THE WILD WEST.—The termination of this vast show is approaching. They have engaged to sail from Hull in the Persian Monarch on the 3rd of May, and an item of interest may be suggested by the sale of a considerable number of the effects. As will be seen by our advertisement, the curiosities which are to be offered for sale are remarkable, and have an intrinsic interest of their own. Foremost amongst them are 9 stuffed buffaloes of different ages and size. These are remarkably handsome. Visitors to the Show in London will remember they adorned the entrance to the American Exhibition. They are probably the only specimens of the kind in this country, and as the animal is rapidly becoming extinct, it will be difficult to procure them after a lapse of a few years. It would be a distinct gain to some public institution to purchase these things, as even the Smithsonian Exhibition in Washington failed in securing specimens last year when sending out an expedition for the purpose. The animals have been mounted by Professor Ward, [1] of Rochester, and are in the best of preservation. There is also a fine live buffalo, and several live elk dear, 18 ponies, and other articles of rare value. The sale will take place on Wednesday, May 2nd, and are only disposed of on account of the exhibition requiring elaborate ship room.
Note 1: Henry Augustus Ward (1834–1906), an American professor, naturalist, and geologist, was a pioneer in the natural sciences founding Ward's Natural Science. This pioneering initiative collected specimens from all parts of the world. Ward mounted the samples and sold them to colleges and museums. [back]