METEORITES 11 
From the lobby the visitor first enters Memorial Hall and faces the 
Statue of marble statue of Morris K. Jesup, third President of the 
Morris K. Jesup\fuseum. Mr. Jesup was a founder, trustee and benefac- 
tor of the Museum and for twenty-seven years its President. Under his 
administration and through his liberality the Museum made rapid pro- 
gress. This statue of Mr. Jesup was executed by William Couper and 
was presented to the Museum by the Trustees and a few other friends. 
The marble busts in the wall niches represent noteworthy pioneers of 
American science, and are the gift of Morris Kk. Jesup. These include 
Benjamin Franklin, statesman and natural philosopher, Alexander von 
Humboldt, geographer and geologist, Louis Agassiz, zoélogist, Joseph 
Henry, physicist, John James Audubon, ornithologist, Spencer Fullerton 
Baird, zoélogist 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 
Meiecrites 
Ahnighito in the world and was brought from Cape York, Greenland, 
Meteorite by 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” meteorite from Oregon which 
Willamette was the subject of a famous lawsuit. The smaller meteor- 
Meteorite ites will be found in the Hall of Geology, fourth floor, 
[The collection of meteorites is described in Guide Leaflet No. 26.] 
Jadeite Here too is a polished boulder of jade, or jadeite, the 
Boulder second largest ever found. 
