Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 100. (Budapest 2008)

Korsós, Z.: History of the Herpetological Collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum

originally in India, which was displayed in a side-room of the exhibition in a reedy swamp, in natural environment (see below). The museum survived World War II with relatively little damage, even the famous Africa Exhibition was left unharmed. Unfortunately though, some 10 years later, during the uprising in 1956 the exhibitions in the building of the National Museum and the Herpetological Collection in Baross street were seriously damaged. So it is worth mentioning here a giant, rare, spectacular snake specimen which survived, and the story of which is known in its details (FEJÉRVÁRY-LÁNGH 1935, ZlLAHY 1996). We are speaking about a 5-metres-long Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus), which was collected by JÁNOS XÁNTUS in Borneo in 1870-71. According to PONGRÁCZ (1942) "the animal was captured by huge efforts. Xdntus tied it to a chariot, dragged it into his tent and shot it there." Its skin, flayed and salted, was sent home by XÁNTUS in a chest along with the other collected material, but no preparator had seen it in the museum for 65 years. In 1935, SÁNDOR ÖRY (1887-1962) finally managed to mount it in a natural pose (SlPOS 2002<z, b) (Fig. 28). This was extraordinary in its way, because until then, animals were only preparated in a stiff pose in unnatural environments. This particular specimen was a popular piece of the herpetological exhibition, survived the war and even the revolution's destruction. After the deconstruction of the exhibits in the National Museum in 1996, it was located in a corner in the entrance room of the Herpetological Collection on the fourth floor of the building in Baross street. Unfortunately, time wore it out, its skin was torn, its colours faded, and the decorational plants on the background stump were wrecked. More than 60 years have passed since 1935, until it got into the hands of taxidermist restorator FERENC ZlLAHY. Its skin had to be softened, new iron pieces had to be inserted into the gypsum body, its surface had to be cleaned, its scales had to be repainted one by one so that the pattern became lifelike. And - at last - the background stump and plants were reconstructed. This was the final step of the restoration, which lasted for 4 months. Today, the brand new, 137 year-old snake - preparated by ZlLAHY - is located in our exhibition building on Ludovika square, and is one of the prides of the museum (ZILAHY 1996). The huge Indian Python (Python molurus) collected by OSZKÁR VOJNICH was also mounted by SÁNDOR ÖRY in 1935. VOJNICH collected it in Assam, India (in 1913), in reeds next to the village Sidli. With its 578 cm length, this specimen was one of the largest in Europe, and it was also valuable because of its rarity (as opposed to the common Reticulated Python). ÖRY and his young assistant, GYÖRGY PUDLEINER, placed it in a natural environment, in the motion phase before the attack on a waterfowl (Figs 29-30, PONGRÁCZ 1935). The diorama was unfortunately burnt in 1956.