New Arrivals At The Museum

NEW ARRIVALS AT THE MUSEUM

AN AZTEC ME-TA-TA FOR GRINDING GRAINS.

Mexican Axe and Hunting Knife--Birds Who Were Killed by the Wires.

There are several new arrivals a the university museum. Two thing are from our sister republic Mexico and another from New Mexico, also found in the former country. An axe is an implement used in every country on the globe where trees grow. In Europe the article is clumsy, with much unnecessary weight and an awkward handle. Here is a Mexican axe. It is a much worn specimen of the ordinary axe of Mexico. When new, it was considerably longer. It was made by a local blacksmith, using very crude apparatus. The second article is a specimen of a Mexican hunting knife, also made by a native blacksmith. It is a long, vicious looking thing. It is carried by every Mexican as a weapon of both offense and defense against man and beast: The blade of the knife is made of an edge plate of steel forged to a back of iron. The handle is made of horn.

The third article is a present from Dr. Leonard.who has made so many valuable presents to the university museum. It is a large specimen of an old Me-ta-ta 22 1/2 by 15 inches. It was used by the Aztecs in former times, and by the Mexicans today to grind grains and other seeds for flour. It seems to be a hard stone of volcanic origin. It is slightly hollowed on its surface. It is supported by three legs. A woman kneeling on the ground with the high end of the metata toward her, held a grinding stone in her hand and and rolled or rubbed it over the corn upon the metata. This particular specimen bears evidence of much use in the hollowing of the surface. It was secured in Arizona by Dr. Leonard, who wrote that it might be 3,000 years old.

Delos Rice is one of the boys who may become a naturalist. He takes much interest in birds. He recently brought in two dead birds to Taxidermist Wood of the museum. He found them on the campus near the law building. One was a wood thrush and the other a Wilson thrush. Mr. Wood says the birds migrate at night, and were probably killed by striking the electric light wires. Both birds are rather rare. The museum authorities are glad for donations of birds and animals of all kinds which they have not yet secured.