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BIRDS OF THE WORLD 47 
ing is either of skin, bark cloth, or loom-woven plant fiber. The manu- 
facture of a skin cloak is illustrated by one of the figures in the group to 
the left of the entrance; bark cloths from Uganda are shown in the 
northeastern section of the Hall; while looms and the completed garments 
are shown in the large central rectangle devoted to Congo ethnology. 
The most beautiful of the last-mentioned products are the ‘pile cloths”’ 
of the Bakuba, woven by the men and supplied with decorative pattern 
by the women. Very fine wooden goblets and other carvings bear 
witness to the high artistic sense of the African natives, who also excel 
other primitive races in their love of music, which is shown by the 
variety of their musical instruments. 
A unique art is illustrated in the Benin case in the northern section 
of the Hall, where the visitor will see bronze and brass castings made by a 
process similar to that used in Europe in the Renaissance period. It is 
doubtful to what extent the art may be considered native. 
The religious beliefs of the natives are illustrated by numerous 
fetiches and charms, believed to give security in battle or to avert evils. 
Ceremonial masks are shown, which were worn by the native medicine- 
men. 
[Return to Central Pavilion.| 

SoutH CENTRAL WING 
BIRDS OF THE WORLD 
Going north we enter the hall containing the general collection of 
birds. In the first four main cases on the right the 13,000 
reo known species are represented by typical examples of the 
the World Pp p y typ p 
principal groups arranged according to what is believed to 
be their natural relationship. The series begins with the Ostriches, the 
“lowest”’ birds (that is, those which seem to have changed least from 
their reptilian ancestors), and goes up to those which show the highest 
type of development, the Singing Perching Birds such as our Thrushes 
and Finches. The remaining cases on the right wall and all of those 
on the left show the geographical distribution of the bird fauna of the 
world. The specimens are grouped according to the great faunal 
regions, the Antarctic, South American Temperate, American Tropical, 
North American Temperate, Arctic, Eurasian, Indo-Malay, African and 
, Australian realms. These cases in connection with the accompanying 
maps give opportunity for a comparative study of the birds of the differ- 
ent parts of the world. In each region, as in the Synoptic Collection, the 
birds are arranged in their natural groups to the best of our present 
knowledge. 

