MAMMALS OF NORTH AMERICA 



45 



Africa and South America; ganoids, including the sturgeon, gar pike, 

 paddlefish, bowfin and the African bichirs. In earlier geological ages 

 ganoids were more numerous than other fishes, but at present they are 

 few and relatively unimportant. 



The teleosts or bony fishes comprise about 10,500 species, or nearly 

 nine-tenths of all existing forms, including the majority of food and game 

 fishes, such as the bass, carp, cod, eel and herring. 



An exhibit of fossil fishes is to be found on the fourth floor. 



[Return to the astronomical clock 

 and the corridor of the elevators 



Opossum 



SOUTHEAST WING 



Mammals of North America 



Continuing east beyond the elevator corridor, we enter the hall contain- 

 ing specimens of North American mammals. In the cases on the west wall 

 are several groups illustrating the mammals found within fifty miles of New 

 York City. The first of these groups shows the opossum, the sole repre- 

 sentative in the United States of the marsupial or pouched 

 mammal. With what appear to be the head and ears of a 

 pig and the prehensile tail of a monkey, with a strange pouch for the trans- 

 portation of the young, and with proverbial cunning and remarkable 

 tenacity of life, the opossum is one of the quaintest and most interesting 

 of North American mammals. This is the animal so famous in the negro 

 songs of the South. 



Next in order is the raccoon, more commonly known as 

 the "coon." It is nocturnal in habit and makes its nest 

 in hollow trees. Two species of fox are shown, the red fox 

 and the gray fox, both of which are justly famous for their 



Raccoon 



Foxes 



sly cunning. 



