diplodocus, of which replicas have been presented by Mr. Carnegie to England, Germany, and France. This is the largest fossil dinosaur in the world;[1] it is somewhat composite, the greater portion having been found in Jurassic beds of Sheep Creek, Albany County, Wyoming, by an expedition sent out by the Carnegie Museum in the year 1899. The mastodon, found in 1897 near Waterloo, Indiana, is also a peculiarly perfect specimen.
The section of Archæology is rich in interesting antiquities obtained in Costa Rica by a recent expediton.
Perhaps no department of the Carnegie Institute is doing a greater educational work than this. There is a small lecture-room in which talks on scientific subjects are given and special specimens are exhibited. The Academy of Arts and Sciences is associated with the Museum in giving free lectures. In most of the sections the plan is adopted of having a small exhibition series for the general public, while special collections are kept apart for the use of students. These can always be seen upon request. Many collections—birds, minerals, botanical specimens, etc.—are lent to schools for two weeks at a time. The fine French manikins in the Section of Comparative Anatomy are in constant use by medical and dental students.
Any attempt to describe so comprehensive an institution as Mr. Carnegie's gift to Pittsburgh must necessarily be inadequate and superficial; but it is hoped that the present account may at least suggest something of its profound significance in the heart of this toiling city, whose people are often accused of laying waste their powers in getting and spending.
- ↑ The skeleton of Apatosaurus Louisæ, recently discovered in Utah, the largest skeleton of a dinosaur in any museum in the world, has recently been placed upon view in the Carnegie Museum.
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