METEORITES 23 



These include Benjamin Franklin, statesman and natural philosopher, 

 Alexander von Humboldt, geographer and geologist, Louis Agassiz, 

 zoologist, Joseph Henry, physicist, John James Audubon, ornithologist, 

 Spencer Fullerton Baird, zoologist and founder of the United States 

 Fish Commission, James Dwight 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, 

 . popularly known as "shooting stars," ranging in weight 



from a few pounds to 36 tons. The greater number of 

 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 was brought from Cape York, Greenland, 



Ahnighito j^y Af^miral R. E. Peary. It weighs 36 tons, and its trans- 



e eon e portation to New York was an engineering feat. Opposite 



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

 Willamette ^^^ from Oregon which was the subject of a famous law- 

 Meteorite suit. The smaller meteorites will be found in the Hall of 



Geology, 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 illus- 



Lidians of trating the culture of the Indians of the northwest coast 



of America. These collections are arranged geographically 

 so that in passing from south to north through the hall the 

 visitor meets with the tribes in the same sequence that he 



would in traveling up the west coast of North America. 



British 

 Columbia and 

 Alaska 



