SI Li'in li-iiorroM wiiaiJ': 83 



SOUTHEAST WING 



Mammals of iiik Wokld 



Continuing (^ast from the hall where arc the ajx's and monkoys, we 

 jiass the elevators, to (Mit(M- tlie hall of the Soufhcdst Wing, devoted main- 

 ly to the Prin('ij)al Families of Mannnals and their Evolution in Past 

 Ages. Th(^ (^xhil)its n^ad like the pages of a hook from left to right, 



being arranged to l)ring out the phylogeny or past history 

 th w Id ^^^ development of the chief divisions of mammals. The 



specimens are arrangcnl not on shelves but close against 

 the background of the case on small projecting supports and from each a 

 cord has been stretched down along the background to a diagrammatic 

 representation of the geological periods. In this way are indicated the 

 relationships of the various animals to one another as well as the geolog- 

 ical age in which each animal probably originated. CircUng the hall above 

 the cases is a mural frieze representing marine scenes, which serves as a 

 background for groups of porpoises, dolphins and other small members of 

 the whale family. The most striking object in the hall is the life-size 

 model of a sulphur-bottom whale, seventy-nine feet in length. The 



original of this specimen w^as captured in Newfoundland 

 Model of and the model is accurately reproduced from careful 



Sulphur- measurements. This huge creature is not only the largest 



Whale of hving animals, but, so far as we know, the largest 



animal that has ever lived: A specimen of this size 

 weighs from sixty to seventy tons, about twice as much as Brontosaurus. 

 As can be seen by examining the models of a whale 's head attached to 

 the pillar, the whalebone wdiich takes the place of teeth hangs in great 

 plates from the inside of the upper jaw. This whalebone acts as a 

 strainer in the mouth of the whale and extracts the small animals from 

 the sea water which the whale takes into his mouth when feeding. The 

 food consists mostly of tiny crustaceans less than an inch in length. 

 Although whales and porpoises live in the water they are not fishes, but 

 are w^arm-blooded and breathe by means of lungs, not gills. The w^hale 

 must come to the surface to breathe and the so-called "spouting" is 

 merely the result of the warm air being expelled from the lungs when he 

 breathes. A whale does not spout water as is commonly supposed. 

 Models to scale of the other whalebone whales, and the toothed sperm 

 whale, and skeletons of the smaller whales are hung near for comparison. 

 The plans for the next addition to the Museum building include a 

 large hall to contain whales and other marine animals. 



The case along the gallery rail contains insects of many kinds which 

 are placed here temporarily. 



