IN INDIAN WILDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18495, 4 September 1923, Page 8

IN INDIAN WILDS.

SPECIMENS FOR MUSEUM.

SUCCESSFUL EXPEDITION,

HAUL OF BIG GAME.

Visitors to our large Natural HistoryMuseum seldom realise the enormous amount of time and energy required to collect the finished specimens which they see displayed in the glass : cases that line the hells and corridors, writes the correspondent of ,a. London paper. Some idea, however, of the prodigious task involved can be gained by referring to the field notes of the Vernay-Faunthorpe expedition just returned from India.

The party left London over six months ago and are now home again with a collection of some 450 specimens to their credit. Of these .110 aro mammals, the list, including elephants, rhino, bison, tsaing,,:tiger, leopard, bear, pig, .'gohd, thamm, sarabmv and-a host :of small «ir deer, antelope,; etc. This very valuable collection is •being presented by Mr. A. 8. Vernay ■ and Colonel Faunthorpe to the American ; Museum' of Natural ' History in New York in appreciation of the many courtesies extended to - them : while in America..•:.•:. £~. . :^y/i}:fy:fi : : -.-■;:■. %,:'. >v :

The specimens will be set up in the new Roosevelt Memorial Hall just ; being completed at a : cost 'of something like £2,000,000. ; The mounting will be done in groups, that': is to ' say, male; female, and young • ones, ;all arranged together in a glass ■■ case just , as they - might appear lin real life. To facilitate this work hundreds of photographs had to ■ be taken of the animals in characteristic poses, .and 'also accurate measurements at the time they were shot. From these data "■ the 'J lifelike models are prepared on ; : which the skins are eventually stretched, The effect thus obtained is true to nature, and each group will- present & realistic scene such a* might ibe encountered r any : time in the jungle : where ; the particular animal was found. :.;•,■' . > > * ■< \

During six ; months*, absence the expedition travelled over ,the majority of the Indian • v plains, :■.■ •, Nepal, ,•. and ' tJpper Burma, covering some 24,000 miles in all. Of this 11,500 was by sea, 10,300 by' rail, 570 by motor, and : 550 ; oh the backs of elephants. To this i again 'i must 'be added 840 weary miles on foot and other shorter distances by bullock cart, camel, horses, etc. During 185 days 76 were spent' on the move, 14 in making the necessary bandabafst.: and 95 actually in' camp. > ? For size and number of . specimens thi) results obtained constitute a?; record, which even American energy and push would have"difficulty in beating. Even the authorities of the Museum in New. York t#l«*craphM - to Mr. Vernay that they hardly : thought. it possible to get so numerous a collection in such a short time '. . . ■ -i.

Th Indian. Government took a greali dea' of interest in ■■ the work of the ex" pedition, and it was thankß to this, and also the invaluable assistance -. of men. like the Maharajah of Nepal -and; th*i 'Maharajah of Mysore that so much wan accomplished in . such . a ehort , space oil tire<» . ' ': |,v ''\ ■"' " "

It should be-pointed out" that not only were skins preserved. but likewise com plete skeletons representative of every animal shot. In the. case of rhino • audi elephant the hfindline of their colossal! bones was .no, easy matter, and the taxid - evmist,' Mf. J. Jonas, had his work cut out for hiwi when four of the ; former h ac! to be; dealt with in the *p»ce;vOf four davs. \ Ordinarily the skinning of one such animal • a week' would .be considered exceptionally;' good work, but \ to':'; have them come in at the rate of■ one a day, and to prevent ; their bides from gbiniif bad -with the temperature well over 90 in the shade, was no child's play.