April 26, 1985

AT a museum where exhibit halls of mounted whales and caribou stand largely unchanged for decades, you might expect one week to blur indistinguishably into the next. That is rarely true at the American Museum of Natural History, and this weekend illustrates the case as the museum begins its commemoration of John James Audubon's 200th birthday and, at the same time, introduces an exhibition of Maya art pieces never before seen in the United States. This weekend, you could conceivably spend each day roving the museum's labyrinthine corridors, from one special event to another, and still not have time for the Hall of Early Mammals. You could start with the sixth-century ceramics and obsidian jewelry from ancient Maya ruins; catch the helium blizzards on one of Jupiter's satellites in a sky show at the Hayden Planetarium; hear an ode to Audubon with the music of birds, bees and bugs; view pictures of rare flora and fauna from Cerro de la Neblina in Venezuela, and close the weekend Sunday to the rumble of Brazilian jazz. The museum's outside walls and ionic columns haven't changed, but the place has come to life in a way that mirrors the renaissance of its neighborhood, and, indeed, museum officials are hoping the people hopscotching the nearby boutiques and restaurants on the Upper West Side will also rediscover the museum.

FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 1985 Companies In an about-face, Storer accepted a $2.1 billion buyout offer from Kohlberg, Kravis. The cable television company rejected an initial bid just 72 hours earlier. The latest offer gives shareholders an equity position in the new concern that would be formed to run Storer. However, a dissident stockholder group said it would continue to seek control of the Storer board. [Page D1.] Federal regulators are considering a proposal to begin rescue efforts for ailing thrift institutions long before they need assistance from a Federal insurance fund. [D1.] The parent of Bell Savings of California reported big losses. [D1.] A tentative deal for Mead to buy Crown Zellerbach failed. Crown then tried but could not reach an accommodation with Sir James Goldsmith, who is bidding for it. Crown also announced a restructuring to split it into three units. [D1.] T. Boone Pickens's bid for Unocal was threatened by a preliminary court ruling. Earlier, Mr. Pickens said he would tender his Unocal stake to the company under a debt-swap offer it made Tuesday. But he said he remained determined to take over Unocal. [D6.] Chrysler earnings fell 28.1 percent in the first quarter, to $507.6 million, largely because of higher income tax payments. [D1.] Searle purchased 7.5 million of its shares from several Searle family trusts, for $388.1 million. [D1.

It was the disposable decade, an era of such high living that little-used things could be thrown away. Furniture was replaced every six months, cars were traded in as soon as new models arrived, and designer silks from Rue du Faubourg St.-Honore were worn only once. Now, for the first time, wealthy Saudis are beginning to feel the effects of a three-year recession that promises to cut deeper in the years to come. The source of the problem is painfully obvious: Oil production has plummeted from a high of 10 million barrels a day only four years ago to 4 million last year. This year it will fall even lower, to 3.85 million barrels a day.

Under this heading, The Times amplifies articles or rectifies what the editors consider significant lapses of fairness, balance or perspective. A television review on April 4 discussed a documentary about the popular Nigerian musician Fela made by French producers in 1982, when Nigeria was under civilian rule.

White House officials and a group of disgruntled Democrats met today in an attempt to revive President Reagan's request for aid to the Nicaraguan rebels. The Democrats, party moderates, expressed disappointment that a coalition of conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats combined Wednesday to kill a compromise aid package that some of them had helped draft over the last few weeks. ''I don't think the issue is over yet,'' said Representative Dave McCurdy, an Oklahoma Democrat, who said he met with White House officials today. ''Many of us are concerned about the development of a policy. Right now we don't have a policy.''