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.| 

SOUTHEAST WING 
MAMMALS oF NortTH 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 
Opossum 
Raccoon 
Foxes 
sly cunning. 
