File:General guide to the exhibition halls of the American Museum of Natural History (1911) (14593580509).jpg

Identifier: generalguide45amer (find matches)
Title: General guide to the exhibition halls of the American Museum of Natural History
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History Sherwood, George Herbert, 1876-1937 Lucas, Frederic A. (Frederic Augustus), 1852-1929 Miner, Roy Waldo, 1875-1955
Subjects: American Museum of Natural History Natural history museums
Publisher: New York, N.Y. : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: IMLS / LSTA / METRO

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va, or Penrhyn Island. Thisis a small ring-shaped island, eleven miles in L62) ameter, situated in the South Pacific Oceanout 2,000 miles due south of Honolulu,the central panel of the group, two Ton-revan pearl divers are seen plunging downto a gorge in the heart of one of the mag-ficent coral reefs which form the island,lev are engaged in gathering shells ofeleagrina, the oyster in which are founde precious pearls. They go about their work despite the dangers evidenced by thelarge shark swimming in the background, bythe octopus lurking near the entrance of anear-bv cave, and by the scarlet sixteen-rayed sea-star with its hundreds of poisonoussharp spines which is lying under the giantspiral mass of the acropore coral in the centerof the group. As they work, fishes of everygaudv hue dart past them. A DETAIL OF THE PEARL DIVERS GROUP. A coral fairyland of Tongarcva Island.teeming with variegated undersea life, is the scene in which this native diver is shown searching for pearl shell.
Text Appearing After Image:
In the panel to the right, we look into acavelike opening in the coral which has beenpre-empted by the octopuses. One glidesdown from a ledge above the cave, anotherlurks in a shadows crevice, while a thirdsw ims out through an arched tunnel, trail-ing its tentacular arms behind. The panel on the left side of the groupdepicts the clifTlike coral wall of the gorge,on which is grouped a colony of man-trapclams, Tridacna. The sinuous apertures ofthe shells are partially opened, revealing thegaily-colored mantle edges. The group serves to emphasize the beautyof the delicate fronds and finelv dividedclusters of coral found in the Pacific reefs,as contrasted with the wierd branchingspecies of the Atlantic coral faunas depictedin the adjacent Bahaman Coral Reef Group. In cases near by are shown undersea paint-ings which were used in the creation of thisrealistic exhibit and other related ones. Directly above the Pearl Diver Group isa mural by F. L. Jaques depicting the nativedivers in their

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