4 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



or habitats were installed, while framed copies of published 

 matter descriptive of certain exhibits were mounted near them. 

 Other frames contained, what we should now call, synoptical 

 •collections of certain groups with full descriptive labels ; while 

 microscopes with insects etc. arranged under them were availa- 

 ble to the visitor. Special exhibits included a wolf tearing a 

 lamb to pieces and we are told that the papier-mache entrails 

 <of the latter from the skilled and realistic hands of Rubens 

 Peale bulged out so naturally that they appeared living and in 

 motion. There was also a " South American Mermaid" — half 

 "fish and half hairless, dried monkey. ^ 



This was about 1820, but a catalogue of the museum pub- 

 lished in 1805 gives us an idea of its extent at a much earlier 

 date. ' ' There are now in the collection' ' , it states, ' ' perhaps 

 all the birds belonging to the middle, many of which likewise 

 belong to the Northern and Southern States and a considerable 

 number from South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and New 

 Holland and the recently discovered islands in the South Seas. 

 The number exceeds 760 without the admission of any dupli- 

 cates, contained in 140 cases." The mammals included "the 

 Orang Outang or wild man of the woods. The Crested Porcu- 

 pine, some of whose quills measure 18 in,, the American and 

 New Holland ditto, Madagascar Bats (measuring 4 ft. from tip 

 to tip). The Lama or Camel of South America, the untameable 

 Hyaena and fierce Jackall, American Elks, the Picary, remark- 

 able for a secretary organ on its back. The slow-moving 

 Bradypus or Sloth, Antelopes from Africa, the Indian Musk of 

 astonishing agility and the Kangaroo or Opossum from Botany 

 Bay etc." 



The ornithological specimens of most importance in Peale' s 

 museum were Wilson's types of North American birds, the 

 originals of the descriptions in his "American Ornithology." 

 Some of these were apparently collected and presented by him 

 and under each species in his work is given the catalogue num- 

 ber of a specimen exhibited in the museum. There were also 

 €ome types of George Ord, Bonaparte and Say. Fortunately 



'Colton. 



