The Museum of Comparative Zoology is part of Harvard
University’s Museum of Natural History in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. The collection was formed in 1859, beginning with
the work of naturalist Louis Agassiz (1807-1873). It is one of
the oldest and most extensive natural history collection on
display in the western hemisphere. It’s an animal sketcher’s
paradise because there’s a huge collection of skeletons and
taxidermy animals on display in glass cases with simple
backgrounds. In the back room (which is less traveled), the
skeleton and mounts are displayed side by side. If you’re lucky,
you can find a folding stool or a chair or bring your own, which
is allowed as long as you don’t block the corridors. There’s
everything ranging from a whale skeleton to a case of
hummingbirds. Because the mounts are old, some of them are a
little weird looking or cracking, which adds an odd vibe to the
experience. There’s an exhibit right now on color in the animal
kingdom, and another on animal headgear--meaning mostly ant