REPTILES A XI) A MPHIBIA NS 5 1 



At the right is a large wall case group of the Atlantic walrus. These 

 Walrus huge mammals arc relatives of the seals, inhabit the waters 



Group of the far north and are still fairly abundant along the shores 



of Greenland. The seal and walrus are the animals which play such an 

 important part in the life of the Eskimo. From these animals come the prin- 

 cipal food supply, skins for clothing, for fishing and hunting gear, boat 

 covers, and harnesses tor dog team-; from bones and tusks are made knives, 

 bows, harpoons, and other hunting and cooking utensils. 

 The polar bear and cubs were secured for the Museum by 

 Admiral Peary. 



The Roosevelt elk or wapiti inhabits the ( loast Range of mountains from 



_ , „„ British Columbia to northern California. These animals are 



Roosevelt Elk ■ . ,.,.,, i , 



nearing the verge of extinction through indescribable slaughter 



although formerly very abundant. 



The specimens in the musk ox group were collected for the Museum 

 Peary by Admiral Peary in 1890. Musk oxen inhabit the snow- 



Musk ox covered wastes of the Arctic barrens, living upon willow 



Group leaves, lichen and bark dug up from under the snow. 



The collection of reptiles and amphibians is exhibited at the east side 



of this hall and in the adjoining tower room. Because of 



A . ., . the difficult v of preserving the natural covering of manv of 



Amphibians » i i ... 



these animals they are usually exhibited in jars of alcohol. 



In the specimens on exhibition here the perishable parts have been cast in 



wax from life; for example in the star tortoise the original "shells" of the 



specimens are used, while the head, neck and legs are restored in wax. 



The classification of these animals is shown in the tall cases along the 

 west side of the alcove, the case to the right of the entrance being devoted 

 to the amphibians; the others to lizards, snakes, turtles and crocodiles. 

 The mounting not only brings out the principal features of the species 

 exhibited, but in many instances illustrates also some distinctive habit of 

 the animals; for instance the common newt, one of the salamanders, is 

 represented by a series of five life-size casts showing the process of shedding 

 the skin; Pickering's hyla or the "spring peeper" is shown with vocal sacs 

 inflated; the poisonous bushmaster is represented with its eggs, and so on. 



The groups in the center of the hall represent various reptiles as they 

 appear in their natural haunts. They include the tuberculated iguana, the 

 water moccasin, the diamond-backed rattlesnake, the Texas rattlesnake, the 

 copperhead, the Gila monster, the pine snake, the box tortoise and the 

 common painted turtle. 



One of the most interesting of the groups is a jungle scene in India sho w- 



