EXHIBIT AT THE COTTON STATES EXPOSITION. 621 



great sections of the globe not represented in the family collection. 

 Thus there are two boxes of European butterflies and moths, one of 

 Asiatic, one of African, three of South American, and one of South 

 American beetles. These "show" cases, for such they practically are, 

 differ, however, from similar show collections in having' each insect 

 properly named, so that many a specimen which lias perhaps become 

 familiar to the museum or exposition visitor by virtue of its attract- 

 iveness and brilliancy will here be properly introduced by name, and 

 thus give an added pleasure to those who wish to be able to call things 

 by name. 



DEPARTMENT OF PALEONTOLOGY. 



The exhibit occupied one double case in Alcove G, and was intended 

 to show, so far as could be done in a small space, the character of the 

 collections in the Museum and the maimer in which they are arranged 

 and labeled. It included one hundred and sixteen species of North 

 American fossils, arranged according to their geological age, and is 

 described as follows by Mr. Charles Schuchert: 



The fossils are arranged in the order of their appearance, or chrono- 

 logically, with a view to illustrate some peculiar characteristic of the 

 geological systems. The surface distribution of each system is shown 

 on the colored map of the United States on top of the case. The oldest 

 undoubted fossil-bearing horizon in JSorth America is the Cambrian, 

 which is distinguished for the variety and abundance of its trilobites 

 or lowly organized crustaceans (shown on the extreme left of the case). 

 It is remarkable that so early in the history of life great diversity of 

 structure is attained, since this system has all the essential types of 

 invertebrate animals or organisms without internal hard skeletons, 

 such as Sponges, Corals, Molluscs, and Crustaceans. In the next sec- 

 tion — the Ordovician system — the Mollusca or shell-bearing animals are 

 present in great diversity of form. These animals continue promi- 

 nently throughout all succeeding geological formations, and are particu- 

 larly abundant in the Tertiary strata. The Devonian is marked by 

 extensive coral reefs, of which but a few species can be here shown, on 

 account of their large size; at this time peculiar strongly armored fishes 

 also abound. The Carboniferous system, more particularly the Lower 

 Carboniferous, is characterized by the development of Crinoids or 

 stone lilies, animals related to starfishes. A number of excellent 

 specimens from the celebrated locality at Crawford sville, Ind., are 

 shown. This system is also peculiar for the first abundant and diverse 

 development of land plants whose remains have supplied the material 

 for the many coal seams. In the shale bands between the coal or in 

 the roofs of coal mines beautiful ferns abound, some of which are 

 shown. 



In the Carboniferous air-breathing animals occur rarely, but in sub- 

 sequent strata land animals are more numerous. In the Jurassic, or the 

 system immediately below the Cretaceous, great reptile-like animals — 

 the Dinosaurs — abounded, some 70 feet and more in length, continuing 

 to the close of the Cretaceous. Among shelled animals the Ammonites 

 are particularly peculiar to these systems. 



From the Tertiary formations of the llocky Mountain region their 

 young have been exhumed, mauy and diverse mammals or animals that 



