive way of 

 mounting the butterflies has been adopted : plaster tablets faced 

 with glass enclosed the insects, and in order to show the back and 

 underpart, two tablets were used for each species. This method, 

 too, requires very much room, although making a pleasing exhibit 

 for the public. The museum has spent much time in order to 

 please the people of New York, and many special collecftions were 

 exhibited to show forms of life found within a radius of fifty miles 

 from New York Cit}-. 



In Boston, the Society of Natural History was visited, and the 

 museum had an appearance of long standing. The material .seen 

 in it must be of great value, although overcrowded. This society 

 has issued many very valuable publications. 



The Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and Eth- 

 nology held in its halls among other fine colledlions, very good 

 ones of ethnological material from the Pacific region, including 

 rare specimens from the Hawaiian, Fijian and Marquesan Islands. 

 Its colledlion of archaeological specimens was very rich. The cases 

 for exhibition were well planned, and each specimen could be seen 

 with ease if the background of the cases were of a lighter color. 



