Volume 45 Number 1 January 1974 Field Museum of Natural History Bulletin ;#*'' Field Museum of Natural History Bulletin Volume 45, Number 1 January 1974 Managing Editor G. Henry Ottery Editor David M. Walsten Staff Writer Madge Jacobs Production Russ Becker contents ILLINOIS' QUIET CONSERVATIONISTS The Nature Conservancy By Joyce M. Brul'-';^-- -,V:x: ;->5' t. Frdm British aristocrat to faackwoods lllpois pioneer is tlie story of Benjamiri D/ Walsh (1808-69)— a brilliant, self- tgught scientist who maintained durirtg his last five years of (ife a lively Correspondence with Charles Darwin ((1809-82), In 1864 Walsh had sent a •'fan letter" along with some of his bwn published papers to the celebrated Pntish biologist whose Origin of ppecies, published five years earlier, bontinued to be the subject of raging controversy. Recognizing his Nevv World correspondent as more than just another admirer, Darwin responded quickly, and commended Walsh (later to be named Illinois' first state ■- entomologist) on the latter's published work. From this exchange developed a W&rrt' correspondence. '< In 1948 Field Museum received a bequest of Walsh's entomology library — ■ several hundred books, pamphlets, and periodicals — from the widow of Charles V. Riley (1843-95) who, with Walsh, had founded the journal American Entomologist; eighteen original letters (one incomplete) from Walsh to Darwin were added to the collection by Thora M. Riley, daughter of Charles. The scion of a respected, well-to-do Worcestershire family, Walsh took his master's degree in divinity at Trinity College, Cambridge University. Being of an independent, self-assertive mien, Walsh discontinued his preparation Graphics by Dick Roesener --iGf the ministry and spent the next .'^ leW years,-' apparently, in"'^^^pQf,. ., ■, indecision. In 1837 his mette';- translatipn. of three plays, lA/a/s/7's - Gomed/es-'o/ Ar/s/ophaftes/'-wss-'- - published. Married, he emigrated the following year to the United' States, intending to settle in Chicago. But that already thriving village failed to V-'- measure up to his expectations, and '*;• "^ Walsh with his young bfide Continued.' westward by ox cart to Henry Coanty-'.j in western IJIinois.. Here he built a .■■-■' mud-plastered log cabin and, for twelve years, worked a 300-acre .faxjTi|, Free of the class-consciousness that.;:, generally afflicted Victorian aristocracy, Walsh labored as commonly as his Illinois farm neighbors, occasionally . , making his own shoes- as welfas '■■; "h^hesses for hi's.horses. In 1850 he ' moved to the nearby towh of Rock Island, operating a, prosperous lumber yard there and erecting a number of ■ brick houses, which he rented. By the late 1850's Walsh had developed a deep interest in entomology — a study that had attracted him since his youth. During the 1868-69 biennial session, of the Illinois legislature he was appointed state entomologist. This occurred just months before his accidental death — a tragic, nearly incredible demonstration of Walsh's total involvement in his scientific work. On a November morning in 1869 Walsh picked up his mail at the post office and was headed homeward along the railroad tracks, examining ^-'- arv.ihsect specimen he had receivediV ^ in;"a letter. Totally absorbed, he didri:;| :- notice an approaching tocomotive ffJ until it was too late. He jumped cieaM " but not soon enough to suffer Internal': injuries and a horribly mangled foot ^ ■ that had to be amputated, ,.',-"• '%Walsh lived for a week after the ;;#j »- accident, and joked about his new '-'Sjii : cork leg: "Why, don't you see what ^0^ an advantage a cork teg will be to m^'_' When I am hunting bugs I can make ''^, an excellent pincushion of it, and if I lose a cork from a bottle, I can carve one out of my foot." As a testimony ; to his character, he wrote to local newspapers, exonerating the train .- crew from any blame in the mishap ; At the time of his death, Benjamin / Walsh had amassed 30,000 carefully classified and mounted insect : K;7' specimens — the largest private .^' collection in the country. Later stored at the Chicago Academy of Sciences, the entire collection went up ,fpr smoke during the Chicago fire of 1871. He had also published a large number of scientific papers, particularly on insects of economic importance. The following letters (some of which have been substantially abbreviated here) are a sampling of the Walsh- Darwin correspondence now in the Rare Book Room of Field Museum Library. . — David M. Walsten January 1974 uarwin to Walsh: Darwin to Walsh: /f; , Down '':'''-:^,, ;;;;,,, Bromley upi;^?''" Kent. s:E: ' ' OGtobej: 21 1864 My Dear Sir: ^,. Ill health has'-prevented^me' from- sooner thankjng you for your very-Sipd tetter, & several nierooirs.; , '; I have ^'epri very much pteased to see how-'fooid^af clearly'ji^Ulsp.eak^ out on the modifieation of ^p^SSts: thank;;you'for'-5iving ■methe pages :df' reieretice]:put they • were'.superfluoys,:fo-r t found-so n>afiyofi:ginal;;and profound: femarkSj that! have- clearly bolted tljiVough all; the/papers. .1 hope that your discovery ^iMut'tti^.Qi^ig^^ wi(5;:h0l<3.:Qdod tor if is a .remarkap}^ ohe. and:-l'Tor-'b'ne ha■ve:^oWef^ nrarvelled what could "be the nreaningof tine c,^e,;t wilt i'end your papers to; my' neighbdtJr Mr. Lubbock vjihP [ know is much interested in tile subject, incidentally I ^fralt protrt by your remarkg on galts'^ if ybu have time I hink a rather hopeless e>;perim6nl wdiild be worth trying; ,ny bow I stiould have tried it had my.ftealth permitted — it }s to insert a minute grain of some drg'anic substance together with the poison from bees, sand wasps, fchneumons. adders, and even alkaloid poison into the tissues of fitiing plants, for the chance of monstrous grcHvtbs being produr-eri. y health has long been poor and f hiaye lately suffered f^orh a long ilfness, which lias interrupted all work, but 1 am. r\ovy re'COmmencing a volume in connection .witl;\' the-' "Pr.igin" with sincere thanks for your letter' and. .-Kind 'presgrs Prfey /believe me m^.-'dear sir your incereiv ^ ^- '.■:::;■-- - ''■',' ■'"'% I am glad that you have attabked Dana's' wild notions have a great respect for,,.f3arta. bul I declare- f fear that hr-S;^ illness has [illegible] ehfe^Hed his brain. If you have opportunity read in JPansatJi-r'.Batfes''' on mimetic Lepidoptera.of Ama'z'ons; 'i-was'-.delighted with his paper. '?'^a I have got a noti€;e of your ,vt|!ws aBsyt the female Cynips inserted in N. Kist. Review;.^ether th^'nolTce will be favourable I dC>'.riot know }^; but anyhow it will call attention to ..your views r enclose''a photogi:aB^|hade of me by one of my sons, " and I pias/e no ottje^M'I'rote to Westwood'' for a [illegible]- for )^a, but '!■ h^^^^^i^'ed no answer. I have been told thatthe is mu'ch'MltM:^bout Species,^ and perhaps wishes show his feelings of this want of common courtesy to g both. ... ', ^ffWalsh to Darwin: Rock Island, Illinois, U.S. March 1, 1865 My dear Mr. Darwin: Your letter of Dec. 4 enclosing your photograph came duly to hand & by the same mail your second letter enclosing Westwood's photograph, I am under great obligations to you for both. Westwood I never saw, but I have a very distinct recollection of your countenance when (Continued on page 12) Genus ot gall wasps Galls on plants are swellings commonly caused by certain parasitic insects, including Cynips Jean Louis Agassiz (1807-73). Swiss-American naturalist Methods of Study in Natural History (-1863) 5. Probably James Dwight Dana (1813-95), U.S. geologist and zoologist 6. Henry Walter Bates (1825-1892), English naturalist 7. John 0. Westwood (1805-93) English entomologist 8. Darwin's Origin of Species Field Museum Bulletin (■:».lta^lAl1 »[ HB9 IFH ^V^ P« ^^^1 ^^B ^^^^^-' ». 1 £- ' ■ ■ T^v^^^H r ^ ifl K ■ T ,1 ^^^ Friday afternoon, December 14, was a time for holiday mirth at Field Museum. Stanley) Field Hall, festooned with holly, echoed with the merry tunes of Leo Henning's Orchestra, with Christmas carols, folk songs, and dance music as Members and guests joined in the fcstwittes. Clowns, sugar plum fairies, and a grand march rounded out the occasion, sponsored by the Women's Board of Field Museum. Phoios courtesy w. b. Nickerson 10 January 1974 ill ^ M ^^^ \ ' ^"^ ^ r^^-^ Pv,^, ■> -fjA 1 1 1 few Field Museum Bulletin 11 DARWIN-WALSH (from p. 9) you were at Christ's, » & if you were to shave clean & put on a wig, I should say you are but very little changed since then. Immediately on the receipt of your letters, I wrote to several of my Eastern Correspondents on Westwood's affair of the Portraits, & as soon as I received answers, I took occasion to write to him & communicate the results. I suppose it will probably be some little time yet before I receive a reply. There is a good portrait of Jay'° in existence, of which he can have a copy taken, if he desires it. Of Harris" there is nothing but a photograph extant, which I rather wonder at, considering that the New-England naturalists set great store by him and are apt to get wrathy if one picks any holes in his jacket. . . . I sent you a month or two ago a Paper of mine on "Phytophagic Species", & by this mail I send you another on "Willow-galls". You will begin to think that I spawn a pamphlet bi-monthly. But for me the winter is the time for writing & in the summer I am out in the woods reading the great Book of Nature. There is one matter in this last pamphlet that I would like your opinion on, i.e., Wagner's procreative larva. The more I turn the thing over in my mind, the more I don't believe a word of it. And yet I find that Siebold'2 has to a certain extent endorsed the Theory, by translating from the Danish a Paper on the subject. All these men seem to me to have confounded two very different things, 1st the case of alternate generation when A produces B, & B produces A. And so on ad infinitum. & 2nd the (supposed) case of Cecidomyia, where, in the same species A (the larva) sometimes produces A (the larva) and then dies, and sometimes produces nothing at all but becomes gradually developed into the imago B, which reproduces A & so on. Is there anything analogous to this in the known metagenetic transformations? It strikes me like the theory of the schoolboy, that sometimes the earth travelled around the sun & sometimes the sun travelled around the earth. But out here in the backwoods we know but very little on these great modern discoveries. I wish you would enlighten me. I am delighted to find that you approve of the way in which I handled Aggasiz. I am told there is a notice of that Chapter in the London "Reader" of December 31, but have not seen the article. Thank you for getting my Cynipidous theory noticed in the Nat. Hist. Review. There has also appeared a short notice of that Paper in the Stettin "Zeitung" or whatever the German title of their Natural History Journal may be; so it will get tolerably well '■^'t.«.'i«»f./' ;,' i^m .5.;?'^: Jim £^> • :v.--'^:4vH ' ..m .,,«)»■•■ -■<^\^^,. .'/ > :,, -f^, '■/., ^ ^ "^"'njflT ■ " 'I: ,;i^y^f-'r j:^.^ -if .r'"'fr 'ii,«:;' m ,0'- Drawing by Dick Roesener ventilated, at all events, which is all I wish or expect. Magna est Veritas et pravalebit,^^ as you by this time see with your great theory. I told young Aggasiz, '■* who argued against your theory because so many naturalists disbelieved it, that the wonder was not so many disbelieved, but that in several years from the date of its promulgation so many believed; & asked him how many Naturalists believed in Cuvier's great theory several years after that was promulgated? Since I last wrote, I have read carefully through Aggasiz's "Classification'''^ which one of the New England Naturalists told me contained a most unanswerable refutation of Darwinism, though he allowed that the argument in the "Methods of Study" was a complete failure. The book bears neither title-page nor date, and so far from finding any refutation of your theory in it, I actually feel uncertain whether it was written and printed before or after your book was published. The line of argument is precisely the same as that in the "Methods of Study", and one book is nothing but an abridged rehash of the other. I was astonished to find that he believes that the same identical species can be and has been created twice over in two separate localities and in two separate geological epochs. Does any other naturalist believe this absurdity? I should have thought that in that case the theory of Chances might have taught him that we should be as likely to find recent species in the Devonian as in the Pliocene strata, & that we might 9. Christ's College. Cambridge Universily 10. Thomas Jay 11. Thaddeus VI. Harris (1795-1856) U.S. entomologist 12. Karl Theodor Ernst von Siebold (1804-85), German zoologist 13. "Great is the truth and it shall prevail." 14. Alexander Agassiz (1835-1910), U.S. zoologist: son ol Jean Louis Agassiz 15. Essay on Classification (1857) January 1974 expect to meet with as many European species in Australia as in North America. He gives me the impression all the time of a dishonest lawyer pettifogging a hard case. Sometimes he won't have it that there are any identical species in successive geologic epochs — this was what he asserted roundly in a lecture which he delivered last year in Rock Island & what he asserts by implication in the "Methods of Study" — & sometimes he says that there are identical species in two distinct geological epochs, but that there was a separate creation for each batch. This reminds one of the Western lawyer, whose client was sued for a kettle which he had borrowed and with a large crack in it, and who put in three pleas: 1st that his client had never borrowed the kettle, 2nd that it was already cracked when he borrowed it, & 3rd that it was perfectly sound when he returned it. I was also much amused to find how he and I, from exactly the same premises, arrive at very opposite conclusions. Because animals have every mental faculty that Man has, only developed to a less degree, / draw the conclusion that neither men & animals have any souls, and he draws the conclusion that both men and animals have got souls, which can and will exist in a future elysium independently of their bodies. In that case, if we calculate up all the animals that have ever existed since Paleozoic times, the Agassizian elysium would have to be a pretty large one to hold all their souls. His idea of the soul of a Naturalist studying the souls of his favorite groups of animals — I suppose Aggasiz will devote himself to the souls of Turtles and Fish — reminded me of a French parody of Virgil, which represented the soul of a Coachman in the Elysian shades busily cleaning the soul of a Coach with the Soul of a brush. I have no possible chance out in this uncivilized region to get a sight of Bate's Paper in Mimetic Lepidoptera: when you see him, I wish you would tell him from me that I would be much obliged by anything from his pen. I have seen a review of his Book on the Amazonian insects'^ in Silliman's Journal a year or two ago, and was much interested in it. . . . Darwin to Walsh: March 27 118651 I have been much interested by your letter. 1 received your former paper on Phytophagic unity, most of which was new to me. I have since received your paper on willow-galls: this has been very opportune as I wanted to learn a little about galls. There was much in this paper which has interested me extremely, on gradations and so forth and "your" unity of correlation [illegible). This latter subject is nearly new to me, though I collected many years ago some such case with birds; but what struck me most was when a bird-genus inhabits two continents the two sections sometimes display a somewhat different type of colouring, i should like to hear whether this does not occur with widely ranging insect genera. . . . With respect to Dimorphism you may like to hear that Dr. Hooker's tells me that a dioicous parasitic plant allied to Rafflesia has its 2 sexes parasitic on 2 distinct species of the same genus of plants; so look out for some such case In the 2 forms of Cynips. I have posted to you copies of my papers on Dimorphism. . . . With respect to Aggasiz the views there were many, and there are still not a few, who believe that the same species is created on many spots. I wrote to Bates and he will send you his mimetic paper, and I dare say others: he is a first rate man. Your case of the wingless insects near the Rocky Mountains is extremely curious: I am sure I have heard of some such case in the Old World, I think in the Caucasus. Would not my argument about wingless insular insects perhaps apply to truly Alpine insects; for would it not be destruction to them to be blown from their proper home? I should like to write on many points at greater length to you, but I have no strength to spare. . . . Ever yours very truly ' A^^x^t^iC^ Darwin to Walsh: July 9 [1865] 1 must send you a line to thank you for your interesting letter of May 29th. P. S. I was glad to see the other day that you have the R,S. medal." I have been ill during the last two months and have done no scientific work. 76. The Naturalist on the River Amazons {1B&3) 17. The Royal Society medal 18. Sir Joseph Dalian Hooker (1817-1911). English botanist Field Museum Bulletin 13 Many thanks for the case of Panagaeus; this genus is almost sacred to me from old Cambridge recollections- . I sent you a few weeks ago a paper by me on Climbing Plants; but I doubt whether you will find it worth reading. I am very much pleased that you like Bates' paper. Pray read his Travels. '^ . . . I have done no work since April owing to my health, but I have |ust begun some easy jobs, such as counting seeds of experimental Primulas, 2' and these afford widely different results from what he gives. I mention this because I see that you quote him. . . , Walsh to Darwin: March 13, 1866 Darwin to Walsfi: December 19 [1865] I am much obliged for your interesting letter of Nov. 12 — I hope you meet with the success which you well deserve in solving the very curious problem of the Cynips. 1 presume that you expect that the sexual brood, whenever it appears, would be more locomotive, and thus spread the species. On the other hand, the new gall which has appeared in England recently has spread very rapidly, & yet only females have been found. I received your paper on the potatoe bug and it seems to me uncommonly well done. Sir I. Lubbock and Mr. Busk called here the other day and neither knew or believed in the male Daphnia'" laying eggs. The former would be almost sure to have heard of it. He believes in Wagner's case of the breeding larva of the fly. I should not be very much astonished at the Daphnia case, for certain male and female Medusae whilst sexually mature throw off reproductive buds and if these buds were encased in a shell, they might be as indistinguishable from true eggs as the ovules and buds in Aphis. It is curious about the post office that I some months ago was expressing much indignation at your government being so particular about writing in, and sending, single pamphlets. There are no such rules within England and it seems that they apply only to the transit from one country to the other. I send you herewith a copy of a recent Paper for yourself, & another for Mr, Wallace, 22 which I must beg you to forward to him. I do not know & cannot find out his address, or I would not put you to this trouble. He was kind enough to send me a copy of his Memoir on the Malayan PapilionidaeP which I am highly delighted with. . . . P. S. Do you know anything of a Quaker gentleman, "Mr. Wilson Armistead, Virginia House, Leeds?" He sent me a circular and a letter, stating that he was about to publish an illustrated Book on the Galls of the whole world & soliciting assistance. I answered him by Mail last autumn, & afterwards on Oct. 13, 1865 sent him through the Smithsonian Institution a large Box containing specimens of Galls. Since then I have not heard a word from him which does not strike me as particularly polite. But perhaps he is sick or dead. He stated that he was recommended by Prof. Westwood to apply to me. . . . Walsh to Darwin: July 17, 1866 I sent you by mail last week a short paper of mine exposing some misquotations of Prof. Dana's, which I hope you have received. I received in due course your welcome letter of April 20, & was rejoiced to find that you were preparing a new Edition of the Origin. As you are kind enough to promise me a copy, please forward it to me through . . . Baillien Bros, of New York, with whom I deal, to be sent thence to me Express. The Smithsonian Institution is so awfully slow in their operations, that they quite put me out of patience. Curiously enough, the same mail that brought me your last letter brought me also one from Wilson Armistead, saying that he had only just received my box of galls, though I sent it to the Smithsonian the preceding autumn. He was delighted with what I sent, & like Oliver Twist calls out for more. I am gathering together another lot for him. 1 had sent him two bottles of galls packed in common salt brine. 79. The Naturalist on ttie River Amazons 20. Genus of freshwater water fleas 21. Ttie primrose genus 22. Alfred Bussel Wallace (1823-1913), English naturalist who. independent of Darwin, proposed a theory of natural select on much like that of Darwin 23. Papilionidae is a family ol butterflies January 1974 by way of experiment, and he says it is a complete success & far superior to alcohol — the chief disadvantage being that it is so vulgarly cheap. I had a copy sent to me the other day of an "Analysis of Darwin Huxley & Lyell, by Henry A. Dubois, M.D., LL.D. of New Yorl<" being a reprint in pamphlet form from the "American Quarterly Church Review", 1865 which by the way I never heard of before. The writer is a beautiful compound of fool & knave & makes some most ludicrous blunders in Natural History, besides accusing you of setting up a new God — yes, a real, personal, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent God — called Natural Selection . Hence, one would infer that you must be a Deist. But when he comes to attack Huxley, he tells of "the atheistical view embraced in Darwin's hypothesis"; so that you must be Deist and Atheist both at the same time. "Throw plenty of mud. & some of it is sure to stick." My correspondent (Wm. Edwards of N.Y.) wanted me to review the review; but I thought It answered itself sufficiently, & that anyhow "the game would not pay for the candle." I believe that I have done some little good, at all events among N.A. entomologists, in the way of converting them to the true philosophical faith in the origin of the species. For I find a great many of them now who take much the same ground as Rev. Herbert, but cannot as yet "go the whole hog," as we say out West. Have you read Prf. Henry James Clark's^-* book on "M\n6 in Nature"?'-*^ He strikes me as having almost as illogical mind as Prof. Aggasiz. From one end to the other of the Book 1 don't see a single new fact or argument to carry out his thesis, namely that "Mind" exists in nature. But, so far as I am a judge, his original investigations seem very valuable. I never knew before the history of Agassiz's treatment of him. It always puzzled me why there was no titlepage to the first two parts of the "Contributions, "^e but now I fully understand the why of the wherefore. You mentioned some time ago the case of a foreign gall-fly having suddenly spread over England. Was it not a species that made its gall on the leaf, so that the leaf and gall together might be blown great distances by the wind? I have often remarked that our "oak-apples" are carried by the wind hundreds of yards with the living insect in them; but the species that make their gall in the twig, so that they are part and parcel of the twig itself, infest the same tree year after year, without spreading, except very slowly indeed to adjoining trees. . . . 24^ U.S. zoologist and botanist (1826-73) 25. Published 1865 26. Contributions to the Natural History of the United States (1857-63) 27. John Murray, London publisher Darwirn to Walsh: August 20 [1866] I am sorry to say that before receiving your letter of July 17th the new edt. of the Origin had been dispatched by Murray''' for you, I received safely your paper exposing Dana's mis-quotation. I never could persuade myself that there was much or anything in Dana's paper, but I see it is taking effect in the United States. I have read Prof. Clark's book and was interested by it on psychological principles as shewing how differently two men viz. the writer and the reader can view the same subject. I am heartily glad that you are making progress with your Cynips experiment. The new gall which has spread so wonderfully in England (and about which by the way there was a letter 2 days ago in the Times) is attached not to the leaf but to twigs; so that the bushes are rendered conspicuous in the winter by their numbers. I do not think anyone can define an ovule from a bud; the only difference being, as many now view the case, the former must be fertilized. . . . Some of the Germans, as Prof. Claus, have been taking up a subject which I am glad of, namely to ascertain the amount in order to test my views, of the individual variability of some of the commoner lower animals; and that they find It very great. . . . Darwin's study at Down House Field Museum Bulletin Museum Veterans Retire Three veteran members of the Museum staff — Dr. Emmet R. Blake, Dr. Hoshien Tchen, and Harry E. Changnon — retired from their full-time positions at Field [Museum on December 1, Together, they have been at Field IVIuseum for a total of ninety years. Dr. Blake, curator of birds since 1955, joined Field IVIuseum in 1935. In 1931-32, however, he had served on the Mandel-Field Museum zoological expedition to Venezuela. Dr. Tchen, consultant in the East Asian collection, has been with the staff since 1954. Harry Changnon came to the Museum in 1940. A reception in honor of the three was held in the President's Room on November 13. 70 Tribune Above: A lire education and training program was recently completed uy dpuiuMn^dieiy .ui./ neld Museum employees, under the guidance ot ttie Chicago Fire Department's Fire Prevention Bureau- The ten-week course included lire prevention techniques, evaluation and procedures, and tamiliarily with lire lighting equipment. Extinguishing a rubbish lire are Sam Grove (Department ol Exhibition) and Dianne Maurer (Division ot Birds). Lower left: ''Man in His Environment" is the broad title ot a workshop series conducted usually tour times weekly in Chicago schools lor 6th, 7th, and 8th grade pupils — and some high school classes — by Raymond Foundation lecturers. Here, lecturer James Bland (lower right) and students ol Mozart School prepare to measure lung capacities in a demonstration ot the ellects ot air pollution on lung function. The programs are partially lunded by the National Endowment lor the Humanities. Lower right: Thomas E. Donnelley, II. (letl). Field Museum trustee, accepts a "Have a Great Chicago" button from Frank C. Sain, president ol the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau. Inc. Donnelley was one ol ten Chicago museum ollicials to pledge his support to the bureau's new hospitality program. 16 January 1974 Photo by John Bayalis Bob Martin, Field Museum exhibit designer, explains an exhibition hall model to three members ol the advisory committee. Contemporary African Arts Festival: Mrs. Charles Benton (2nd left). committee co-chairman: Mrs. Hazel Rentroe Muggins (2nd right): and Mrs. Claude A. Barnett, who is also a member ol the Women's Board ol Field Museum. The exhibition hall will feature the Contemporary African Arts Festival, scheduled to open this spring. .. .Where Credit Is Due "Who took those marvelous pictures for the Bulletin's calendar Issue?" is a question the editors have been answering since the December issue came off the press. Their appreciation and thanl^s go to Maude Wahlman, Museum consultant in African ethnology, for the January, April, May, August, October, November, and December photos: to Herta Newton, professional photographer and Museum volunteer, for February and June; to Museum photographer John Bayalis for March and September; and to Dave Berglund, also a professional photographer and Museum volunteer, for July. Their combined talent helped make the 1974 calendar issue the best one yet. Associate Curators Promoted Three slatt appointments to curator, effective January 1. 1974. have been announced by Dr. Robert F. Inger, assistant director, science and education. Dr. John Clark, with Field Museum since 1963, has been promoted to curator of sedimentary petrology. Dr. Glen H. Cole, who joined the Museum in 1965, has been promoted to curator of prehistory. Dr. William D. Turnbull, a Museum staff member since 1946, has been named curator of fossil mammals. New Faces in Exhibition Recent appointments to Field Museums Department of Exhibition include Victor M. Banks, senior script writer and script supervisor; and William G. Pasek, production supervisor and administrative assistant to department chairman Lothar Witteborg. Mr. Banks is a native of Chicago and holds a B.S. degree in English and natural sciences from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Mr. Pasek, a native of St. Louis, holds a B.F.A. in advertising design and art history from Washington University, St. Louis. Barbara J. Bryant, technical assistant; Kathleen L. Sorokin, secretary; and Susan N. Breck, clerk typist, have also recently joined the department. Richard W. Roesener, with the department since 1969, was recently promoted to chief scientific illustrator. Patricia J. Brew, who lOined the staff in 1972, has been named junior graphic designer. Richard Pearson, with the department since 1971, has moved up to chief preparator. At a recent Capitaf Campaign luncheon hosted by Marshall Field, Museum Women's Board members (from left) Mrs. Vernon Armour and Mrs. Samuef R. Rosenlhaf view a drawing of the Museum's north entrance with Museum Director E. Leiand Webber. More than two miffion doffars must stilf be raised by the Museum before the $25 million campaign is scheduled to end in September. Meanwhile, several renovation projects are underway or have been completed. Photo by John Bayalis Field Museum Bullelm 17 ETTERS Why museums collect specimens Dear Mr. Traylor; I have noted what I would consider an omission in the November, 1973, issue of the Bulletin. In his article "Can These Birds Survive," David Walsten describes birds currently listed as "endangered" by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. He cites mainly human agency-related causes such as DDT, over-hunting, and the destruction of natural habitat as the causes of species demise. Perhaps one cause not mentioned by Walsten is "collecting." In the "Field Briefs" section of the aforementioned Bulletin you are shown examining birds recently received from Bolivia. To quote the article. "The birds in the shipment represented about 35 families and more than 100 species including some that are new to the Museum's collection." It occurred to me that one of the reasons some of the birds were not previously found in the Museum collection might be that the species is quite rare. If this were the case, the depredation of an overzealous collector could diminish a species by destroying several pairs for the Museum collection. True, we now have a valuable addition to our Museum but in my opinion, a bird in the bush is worth two in the hand. It would be better to ensnare a bird for a zoological collection, let it live its normal life span, and perhaps reproduce before it is "collected" for the museum. I understand that museum expeditions are not authorized to slaughter the fauna of a given area, but what controls are placed on expedition members? How does one determine in the field that his collecting is not hastening the destruction of a species? Perhaps you could advise me how collecting is done with discretion to avoid overkill of a rare or unknown species. James M. Martens Chicago. Illinois Dear Mr. Martens: Thank you for your interest in our Bulletin and in the problem of rare or endangered species of birds. The question of the role of collecting in the decimation of species has been raised before, and it certainly deserves consideration. To look first at the overall picture, the impact of scientific collecting on the total numbers of birds is essentially zero. The total number of specimens in collections in the United States, amassed over a period of 150 years, is accurately estimated at 4,000,000; this seems a large figure until one realizes that an equal number of mallards — a single species — are killed annually by hunters, and that an estimated 1,600 million birds migrate from Europe to Africa every fall (comparable estimates for North America would be about the same). Another way of looking at it is that every pair of birds that nests in the spring produces an average of two young, so that to maintain a constant population, 50 percent of all birds must die each year, by starvation, old age, accident, or are eaten by predators. This, of course, does not answer your question about the impact of collecting on rare tropical birds. First, we do not send irresponsible collectors into the field. All of them are trained biologists with an interest in conserving species. Roy Steinbach is the third generation of a family that has added enormously to our knowledge of the avifauna of Bolivia. He is under strict orders not to collect any species that is known to be endangered, and there is a limit of six pairs placed upon his collections of other species. Since the population of any species that is naturally rare, such as the Kirtland's warbler, numbers 1,000 or more, this is still a modest figure. While the collection of live specimens for breeding in zoos is being tried for a few spectacular species such as the whooping crane, it is a terribly wasteful procedure for small insectivorous birds. Attempts to find the right diet to maintain them in the field, and the trauma of transporting them to a different environment results in a high rate of loss. Probably the best protection for the birds in this or any other country is the realization by both scientists and laymen that it is in everyone's interest to maintain the natural environment in an undisturbed state so that we can understand how the ecology really works. We must collect in order to know what constitutes the fauna, and selective collecting will not disturb it. Melvin A. Traylor Head, Bird Division Mr. Traylor lurther discusses the need tor collecting specimens: First and foremost, we need collections in order to know what kinds of animals (and plants) exist. Until the animals have been classified, described and named, the ecologist has no basis for his study of the interrelationships of various organisms or of the effects of pesticides or other pollutants, the parasitologist can not determine the hosts of his various parasites: nor can the epidemiologist describe the carriers of various dieseas. All such scientists need the names and identifications of the taxonomists in order to communicate the results of their own studies. Secondly, we need extensive collections from all regions so that we can know the ranges of each species and the composition of the animal life in different habitats and major geographical areas. The knowledge, in con|unction with the classification based on these same specimens, should enable us eventually to reconstruct the evolution of our modern species. And not unimportant, collections help us to answer that inquiry. "What is the bird in my back yard?" Melvin A. Traylor Commendations and fond memories Dear Field Museum Staff: May I send my personal commendations and thanks for the splendid issues of the Bulletin and your daily efforts in behalf of the Museum — Happy Thanksgiving! I regret that the memorable "Members' Night" will not be a part of this year's memories; nevertheless, I shall treasure those of years past. Thank you for those! Now I am a resident of Oklahoma, and the monthly Bulletin is very eagerly anticipated! . . . Thank you again for all the marvelous hours through almost fifty years that I have shared in the Museum with my very dear family, and my friends — which includes you! Ruth M. McReynolds Bartlesville, Oklahoma January 1974 CALENDAR Exhibits Continuing Field Museum's Anniversary Exhibit continues indefinitely. "A Sense of Wonder" offers thougfit-provoking prose and poetry associated with thie pfiysical, biological, and cultural aspects of nature; "A Sense of History" presents a graphic portrayal of the Museum's past; and "A Sense of Discovery" shows examples of research conducted by Museum scientists. Hall 3. Children's Program Continuing Winter Journey for Children, "Desert People of the Southwest, " focuses on the cultures of the Native Americans. The free self-guided tour provides youngsters with a unique learning experience as they become acquainted with Museum exhibits. All boys and girls who can read and write may join in the activity. Journey sheets available at entrances. Through February 28. IVIeetings January 7, 2:00 p.m., Chicago Shell Club. January 8, 8:00 p.m., Chicagoland Glider Council. January 9, 7:00 p.m., Chicago Ornithological Society. January 18, 7:30 p.m., Chicago Anthropological Society. Coming in February Sunday. February 3 "The Living Jungle," free wildlife film narrated by Greg McMillan, presented by the Illinois Audubon Society at 2:30 p.m. in the James Simpson Theatre. Opens February 14 "Janss Underwater Photography," an exhibit of exciting color prints and marine specimens. Hall 9. Sunday, February 10 and 17 The 29th Chicago International Exhibition of Nature Photography, a slide show featuring winning and accepted color transparencies, at 2:30 p.m. in the James Simpson Theatre. Sunday, February 24 "Small World," free wildlife film narrated by Fran William Hall, presented by the Illinois Audubon Society at 2:30 p.m. in the James Simpson Theatre. Hours 9 00 a.m to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 00 a.m to 9 00 p.m. Friday, and 9.00 a.m. to 5:00 p m. Saturday and Sunday Closed New Year's Day The Museum Library is open 9.00 am. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please obtain pass at reception desk, main floor north. Museum telephone: 922-9410 Field Museum Bulletin ■ary 1974 Field Museum of Natural History Bulletin Volume 45. Number 2 February 1974 contents CARBON MONOXIDE The bright side to the pollution coin By Edward J. Olsen BLAINE J. YARRINGTON ELECTED 7TH MUSEUM PRESIDENT 7 Managing Editor G. Henry Ottery Editor David M. Walsten Staff Writer Madge Jacobs Production Russ Becker WiLDLIFE PARKS IN EMERGENT AFRICA The Outlook for their Survival By Norman Myers FIELD MUSEUM'S MEMBERS' TOURS TO GRAND CANYON AND THE OZARKS 8 15 FIELD BRIEFS 16 CAPITAL CAMPAIGN 18 CALENDAR 19 Field Museum of Natural History Director E. Leiand Webber Board of Truslees Blame J Yarrington. President Mrs. 8. Edward Bensinger Gordon Bent Harry 0. Bercher Bowen Blair Stanton R. Cook William R. Dickinson, Jr. Thomas E. Donnelley II Marshall Field Nicholas Galitzine Paul W. Goodrich Remick McDowell Hugo J. Melvotn J. Roscoe Miller William H. Mitchell Charles F. Murphy. Jr. Harry M. Oliver, Jr. John T. Pirie. Jr. John S Runnells Wiiham L Searle Edward Byron Smith John M. Simpson Mrs. Hermon Dunlap Smith John W. Sullivan William G. Swarlchild. Jr. E. Leiand Webber Julian B. Witkms Life Trustees William McCormick Blair Joseph N. Field Clifford C- Gregg Samuel Insull. Jr. William V. Kahler Hughston M. McBain James L, Palmer John G. Searle Louis Ware J. Howard Wood COVER Wildebeeste and zebra in Tanzania's Serengeli National Park; photo by Norman Myers. Cover design by Patricia J. Brew. r/ie Fie!d Museum ol Natural History Bulletin is published monthly, except combined July/ August issue, by F:eld l\/1useum of Natural History, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive. Chicago, Illinois 60605. Subscrptons: $6 a year; $3 a year for schools. Members of the Museum subscribe through Museum membership. Opinions expressed by authors are their ov«n and do not necessarily reflect the policy ol Field Museum. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome. PoGt.master; Piease send form 3579 to Field Museum of Natural H.Story, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605. ISSN: 0015-0703 Februa'y 1974 r Four-year-old Kathy SchnelOer of New York CHy wears an air pollution mask io dramatize the need tor cleaner air. The mask does nothing, however, to filter out carbon monoxide. The earth's total vegetation, represented by Kathy's peony, releases tar more of this gas — during growth and decay — than all man-made machines. (United Press Photo) ^ll '•' "l " '' '• '• ' • 111 I K-»» CARBON MONOXIDE the bright side to the pollution coin by Edward J. Olsen From the outset of the environmental preservation movement in the United States we have been repeatedly badgered by statements and statistics that worry and frighten us over the current quality of our lives — with gloomy prognoses unless decisive action is taken. Most people feel helpless in the face of statements in the media that warn of noxious chemical compounds, about which they know little or nothing and over which they can exercise practically no personal control. On the face of it, it seems as if there is nothing but horrendous statistics and "bad guys." Environmentalism was, a few years ago, an "in" thing, especially popular among the young, who formed hundreds of chapters of "Earth Clubs" nationwide. Most of this youthful enthusiasm has of course drained away leaving, as usual, a hard nucleus of individuals in universities, government, and private sectors who have continued in methodical fashion to tackle the difficult problems and gradually effect changes where necessary. One of the results of the research of such groups has been the measurement and accurate assessment of pollutants, replacing the often inaccurate "guess- timates" of earlier environmentalists. Dr. Edward J. Olsen is curator ol mineralogy Field Museum Bulletin Some years ago we were horrified to hear the more vocal (and emotional) environmental advocates tell us that we were releasing, annually, 270 million tons of the gas carbon monoxide (CO) into our atmosphere. The atmosphere was carrying an amount of some 530 million tons. Thus, man was creating an annual input of about 51 percent of the amount the atmosphere was holding — a truly frightening figure! iVIost of this gas can be directly attributed to automotive exhausts, for CO is produced by the incomplete combustion of gasoline in auto engines. It is also produced in most industrial fuel burning and from home heating plants. CO is, as we all know, a highly poisonous gas. Thus, it appeared we were pumping the major percentage of a highly toxic gas into the atmosphere; the implied result was clear. Beyond these few superficialities we l:"* :\U An 1874 woodcut showing a typical railroad hide yard Staked hides dry in the sun Three men in the foreground operate a hide press Stacked at the right is a bale ol hides ready for shipment Bones piled m the background await shipment to porcelain and fertilizer factories. • The fatal preference on the part of hunters generally, both white and red. for the robe and flesh of the cow over that furnished by the bull. • The phenomenal stupidity of the animals themselves, and their indifference to man. , The perfection of modern breech-loading rifles and other sporting firearms in general. Each of these causes acted against the buffalo with its full force, to offset which there was not even one restraining or preserving influence, and it is not to be wondered at that the species went down before them. Had any one of these conditions been eliminated the result would have been reached far less quickly. Had the buffalo, for example, possessed one-half the fighting qualities of the grizzly bear he would have fared very differently, but his inoffensiveness and lack of courage almost leads one to doubt the wisdom of the economy of nature so far as it relates to him. — The Extermination of the American Bison (1 887) by William T. Hornaday. Hornaday's protest nearly a century ago against "remorseless slaughter" ot the buffalo will come as a surprise to many who assume that environmental concern is a very recent kind of awareness. Fortunately, the efforts of Hornaday and other early-day conservationists saved the day for the buffalo. Numbering perhaps 300 head at the turn of the century, the buffalo has been pulled back from the brink of extinction and gradually been restored. About 45,000 buffalo are currently to be found on federal, state and provincial refuges of the United States and Canada and on private lands. The buffalo— or "bison," as it is more properly called— had recently been the most populous large mammal in the history of terrestrial life. Curiously, the passenger pigeon — which could well have been the most populous bird species — was slaughtered by man in the groves and forests of North America at almost the same time that the great buffalo herds were being decimated. But those who espoused the rights of pigeons were less vocal than the buffalo-savers; the few pigeons that were left were reluctant to breed, and the species passed forever into oblivion, the last one dying in 1914. (See Bulletin, Sept. 1973.) Natural History Buffalo cows normally mate when they are two years old and bear their first calves, usually singly, at the age of three. Cows retain their fecundity for years and may still bear well-developed calves at the age of 25 or more. Bulls begin to breed when about three years of age and, like the cows, remain fertile for many years. The breeding season normally occurs in July and August. Calves are born the following April, May, or June. Newborn calves are reddish in color, but after about three months the natal coat is replaced by the dark brown pelage of the adult. Birth weight is 30-70 pounds, but calves grow rapidly and within one year may weigh as much as 700 pounds; two-year-old males may weigh up to 1 ,100 pounds. Cows reach a maximum weight of about 1 ,000 after six or seven years; males increase in weight until nine or ten years of age and the average full-grown male weighs about 1 ,600 pounds. The largest buffalo on record was a ten-year-old bull that weighed 3,340 pounds in 1 969. Weight and vigor is normally maintained until the age of about 1 2 to 1 5; some animals may live to be 35 or 40. Distinction is sometimes made between "wood buffalo," which occur generally in woodlands, and "plains buffalo," which occur generally in grasslands. The latter is somewhat smaller and the head is held at a lower angle. Some authorities regard these two animals as separate species. Buffalo breed readily with domestic cattle, the hybrid being known as cattalo. Females of such a cross are normally fertile, but male cattalo are May 1974 Extermination of the Buffalo not fertile unless they are at least 31 /32 domestic. An experiment conducted by Canada's Department of Agriculture demonstrated that hybridization of the two species is not economically practical. The fossil record suggests that the American buffalo came to North America via a land bridge from Siberia. Some of the early arrivals had horns with a spread of six feet; some had flat horns like those of the gayal of India; others had short horns like the modern buffalo. Over the centuries the animal gradually wandered southward, eventually reaching what is now Mexico, extending southeastward to Florida, and eastward to New York. Into the Pacific northwest the animals apparently followed valleys and mountain passes. They were found in greatest numbers in the great plains of the Mississippi Valley and from Great Slave Lake in northern Canada to Texas. At their peak (probably before the arrival of Columbus) they may have numbered as many as 60 to 70 million. Extermination The buffalo was the backbone of the economy of the Plains Indians. The animal supplied the Indians with meat and hides for food, clothing, and shelter. Not surprisingly, the buffalo also occupied an important place in the mythology and arts of these people. When the buffalo eventually disappeared the Indians were forced into new ways of life, and were often obliged to live on paltry handouts from the white man. Between 1 730 and 1830 some reduction of buffalo occurred as pioneers pressed ever westward. By 1800 the small herds east of the Mississippi River had virtually disappeared. Systematic reduction of the Plains herds began about 1830, and during the next five decades the great southern herds were obliterated. Hunters often killed as many as 250 buffalo a day. American Fur Company records show that in 1 848 the firm sent 110,000 robes and 25,000 tongues to St. Louis. By 1 870, trading in hides and tongues reached BOUNDARY OF AREA ONCE INHAC TED BY BISON--,^^ RANGE OF TWO GREAT HERDS IN 1B70 .'. RANGE OF THE HERDS IN 1 %:%; vast numbers, and buffalo hunting was the major industry of the region. A St. Louis company bought 250,000 hides in 1871 . In 1873-74, auctions in Fort Worth, Texas, were moving 100,000 hides a day. William F. Cody allegedly killed 4,280 buffaloes in 1 7 months as he supplied meat for railroad construction crews, earning for himself the sobriquet "Buffalo Bill." Perhaps even more spectacular than Cody's performance was that of Sir St. George Gore, an Irish nobleman who believed in hunting in style. His "safari" contained 27 wagons and carts, enormous quantities of fine wines and foods from Europe as well as a brass bed, a bathtub, and fine rugs. His retinue consisted of forty servants as well as a scientific staff. At the end of his three-year hunting spree (which cost him $500,000) Sir St. George had killed 2,000 buffaloes, 1 ,600 deer, more than 1 00 bear, and other large game. With the southern herds gone, the buffalo hunters turned to the northern herds, and between 1 876 and 1 883 destroyed them as well. The hunters seemingly did not realize that the buffalo was gone; some stoutly insisted that the herds had only temporarily retreated into Canada and would return. Fortunately, during the time the wild buffalo herds were being destroyed, a number of small captive herds were being established. Three of these, the Goodnight herd of Texas, the Pablo-Allard herd of Montana, and the Blue Mountain Forest Association herd of New Hampshire became the primary sources of stock for present-day federal and state refuges. Some herds in the United States and Canada today are descended from four calves that were saved by Fend' Oreille Indians from slaughter in 1873. The Indians had travelled from Field Museum Bulletin the Flathead Valley (in what is now westernmost Montana) to the plains east of the Rockies for their meat supply; one of them, an Indian by the name of Wall■ Right, Wlh-cenlury Tibetan painting collected by Berthold Lauler in 1909. Only the letl panel ol a pair was acquired. The painting depicts a 9lh-century Buddhist monk, Abhayakara Gupta, and one ot the many legends concerning him. On one ot his journeys he visited a king (left center) who was about to sacrifice 100 humans in honor ot a deity. Moved by the sullering ot the intended victims, the monk (right center) invoked Buddha lor their deliverance. Suddenly a cobra wrapped itselt about him, aiming his tangs at the terrified king. Without hesitation the king set the 100 men free. (Cat. No. 121277.) Chamdo, East-Tibet July 19, 1909 12,000 feet high My dear Dr. Dorsey: I have been "stopped" here officially by order of the Chinese Government through their representative official of this place, and am forced to return to China, as hard as it is after all the efforts I have made. But I am satisfied inasmuchas I have made a route never undertaken before by a foreigner and entered places never seen heretofore by a white man. Indeed I am the first to have advanced so far and come to this tow/n, to the greatest surprise of all Chinese and Tibetans. I have also secured good and highly interesting collections all along the road. I return tomorrow to Derge, and have not yet decided how to proceed from there. It will depend on a deliberation with the officials there. The present political situation is very grave, there is a war going on in the state of Derge, and another war seems to be soon imminent southward from here. The fact that I am prevented from proceeding to Lhasa does certainly not mean that I am discouraged, or that my work will suffer in any way. The whole east and north- east of Tibet still lies before me, and there is plenty of work to be done there for me during the next months. As soon as I reach the nearest Chinese P. 0., I shall send you a detailed report regard- ing the whole affair. I have three Chinese documents relating to it, a printed instruction issued by the Viceroy of Szechuan ... in regard to my humble self, and a letter of the official here explaining the circumstances and his action toward me. I am going to send these documents to the American legation of Peking, . . . The journey from Taysienlu to this place (172 months) was splendid, and I think I have learned something about Tibet and Tibetans. I am doing well and in good spirits, and continue to "work and not to despair." Travel in Tibet was not all hardship. Here Lauter is guest at tea in a nobleman s home Sungpan, North-Szechuan, West-China, November 15, 1909. Dear Dr. Dorsey: In herewith submitting to you my third account, I beg to apologize for the long delay which has been caused in the transmission of it, due to my excursion into the wildest parts of Eastern Tibet, lasting over six months. Now that I have reached, two days ago, the first Chinese place which offers postal communication, I hasten, above all, to send in to you my account. . . . To make [it] intelligible to one who is not familiar with the intricate currency system of China, I wish to note that the standard money used throughout China is the Tael which, however, it must be understood, is not a coin, but a fixed weight (1 Chinese ounce) of lump-silver. As each locality has a different standard of weight, it hence follows that there are as many different taels of local value, and further as from ten to twelve various grades of silver are distinguished, each place may have as many various kinds of taels differentiated according to the quality, the more or less pure composition, of the metal; Peking, e.g., has no less than 7 different taels, also at variance with each other in regard to weight, and it depends upon the nature of the transaction, the character of the goods in question, and the agreement of the parties concerned, as to what sort of tael may be used. In going from province to province, therefore, a loss in exchange is naturally involved; further small losses arise from the weighing off of silver owing to the many different scales and to the pretension of the people of every village that they are just the only ones on this earth in the possession of the correct ideal balance, and that the buyer's balance must certainly be wrong, and moreover from the change of silver into small copper-coinage (so-called cash). Every province has special rules and customs June 1974 concerning this business which depends on two facts, the ever varying price of silver and the supply of copper coins. In large centers of commercial activity, the exchange may reach 1400-1500 copper-cash (less some percentage for the banker's commission), in out-of-the-way places and villages where a copper stringency is apt to be quite frequent, 12-1300, and may be at bad times as low as 900/1000. Nobody, therefore, in China, can say with mathematical certainty what his money is worth, the purchasing power of the tael fluctuating every day and in every locality. All this difficulty is enhanced by the introduction of silver dollars, of which there are three kinds, Mexican, Hongkong, and Chinese issued by provincial mints; they are generally used in the treaty ports only, but not in the interior, and abhorred by the mass of the people. Each place has a preference for a special kind of dollar and discounts the others with 10 per cent and even more or refuses at all to accept them; a Szechuan provincial dollar, e.g., is no good in Peking or elsewhere. It is a sad, but true fact that in travelling over China you may be liable to change a hundred dollars so many times, till not a cent of your money is left. . . . Sungpan, Nov. 16, 1909 Mr. dear Dr. Dorsey: ... I have not had any chance to write to you since I left Chamdo; it has been a very trying and arduous journey full of incidents and adventures provoked not by me, but by the aggressiveness of the Tibetans. I have trodden many unbeaten tracks and had a most interesting experience in visiting five independent Tibetan States ruled by their own Kings. ... My collections . . . illustrate the whole culture-life of the East Tibetan tribes. I have gathered a mass of personal information, as well as Tibetan and Chinese documents bearing on their languages, religion, history, Altar image ot the Buddhist deity Gama (Mahakala). Clay, nine incties high. Collected in Tibet by Lauler in 1909. Catalogue No. 122139. On exhibit in hall 32, case 3. and art, and am prepared to write a monograph on this region which will comprise at least three volumes. . . . The choice pieces in this collection [include] ... a dozen large matchlockguns with ornamented silver, brass, or iron work. One of these had (Continued on p. 12) Field Museum Bulletin wildf lower guides for the Chicago &re& In early spring, before the leaves expanded, our woodlands showed off their fine new carpet of wildflowers. Now, as the forest floor grows darker with shade, the spectacle of flowering moves into meadows and fields. Many lawns and vacant lots have already been covered by a blaze of yellow dandelions, which soon transform into a stubble of naked stalks, their parachuted seeds having joined the wind. But in our native prairies the passing months provide a continuing spectacle. Each week sees new species presenting a new display, while flowers that have already bloomed begin to build the seeds that must themselves bloom in years to come. This visual spectacle is one of the many joys of summer. The sight of beautiful flowers also can present a challenge— the challenge to identify and learn the names of these flowers. Plant names are what we need to know in order to communicate meaningfully about them. Once we know the names we can readily determine whether the plants in question are rare or common, native or introduced, edible or poisonous, and so forth. But names can be problems. What is known as "marsh marigold" in one area may be called "cowslip" somewhere else; and so it goes with "trout lily" versus "dog tooth violet," "blue flag" versus "wild iris," and so on. Sometimes the unpronounceable scientific names are little better. They are supposed to be the same all over the world, but that doesn't keep one scientist from calling the plant a species of Azalea while another calls the same plant a species of Rhododendron. Thanks to widely available books on plants there is more uniformity now than ever before, and there are a great number of books which can help-us to find the common as well as the scientific name for the wildflower that has caught our eye. Here are just a few: The wood lily (Lilium philadelphicum), with its bright orange and yellow petajs. graces wet meadows and open woods in late June and early July, {'h natural size) by William C, Burger photos by the author For the person with little background in botany the easiest book for flower identification is probably A Field Guide to Wildflowers * by Roger Tory Peterson and Margaret McKenny (Houghton Mifflin, 420 pp., $5.95). The flowers are arranged by color and the 1,344 illustrations are simple and easy to compare. For someone who already knows the plant families quite well but is unfamiliar with our midwestern and northeastern flowers there IS The New Field Book of American Wild Flowers* by Harold William Rickett (Putnam's, 414 pp., $4.95). This guide has more than 700 drawings of plants, 96 in full color. Wild Flower Guide* by Edgar T. Wherry (Doubleday, 202 pp., $5.50) describes more than 500 species; 236 are illustrated in black and white drawings, 192 in full color. The above three guides are all concerned with plants of the northeastern and midland states. Smaller, less expensive books with narrower coverage and fewer illustrations are Illinois Wild Flowers* by John Voss and Virginia S. Eifert (Illinois State Museum, 256 pp., $2.25, paperbound) and Flowers that Bloom in the Spring* by V. S. Eifert (Illinois State Museum, 48 pp., 400, paperbound); the latter is also concerned iust with the Illinois flora. All of the above books will fit into a larger jacket pocket and so are easy to take along on a nature walk. The former illustrates each species with a black and white photograph; the latter illustrates each species with a black and white drawing. If you should come across a plant that is difficult to identify, and you find yourself looking for a thorough reference, you should probably be prepared to visit your school or public library and be ready to wade through a welter of technical terms. My personal favorite of such comprehensive Dr. William C. Burger is associate curator, Department ot Botany. In our area the prickly pear (Opuntia compressa var. microsperma) grows only on sand dunes and behind the beach. The flowers are bright yellow. Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) is a native plant that olten covers tields with pale lilac or whitish llowers in late summer. reference works is the three-volume New Britten and Brown Illustrated Flora ot the Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada by Henry A. Gleason (Hafner, $40.00). In this massive work every species of higher plant that is discussed is also illustrated; and not only are the "flowers" included, but also grasses, sedges, trees, and shrubs. The illustrations together with technical keys and descriptions usually tell you what you are looking for. By way of contrast, I find it very difficult to use a book that many consider to be the last word in the northeastern flora: Gray's Manual ol Botany. 8th ed, (American Book Co.. 1,632 pp.) The difficulty is the lack of illustrations to let you know if you have used the keys correctly and if you are on the right track. Another large, comprehensive work is Wild Flowers ot the United States* by H. A. Rickett (McGraw Hill), of which the two-volume section "The Northeastern States" ($65.00) concerns the flora of our area and presents summary descriptions together with attractive color photographs. Persons who are concerned solely with Chicago-area plants will find A Guide to the Flowering Plants ot the Chicago Region, by Floyd Swink (160 pp.), of interest if they are lucky enough to locate a copy in their library. The book is nearly out of print and can now be obtained only from Mr. Swink. who is plant taxonomist at Morton Arboretum. A revision of his more comprehensive Plants ol the Chicago Region (445 pp.) is soon to be published. When one knows the name of a particular plant he is in the advantageous position ot then being able to explore a great variety of other books and publications to learn more about a particular wildflower. Books such as Human Poisoning from Native and Cultivated Plants, by Hardin and Arena (Duke University Press). Using Wayside Plants, by Coon (Hearthside Press), and Edible Wild Plants ot Eastern North America by Fernald and Kinsey (Idlewild) may be of special interest to many people. However, eating wildflowers and other wild plants is something you should do only if you are lost and starving or if you are really serious about losing that extra weight in a hurry. * Available at Field Museum Book Shop (10% discount to members). Queen Anne's lace, or wild carrot (Caucus carota), is a European immigrant that covers roadsides and disturbed tields in summer. C'/2 natural size) Spiderwort (Tradescantia virgmiana) blooms in late spring and early summer, olten along roadsides, on gravelly banks, or on edges ol wend'-. (Twice natural size) Field Museum Bulletin 9 The Story of a Fish Quarry by Katherine Krueger For most people, spring is a time for romance, gardening, or house-cleaning. But for the geologist, the advent of warm weather means a return to the field, where he gathers the specimens that are the core of his livelihood. What great fun it seems to go off each year for a month or more, to work under blue skies, away from the crowded vistas and cacophony of the city. Fun it is, but how many people realize that it is also hard physical labor, often performed under adverse weather conditions? What really goes on during an expedition? Each field party faces somewhat different obstacles, but let us follow the history of a field project that began in April of 1973, and terminated the following September— that of Hesler Quarry in Parke County, west central Indiana. Dr. Rainer Zangerl, chairman of Field Museum's Department of Geology, has done a great deal of field work in Parke County, and is very familiar with the paleontology and stratigraphy of the Pennsylvanian black shales in that region. While scouting around for outcrops that might contain fossils, he noticed some fossilized fish in the rock outwash from a series of gullies. Suspecting that the hill from which the gullies ran bore more of the same, he questioned the proprietor of the farm, Mr. Bennie Hesler. Such is standard procedure in the field — to secure permission from a land owner to work on his property. The Heslers, who have Katherine Krueger is custodian ot collections. Paleontology. cattle, were more than happy to have a quarry dug on their land. They would use it for a pond when the work was done. In addition, they were enthusiastic about having a scientific venture going on practically at their doorstep. The project was funded by a National Science Foundation grant, which made possible plenty of field assistance from many individuals throughout the project's duration. Mike Williams, a Ph.D. candidate from the University of Kansas, is, like Dr. Zangerl, working on cartilaginous fishes of the Pennsylvanian black shales. Under the NSF grant, he was a full-time field hand. Four other students offered their services as volunteers and were able to work briefly on the quarry: Kathy Elbaum of the University of Chicago, Mickey Indianer and Jeff Davison of Antioch College, and Bill Krueger of the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle. Orville "Gilly" Gilpin, Field Museum's chief preparator of fossils, was at the quarry from April to September. Dr. Eugene Richardson, curator of fossil invertebrates, Mike Williams' wife Ortrud, and I each did a week's stint at the site. Dr. Bertram Woodland, curator of igneous and metamorphic petrology, was also lured there for a day, to investigate an interesting seam of cone-in-cone (calcareous concretions with characteristic conical or partly conical structures). Behind the scenes but indispensable. Dr. Zangerl's wife Ann shopped, gardened, and cooked huge dinners for the crew, during the entire 24-week period. What did all the others do at the quarry? The bulk of the labor fell on the three "permanent" field workers: Dr. Zangerl, Gilly, and Mike. The shale was exposed only in the V of a tiny stream running through a narrow valley. The men had to strip the topsoil, the glacial cover, and some drab shale of Pennsylvanian age from the valley walls, in order to expose the black shale thoroughly on either side of the stream. A bulldozer and later a slip scraper (a road-building rig) were used for this project. Mr. Gerald Garrard, a friend of the Museum who had helped to excavate Logan Quarry (also in Parke County) in 1957, supervised the excavation ot Hesler Quarry. The space to be cleared was about 30 by 20 yards in area; the project took about two weeks of full-time hard labor. The "waste" soil from the stripping project was used to build a dam for the Hosiers' future pond. A culvert was placed along the stream path before the dirt was dumped, in order to keep the quarry well drained. Later Mr. Hesler would put a standpipe (an elbow-shaped attachment) on the culvert, to regulate the pond level. Qnce the shale was exposed, more backaches lay ahead. The layers of shale had to be pried apart (shale is naturally fissile; that is, it tends to split along its bedding planes), broken up into pieces that could be handled, and resplit for careful examination. The top layers of the shale exposed by the bulldozer were not fossiliferous (fossil-bearing), so they had to be completely removed before the productive layers could be reached. (Dr. Zangerl knew this from previous stratigraphic work in the area; thus he saved the crew from wasting hours splitting much unproductive shale.) Chisels were wedged between layers of shale wherever there was a gap, and sledge hammers drove them deep into the bedding planes. Then a pickax was used to pull up a sheet of shale. Sometimes natural joints in the rocks would cause a piece to come off in a manageable slab, but when that didn't happen, a whack with the sledge hammer would provide man-made "joints." A crowbar was used to push up slabs so they could be carried to a worktable. Rubble from the top layers of unproductive shale was shoveled into a wheelbarrow and hauled off to the dam. A broom served to keep the quarry surface clean. Fancy field equipment included a gasoline-powered rock saw, used to make accurate cuts into a slab when irregular breaks might have risked damage to a specimen. A generator-powered vacuum cleaner gathered up the black dust produced by the saw. The crew built a wooden worktable, benches, and a shed for the equipment. Slices of productive (they hoped!) shale were carried to the table, and split into extremely fine sheets, in the search for specimens. Brick hammers were used to drive series of knives into the slab. These knives were converted into thin chisels specially for the black shale quarry work. The end of a blade was first broken off, then the squared-off tip was honed to a sharp edge. The knives were positioned around a block to make it split evenly. The rewards for all these efforts were fragments of cartilaginous fishes from 300 million years ago. According to Dr. Zangerl, decomposition by bacteria had rendered them nearly flat in appearance, even before the great weight of overlying sediments had been deposited. Sometimes an entire fish would turn up — a rare event that made all the hours of fruitless labor suddenly worthwhile. The specimens were each marked with a yellow pencil, to indicate their level of occurrence. At the end of the day they were given tentative identifications and field collection numbers. This information was logged in a notebook. Then the specimens were wrapped in old newspapers, for shipping. In April mornings the crew worked in bitter cold and in summer everyone fried in the heat of the sun. The black shale held the heat and made an oven of the pit, where a breeze was seldom effective. Field time is limited and therefore precious; so weekends were workdays, because rain always meant a forced holiday. Twice during the summer, torrential rains turned the quarry prematurely into a pond. Plant debris clogged the culvert and the small area filled up overnight. Murky water covered the tools but fortunately didn't reach the generator, perched safely on the worktable, which was on higher ground. The power saw in its metal case floated off and filled with water. The crew's only recourse was to enter the water — chin-deep at the center — and to poke around for the culvert with a shovel. Once the culvert was found and cleared, the pond drained in two hours. But there was still trouble ahead. The saw had to be dismantled for cleaning, and for a long time afterward it remained temperamental. A thick patina of pollen, fuzz, fallen leaves, and clay coated the shale exposures and had to be scraped off before operations could resume. On good days, one could enjoy the buzz of cicadas, the blue sky, a view of the surrounding forest, and the clean air. Cattle would wander up to drink at a nearby water hole, providing noon-time diversion for the workers. At the top of a nearby hill lay an ancient graveyard with tumbled-down, eroded headstones. Reconstructing in our >- Once the shale is exposed, more backaches lay ahead. The layers ot shale had lo be pried apart, broken up into pieces that could be handled, and resplit lor examination. Nir Field Museum Bulletin 11 imaginations the history of these long-dead settlers was one of our summer pastimes. Lunches consisted of hearty sandwiches, fruit, and hot peppers from a local grocery, all washed down with fresh spring water. The noon fare rarely varied much, but by mid-day, we were all so famished that everything was delicious. This crew enjoyed many unusual fringe benefits, thanks to the Zangerls, who have some rural property in Parke County. We stayed in a century-old farmhouse on their land, just a five-minute drive from the quarry, so commuting or rising unduly early was no problem. The famed covered bridges of Parke County were all about us as we drove to and from our work. In springtime, ripe strawberries and raspberries were everywhere for the picking. Truly savory well water, which flowed from rocks of Pleistocene age, was used for drinking. But as it was in short supply, we bathed and washed dishes with water from a different, sulfurous source. Mrs. Zangerl grew all sorts of vegetables throughout the summer and supplemented our tightly budgeted meals with these delectables. Evenings were free from care. After meals we would help to clean up, then chat, while admiring the marvelous variety of insects that were attracted to our lamps — kelly-green katydids, and all sorts of delicate moths. Country sounds surrounded us while a brisk blaze in the fireplace warmed us in the chill summer evenings. Sometimes there were parties wtih neighbors. Mike Williams even got free guitar lesssons from one of them! The field trip was a success. Fifteen hundred specimens were recovered from it — all contributing to the story of Pennsylvanian life 300 million years ago. When trimmed, tidily labeled, catalogued, and set into boxes for our storage cabinets, they will hardly call to mind the rugged hammer and chisel days when we were working in that hot pit of a quarry! D TIBET (from p. 7) won such a great reputation among the Tibetans that in many places to which I came the people flocked from near and far and asked my permission to see and admire this gun; all competent judges were unanimous in the opinion that it presents the best specimen of a Tibetan gun ever made. Then I have a large coracle, a boat consisting of a yakhide stretched over a wooden frame which is the only kind of boat known in Tibet and used in crossing big rivers. For the purpose of transportation, it had to be taken to pieces, i.e., the hide to be separated from the frame, and even then I experienced great difficulty in finding suitable porters willing to carry the two pieces on their backs, because of their weight and capacity. . . .* *The coracle is on permanent exhibit in hall 32. . . .The foreigner suffers daily from the suspicion of the people and their animosity in general towards foreigners to which they are instigated by their Lamas and the idiotic Chinese officials. With Lamas, 1 have had very bad experiences: they keep us out of their temples and refuse to sell books or images; they do not even refrain from setting their powerful mastiff dogs at a foreigner or throwing stones at him. I wish to invite the advocates of the theory that the white race rules the world, to a visit of Tibet to experience that the white man finds less consideration there than a dog. Altogether, these people are a fierce and violent lot, always armed up to the teeth and ever ready to draw their swords or to make use of their guns. In one case, I have been openly attacked by a whole gang with brandished knives in front of a royal palace at broad daylight, for no other these people are a fierce and violent lot, always armed up to the teeth and ever rcadv to draw their swords or to mal . reason, because I politely expressed the wisti to see the King and held presents for him in my hands; it was only due to my cool-bloodedness that the affair had no serious consequences. The hatred of foreigners goes so far that they even refuse to sell food to him or fodder for his horse. The principle is to starve him out to make him leave the country as soon as possible. And Tibet is really a land of hunger. During the last four weeks of my journey, I have been in a desperate situation, provisions were all exhausted, and nothing, not even an egg, could be bought; only roasted barley-flour kept us alive, and the portions had to be meted out at starvation rates. . . . Despite these exciting six last months, I am in the best of health and spirits. The resistance of so many powers has not shattered my energy, but doubled it. I have now learned to be as tough as a Tibetan. My next plan will be to conquer Tibet in an airship, as soon as I shall get it. In the meanwhile I will conquer as much land as I can. My journey to Hsining will take over 30 days, I shall make a stay there in the famous lamasery of Kumbum. . . . T'ao-chou, Kansu, West-China on Tibetan Border 8,000 feet high Dec. 15, 1909 Mr. dear Dr. Dorsey: I am just scribbling this note to let you know that I am doing some great things here in the way of collecting. . . . The best thing 1 got hold of is an old inscription-stone, ... It is an octagonal pillar of red sandstone surrounded by a knob carved with a dragon, weighing about a thousand pounds. There is nothing artistic about it, but the inscription is of immense historical value. It is dated A.D. 749, T'ang Dynasty, ... It relates the conquest of this town by a Tibetan army at that time. and, therefore, fits in splendidly with our Tibetan collection, in that it is suggestive of the eternal struggle going on between these two antagonistic nations, China and Tibet, and even symbolical of the political conditions of nowadays. The writing is considered by Chinese scholars as one of the finest calligraphic specimens of that period. 1 secured the stone at the price of 100 local taels , . . from the present owner, a Chinese Christian. Considering local valuations, this price is somewhat high, but as this man . . . intends to employ this sum for the founding of a Chinese girls' school on foreign and Christian lines, 1 felt I should act in the spirit of Mrs. Blackstone, if I expended this amount towards this charitable and educational purpose. ... I have not received any mail now for eight months. I am keeping well, and my work affords me ample satisfaction for any hardships I have to endure. Kindly pardon this pencil scribbling, ink has become a costly material with me. . . . A year later, tlie Mrs. T. B. Blacl■ Joyce M Brukoff is an Evanston writer with a special interest in environmental problems Field Museum Bulletin Po!'^uf}ing /7d5 bijvn one ot Ihv nio^t ctloctive means oi sldughtunng wolves The 27 wolves that appear to be taking their ease in the bacl■ Field Museum Bullelin ^m : (lailt At ijtcramntt tit % 9^' In Scandinavian mythology Fenns the wall is the brother ot Hel (death) and Midgard (a snake) When the world comes to an end he devours the sun The god Tyr. sword in hand, has sacrificed his own hand so that Fenns can be tied up Illustration from an ancient edition of Scandinavian myths A few centuries ago the wolf was a serious scourge of sfieep flocl