MUSEUM EXHIBITS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22346, 18 February 1936, Page 17

MUSEUM EXHIBITS

FEW RECENT ADDITIONS FINE SPECIMEN OF IGUANA Although additions to the Auckland War Memorial Museum exhibits have not been ; numerous during the past month, possibly owing to the holiday season, there has been a number of interesting' acquisitions. From Fiji has come a fine specimen of the iguana, a colourful lizard common in America, but found elsewhere only in Madagascar and the Fiji-Tonga group. It was specially caught by residents for the museum through Mr. G. Scott, of Nukualofa, though the natives still retain the general .Polynesian aversion to handling lizards. The specimen, 'with its long tail, i 6 a rich emerald, green with darker markings, and has;'a bright blue head, a conspicuous throat pQuch and a row of small spines along the back. Another interesting gift is that of a boar's head showing extreme curving of the tusks. This was found in the King Country and presented by Mr. G. L. Peacock! In this case tho tusks have penetrated the jawbone from the outside and passed through at the level of the base of. the teeth to protrude through intp. the mouth. The gradual nature of the process is well illustrated-by th§ : fact that the fangs of one tooth have been worn completely away. Among the few ethnological gifts is a very large kumete, or wooden food bowl, presented by Mr. C. C. Mun;ro, of Clevedon, a!nd found at Wakatere. The bowl is well finished with shaped handles and has one lip perforated, presumably to enable it to be carried with ■flax handles during long journeys.