METEORITES 21 



Benjamin Franklin, statesman and natural philosopher, Alexander von 

 Humboldt, geographer and geologist, Louis Agassiz, zoologist, Joseph 

 Henry, physicist, John James Audubon, ornithologist, Spencer Pullerton 

 Baird, zoologist and founder of the United States Pish Commission, James 

 Dwighl Dana, geologist, John Torrey, botanist, Edward Drinker Cope, 

 paleontologist, Joseph Leidy, anatomist, and Robert E. Peary, Explorer. 



Memorial Hall was once the lecture hall and here thousands have listened 

 to Professor Bickmore. 



Circling this same hall is a portion of the collection of meteorites, popu- 

 larly known as "shooting stars," ranging in weight from a 

 Meteorites , ' . n „ _. , P 



lew pounds to 3o tons. I he greater number ot meteorites 



are stony, but the more interesting ones are composed chiefly of iron, while 

 certain meteorites contain both stone and iron. The toughness of iron 

 meteorites is due to the presence of nickel, and the fact that they were so 

 difficult to cut led to the adoption of an alloy of nickel and iron in making 

 the armor plate for battleships. Meteorites have a very definite structure 

 and when polished (see specimens on the right with electric lamp) show 

 characteristic lines which together with their composition are to the expert 

 absolute proof that the specimens are meteorites. 



"Ahnighito" or "The Tent" at the left is the largest known meteorite 

 in the world, and w r as brought from Cape York, Greenland, 

 Meteorit ^y Admiral R. E. Peary. It weighs 36 tons, and its trans- 



portation to New York was an engineering feat. Opposite 

 it at the right is the curiously pitted "Willamette" meteo- 

 rite from Oregon which was the subject of a famous lawsuit. 

 Willamette . . 



Meteorit ^ e sma ^ er meteorites will be found in the Hall of Geol- 



ogy, fourth floor. [The collection of meteorites is described 

 in Guide Leaflet No. 26.] 



SOUTH CENTRAL WING 



Indians of the North Pacific Coast 



North of Memorial Hall, that is to the rear of the Jesup statue, is the 



North Pacific Hall, where are displayed collections illustrat- 



Indians of ing tne cinture f tne Indians of the Northwest Coast of 



~ , . . < America and also of the Eskimo. These collections are 

 Columbia and 



Alaska arranged geographically so that in passing from south to 



north through the hall the visitor meets the tribes in the 

 same sequence that he would in traveling up the west coast of North 

 America. 



