BULLETIN FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Volume 40, JVumber 7 January 1969 75th Anniversary Lecture Series Earth, Life and Man Winter Lectures February 2 - March 9 Carnivorotis reptile Dimetrodon grew to 10 or 11 feet, back fin was a notable feature of this Permian animal. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife field party in Michigan collects live larval lampreys with portable electric shockers. The sam- pling indicates the incidence of the destructive fish and de- termines whether control pro- grams are needed in the area. This member of the ginger family, genus Costus, has flattened growth in bright sunlight, as opposed to normal slow spiral growth in the shade. February 2 COLLECTING FOSSILS AS A MUSEUM ACTIVITY Dr. Everett C. Olson, Research Associate, Geology Museum activities from the viewpoint of vertebrate paleontology opens the winter series. Dr. Olson will describe his experiences collecting fossil rep- tiles and amphibians from the Permian (230 million years ago) river deltas. These studies have led from ancient red beds of Texas to museums in Europe and the Soviet Union and formed bases for his scientific publications. February 9 CHANGING FAUNA OF THE GREAT LAKES Loren P. Woods, Curator of Fishes Many changes have taken place in the fishes and fisheries of Lake Michigan in the past 40 years. Mr. Woods has accompanied commercial and re- search vessels on trips to different areas of Lake Michigan over many years and will draw upon this long experience in reviewing the nature and significance of the changing lake fauna. February 1 6 A WEALTH OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY: THE PLANTS OF COSTA RICA Dr. William C. Burger, Assistant Curator, Vascular Plants The Republic of Costa Rica, part of the narrow isthmus linking North and South Ameirca, is one- third the size of Illinois, yet has as great a diversity of flowering plants as the entire eastern United States. This is only partly explained by the large altitudinal range from low, typically tropical areas to cool mountain tops. Dr. Burger's talk centers around this diversity and will be illusti-ated with color slides. Dark cloud partially veils an extraordinarily power- ful bolt of lightning. "Earth, Life and Man," the 75th Anniversary lecture series by Museum Curators, will open its winter group of meetings on February 2 and continue on successive Sundays at 2:30 p.m. in the Lecture Hall through March 9. As in the first group of lectures, emphasis will be placed on research activities of the scientific staffs in the Museum's anthropology, botany, geology and zoology departments. Purpose of the talks is to bring Museum Members into closer contact with work being done in the departments and to increase understanding of the physical and biological world and the nature, history and evolution of life on earth. The "Earth, Life and Man" series is intended primarily for Museum Members but admission will also be open to interested members of the general public. Details of the spring group of Curator lectures, which will close the series, will appear in a later BULLETIN. February 23 INHERIT THE WHIRLWIND Dr. John Clark, Associate Curator, Sedimentary Petrology The beginning of the cooling which led to the last Ice Age is marked in the rock strata of 35 million years ago. These rocks also show evidence of weather cycles of various durations which are con- tinuing now. This geological record shows that our weather results from two great atmospheric power systems, one dominant in summer, the other in winter. Dr. Clark will explain how careful study of how these functioned in the past may some- day enable us to predict specific weather months in advance. March 2 THE GENTLE ART OF RUBBING Dr. Kenneth Starr, Curator, Asiatic Archaeology and Ethnology An insight into an ancient Chinese graphic arts technique and some of its modern western varia- tions will be given by demonstration, slides and '"idle chatter." Dr. Starr is engaged in writing a book on the subject of Chinese rubbings which will be published soon. March 9 TULLY MONSTERS AND OTHER WONDERS —SOME BYGONE MARINE CREATURES OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS Dr. Eugene S. Richardson. Curator, Fossil Invertebrates In the past decade, strip-mining southwest of Chi- cago has brought to light hitherto unknown ani- mals that lived offshore, on the edge of a Pennsyl- vanian delta. Many of these are entirely soft- bodied — jellyfish, worms and the Tully Monster — preserved in concretions. Both the Museum and private amateur collections now include represent- atives of species unknown to science and found nowhere else. Dr. Richardson and Professor Ralph Johnson of the University of Chicago are making these animals known in a study program. "Galloping horses" are por- trayed in this rubbing of a second Century Chinese clay mortuary tile. i Artist's rendering of the habitat of marine fauna in the seas of Pennyslvanian Illinois. ^Mi^^^ Archaeologists Honor Paul Martin The Alfred \'incent Kidder Award for outstanding contri- butions to American Archaeology was presented recently to Dr. Paul S. Martin, Field Museum's Chief Curator Emeri- tus of the Anthropology Department. The award, a bronze medal, was established in 1950 and is awarded every three years by the American Archaeology Association in recognition of leadership and outstanding contributions to the field of New World prehistory and Ar- chaeology. Dr. Martin, interestingly, worked in 1929 as a graduate student under the guidance of Dr. Kidder, a lead- ing American archaeologist in whose honor the award was created. While working with Dr. Kidder, Dr. Martin dis- covered the Temple of the Three Lintels at Chichen Itza, Mexico, and was responsible for its excavation and recon- struction. However, for the past 40 years, his primary interest has been the study of the American Southwest, especially Anas- sazi and Mogollon prehistory. He is a firm believer in student involvement in archaeological work and has con- ducted a formal summer program at Field Museum's field station in Vernon, Arizona, since 1964 under a National Science Foundation grant. His interest in music and sense of humor have brightened the field camp routines there. Students awaken to Bach and work hard to the sounds of the Beatles from a loudspeaker. His published reports on archaeological sites in New Mexico, Colorado and eastern Arizona have filled a dozen volumes of the scientific series, Fieldiana: Anthropology, and one section of the upcoming exhibit on the Museum's 75th Anniversary will be devoted to Dr. Martin's work. Although he retired as the Chief Curator of the Anthro- pology Department in 1964, after holding that post for 30 years, he continues actively in research at the Museum and conducts a graduate seminar in anthropology at the Uni- versity of Chicago. In receiving the award. Dr. Martin was cited for various innovative applications of theories concerning the inter- relationships in time and space of cultural traditions of early Southwestern peoples and to pottery classification tech- niques and for his use of computer processing in the evalua- tion of archaeological data. He is one of the few in his field to be successful in utilizing this resource. In the conclusion of an, as yet, unpublished essay, "The Revolution in Archaeology," Dr. Martin wrote "... I have changed substantially in both my orientation and tech- niques. I have proceeded from the traditional approach to a fresh and primary concern with testing hypotheses con- cerning human behavior." "In the future, I hope to maintain this momentum by investigating and adopting any new, valid techniques that will allow for a fuller understanding of human behavior. I do not fear changes; I welcome them." The Kidder Award bronze medal bears on one side a design taken from a carved slate mirrorback excavated by Dr. Kidder at Kaminaljuyu in Guatemala. The reverse (right) is a conjectural detail of a Southwestern cliff dwelling. The designs and sculpturing were executed by Tatiana Proskouriakoff, an earlier recipient of the Kidder Award. Page 4 JANUARY The Grand Canyon Trip, Field Museum s September Natural History Tour, will be a geological field trip for energetic people. Involving as it does sleeping under the stars, all-day rough hikes up and down the canyons and a week of exciting river travel, the Grand Canyon Trip demands vigorous members. Dr. Matthew H. Nitecki, Assistant Curator of Fossil Invertebrates, leads the trip. This trip has been planned to provide the maximum possible comfort. Hotel accommoda- tions are of the best (as are the horses and mules) and the boat one of the safest. But read Dr. Nitecki's day-by-day account of the trip for the complete story. Pre-trip seminars will be conducted on the natural history of the area. This trip, like others in Field Museum s series of Natural History Tours, includes a tax-deductible donation ($200) in the total cost of $1,025, covering plane fare, hotels and all other costs for the 17 days. (Single rooms are addi- tional.) The tour is limited to 28 persons, so make your reservation as soon as possible. The deposit, to be enclosed with the reservation, is $200. The River That Flows Through Time By Matthew H. Nitecki, Assistant Curator, Fossil Invertebrates This month's cover shows two aspects of exploring the Grand Canyon — an exciting ride on the Colorado rapids and the peace- ful view from a riverside camp- site as night falls. Below: Author and son hike along the Bright Angel Trail (Photos by Dr. Ni- tecki, IgorDeLissovoyand William D. Turnbull) The traveler arriving in Grand Canyon may be given enough time to stand on the South Rim and to gaze in wonder into the depth and silence of the chasm before being hurried away in his chartered bus to somewhere else. If he is lucky and has more leisure he may be allowed to hike part of the way down to the River along a trail as busy as Fifth Avenue on Easter Day. But there is another Grand Canyon that no man in a hurry sees: The Grand Canyon of exquisite loveliness, grandeur and solitude. Each area of the Earth has its peculiar beauty. In Grand Canyon this appears in its sculpture and in its paintings. The variegated horizontal rock layers are deposited upon the preceding flaming layers, and new layers are stacked one upon the other, pushing their way upward in steep slopes and sheer walls. The figure of buttes, the character of cliffs, the uniqueness of shapes, the intense colors are all drastically changed from one giant step to another. Each area of the Earth has also its own majesty. Grand Canyon is so immense that to all appearances time is stopped, sound is frozen and motion is non- existent. Only clouds move silently against the stationary heaven. It is in the presence of such majesty that man hears how his heart counts the seconds, and how life flows by. It is here that the questions of Beauty and Earth are as profound and eternal as the Canyon below is deep and endless. And each part of the Earth has its loneliness. The stillness of the Canyon is so absolute that at times the falling of the desert petals can be heard. The loneliness of the Canyon is so profound that in its presence man often whispers in order not to disturb it, in fear of being overheard and out of respect to the gifts of Nature. Such is the Grand Canyon and the River that we will walk through, float on, and experience. There were lonely men who for weeks walked along the precipitous walls with the heat of the day their only companion. Others floated down the River in small wooden boats, fought the currents of the rapids and spent hours in treacherous portages. Now, yearly crowds come by the thousands, stay a few hours, litter the rim and depart noisily with souvenirs and polaroid pictures. We will do neither. We will hike on the safe and well-maintained trails, we will float on large and respected rafts and we will arrive after the crowds depart when only the faithful few quietly watch the birds hover over the desert. JANUARY Pages Friday. September 12, 1968 The trip will begin in the afternoon with the flight to Phoenix, Arizona. From there we will travel by bus from the desert of central Arizona through the grass and forests of northern Arizona to the pine woods of the South Rim. We will pass the 12,000-foot-high San Francisco Moun- tains south of the Grand Canyon. The South Rim is on the Coconino Plateau about 7,000 feet high. It is a flat area, a part of the great Colorado Plateau. The weather at the rim requires a sweater at night and often during the day. A raincoat might be occasionally needed. In Sep- tember the nights will frost, the mornings will be crisp but the days should be pleasant, warm but seldom over 80' F. For dinner and the night we will be in the Lodge in Grand Canyon. Evening will be spent in a campfire program with the naturalist's talk. Saturday, September 13 The first short half-day hike down along the upper part of the Hermit Trail will be one-and-a-half miles long and will descend less than one thousand feet. It will serve as an introduction to wilderness hiking and to the geology of the area. The rocks exposed in this trip are all of Permian age and are about 250 million years old. The walk will be on a path maintained by the Park but closed to the public, except for guided tours. The Canyon hike is a reverse of a mountain hike; the uphill work comes at the tired end. Plenty of time and water, a hat, long sleeves and sun tan lotion are required. The afternoon will be spent in a relaxed enjoyable pature trip along the rim. The one-mile-long trip will concentrate on scenery and vegetation and will end at the Yavapai Museum featuring geologic exhibits. Dinner and the night's rest will be in the Lodge and in the evening there will be song singing at the campfire. Sunday, September 14 To see Grand Canyon from the Rim is an enduring ex- perience. But descending into it is unforgettable. The perspective and dimensions of the Canyon are entirely new and hiking all the way is most rewarding. Thus, our first long hike will be to the River down the Kaibab Trail. The hike is about 7 miles long and one mile down. Hiking boots, water canteen, a shoulder bag for packed lunch and physical stamina are required. To avoid blisters, par- ticularly common on steep down-slopes, the boots must be comfortable and well broken in. Woolen socks are also recommended. We will walk slowly; in fact, a good part of the day will be spent on the descent, during which we will care- fully study the geologic sequences of the rocks and inter- pret the scenery. In the evening we will swim and relax by the pool at Phantom Ranch. We will dine and sleep soundly at the Ranch. Monday, September 15 In Grand Canyon, because of its great range of eleva- tion, temperature and moisture, several major life zones occur. Thus, at the River the climate is that of the Sonoran province of Mexico. Plants and animals are scarce and Above; View from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Right: Barrel cactus, typical canyon bottom vege- tation. (Photos by William D.Turnbull and Igor DeLissovoy) of the desert. Cacti, agave, yucca and lizards are com- mon. We will hike about 3 miles to the Indian Gardens. We will travel upon a flat River trail for about one mile. Two miles will be steep, rising 1,300 feet up, with pauses to study the "hard-rock geology" of the Inner Gorge and observe the change in vegetation with the increased alti- tude. The rest of the way (3,200 feet) up to the South Rim we will travel on mules. We will enter the next life zone, the Upper Sonoran, recognized by its juniper and pinyon trees. On the top of the Rim the already familiar ponderosa pine is common. Dinner and night will be back in the Lodge. For those who still have enough energy there will be another campfire program. Tuesday, September 16 Tuesday morning will be devoted to an introduction to the ancient Indians of the Grand Canyon area. Leaving the Park, we will stop at the South Rim's Tusayan Museum to examine the partially excavated Tusayan ruins built by the Pueblo people around 1200 A.D. The Rim itself has never been densely populated; however, the adjoining area between the San Francisco Mountains and the Little Colorado River had at times as many as 8,000 inhabitants. This population concentration was caused by the increased fertility of the land, enriched by the action of otherwise destructive volcanos near Flagstaff. The best preserved ruins are at Wupatki Ruins National Monument, which we will visit. Our afternoon stop will be in the Sunset Crater National Monument. The Monument features a cinder Paged JA.WART Cultivated fields are visible in this aerial view of ttie dramatic setting of the Havasu Indian reservation in the Grand Canyon country. (Photo by S. Silverstein) cone 1,000 feet high that was built about 1065 A.D. It was the eruption of this volcano that transformed a desert into the fertile farmland that was occupied by the Wupatki Indians. However, the agricultural prosperity was short- lived and by 1300 A.D. the soil was destroyed by wind and drought and the Indians moved out. We will climb the volcano that so much controlled the life of the Indians and study the many aspects of volcanic activities, the lavas, cones and fissures. Our night will be spent in Flagstaff where we'll visit the Museum of Northern Ari- zona. The Museum is situated at the base of the 1 2,000- foot volcanic San Francisco Mountains and is surrounded by rich forests and cool grasslands. It is a delightful re- gional Museum of Science, Art and Anthropology that "displays ideas and not things." We have arranged for an evening tour. Wednesday, September 17 This is an exciting day that, after the bus ride from Flagstaff to the Hualpai Hill, will include a hike to Havasu Canyon, perhaps one of the most beautiful and interest- ing canyons in the west, a tributary of Grand Canyon and in the National Park. We will walk down, and the walk will be long and strenuous, somewhat over 10 miles long. The longest part of it will be through the hot desert canyon along the dry stream bed. The unexpected richness of life and the beauty of the Canyon due to Havasu Creek, along which we will walk the last 3 miles, will be a re- ward to the thirsty and the tired. This unusual stream has its origin but a short distance above the Supai Vil- lage and because of the ruggedness of the Canyon and its precipitous walls the stream forms spectacular water- falls cascading down and forming pools of clear and ex- quisite beauty in which we'll swim and cool ourselves after the long hot journey. We will camp down below the village in the National Park Camp Grounds. Thursday, September 18 The Havasupai tribe are the only Indians living within the Park. They are peaceful people said never to have killed a white man. Their history is old, their occupation of the Havasu Canyon probably dating from the twelfth century. They supported themselves in the past by agri- culture and basket weaving, and are known to have been expert horsemen. Today they appear as a tribe of ancient grace and charm and a kind of sadness. We will spend a day in the company of these people and in examining the geologic processes that are best manifested in their country. After our Wednesday hike we'll rest, swim and take gentle short hikes in and around the village. We'll camp out again in the Park's Camp Ground. Friday, September 19 On horseback we will ride the trail to the Hualpai Hilltop from where by bus we will proceed to Lees Ferry. Lees Ferry is situated between Glen and Marble Canyon and between Echo and Vermillion Cliffs. It is the only place in a stretch of about 500 miles where the River leaves its steep Canyons and allows for easy approach from the adjoining plateaus. Lees Ferry, a historical cross- ing, was also the Navajos' trading center. We will spend a night there in a motel. This is the end of the first part of our Grand Canyon Tour. The geology we learned in this part is from the great sequence of rocks representing about a fourth of the Earth's history. The complete history includes the period of no life, the period of life's beginning that is obscure, and the period of "good" fossil record. We have examined the ancient marine communities consisting of numerous sea shells, sponges, corals, sea lilies and other invertebrate animals. We walked on rocks repre- senting the early terrestrial environments full of footprints of reptiles and impressions of tree-like ferns. Non-biologic aspects of this history we studied from rocks of the Inner Gorge that were formed miles deep in the earth, or were altered under such high temperature and pressure that it is now impossible to decipher their original nature. The walls of the outer Canyon are made of a great thickness of shales, sandstones and limestones. The shales were deposited in shallow seas by great Rivers of the past. The limestones were precipitated from warm semi-tropical seas by action of innumerable organisms, and the sandstones were formed by consolidation of sand blown by wind into giant dunes surpassing the recent Sahara in their extent. Saturday, September 20 through Sunday, September 28 Our second part of the Colorado trip will consist of a nine-day river trip in order to understand the River, her power, and the tools she uses to carve this great Canyon, JANUARY Page 7 and, of course, for the sheer joy and excitement of the River adventure. We will find, however, that is it a Nat- ural History trip providing an excellent opportunity to study and understand the natural processes that formed this great and unique region of the country. The boat trip will be on rubber rafts of the American River Touring Association, a non-profit educational asso- ciation. Mr. Lou Elliott, the director and leader of the boats, who has experienced many American, Canadian and Mexican rivers says that: "in all the world there is no other trip to compare with a river run through the Grand Canyon. Its unparalleled continuation of grandeur and intimacy, excitement and calm is a unique scenic ad- venture. The side canyon campsites and comradeship of fellow passengers live long afterwards as unforgettable experiences. The ideal way to see and enjoy the Canyon is from the river that made it. This intimate approach allows us to get close enough to really observe, to photo- graph and to marvel at the endless variety of beauty and texture of the canyon walls. The rapids are exciting and provide a thrilling experience none can forget." It is on the River that we will experience, learn and understand the Canyon, the River and the Great South- west. A day-by-day account of the river trip is difficult to give in advance, because the water level changes and thus controls the selection of campsites. We will "shoot" an unending line of rapids, some of which are but a riffle of no danger to equipment or per- sonnel, while others are difficult rocky cataracts dropping 15 feet, very dangerous to small and to wooden boats, but only exciting to our big 48-foot pontoons. At no time will we need to portage, but we will have to hold fast with both hands, and secure the luggage well. We'll get wet and tired — but happy and pleased. We will camp out on sandy beaches, without tents or shelter — but since it will not rain, the stars and the walls of the canyon will be our companions at night. We will eat hungrily the food prepared by the crew — and their food is good. We will travel in two boats and thus rotate pas- engers to be able to photograph the passage of the rapids. We will swim in the Colorado, close to shores with life jackets on, and without jackets in the tributaries where we will dive, jump in or just soak. We will hike to places of unusual geologic and anthropologic interest, sometimes through the most pleasant and enchanting stream beds and valleys, at times along steep walls and waterfalls. But above everything else, we'll live nine days of Geology. We will think Earth while we eat, swim, dream, walk and relax. We will see and study more Geology in this one brief period than can be seen anywhere else in comparable time. The trip will end at Lake Mead from which we'll travel by bus to Las Vegas airport to fly home — sad to leave the Great River and a grand fortnight of our lives, but happy and proud to have experienced it. The Grand Canyon Tour will end here, where the Colorado Riv flows into Lake Mead. Boat passenger's view of one stretch of the Colon Le St art Fa Pages JANUARY rapids. Left: Traveler rests on a rugged trail en- route to ancient Indian ruins near the entrance to the Park. Below: Lunch break along the Colorado River gives tour mem- bers time to relax and talk over their ex- periences. (Photos on these pages by Igor DeLissovoy) CLIP AND MAIL THIS COUPON TODAY I would like reservations for your Grand Canyon Tour and I enclose my (HOW MANY) check for a $200 deposit for each reservation Name Address City State Zip □ Please check if single rooms are desired, at extra charge. Please send information about this tour to my friends listed below: Hikers brave a exposed trail ear Deer Creek Name Address City State. Zip Name . . Address City State. Zip JANUARY Page 9 We don't know whose it was but it wasn't Cleopatra's By Christopher Legge Custodian of the Collections, Anthropology Department The marble Greco-Roman sarcophagus on display along the west wall of the Museum's Egyptian Hall probably draws only casual glances from most visitors, yet on the eve of the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, this same artifact caused a brief minor furor. During the 1890's, popular interest in things Egyptian was rising in intensity. It was natural, then, that this in- terest would be reflected in some of the Exposition exhibits. Among the attractions there were a "Temple of Luxor" and the "Streets of Cairo," where a dancer called "Little Egypt" caused both sensation and scandal. The sarcophagus, too, was to have been a prominent part of this turn-of-the-cen- tury extravaganza and although this never came to pass, the artifact's checkered history is an interesting one. It was discovered in 1888 by workmen digging a well near Alexandria. Unfortunately, the discovery was un- attended by any scientific investigation, a lack which has defeated later attempts to place it historically. In unearth- ing the sarcophagus, the funerary chamber was destroyed and the debris scattered. However, it was soon put on dis- play with this astonishing notation: "Sarcophagus of Queen Cleopatra, discovered at Rani- leh, near Alexandria. This sarcophagus was found at a depth of 30 feet, but for the convenience of visitors, it has been lifted to its present position." A second label read, "For particulars apply to Mr. G. N. Frangouli, Tobacconist, Alexandria." Despite this shaky documentation, "Halligan's Illus- trated World's Fair," which described itself as a "Pictorial and Literary History of the World's Columbian Exposi- tion," wrote in its issue of September, 1891, "the recent discovery ... of Queen Cleopatra, is by far the most valu- JAXUARY Page 10 able find yet made in curio-fraught Egypt. The proposition to bring this interesting historical relic to the World's Fair at Chicago makes a consideration of the discovery particu- larly opportune. The principle bas-relief is the central one, which represents the head of a woman. This is a magnifi- cent specimen of the sculptor's art : the woman has an asp on each temple and agony is depicted in the expression of the face, which is a remarkable one. The well-shaped nose, with its full nostrils, the determined jaw indicate the mas- terly spirit of a woman accustomed to command. The fore- head is rather low but there is evidently a massive head behind that and when one compares this bust with that on one of the coins struck in Cleopatra's reign, the likeness is at once perceptible. Among the remains found in the sar- cophagus was a skull of unusual size with a low forehead and a great development at the back of the head — undoubtedly that of the voluptuous queen." Colonel Samuel Lawrence James, an ex-Confederate army veteran and prominent citizen of New Orleans, was travelling in Egypt about the time the article appeared and bought the sarcophagus from the Egyptian government, paying $4,000. A Chicago newspaper clipping of unknown date, but probably shortly before Col. James died in 1894, gives the information that owing to a number of complications, he decided not to exhibit it on the Fair grounds. It would, however, together with the remains of Cleopatra and a num- ber of mummies, be soon exhibited at a store at 335 Wabash Avenue, which had been converted into an exact but smaller reproduction of the famous temple at Denderah. The arti- cle claimed that leading scientists had no doubts that the sarcophagus was that of Cleopatra. Details of this establish- ment have been lost in obscurity and its site, now 514 S. Wabash, is occvipied by George Diamond's Steak House. In 1904 and probably for several years before, the sar- cophagus lay in Blakelee's warehouse on S. Western Avenue. In that year, Mr. S. L. James, Jr., as executor of his father's estate, gave it to Field Museum. In a letter to the Museum's Director he said that although his father had bought it under the assumption that it was Cleopatra's, he could not vouch for its authenticity. The sarcophagus, without a reference to its possible con- nection with Cleopatra, is mentioned in the Museum's an- nual report as being part of the most important acquisitions through gift for the year. Several other Egyptian artifacts were included in the acquisition. Any association with "one of the most Imperious, wilful and wicked of the world's women" ("Halligan's Illustrated World's Fair") has be- come even more improbable since then. Present-day archae- ologists believe that the central bas-relief represents Medusa and that the sarcophagus is one of a group of Alexandria sarcophagi of Proconnesian white marble from quarries on the island of Marmara in the sea of that name and that in round figures they can be dated between 150-250 a.d., 180 to 280 years after Cleopatra's death. The sarcophagus, largely unnoticed in its present digni- fied setting, has travelled from Ramleh to Wabash Avenue to Field Museum, missing its chance to become a part of the great World's Columbian Exposition along the way, but nonetheless a subject of astounding claims and, later, of academic inquiry — all without revealing its history. To that extent, its mysterious aura remains. Presumably taken during its excavation in 1888, the sarcophagus is shown at Ramleh, where it was first displayed publicly and touted as being that of Cleopatra. Colonel Samuel L. James, who bought the sarcophagus but declined to display it at the Columbian Exposition. The Museum acquired it from his estate in 190i. JANUARY Page 77 The hazards of museum expeditions sometimes include last minute changes and in the case of the 1968 mammal sur- vey led by Field Associates Mr. and Mrs. William S. Street, the change was in the destination. At the eleventh hour, the Streets and the three young scientists who are accompanying them were head- ing for Iran instead of Turkey. A complication came about when the Streets learned a Turkish mammalogist had planned a study similar to theirs. Hearing of this problem, an official of the Iran Game and Fish Department wrote the Streets, urging that they bring their exjjedition to Iran. The Streets had led one expedition to Iran in 1962. In 1968, they found not only the coop- eration of friends there, but a co-sponsor for the expedition in the Iran Game and Fish Deparmient. Mr. Eskander Firouz, Secretary General of the department, confirmed this by cablegram and Mr. Street flew to Tehran to work out opera- tional details. Months of field work have been ac- complished since then. This expedition concentrated on a survey of the mam- mals of the mountainous western prov- inces of Iran. The party has collected specimens and has studied the ecology of each place more intensively than was possible during the earlier, wider-rang- ing Street expedition. One member of the Iran Game and Fish Department, who cooperated ex- tensively in many areas of the expedi- tion, is Jerry Hassinger, Leader of the Terrestrial Wildlife Unit and in 1965, a member of the Street expedition to Af- ghanistan. Hassinger worked on the expedition data at Field Museum after returning to this country; preliminary results have been published in the Mu- seum's series, Fieldiana. The game de- partment arranged that a local depart- ment official meet the expedition at each new site to advise and help in the field work. It also provided a cook and a preparator of specimens. In Tehran, a game department warehouse served the expedition in storing extra supplies, spare parts and gear, and the head- quarters office provided a mailing ad- dress and expedited services during re- provisioning visits. Extra vehicles were also loaned by the department at times. Field Museum has provided the expe- rienced expedition leadership of Mr. and Mrs. Street and a scientific team, mam- malogists Daniel Womochel and An- thony DeBlase and parasitologist Richard Rust, in the cooperative venture. These 1968 Street Expedition: Field Work in Iran Field Museum and the Iran Game and Fish Department cooperate in intensive mammal survey Expedition campsite at Koorang in the Zagros Mountains, at an altitude of 8000 feet. In the foreground are Baktiaris, who live in the area. (Photos by Daniel Womochel, Expedition Mammalogist) r M.% ".x ' rr««ii«a<'/> . %'»--•/ * . p Sayed Shakrala of the Pasteur Institute of Tehran is one of several Iranians who worked wilh the Street expedition. The ecology of each site is studied so that preparation of plant speci- mens is also important, here undertaken by Mr. and Mrs. Street. Co-sponsur of the expedition is the Iran Game and Fish Department which supplied personnel and equipment. These expedition members include (from left) Hassein, a driver; a game Department hunter; Mr. Farhard Gosamie, a Game Department official, and Kamal, the cook. Above: Parasitologist Richard Rust and Mrs. Street record data from the specimens. Left: Mr. Street and Iranian game department per- sonnel buy specimens from two Baktiari shepherds. people planned the field work and brought with them two specially- equipped International Travelalls, col- lecdng equipment and recording supplies. The Museum has the right and respon- sibility for scientific study of the col- lected specimens and scientific publica- tion on the results of the expedition effort. After study at Field Museum, the mam- mal specimens will be preserved there as vouchers of the accuracy of the scientific publications, for future examination and for any further study by qualified investi- gators. A synoptic series will be shipped to the Iran Game and Fish Department for use as an educational collection. The Game and Fish Department has the privilege of presenting popular as- jjects of the expedition in Iranian news- papers and magazines. Dispatches from the expedition in the field report very successful results from five campsites at localities distributed along the mountainous area of western Iran. Working an average of 8 days in each locality, the e.xp>edition accumu- lated masses of recorded observations on the ecology, physiography, weather, plants and animals and collected many specimens. At the beginning of the last circuit afield, the specimen count in- cludes more than 1,500 mammals, more than 10,000 ectoparasites, more than 400 reptiles and amphibians and 125 plants. The field work was scheduled to end on December 25. JANUARY Page IS Education Chief Retires Four Decades of Achievement for Miriam Wood Miss Wood with a few of the thousands of children she has guided through the Museum during her long After a 38-year career in Field Museum's Raymond Foundation, the Department Chief, Miss Miriam Wood, retired on October 18. She began her long and active career as a guide-lecturer in 1929 and in 1940 became Chief of Raymond Foundation. Under her direction, Raymond Foundation expanded and developed in several areas. Miss Wood was concerned not only with the formal groups visiting the Museum, but with the many children and families who came here and did not know exactly what they wished to see or what the Museum had to offer. She suggested the interest and energy of such individuals might be directed by a series of simple guide sheets, an idea which grew into the highly successful Jour- ney Program. This program has served since as a model for many other museums. Miss Wood was also a prime mover in the development of the Saturday Morning Workshop Series for children and grandchildren of Museum Members. As active supporters of the Museum, she believes Members and their children should enjoy special benefits from Museum resources. In the Workshop Program, elementary school-age boys and girls are guided in programs which include actual handling of artifacts in Museum research areas and in-depth tours of Sfjecific exhibition areas. The fifth consecutive series of workshops has just been completed and proved to be ex- tremely popular. The bulk of the Raymond Foundation activities centers around the hundreds of groups which visit the Museum throughout the year. Guides and tours are provided for as many groups as can possibly be accommodated, although the mushrooming number of schoolchildren visiting the Museum makes it impossible for every group to have a guide-lecturer. In 1929, Miss Wood's first year with the Raymond Foundation, 480 school groups, a total of 21,576 children were pro\uded with guide-lecturer programs. What a contrast to 1967, when 57,830 children in 1,598 school groups benefitted from these tours. Her outstanding ability as an educator and administra- tor has brought her to national prominence in several mu- seum-oriented organizations. At the first session of the In- ternational Seminar on the Role of Museums in Education 'UNESCO' held in 1952, Miss Wood was a delegate repre- senting the Natural History Museums of the United States. She has also been a member of the American Association of Museums, serving as chairman of the Children's Museum Section from 1953 to 1954, and at different times has held the positions of program chairman, president and council member of the Midwest Museums Conference. She was a member of the International Council of Museums from 1960 to 1968 and served as a consultant to the Girl Scout Pro- gram Committee from 1959 to 1968. Miss Wood's active participation in professional organi- zations has been typical of the enthusiasm and dedication she has displayed in furthering the aims and goals of mu- seum education. In the midst of many demands made upon her time, she has maintained her warmth, patience and energy and, perhaps most importantly, her sense of humor and deep regard for people and their feelings. On more than one occasion her keen appreciation for the ridiculous has "saved the day" for her staff. Alert to the varied tal- ents of her staff, she has always sought to bring out the best in those who worked with her. We of Raymond Foundation view Miss Wood's retire- ment, richly earned though it is, with mixed emotions. Thousands of visitors to the Museiun have benefitted from her interest and dedication to museum education but none more than those of us who were privileged to work with her for so many years. The all too frequent modern approach to life in general and education in particular of substituting form for substance had no place in Miss Wood's philosophy. Her philosophy was a simple and effective one: Know in your own mind that you are doing your best and then go on. She emphasized the positive approach in everything. It is with the warmest regards of the Museum staff that Miss W'ood begins her retirement by pursuing her lifelong hobbies of traveling, photography and reading. Her career has been a richly rewarding one. We in Raymond Foim- dation, however, reserve the right to feel just a little sorry for ourselves for the loss we have sustained. — Marie Svoboda Acting Chief, Raymond Foundation Page U jAWARY Two new educational television programs, "Down to Earth" and "From Fish to Mammal," have been written by Ernest Roscoe, Raymond Foundation Lecturer in Geology, for use by the New Trier Township Instructional Television Systems. Roscoe (center) and Mrs. Penny Kneipper, a sixth grade teacher in Wilmette, appeared on the programs, which were filmed at the Museum. These programs reach more than 17,000 students in 25 schools. January hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays. CALENDAR OF EVENTS The Museum will be closed on New Year's Day, January 1, and open to 5 p.m. on January 2 and 3. January 2 A planned series of displays of single outstanding items from Museum collections will ofjen with the exhibit of a Wedgwood medallion of the English circumnavigator, Captain James Cook. Made in 1805, the medallion was a 75th Anniversary gift to the Museum from Mrs. A.W.F. Fuller. A small case in the North Lounge will house the exhibit of these single items, which will be changed periodically. January 12 Audubon Wildlife Film Series "Hawaii, Paradise of the Pacific," narrated by Walter H. Berlet, will be presented as part of the film series sponsored by the Illinois Audubon Society. Admission is free. 2:30 p. in. in the James Simpson Theatre. Through January 27 Javanese Puppets The temporary exhibit features color- ful shadow and three-dimensional puppets used in the ancient puppet theatre of Java. This is the first public display of these artifacts, which were acquired by the Museum in 1893. Hall 9 Gallery. Through January Winter Journey "Ancient Sea Monsters" Prehistoric giants of the ancient seas are featured in the Winter Journey for children sponsored by the Raymond Foundation. Any child who can read and write may parti- cipate in the free do-it-yourself program. Journey sheets and information are available an Museum entrances. MEETINGS: Chicago Mountaineering Club, January 9, 8 p.m. Chicago Shell Club, January 12, 2 p.m. Nature Camera Club of Chicago, January 14, 7:45 p.m. Great Lakes Chapter of Sierra Club, January 21, 7:30 p.m. Brazil Tour Meetings Set Three preparatory meetings ha\-e been scheduled at the Museum for members of the two Field Museum Brazil Tours. On January 10 at 8 p.m.. Dr. Austin L. Rand, Chief Curator, Zoology, who will accompany Tour A, will speak on Brazilian birds, and Loren P. Woods, Curator, Fishes, will provide information on Amazon fishes. On January 17 at 8 p.m., Brazilian gems and insect life will be reviewed respectively by Dr. Ed- ward J. Olson, Curator, Mineralogy, and Dr. Rupert L. Wenzel, Curator, Insects. On January 20 at 8 p.m., Robert C. Victor, Staff Astronomer of Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State Univer- sity and a member of Tour A, will speak on the skies of the Southern Hemisphere, and Phil Clark, Tour Leader and Field Museum Public Relations Counsel, will illustrate a talk on Brazilian plants and also review that country's current polit- ical situation. Coupled with recommended reading, these meetings are designed to give a thorough and interesting background on Brazil and the specific areas to be cov- ered on the tours. Three openings remain for the Brazil Tour B, leaving January 22 and return- ing February 16. The tour, which will visit outstanding natioral wonders, metro- politan areas, the Amazon River coun- try, and include the Carnival at Bahia, costs $2,050 including all expenses and a tax-deductible donation of $500 to Field Museum. Details on the Tour are available by writing : Brazil Tour, Field Museum of Natural History, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois, 60605. FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY ROOSEVELT ROAD AT LAKE SHORE DRIVE CHICAGO. ILLINOIS SOSOS A.C. 312. 922-9410 FOUNDED BY MARSHALL FIELD. 1893 E. Leland Webber, Director BULLETIN Edward G. Nash, Managing Editor PRINTED BY FIELD MUSEUM PRESS JANUARY Page 15 Mita. m 1^ BULLETIN FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Volume 40, Number 2 February 1969 k^ Field Museums 131st series of Saturday afternoon programs will begin March 1 and continue on successive Saturdays through April 26, at 2:30 p.m. in the James Simpson Theatre. Noted lecturers will offer filmed adventures ranging from the exotic South Seas to the rugged stretches of the Arctic. The series is open to adults and the children of Museum Members. 1969 Spring Film-Lecture Series Tahitian Dancers Booth's "South Seas Saga' March 1 "South Sea Saga" By John Nicholls Booth The exciting regions visited by Captain James Cook are re-explored in this color film. Warlike tribes in remote areas of New Guinea, the strange flora and fauna of Eastern Australia and 'the Great Barrier Reef and the historic and romantic island of Tahiti are featured. March 8 "Ranch and Range" By Albert J. Wool The joys of living close to nature are revealed in this film record of life on Mr. Wool's ranch in the Santa Clara Mountains of California. Close-ups of the wild- life of the region are interwoven with the human side of a way of life familiar to many Americans two or three generations ago. March 15 "The Far, Far North" By Walter J. Breckenridge The drama of life in the Arctic and sub-Arctic, from Hudson's Bay to the village of Little Diomede, which faces Siberia across the Bering Strait, is featured in this color film. The hardships and rewards of living in this environment are emphasized, as is the area's sing- ular animal and plant life. March 22 "The Conquest of El Sumidero" By Jack L. Currey The first successful navigation of the turbulent Rio Girjalva of the El Sumidero Canyon in Chiapas, Mexico, spells high adventure for a 1 6-man expedition led by Mr. Currey. Rarely seen archaeological sites and remote Indian villages are also featured. Rapids Currey's "Conquest' Moose Breckenridge's "Far North' Page 2 FEBRUARY Mt. Cook Richter's "New Zealand" March 29 "Western Discovery" By Laurel Reynolds Giant elephant seals, killer whales, porpoises, "living tides"of mi- grating shorebirds, redwood forests — these and many other natural wonders are the stars of this color film which probes the wilderness areas of the Pacific Coast from Mexico to Puget Sound. April 5 "East Africa Today" By Arthur C. Twomey The history-making 1963 election in Kenya in which a native government supplanted British rule is a highlight of this film which tours primitive and metropolitan areas of Kenya and Tanzania, contrasting aspects of old and new East Africa. April 12 "It's a Small World" By Fran William Hall The question of why smaller animals have survived and larger, more power- ful ones have become extinct throughout periods of the earth's history is examined in this film. Mr. Hall emphasizes the role of small animals in nature with film studies of animals, birds and insects seldom seen because of their small size and secluded habits. Hummingbird Hall's "Small World" April 19 "Discovering New Zealand" By Kenneth Richter The contrasting ways of life represented by the ancient Maori people and the recent settlers from the British Isles are explored|in this color film which also features the varied and abundant scenic beauty of this island country. Folk Dancing Linde's "Czechoslovakia' April 26 "Czechoslovakia" By Richard Linde Mr. Linde offers a film answer to the question, "What is it like behind the Iron Curtain?" Many aspects of daily living in this Communist country are shown — housing, religion, education, recreation, agri- culture and industry. Traditional celebrations which the Czechs continue to observe are also featured. FEBRUARY Page 3 Blue Macaw {Andorhynchus hyacinth- inus) is one of Brazil's colorful bird residents. Brazilian Bird Walk By Austin L. Rand Chief Curator, Zoology Stanley Field Hall Those unable to take bird-watching walks in Brazil with Field Museum's Brazil Tour this winter can still enjoy a short, leisurely stroll to see that country's exotic bird life right here in the Museum's halls. On this sim- ulated bird-walk, the travel begins at the South Foun- tain in Stanley Field Hall. (See the detailed map showing the bird walk route and stations.) The marshes along the Amazon River are the first stop (Hall 20, Station 1). They appear here much as we would see them from a launch trip from Manaus, with floating lily pads, mud bars and great arum leaves backed by swamp forest and palms. A pair of giant jabiru storks with naked, blackish heads and necks dominate the scene, one with a captured frog in its foot-long bill. There are ibis of two sorts, one olive-brown, the other white-necked. A pair of the strange crane relatives called sun bitterns show their beautifully complicated brown, buff, grey and white pattern in a stately dance of male to female. Another strange crane relative with yellow, black-barred feet rests on an arum leaf beneath which nocturnal grey and black boat-billed herons are hiding from the light of day. Here we also see the advantage of a simulated bird walk past Museum habitat groups. On the Amazon itself the birds would fly away, or liide in the foliage when we approached. Here, we can examine them at leisure- today, tomorrow and the next day, if we wish. In a darkened recess (Station 2) we see a series of in- tensely vivid spots of color flashing in rotation. They are patches of iridescence on the plumage of humming- birds on which a series of tiny spot lights are focused. One by one, the spot lights flash on to give reflections that are vivid half a hall away. No wonder these birds are called living jewels. We move on to the great grass, tree-dotted plains that dominate Southern Brazil as the rain forest does the Amazon Basin (Station 3). A great, grey, flightless bird, the rhea (an American ostrich), stands watching its nest of eggs, some of which are beginning to hatch. Nearby, a black and white flycatcher rests in a busli and a bur- rowing owl, the same species native to our west and south, stands by its burrow Page 4 FEBRUARY Tropical rain forests (Station 1) are similar from Guatemala to Manaus and the hills and escarpments above Rio. They all have the dark green leaves of the forest canopy, the dark, heavily shaded forest floor and an abundance of lianas (climbing vines). In this habitat group, two parties of toucans— big-billed, noisy, mis- chievous, playful acrobats, similar to jays in tempera- ment—are eating fruits in the treetops. Less extroverted, the woodhewer and wood]jecker on the tree trunks and I he bishop grosbeak in the imdergrowth might escape notice. .\fter observing the birds of Brazilian swamps, rivers, forests and grass plains in simulations of their habitats, it is valuable to take a close look at the birds themselves. These are in the adjacent hall, where Brazilian birds are represented in a systematic series of birds of the world. We concentrate on the group names first, such as Co- linga, Jacamar, Motmot, Toucan, Trogons, and Tina- nious. These birds are unfamiliar to many people, since they live only in the warmer parts of the Americas, part of the great evolution of birds that took place in that most bird-rich part of the world. Among the most highly evolved perching birds or song birds (Station 5) are the tanagers, gay colored fruit eaters of the trees, sparrows, including the crested, red- headed Brazilian cardinal and the flocks of seed-eaters of the grasslands, and the ictcrids—the oropendulas, which build hanging nests, the orioles and the grackles. All three are dominant groups of the New World Tropics. Pausing before the panel of primitive perching birds (Station 6) vre see tyrant flycatchers, oven birds (whose big stick or mud nests are conspicuous on the road to Belo Horizonte in Brazil), spinetails and ant birds. This group also includes many common birds of the forest and garden. The related wood creepers share the tree trunks with woodpeckers. There are also the cotingas, such as the bell bird and cock of the rock, and the man- akins that dance in the undergrowth. The toucans are related to woodpeckers as are the fly-catching jacamars that look like giant hummingbirds when perched but not when in flight. The jay-sized, soft-colored motmots (Station 7) which swing their long, spatulate tails in pendulum fashion are related to the kingfishers, birds poorly represented in the Americas. Trogons, with elegant, restrained brightne.ss, are pan-tropical birds with no near relatives. Humming- birds, in bewildering variety, are true Americans and are related to swifts. Among the parrots (Station 8) the brilliant blue, yel- low and red macaws are commonly seen in gardens, while the green Amazon talking parrots are widely kept as pets. The great order of cranes and their relatives (Station 9) is an old group that has declined, leaving strange relics that are quite im-cranelike in various parts of the world. In Tropical America are the rails, the strange luimi>backed trumpeters that vaguely recall guinea fowls. Above, Brazilian water birds in a Iiabitat setting. Left, Rhea watches her eggs begin to hatch, in another habitat setting. the sun grebe and the sun bittern and the long-legged cariamas that run swiftly over the plains. The currassow, guan and chachalaca are fowl-like birds of tropical America related to the barn yard chicken, but are most likely to be found in trees eating fruit. The muscovy duck (Station 1 1) is native to tropical America, where they were first domesticated and domes- tic muscovy ducks all over the world are descended from these. In the same panel are screamers, turkey-sized chicken-footed relatives of ducks, which frequent open marshes. The sharp spur on the wrist is used in fighting. The tinamous (Station 12) restricted to Latin America, resemble tail-less partridges and are their ecological equivalent. They are related, however, to the ostrich- like rhea, which is seen in the same case. On our bird walk, we have seen representatives of some birds found only in Latin America. These are part of what we call the Neo-Tropical avifauna that arose here while that area was separated from the rest of the world. Emmett R. Blake, Curator of Birds, is an expert in these Latin American birds and planned and collected some of the exhibits we have seen. He is presently pre- paring a book of several volumes on Birds of South America, the first of its kind. This will be a valuable source of information for those interested in these birds and in the meantime, a bird walk through the Museum halls will provide an introduction to the birds of South America or almost any other part of the world. FEBRUARY Paged Remick McDowell Remick McDowell Elected to Museum Presidency Civic and business leader Remick McDowell has been named the sixth President of Field Museum of Natural History, succeeding James L. Palmer who has retired from the position he has held since 1964. Mr. Palmer will continue his association with Field Museum as an honorary trustee. Mr. McDowell became a Museum trustee in 1966. He is chairman, president and a director of Peoples Gas Company and serves as chairman of the board and a director of its subsidiary companies, The Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company and Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America. He joined Peoples Gas in 1940 and has been a corporate officer since 1942. Now 60, Mr. McDowell is also a trustee and vice presi- dent of the Orchestral Association and a trustee of the Museum of Science and Industry. His directorships in- clude Amsted Industries, Inc., Harris Trust and Savings Bank and Inland Steel Company. He is a member of the Business Advisory Council of the School of Business, Northwestern University and a member of the Business Advisory Committee of the Chicago Urban League. Field Museum's new president is a native Chicagoan. He attended Northwestern University and received a master of business administration degree from the Uni- versity of Chicago in 1954. He is a member of the Chi- cago Club, Cliff Dwellers, Commercial Club of Chicago, University Club of Chicago and Woodstock Country Club. Other officers of the Board, all re-elected, are: Harry O. Bercher, Bowen Blair and John M. Simpson, vice presidents; Edward Byron Smith, treasurer and assistant secretary, and E. Leland Webber, secretary and director. February "Treasure" Prehistoric Craftsmanship Front (left photo) and side views of an Acheulian handaxe found in Central Tanzania. This artifact, which belongs to the University of Chicago, is probably between 60,000 and 75,000 years old. A handsome stone handaxe fashioned in prehistoric East Africa will be on display as the "Treasure of the Month" during February in the Museum's North Lounge. Made in the Acheulian tool-making tradition, the hand- axe is 12 inches long and 4J/^ inches wide, tapering to a point at One end. Although it is oversized in comparison with European stone tools of the same type, it was not unusually large for the site at Isimila in Central Tanzania where it was found, nor for similar tools found at other East African sites. One reason for its large size is the nature of material of which it is made. The large blocks of rock commonly available for use to prehistoric man in East Africa yield large flakes which can be worked into implements. The 'flint nodules used by prehistoric Euro- peans are characteristically smaller. The handaxe on ex- hibit is made of mylonite. Despite the use of the name "handaxe," this particular kind of artifact likely served sevei'al uses and because of its size, probably required the use of both hands. The tool on display shows careful craftsmanship, with straight edges and each side neatly trimmed-. Who the people were that made this handaxe is not known, but it was |Drobably made between 60,000 and 75,000 years ago. Human fossils associated with the final part of the Atheulian tool-making traditiori are very rare. The handaxe used in February's display belongs to the University of Chicago. ■ ;. ■ The "Treasure of the Month" display' was created so thit single items of particular beauty and interest might be shown to the public on their own merits rather than as part of larger exhibits.' Page 6 FEBRUAR)' to the l^ir^alayarp kingd0rr)|> ond noptheQitepn India field rDu^ecjTOi) neu;e§t toup Summing up a trip to tiie IHImalayan l