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Show JUMBO AND ALBERT.' The Skeletons of the Two Elephants to lie Placed in the National Museum. Washington, Sept. 20. Mr. F. W. True, the curator of the section of mammals mam-mals at the National Museum, says that Jumbo will come to the museum through an arrangement made with Mr. Barnum something over a year ago. Then Jum- j bo's will was made for him, 'and his skin and bones were bequeathed to different j institutions. Mr. True was given the j choice of the skeieton or the skin, and he chose the skeleton. Of course, Jumbo's early demise was not foreseen at that day. There was a probability of his living liv-ing 100 years or more. Jumbo was in the flush of youth, being only about thirty years of age. He came into the possession of the London Zoological i Society in 1860. They obtained him irom the Jardin des Plantes, Paris, by ex- j change, He was then young and comparatively com-paratively small. He remained at tho. London Zoological Garden until he was purchased by Mr. Barnum, three years ago. If it had not been for the mortgage which the national Museum had upon his bones it is thought that there would have been a great struggle for possession of the skeleton , as the skeleton of a male Afri-, i can elephant of such a size is esteemed a great prize, not only in' a popular sense, but scientifically. It is not known at the museum whether the bones were injured any in the collision with the freight train or not. If any of the bones are fractured they can be repaired.'. Mr. Lucas, the osteologist, who will have charge of the work of mounting the skeleton, remarked that he would much rather have to repair the fractured bone3 of an elephant than of a dog or smaller animal. Mr. Lucas said it would probably proba-bly be a year before Jumbo's skeleton will take it3 place in the museum. After the bones are received they will be put to soak, and it will require several months before the process of maceration and bleaching is complete. Cold weather is not favorable to the process. Another hugh elephant's skeleton is now undergoing undergo-ing these processes. This is the skeleton of Barnum's Asiatic elephant Albert, which was shot and killed in New Hampshire Hamp-shire last July, after it had killed one of its attendants. When it was decided to kill the elephant the officials of the museum were notified. They sent an expedition to the spot and secured the bones. As these bones have had the advantage ad-vantage of soaking in warm weather,-they weather,-they will soon be ready for articulation, and will probably make their appearance in the museum this winter. Jumbo and Albert, two males of distinct species, will make a very valuable pair. |