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News 


Published  Monthly  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Chicago 


Vol.  2 


JANUARY,   1931 


No.  1 


ROOSEVELTS'  GIANT  PANDA  GROUP  INSTALLED  IN  WILLIAM  V.  KELLEY  HALL 


By  Wilfred  H.  Osgood 
Curator,  Department  of  Zoology 

The  outstanding  feature  of  the  William 
V.  Kelley-Roosevelts  Expedition  to  Eastern 
Asia  for  Field  Museum  was  the  obtaining 
of  a  complete  and  perfect  specimen  of  the 
peculiar  animal  known  as  the  giant  panda 
or  great  panda.  In  popular  accounts  this 
rare  beast  has  been  described  as  an  animal 
with  a  face  like  a  raccoon,  a  body  like  a 
bear,  and  feet  like  a  cat.  Although  these 
characterizations  are 
not  scientifically  accu- 
rate, all  of  them  have 
some  basis  in  fact,  and 
it  might  even  be  added 
that  its  teeth  have  cer- 
tain slight  resem- 
blances to  those  of  a 
pig.  It  is  small  wonder 
then  that  the  animal 
is  of  unusual  interest, 
quite  aside  from  its 
rarity  and  its  striking 
coloration. 

It  was  discovered 
some  sixty  years  ago  by 
Pere  Armand  David, 
"^  French  missionary 
Itationed  in  the  Mou- 
ping  district  of  western 
China.  A  skin  and 
skull  were  sent  at  that 
time  to  the  Paris 
Museum  of  Natural 
History  where  they 
were  figured  and  de- 
scribed under  the  name 
Ailuropus  melanoleucus 
by  the  famous  zoolo- 
gist Alphonse  Milne- 
Edwards.     In   later 

years,  reports  of  the  animal  were  received 
occasionally.  Natives  collected  some  imper- 
fect skins,  mostly  without  skulls  or  other 
bones,  and  at  rare  intervals  these  were 
shipped  out  and  acquired  by  a  few  of  the 
larger  museums  of  the  world. 

So  far  as  known,  up  to  1928  the  animal 
had  never  been  successfully  hunted  by 
white  men.  It  inhabited  a  remote  region 
difficult  of  access,  and  even  in  its  home 
grounds  it  was  evidently  rare  and  difficult 
to  find.  It  was  therefore  exactly  the  sort  of 
animal  to  excite  the  interest  of  Colonel 
Theodore  Roosevelt  and  Kermit  Roosevelt 
when  planning  their  recent  expedition 
through  Central  Asia.     At  one  of  the  last 


conferences  with  them  at  Field  Museum 
while  the  expedition  was  being  organized, 
although  it  was  agreed  that  a  giant  panda 
would  furnish  a  most  satisfactory  climax  for 
their  efforts,  the  chance  of  getting  one  was 
considered  so  small  it  was  thought  best  to 
make  no  announcement  concerning  it  when 
they  started.  There  were  other  less  spec- 
tacular animals  to  be  hunted,  the  obtaining 
of  which  would  be  a  sufficient  measure  of 
success,  so  the  placing  of  advance  emphasis 


The  Giant  Panda  (Hall  17)— William  V.  Kelley-Roosevelts  Expedition 

on  the  giant  panda  would  have  been  to  invite 
an  unwarranted  public  interpretation  of 
failure  in  case  the  one  great  rarity  was  not 
secured.  The  Roosevelts'  habit  of  success, 
however,  did  not  fail  them,  and  they  have 
brought  to  Field  Museum  not  the  only 
giant  panda  specimen  in  the  world,  as  some 
accounts  have  stated,  but  the  only  complete 
and  perfect  one  and  the  only  one  killed  by 
white  men. 

Owing  to  the  lack  of  complete  skeletal 
material  in  the  past,  the  exact  systematic 
position  of  the  panda  has  been  somewhat 
doubtful.  It  was  at  first  classified  with  the 
bears  and  called  the  parti-colored  bear,  but 
its  external  resemblance  to  bears  proved  to 


be  superficial,  and  it  was  then  transferred 
to  the  group  which  includes  the  raccoons 
and  allies,  one  of  which  was  the  little  panda, 
or  common  panda,  which  is  also  Asiatic  in 
distribution.  Still  later,  an  independent  posi- 
tion was  advocated  for  it,  in  which  it  became 
the  sole  living  representative  of  a  distinct 
family  of  mammals.  Preliminary  examina- 
tion of  the  complete  skeleton  obtained  by 
the  Roosevelts  seems  to  indicate  that  more 
careful  study  will  substantiate  this  last  view. 
The  giant  panda  is 
a  giant  only  by  com- 
parison with  its  sup- 
posed relative,  the  little 
panda,  which  is  long- 
tailed  and  about  the 
size  of  a  small  fox.  The 
so-called  giant  is  in 
reality  smaller  than 
most  bears  and  proba- 
bly does  not  exceed  150 
pounds  in  weight.  Skins 
obtained  from  natives 
often  are  stretched  so 
as  to  give  a  false  im- 
pression of  size.  The 
specimen  taken  by  the 
Roosevelts  is  a  full 
grown  male,  and  the 
measurements  taken 
before  it  was  skinned 
as  well  as  those  pro- 
vided by  the  skeleton 
indicate  that  the  ani- 
mal had  a  length  of 
about  four  feet  and  a 
shoulder  height  of 
twenty-eight  inches. 

In  the  group  which 
has  just  been  opened 
to  view  in  William  V. 
Kelley  Hall  (Hall  17)  two  pandas  are  shown, 
one  being  the  specimen  killed  by  the  Roose- 
velts. The  other  specimen  was  prepared 
from  a  skin  obtained  by  them  from  natives. 
The  animals  are  shown  in  their  favorite  habi- 
tat of  bamboo  thickets  which  in  western  China 
are  found  growing  at  altitudes  up  to  10,000 
feet  or  more.  One  of  them  is  seen  feeding  on 
the  twigs  and  stalks  of  bamboo  which  seem 
to  furnish  their  principal  diet,  and  for  crush- 
ing and  chewing  which  their  extraordinarily 
heavy  teeth  have  doubtless  been  developed. 
The  animals  have  been  skillfully  prepared  by 
Taxidermist  Julius  Friesser,  and  a  back- 
ground of  unusual  beauty  has  been  painted 
by  Staff  Artist  Charles  A.  Corwin. 


Work  Resumed  at  Kish 

Excavations  on  the  site  of  the  ancient  city 
of  Kish,  near  Babylon,  have  been  resumed 
by  the  Field  Museum-Oxford  University 
Joint  Expedition  to  Mesopotamia,  it  is  re- 
ported by  Professor  Stephen  Langdon,  direc- 
Jor  of  the  expedition.  This  is  the  eighth 
Bason  of  the  expedition's  operations.  L.  C. 
Vatelin  is  again  in  charge  of  field  work. 
About  300  men  will  be  employed  in  the 
excavating  work  this  season. 

At  the  end  of  the  last  period  of  work  the 
diggers  had  penetrated  into  strata  bearing 
marks  of  ancient  floods,  and  had  traced  the 


history  of  Kish  back  beyond  4000  B.C.  The 
expedition  is  financed  by  Marshall  Field  on 
behalf  of  Field  Museum,  and  by  Herbert 
Weld  and  others  on  behalf  of  Oxford. 


Trustee  Markham  Is  Dead 

With  deep  regret  Field  Museum  records 
the  death  of  one  of  its  Trustees,  Charles  H. 
Markham.  Mr.  Markham  died  on  November 
24,  1930,  at  his  winter  home  at  Altadena, 
California.  He  was  69  years  old,  and  had 
been  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
since  1924. 


Komodo  Lizard  Exhibited 

An  exhibit  of  the  giant  dragon-lizard  of 
Komodo,  Dutch  East  Indies,  is  now  on  view 
in  Albert  W.  Harris  Hall  (Hall  18).  It  was 
prepared  from  one  of  the  specimens  obtained 
by  the  Chancellor-Stuart-Field  Museum 
Expedition  to  the  South  Pacific,  1929.  This 
is  the  largest  extant  species  of  lizard,  and 
one  of  the  rarest,  being  found  nowhere  in 
the  world  except  in  the  islands  of  Komodo 
and  Flores  of  the  Lesser  Sunda  group,  east 
of  Java.  A  picture  of  the  exhibit,  and  a 
more  detailed  article  on  it,  will  appear  in 
a  subsequent  issue  of  Field  Museum  News. 


Page  2 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


January,  1931 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Founded  by  Marshall  Field,  1893 
Roosevelt  Road  and  Lake  Michigan,  Chicago 


THE  BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES 
John  Borden  William  H.  Mitchell 

William  J.  Chalmers  Frederick  H.  Rawson 

R.  T.  Crane,  Jr.  George  A.  Richardson 

Marshall  Field  Martin  A.  Ryerson 

Stanley  Field  Fred  W. Sargent 

Ernest  R.  Graham  Stephen  C.  Simms 

Albert  W.  Harris  James  Simpson 

Samuel  Insull,  Jr.  Solomon  A.  Smith 

William  V.  Kelley  Albert  A.  Spragub 

Cyrus  H.  McCormick  Silas  H.  Strawn 

William  Wrigley,  Jr. 

OFFICERS 

Stanley  Field President 

Martin  A.  Ryerson First  Vice-President 

Albert  A.  Spragub Second  Vice-President 

James  Simpson Third  Vice-President 

Stephen  C.  Simms Director  and  Secretary 

Solomon  A.  Smith  . .  .Treasurer  and  Assistant  Secretary 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 

Stephen  C.  Simms,  Director  of  the  Museum Editor 

CONTRIBUTING  EDITORS 

Berthold  Laufer Curator  of  Anthropology 

B.  E.  Dahlgren Acting  Curator  of  Botany 

O.  C.  Farrington Curator  of  Geology 

Wilfred  H.  Osgood Curator  of  Zoology 

H.  B.  Haute Managing  Editor 

Field  Museum  is  open  every  day  of  the  year  during 
the  hours  indicated  below: 

November,  December,  January  9  a.m.  to  4:30  P.M. 

February,  March,  April,  October       9  a.m.  to  5:00  P.M. 
May,  June,  July,  August,  September  9  a.m.  to  6:00  P.M. 

Admission  is  free  to  Members  on  all  days.  Other 
adults  are  admitted  free  on  Thursdays,  Saturdays  and 
Sundays;  non-members  pay  25  cents  on  other  days. 
Children  are  admitted  free  on  all  days.  Students  and 
faculty  members  of  educational  institutions  are  admit- 
ted free  any  day  upon  presentation  of  credentials. 

The  Library  of  the  Museum,  containing  some  92,000 
volumes  on  natural  history  subjects,  is  open  for  refer- 
ence daily  except  Sunday. 

Traveling  exhibits  are  circulated  in  the  schools  of 
Chicago  by  the  Museum's  Department  of  the  N.  W. 
Harris  Public  School  Extension. 

Lecturers  for  school  classrooms  and  assemblies,  and 
special  entertainments  and  lecture  tours  for  children  at 
the  Museum,  are  provided  by  the  James  Nelson  and 
Anna  Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for  Public  School 
and  Children's  Lectures. 

Announcements  of  courses  of  free  illustrated  lectures 
on  science  and  travel  for  the  public,  and  special  lectures 
to  Members  of  the  Museum,  will  appear  in  Field 
Museum  News. 

There  is  a  cafeteria  in  the  Museum  where  luncheon 
is  served  for  visitors.  Other  rooms  are  provided  for 
those  bringing  their  lunches. 

Members  are  requested  to  inform  the  Museum 
promptly  of  changes  of  address. 


DUE  RECOGNITION 

For  some  time  past  there  has  been  dis- 

Elayed  in  Stanley  Field  Hall  a  bronze  plaque 
earing  a  list  of  the  names  of  the  Benefactors 
of  the  Museum — designated  by  the  by-laws 
of  the  institution  as  those  persons  who  have 
given  the  Museum  $100,000  or  more  in  cash, 
securities  or  property.  This  stands  as  a 
permanent  memorial  to  these  Benefactors, 
living  and  dead.  Several  names  have  been 
added  in  recent  years,  and  the  number  now 
appearing  is  eighteen. 

It  was  recently  decided  that  some  similar 
permanent  recognition  should  be  given  many 
others  who  have  generously  contributed  to 
the  funds  and  possessions  of  Field  Museum. 
For  this  reason  a  new  bronze  frame  has  just 
been  installed  in  Stanley  Field  Hall,  near  the 
north  entrance  to  the  building,  in  which  has 
been  posted  a  list  of  all  persons  who  have 
made  contributions  ranging  in  value  from 
$1,000  to  $100,000.  Ninety-six  names  now 
appear  on  the  list  in  this  frame,  and  pro- 
visions have  been  made  for  the  addition  of 
others  as  occasion  demands. 

The  Museum  has  previously  taken  pains 
to   make   these    generous    contributors    of 


money  and  materials  aware  of  the  institu- 
tion's appreciation  of  their  efforts  to  assist 
it  in  carrying  on  its  work.  It  is  hoped  that 
the  presence  of  these  two  lists  conspicuously 
displayed  in  the  building  will  result  in  a 
greater  realization  on  the  part  of  the  general 
public  of  the  great  civic  indebtedness  owed 
to  these  donors  for  their  support  of  the 
advancement  of  science  and  education.  The 
extension  of  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from 
the  Museum  is  made  possible  by  the  many 
friends  thus  directly  supporting  it,  and  it  is 
desired  that  the  visitors  enjoying  the  advan- 
tages offered  here  shall  become  conscious  of 
this  fact. 

It  is  only  just  to  mention  that  there  are 
also  thousands  of  other  donors  of  money  and 
materials  in  lesser  amounts,  whose  gifts  are 
as  fully  appreciated.  Obviously,  it  would 
be  impracticable  to  display  a  list  of  all  these, 
because  of  space  limitations,  and  so  a  some- 
what arbitrary  line  cannot  be  avoided  for 
the  purposes  of  the  displayed  lists.  However, 
acknowledgments  of  all  these  other  gifts 
appear  each  year  in  the  published  Annual 
Reports  of  the  Director  of  the  Museum,  and 
it  is  desired  that  their  donors  shall  feel  that 
they  are  enrolled  in  the  same  company  of 
public  spirited  citizens  as  those  whose  re- 
sources have  permitted  contributions  on  a 
larger  scale.       

UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO 
HONORS  STANLEY  FIELD 

An  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  was 
conferred  upon  Stanley  Field,  President  of 
Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,  by  the 
University  of  Chicago  at  its  convocation, 
held  December  22-24.  President  Robert 
Maynard  Hutchins  of  the  university  presided 
at  the  ceremony.  Presentation  of  the  degree 
was  made  by  Dean  Richard  E.  Scammon. 

This  honor  to  Mr. 
Field  is  largely  in 
recognition  of  great 
public  service  he  has 
rendered  through  his 
work  and  his  bene- 
factions as  a  Trustee, 
and  as  President,  of 
the  Museum. 

Mr.  Field  first  be- 
came a  Trustee  and 
a  Vice-president  of 
the  Museum  in  1906, 
and  in  1909  he  was 
elected  President, 
which  office  he  has 
filled  continuously 
until  the  present 
time.  His  tenure  of 
the  Presidency  coin- 
cides with  the  period 
of  the  greatest  ex- 
pansion and  progress  attained  in  the  history 
of  the  Museum,  and  this  development  may 
in  large  measure  be  traced  directly  to  the 
influence  he  has  exerted,  and  to  the  great 
amount  of  time,  labor  and  money  which  he 
has  devoted  unceasingly  and  without  stint 
to  make  this  museum  one  of  the  greatest  in 
the  world.  He  has  filled  the  office  of  Presi- 
dent with  the  utmost  ability,  and  it  may  be 
truly  said  that  every  branch  of  the  Museum's 
activities  has  had  his  direct  personal  atten- 
tion and  has  benefited  thereby  throughout 
the  period  in  which  he  has  been  at  the  helm. 

Mr.  Field  was  instrumental  in  obtaining 
the  centrally  located  and  otherwise  advan- 
tageous site  of  the  present  Museum  building, 
and  in  successfully  pushing  through  to  com- 
pletion the  construction  program.  In  every 
Department  and  Division  of  the  institution 
he  has  manifested  a  direct  personal  interest, 
and  his  ideas,  advice,  suggestions  and  gifts 


Stanley  Field 


have  been  of  great  benefit  throughout  the 
Museum.  His  support  of  the  Stanley  Field 
Plant  Reproduction  Laboratories  has  given^C^, 
the  Museum  the  leading  place  among  institu-v*  *»" 
tions  of  its  kind  in  the  field  of  botany.  Year^1^ 
after  year  Mr.  Field  has  supplied  funds  to 
cover  the  Museum's  annual  operating  de- 
ficits, in  addition  to  making  many  other 
generous  contributions  for  various  purposes. 
Above  everything  he  has  done  for  the 
Museum,  shines  his  personal  interest  and 
devotion  to  the  institution  and  its  mission, 
as  manifested  by  the  large  part  of  his  waking 
hours  devoted  to  serving  it.  He  not  only 
spends  much  of  his  time  at  work  in  the 
Museum,  but  devotes  many  of  his  hours  at 
home  and  elsewhere  to  careful  thought  and 
planning  for  the  advancement  of  its  interests. 
— S.C.S. 

Rare  Acquisitions 

The  Department  of  Anthropology  has 
received  several  valuable  gifts  recently.  L. 
M.  Willis  of  Chicago  presented  a  beautifully 
shaped  Roman  glass  amphora  found  in 
Pompeii.  This  vase  has  been  added  to  a 
case  of  antique  glass  in  Edward  E.  and  Emma 
B.  Ayer  Hall  (Hall  2). 

Anne  old  Chinese  jade  carving  of  the  T'ang 
period  (a.d.  618-906)  has  been  donated  by 
Mrs.  George  T.  Smith  of  Chicago,  a  Patron 
and  Corporate  Member  of  the  Museum. 
The  carving  represents  a  recumbent  lion- 
like flamed  monster  devouring  two  snakes. 

David  Weber  of  Chicago  presented  two 
very  interesting  mortuary  clay  figures  of 
horsewomen  engaged  in  a  polo  match.  Six 
fine  old  Navaho  blankets  were  received  as  a 
gift  from  Burridge  D.  Butler,  publisher  of 
The  Prairie  Farmer. 

>\W 

Gifts  to  the  Museum  *  * 

Following  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  principal 
gifts  received  during  the  last  month: 

From  L.  M.  Willis — glass  amphora  set  in  bronze 
tripod  stand,  Pompeii;  from  David  Weber — 2  mortuary 
clay  figures  of  horsewomen  playing  polo,  T'ang  period, 
China;  from  Mrs.  George  T.  Smith — jade  carving  of  a 
recumbent  lion-like  monster  devouring  two  snakes, 
T'ang  period,  China;  from  Rev.  H.  A.  Cotton — 40  speci- 
mens from  the  Ovimbundu,  Angola,  Africa;  from  Miss 
Magda  Heuermann — pottery  cup  from  prehistoric 
tumulus,  bronze  period,  Prussia;  from  Dr.  Ralph  M. 
Whitehead— 6  specimens  from  the  Aguaruna  Indians, 
Amazon  region,  Brazil;  from  Mrs.  Ernest  N.  Braucher 
— 8  specimens  of  arrowheads  and  spearheads;  from 
William  J.  Chalmers— beryl  crystal  specimen  weighing 
950  pounds,  Albany,  Maine;  from  Arthur  S.  Vernay — 
28  Bushman  ethnological  objects,  South  Africa;  from 
S.  C.  Simms — 2  photographs  of  Meteor  Crater,  Arizona, 
and  specimen  of  sand  concretion,  Arizona;  from  Miss 
Alice  Lorey — 2  cabochon  cut  agates  and  specimen  of 
copper,  Michigan;  from  Karl  Plath — Mexican  black- 
headed  oriole;  from  Charles  E.  Burt — 5  frfflji  and  a 
lizard;  from  John  G.  Shedd  Aquarium — 27  fishes:  from 
B.  H.  Grave — 5  salamanders;  from  E.  L.  Bruce  Com- 
pany— 2  boards  of  red  gum;  from  Messrs.  Paul  C. 
Lett. Bryan  Patterson,  Frank  Letl, Theodore Wallschlager 
and  Misses  Fern  C  off  man  and  Vera  Foster — 33  fossil 
worms,  37  fossil  plants  and  12  graptolites. 

BEQUESTS  AND  ENDOWMENTS 

Bequests  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  may 
be  made  in  securities,  money,  books  or  collections. 
They  may,  if  desired,  take  the  form  of  a  memorial  to 
a  person  or  cause  named  by  the  giver.  For  those  desiring 
to  make  bequests,  the  following  form  is  suggested: 

FORM  OF  BEQUEST 
/  do  hereby  give  and  bequeath  to  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History  of  the  City  of  Chicago,  State  of  IUinoie, 


Cash  contributions  made  within  the  taxable  year  to— 
Field  Museum  not  exceeding  15  per  cent  of  the  taxAjt* 
payer's  net  income  are  allowable  as  deductions  in  com\^ 
puting  net  income  under  Article  251  of  Regulation  69 
relating  to  income  tax  under  the  Revenue  Act  of  1926. 

Endowments  may  be  made  to  the  Museum  with  the 
provision  that  an  annuity  be  paid  to  the  patron  for  life. 
These  annuities  are  tax-free  and  are  guaranteed  against 
fluctuation  in  amount. 


January,  1931 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


PageS 


1 


COW  TREES 

By  Paul  C.  Standley 
Associate  Curator  of  the  Herbarium 


Field  Museum  received  recently,  through 
Professor  Samuel  J.  Record,  its  Research 
Associate  in  Wood  Technology,  herbarium 
specimens  of  another  Central  American  tree 
that  yields  milk.  It  was  identified  as 
Naucleopsis  naga,  a  member  of  the  mulberry 
family  that  ranges  from  Costa  Rica  to  Hon- 
duras. E.  H.  Taylor,  of  the  United  Fruit 
Company,  who  obtained  the  specimens  in  the 
Atlantic  lowlands  of 
Costa  Rica,  reports 
that  no  use  is  made  of 
the  palo  de  vaca,  as  it 
is  called  in  Spanish, 
except  as  firewood,  but 
that  when  the  trunk  is 
tapped,  there  oozes 
from  it  a  liquid  resem- 
bling skimmed  milk. 
This  was  found  to  taste 
like  cow's  milk. 

Various  other  Amer- 
ican trees  of  the  same 
family  yield  a  similar 
product.  Brosimum 
utile,  a  so-called  cow 
tree  that  ranges  from 
Venezuela  to  Costa 
Rica,  greatly  interested 
the  famous  explorer 
Humboldt,  who  ob- 
served its  use  among 
the  native  people 
of  Venezuela.  He 
published  a  classic  but 
perhaps  somewhat  ex- 
aggerated account  of 
the  tree  and  of  the  man- 
ner in  which  its  milk- 
like latex  was  collected 
for  use  as  human  food. 
During  the  past 
three  years  much  pub- 
licity has  been  given  to  a  Central  American 
tree  of  another  group  but  with  the  same 
properties.  It  is  Couma  guatemalensis  Stand- 
ley,  a  member  of  the  Apocynaceae,  the  family 
of  plants  to  which  belong  the  common  dog- 
banes, periwinkles,  and  other  familiar  plants. 
The  Guatemalan  cow  tree  is  known  from  only 
a  few  localities  on  the  north  coast.  The 
present  writer  found  it  eight  years  ago  in 
swamps  at  Puerto  Barrios,  but  since  the 
specimens  obtainable  were  incomplete,  they 
were  not  determined  until  five  years  later, 
when  Professor  Record  procured  flowers. 

A  fine  trunk  of  the  Guatemalan  cow  tree, 
presented  by  the  United  Fruit  Company,  is 
now  on  exhibition  in  Hall  27  of  the  Museum. 
The  trunk  shows  the  diagonal  cuts  made 
when  the  bark  is  slashed  to  obtain  the  milk. 
Several  kinds  of  cow  trees  grow  in  Central 
America,  especially  in  Panama  and  Costa 
Rica,  but  little  use  is  made  of  them.  Nau- 
cleopsis naga,  the  one  most  recently  reported, 
furnishes  a  product  that  is  useful  to  the 
native  people.  In  Honduras  this  tree  is 
called  concha  de  indio,  "Indian  bark,"  and 
it  is  claimed  that  the  uncivilized  Indians 
beat  the  fibrous  inner  bark  into  a  sort  of 
coarse  cloth  that  they  use  for  clothing.  Such 
cloth  still  is  made  by  some  of  the  wilder 
Indians  in  eastern  Panama  from  the  bark  of 
trees  of  the  mulberry  family. 


) 


Cow  Tree  (Hall  27) 


IXPEDITION  TO  SEEK  SPECIMENS 
OF  TAKIN 

Operations  have  been  begun  in  southern 
China  by  a  Field  Museum  expedition,  spon- 
sored by  Marshall  Field,  the  immediate 
object  of  which  is  to  obtain  specimens  of  the 


rare  goat-antelope  known  as  the  -takin,  for 
use  in  a  proposed  habitat  group  to  be  added 
to  the  series  of  Asiatic  mammals  in  William 
V.  Kelley  Hall  (Hall  17). 

This  heavy-bodied  animal,  which  has  curi- 
ously shaped  horns,  inhabits  the  same  moun- 
tainous region  in  which  the  giant  panda  is 
found.  When  the  specimens  are  obtained 
it  is  planned  to  install  them  in  a  case  adjacent 
to  that  containing  the  panda  group  recently 
completed  with  specimens  obtained  by  the 
William  V.  Kelley-Roosevelts  Expedition. 

The  present  expedition  is  led  by  Floyd 
T.  Smith  of  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  who  is  the 
only  white  man  in  the  party.  For  some 
time  past  Mr.  Smith  has  been  in  China 
making  preparations,  and  organizing  a  per- 
sonnel of  native  hunters,  trappers,  photog- 
raphers, taxidermists  and  other  assistants. 

In  addition  to  hunting  the  takin,  the 
expedition  will  make  a  systematic  survey  of 
several  years'  duration  in  a  number  of 
provinces  of  southern  China,  some  of  which 
have  never  before  been  thoroughly  covered 
by  scientific  collectors,  and  others  of  which 
have  been  barely  touched  by  zoologists.  A 
comprehensive  collection  of  the  mammals, 
birds,  reptiles  and  fishes  of  the  region  will 
be  sought,  probably  running  into  thousands 
of  specimens.  Additional  specimens  of  the 
giant  panda  will  be  hunted. 


A  MAMMOTH  BERYL  CRYSTAL 

Through  the  generosity  of  Trustee  William 
J.  Chalmers,  a  mammoth  crystal  of  beryl 
has  been  added  to  the  crystal  collection  in 
Field  Museum,  to  which  Mr.  Chalmers  has 
so  liberally  contributed  for  many  years. 
This  crystal  has  the  form  of  a  somewhat 
flattened,  tapering,  hexagonal  prism,  three 
feet  two  inches  long,  and  of  a  diameter 
narrowing  from  two  feet  at  the  base  to 
nineteen  inches  at  the  top.  Its  weight  is 
approximately  1,000  pounds.  It  was  dis- 
covered in  a  quarry  at  Albany,  Maine. 

Associated  with  the  beryl  in  the  quarry 
are  nests  or  scales  of  white  or  dark  mica  and 
beautiful  masses  of  rose  quartz.  In  general 
the  beryl  is  light  apple  green  in  color,  and 
more  or  less  milky  to  opaque.  Both  beryl 
and  rose  quartz  deepen  somewhat  in  color 
with  increasing  humidity  in  the  atmosphere, 
and  by  observing  these  changes  quarry  work- 
men say  they  can  foretell  weather  changes. 

As  an  illustration  of 
the  size  to  which 
crystals  may  grow,  the 
specimen  is  a  striking 
one.  The  prismatic 
angles  are  a  true 
60°,  the  typical  pris- 
matic angle  of  crystals 
formed  in  the  hexago- 
nal system.  This  shows 
that  the  shaping  is  by 
no  means  accidental. 

Beryl  is  a  compara- 
tively rare  mineral, 
chiefly  known  in  its 
gem  forms  of  emerald 
and  aquamarine.  It  is 

becoming  of  economic         Huge  Beryl  Crystal 

importance  as  the  chief 
source  of  metallic  beryllium.  Beryllium  is 
one  of  the  lightest  of  metals,  much  lighter 
than  aluminum,  and  is  therefore  useful  in 
airplane  construction  and  in  other  ways. 
Also  it  is  as  hard  as  steel  and  does  not  cor- 
rode on  exposure  to  the  air.  The  develop- 
ment of  a  commercial  demand  for  the  metal 
may  bring  to  light  adequate  supplies  of 
raw  material,  so  that  within  a  short  time 
instead  of  commercial  beryl  being  a  by- 
product of  gem  mining,  as  in  the  past,  the 
gems,  emerald  and  aquamarine,  may  become 
by-products  of  metal-mining.         ■ — O.  C.  F. 


SPECIAL  SUNDAY  LECTURES 
FOR  MUSEUM  MEMBERS 

The  final  three  illustrated  lectures  of  the 
current  series  for  Members  of  Field  Museum 
will  be  given  on  Sunday  afternoons  in  Janu- 
ary. Following  are  the  dates,  subjects  and 
speakers: 
January  11 — The  Nile  and  Beyond 

Major  A.  Radcliffe  Dupnore,  F.R.G.S.,  P.R.P.S., 
.London 

January  18 — A  Naturalist  in  the  South  Seas 
(The  Story  of  the  Cornelius  Crane  Pacific 
Expedition  as  told  in  Jungle  Islands,  which 
was  reviewed  in  The  Chicago  Tribune, 
December  6, 1930,  and  which  is  on  sale  at 
Field  Museum.) 

Karl  P.  Schmidt,  Assistant  Curator  of  Reptiles, 
Field  Museum:  leader  of  the  scientific  section  of 
the  Cornelius  Crane  Pacific  Expedition  for  Field 
Museum,  1928-29 

January  25 — Explorations  in  Plant  and 
Animal  Life 

Dr.  Arthur  C.  Pillsbury,  of  Berkeley,  California 

The  lectures  will  be  given  in  the  James 
Simpson  Theatre  of  the  Museum,  and  will 
begin  promptly  at  3  p.m.  Each  Member  of 
the  Museum  is  entitled  to  two  seats  for  each 
lecture,  to  obtain  which  he  should  show  his 
membership  card  to  an  attendant  at  the 
theatre  on  the  afternoon  of  the  lecture. 
Upon  presentation  of  the  card  Members  will 
be  given  two  tickets  of  admission  to  the 
reserved  section  of  the  theatre.  Seats  in  the 
reserved  section  which  have  not  been  claimed 
by  3  p.m.  will  be  offered  to  the  public. 


RAYMOND  FOUNDATION 
PROGRAMS 

Three  special  entertainments  for  children, 
provided  by  the  James  Nelson  and  Anna 
Louise    Raymond    Foundation   for    Public 
School  and  Children's  Lectures,  will  be  given 
at  Field  Museum  in  January  and  February. 
Each   of  the  programs  will  be  presented 
twice — at  10  a.m.  and  11  A.M. — in  the  James 
Simpson  Theatre  of  the  Museum.   Following 
are  the  dates  and  subjects: 
Saturday,  January  24 — "The  Black  Jour- 
ney"— motion  pictures  of  a  trip  across 
Central  Africa. 
Saturday,  January  31 — "A  Dog-sled  Trip 
in  Canada,"  "The  Ojibwa  Build  a  Birch- 
bark  Canoe,"  and  "Gathering  the  Wild 
Rice" — motion  pictures  and  story-hour. 
Thursday,  February  12  (Lincoln's Birthday} 
--"My  Father,"  "Abe's  First  Law  Case," 
and  "The  Call  to  Arms" — motion  pictures 
of  episodes  in  the  life  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 

Children  from  all  parts  of  Chicago  are 
invited  to  attend  these  entertainments. 
Admission  is  free. 


CHANCELLOR-STUART  EXPEDITION 
RETURNS  FROM  AITUTAKI 

Bringing  some  400  specimens  of  beautiful 
fishes  of  the  Pacific,  the  Chancellor-Stuart- 
Field  Museum  Expedition  to  Aitutaki  has 
returned  to  this  country.  In  addition  to  the 
ichthyological  collections,  the  expedition 
made  some  14,000  feet  of  motion  picture  film 
illustrating  various  phases  of  the  life  of  the 
natives  in  Aitutaki,  as  well  as  undersea 
scenes  taken  with  a  diving  bell  and  a  special 
camera. 

The  expedition  was  sponsored  and  led  by 
Philip  M.  Chancellor  of  Santa  Barbara, 
California. 

Aitutaki  is  one  of  the  most  remote  and 
least  known  islands  of  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
Few  white  men  have  ever  visited  it,  and  the 
natives  are  a  people  whose  life  is  entirely 
unmodified  by  civilization.  The  island  is 
surrounded  by  coral  reefs,  and  the  fish  col- 
lected by  the  expedition  were  obtained 
chiefly  from  the  waters  over  these  reefs. 


Page  U 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


January,  1931 


HISTORY  OF  FIELD  MUSEUM 

By  Oliver  C.  Farbington 

Curator,  Department  of  Geology 

(.Continued  from  last  month) 

Funds  provided  by  Marshall  Field  enabled 
a  two  years'  sojourn  (1926-27)  to  be  made 
in  Madagascar  by  Assistant  Curator  Ralph 
Linton,  of  the  Department  of  Anthropology. 
Through  the  work  of  this  expedition  large 
collections  illustrative  of  the  cultures  of  the 
various  races  on  the  island  were  made. 

Another  important  archaeological  and  eth- 
nological expedition,  for  which  funds  were 
contributed  by  Marshall  Field,  was  carried 
on  by  Assistant  Curator  J.  Eric  Thompson 
in  British  Honduras  and  Guatemala  during 
successive  seasons,  beginning  in  1927.  Ancient 
Maya  ruins  were  studied  and  mapped,  and 
dated  stelae  and  altars  were  discovered. 

The  joint  expedition  carried  on  by  the 
Museum  in  conjunction  with  Oxford  Uni- 
versity during  1923  was  continued  each  year 
during  the  period  under  consideration.  This 
expedition  devoted  itself  chiefly  to  studies 
and  excavations  of  ancient  Kish,  the  first 
capital  city  of  the  earliest  known  civilization 
of  western  Asia.  Extensive  excavations 
carried  on  there  revealed  many  important 
facts  regarding  Sumerian  and  successive 
cultures.  A  temple  of  Nebuchadnezzar  was 
brought  to  light,  as  well  as  many  structures 
of  earlier  periods.  A  great  amount  of  pot- 
tery, sculptures,  seals,  jewelry  and  human 
skeletons  was  obtained  from  the  excavations 
at  levels  noted  in  such  a  way  that  the  cultures 
of  different  periods  could  be  determined  and 
compared.  One  of  the  most  interesting  dis- 
coveries was  that  of  the  remains  of  two 
wooden  chariots  which  indicated  this  means 
of  transport  was  in  use  as  early  as  3200  B.C. 
Funds  for  the  Museum's  share  in  this  work 
were  contributed  by  Marshall  Field. 

Two  expeditions  during  the  period  were 
led  by  Assistant  Curator  Henry  Field.  One 
was  an  archaeological  expedition  to  western 
Europe  by  which  important  sites  occupied 
by  prehistoric  man  were  visited  and  collec- 
tions obtained.  The  other  expedition  led 
by  Assistant  Curator  Field  explored  the 
North  Arabian  Desert  and  found  flint  imple- 
ments at  various  points  which  indicated  the 
existence  in  the  region  of  earlier  man  in  a 
paleolithic  phase  of  culture. 

An  expedition  which  circumnavigated  the 
Pacific  Ocean  and  collected  land  and  marine 
animals  for  the  Museum  was  sponsored  and 
led  by  Cornelius  Crane  on  his  yacht,  Illyria. 
Karl  P.  Schmidt,  Assistant  Curator  of  Rep- 
tiles at  the  Museum,  was  leader  of  the 
scientific  staff  of  the  expedition.  Other 
members  were  Dr.  Albert  W.  Herre,  Dr. 
W.  L.  Moss,  Walter  A.  Weber,  Frank  C. 
Wonder,  Sidney  N.  Shurcliff,  Murry  Fair- 
bank  and  Charles  R.  Peavy.  About  18,000 
zoological  specimens  were  collected. 

During  the  spring  and  summer  of  1929,  the 
Field  Museum- Williamson  Undersea  Expe- 
dition carried  on  operations  in  the  Bahamas. 
This  expedition  was  provided  with  special 
equipment  both  for  collecting  and  observing 
undersea  life,  and  secured  a  remarkable  and 
extensive  collection  of  marine  fauna.  One 
palmate  coral  obtained  weighed  about  two 
tons  and  measured  nearly  eleven  by  six  feet. 
J.  E.  Williamson  led  this  expedition.  Taxi- 
dermist Leon  L.  Pray  accompanied  it. 

Turning  to  activities  more  locally  con- 
nected with  the  Museum  during  the  period 
under  consideration,  the  year  1925  was 
signalized  by  the  gift  from  Mrs.  Anna  Louise 
Raymond  of  an  endowment  of  $500,000  in 
memory  of  her  husband,  the  late  James 
Nelson  Raymond.  This  endowment,  the 
James  Nelson  and  Anna  Louise  Raymond 
Foundation  for  Public  School  and  Children's 


Lectures,  enables  free  motion  picture  and 
other  educational  entertainments  to  be  given 
to  children  of  the  public  schools  and  others, 
and  provides  for  extension  lectures  on  natural 
history  subjects  in  the  public  schools.  Sub- 
sequent contributions  made  by  Mrs.  Ray- 
mond have  added  to  the  benefits  yielded. 
In  1925  a  contribution  of  $100,000  was 
made  to  the  Museum  by  Miss  Kate  Buck- 
ingham in  memory  of  her  brother,  the  late 
Clarence  Buckingham.  In  recognition  of 
this  contribution,  the  hall  of  physical  geology 
was  named  Clarence  Buckingham  Hall. 

(To  be  concluded  next  month) 


CARVED  RHINOCEROS  HORN 
FROM  CHINA 

By  Berthold  Laufer 
Curator,  Department  of  Anthropology 

A  unique  carved  rhinoceros  horn  was  re- 
cently acquired  by  Field  Museum  from  a 
fund  donated  annually  by  the  American 
Friends  of  China,  Chicago.  It  is  intact  in 
its  natural  shape,  and  is  carved  all  around 
with  a  group  of  animals  along  its  base. 


Unique  Carving 

Rhinoceros  horn  with  figures  of  seventeen  animals 
in  high  relief.  Note  portrayal  of  giraffe  near  center. 
A  relic  of  the  Ming  dynasty  in  China  (fifteenth  century). 

The  horn  belongs  to  the  large  Indian 
species  and  stands  eight  inches  high.  From 
mediaeval  times  until  recently  a  lively  trade 
in  rhinoceros  horns  was  carried  on  from 
India,  Sumatra,  Java,  Siam,  and  Annam  to 
China,  where  they  were  welcome  material 
to  carvers.  In  carving  a  row  of  seventeen 
animals  in  high  relief  upon  the  horn  in 
question,  the  artist  skillfully  adapted  his 
subject  to  the  natural  formations  of  the 
material,  and  portrayed  exotic  animals  like 
the  rhino  itself  and  a  giraffe,  many  live 
specimens  of  which  were  imported  from 
East  Africa  to  China  in  the  fifteenth  century. 
This  carving  is  a  production  of  the  same 
period  (Ming  dynasty). 

Rhinoceros  horn  is  not  a  bony  substance, 
but  an  epidermal  formation  composed  of  a 
solid  mass  of  agglutinated  hairs  or  bristles. 

It  was  an  ancient  Chinese  belief  that  the 
rhinoceros  devoured  with  its  food  all  sorts  of 
vegetable  poisons  and  that  its  horn  was 
capable  of  neutralizing  poison. 


JANUARY    GUIDE-LECTURE   TOURS 

Following  is  the  schedule  of  conducted 
tours  of  the  exhibits  during  January:  J&  . 

Thursday,  January  1 :  New  Year's  Holiday — no  toura^^J 
Friday:  11  A.M.,  Egypt,  3  P.M.,  North  Americao^*^ 
Mammals. 

Week  beginning  January  5 — Monday:  11  a.m.,  South 
America,  3  P.M.,  Sea  Animals;  Tuesday:  11  a.m..  The 
Giant  Komodo  and  Other  Lizards,  3  P.M.,  Eskimo  Life; 
Wednesday:  11  a.m.,  Game  Animals,  3  P.M.,  Pewter, 
Bronze  and  Cloisonne:  Thursday:  11  a.m.  and  3  p.m., 
General  Tours;  Friday:  11  a.m..  Birds  of  Streams  and 
Shores,  3  P.M.,  Primitive  Musical  Instruments. 

Week  beginning  January  12 — Monday:  11  a.m., 
Skeletons,  3  P.M.,  Illinois  Industries;  Tuesday:  11  A.M., 
Homes  in  Various  Lands,  3  P.M.,  Plants  of  Economic 
Value;  Wednesday:  11  A.M.,  Baskets  and  Mats,  3  P.M., 
The  Panda  and  Its  Relatives;  Thursday:  11  a.m.  and 
3  p.m.,  General  Tours;  Friday:  11  a.m.,  Chicago  Animal 
Life,  3  P.M.,  Primitive  Costume  Decorations. 

Week  beginning  January  19 — Monday:  11  a.m.. 
Amber,  Copal  and  Lacquer,  3  P.M.,  China;  Tuesday: 
11  A.M.,  Asiatic  Animals,  3  P.M.,  Mummies;  Wednesday: 
1 1  A.M..  Metal  Workers,  3  P.M.,  Implements  of  Warfare; 
Thursday:  11  A.M.  and  3  p.m.,  General  Tours;  Friday: 
1 1  a.m.,  Man  Through  the  Ages,  3  p.m.,  Dinosaurs  and 
Other  Reptiles. 

Week  beginning  January  26 — Monday:  11  a.m., 
Rodents,  3  P.M.,  Roman  Life;  Tuesday:  11  A.M..  Pre- 
historic Animals,  3  p.m.,  Laces  and  Embroideries; 
Wednesday:  11  A.M.,  Fire-making  and  Cooking  Utensils, 
3  p.m.,  Chinese  Art;  Thursday:  11  A.M.  and  3  P.M., 
General  Tours;  Friday:  11  a.m.,  North  American 
Indians,  3  P.M.,  African  Animals. 

Persons  wishing  to  participate  should 
apply  at  North  Entrance.  Tours  are  free 
and  no  gratuities  are  to  be  proffered.  A  new 
schedule  will  appear  each  month  in  Field 
MUSEUM  News.  Guide-lecturers'  services 
for  special  tours  by  parties  of  ten  or  more 
are  available  free  of  charge  by  arrangement 
with  the  Director  a  week  in  advance. 


NEW  MEMBERS 

The  following  persons  were  elected  to 
membership  in  Field  Museum  during  the 
period  from  November  17  to  December 

Associate  Members 

Mrs.  John  Crerar,  J.  F.  Dammann,  Clyde  H. 
DeAcres.  Miss  Elizabeth  Dimick,  William  H.  Ferguson, 
Miss  Elizabeth  Fowler,  J.  B.  Green,  Mrs.  Phelps  B. 
Hoyt,  Edward  T.  Kelly,  W.  J.  Lawrence,  Mrs.  W.  S. 
McCrea,  Henry  G.  Naber,  R.  E.  Park,  W.  Otis  Sage, 
James  M.  Sheldon,  Charles  E.  Thompson,  Walter  F. 
Wallace,  Dr.  Lucius  H.  Zeuch. 

Sustaining  Members 

Mrs.  Robert  Slade 
Annual  Members 
W.  E.  Babb,  Mrs.  George  G.  Bogert,  Mrs.  John 
Buckingham,  William  C.  Buttner,  Guiseppe  Castruccio, 
T.  A.  Copeland,  Ruthven  Deane,  Mrs.  Herbert  G.  P. 
Deans,  Mrs.  R.  H.  Elliott,  Mrs.  Walter  M.  Gibbs, 
Mrs.  Carroll  L.  Griffith,  Miss  Carolyn  R.  Hazard,  Mrs. 
Junius  C.  Hoag,  Rev.  Richard  D.  Hughes,  Lawrence 
B.  Icely,  Dr.  R.  L.  James,  Louis  M.  Lach,  Mrs.  Berthold 
Laufer,  Miss  Elma  V.  Lawrence,  Mrs.  George  H. 
Lesman,  Mrs.  Frank  Marling,  Jr.,  Miss  Kathleen 
Meacham,  Mrs.  Edmund  T.  Miller,  Miss  Catherine 
M.  Murphy,  George  Penrose,  Mrs.  John  A.  Prosser, 
Charles  F.  Putnam,  Mrs.  N.  Ribback,  Mrs.  W.  W. 
Rice,  Mrs.  F.  B.  Rupert,  Miss  Florence  E.  Scully, 
H.  W.  Seymour,  F.  A.  Sloan,  Miss  Dorothea  E.  Vent, 
John  H.  Victor,  Verrutn  S.  Watson,  Mrs.  Donald  P. 
Welles,  Miss  Frances  E.  Whedon,  Harold  G.  Wieland, 
Lucian  E.  Williams,  Mrs.  Robert  E.  Wilson. 


'P 


MEMBERSHIP  IN  FIELD  MUSEUM 

Field  Museum  has  several  classes  of  Members. 
Benefactors  give  or  devise  $100,000  or  more.  Contribu- 
tors give  or  devise  $5,000  to  $100,000.  Life  Members 
give  $500;  Non- Resident  (Life)  and  Associate  Members 
pay  $100;  Non-Resident  Associate  Members  pay  $50. 
All  the  above  classes  are  exempt  from  dues.  Sustaining 
Members  contribute  $25  annually.  After  six  years  they 
become  Associat-e  Members.  Annual  Members  con- 
tribute $10  annually.  Other  memberships  are  Corpo- 
rate, Honorary,  Patron,  and  Corresponding,  additions 
under  these  classifications  being  made  by  special  action 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

Each  Member,  in  all  classes,  is  entitled  to  free 
admission  to  the  Museum  for  himself,  his  family  and 
house  guests,  and  to  two  reserved  seats  for  Museum, 
lectures  provided  for  Members.  Subscription  to  Fiej 
Museum  News  is  included  with  all  memberships.  TT 
courtesies  of  every  museum  of  note  in  the  Uniti 
States  and  Canada  are  extended  to  all  Members  ol 
Field  Museum.  A  Member  may  give  his  personal  card 
to  non-residents  of  Chicago,  upon  presentation  of 
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be  sent  on  request. 


PRINTED    BV    FIELD    MUSEUM    PRESS 


Field  Museum  News 


Vol.  2 


Published  Monthly  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Chicago 

FEBRUARY,   1931 


No.  2 


PACIFIC  WALRUS  GROUP,  FROM  THORNE  GRAVES  EXPEDITION,  IS  INSTALLED 


By  Wilfred  H.  Osgood 
Curator,  Department  of  Zoology 

As  the  principal  result  of  the  Thome- 
Graves  Arctic  Expedition  of  Field  Museum 
(1929),  a  large  imposing  group  of  Pacific 
walrus  has  been  added  to  the  Hall  of  Marine 
Mammals  (Hall  N).  The  animals  for  this 
group  were  personally  collected  and  pre- 
sented by  Bruce  Thorne  of  Chicago  and 
George  Coe  Graves  II  of  New  York,  whose 


have  it  completed  and  opened  to  the  public 
in  record  time. 

The  Pacific  walrus  is  much  larger  than 
the  Atlantic  species  and  is  especially  dis- 
tinguished by  having  very  long  tusks.  Like 
the  polar  bear,  it  spends  its  life  among 
Arctic  ice  floes  and,  although  it  has  been 
much  hunted  for  its  ivory,  it  is  still  to  be 
found  in  considerable  numbers  by  hardy 
voyagers  who  cruise  to  the  northernmost 
limits  of  navigation. 


enjoying  a  resting  place  on  the  hard,  rough, 
Arctic  ice.  A  bleak  icy  sea  stretches  behind 
them  over  which  gleams  the  cold  glare  of  a 
midnight  sun  cleverly  devised  to  connect 
with  the  painted  background  of  ice  and  snow. 
The  whole  effect  is  one  of  striking  interest 
and  the  group  stands  as  one  of  exceptional 
individuality. 

The  taxidermy  of  the  animals  in  the  group 
was  done  by  Jonas  Brothers  of  Yonkers, 
New    York,    one    of   whom,    John    Jonas, 


Group  of  Pacific  Walrus  (Hall  N) — Thorne-Graves-Field  Museum  Arctic  Expedition 


expedition  was  especially  organized  for  this 
purpose.  Field  Museum  is  also  indebted  to 
them  and  to  Henry  Graves,  Jr.,  for  a  sub- 
stantial contribution  toward  the  cost  of  pre- 
paring the  group  which  made  it  possible  to 


Seven  animals  are  included  in  the  group, 
one  large  bull,  two  younger  males,  two 
adult  females,  and  two  partly  grown  young. 
The  ponderous  beasts  are  shown  huddled 
together    in    characteristic   manner,    lazily 


accompanied  the  expedition  and  prepared  the 
skins.  Installation  was  carried  out  by  Staff 
Taxidermist  C.  J.  Albrecht,  and  the  back- 
ground and  light  effects  are  by  Charles  A. 
Corwin. 


EXPEDITION  WILL  EXPLORE 
LANDS  OF  THE  MAYAS 

The  Third  Marshall  Field  Archaeological 
Expedition  to  British  Honduras  and  Guate- 
mala to  conduct  excavations  on  ancient 
Maya  sites  and  ethnological  research  among 
the  modern  Mayas,  will  sail  from  New  Orleans 
on  February  20.  J.  Eric  Thompson,  Assistant 
Curator  of  Central  and  South  American 
Archaeology,  is  leader.  He  led  the  two  previ- 
ous expeditions  in  1928-29  and  1929-30. 

The  present  expedition  has  a  wider  scope 
of  operations  than  the  previous  two,  and 
will  remain  in  the  field  probably  for  a  period 
of  six  or  seven  months. 

After  landing  at  Belize  the  expedition  will 
proceed  by  boat  up  the  coast  to  the  mouth 
of  the  New  River,  and  thence  inland  on  the 
river  to  the  head  of  navigation.  Thence  by 
mule  pack  train  and  on  foot  the  journey  will 
continue  to  the  site  of  the  ancient  city  of 
Kax  Uinic  (Maya  name  meaning  "Man  of 
the  Woods"),  which  is  situated  on  thefrontier 
between  British  Honduras  and  Guatemala. 
There,  with  a  party  of  Maya  diggers,  certain 
ruins  will  be  excavated  which  promise  to 
yield  a  rich  collection  of  Maya  antiquities 
for  the  Museum. 


When  this  work  has  been  completed,  the 
expedition  will  transfer  its  activities  to  the 
southeast  Peten  district  of  Guatemala,  where 
reconnaissance  work  will  be  carried  on 
through  an  uninhabited  and  almost  impene- 
trable forest  region  in  search  of  the  sites 
of  ancient  Maya  cities  known  to  exist  but 
hitherto  never  definitely  located.  Work  here 
will  be  entirely  on  foot,  as  the  trails  are  too 
poor  to  take  mules.  The  assistance  of  natives 
living  on  the  edge  of  the  forest,  who  are 
believed  to  have  knowledge  of  the  ruins,  will 
be  solicited.  It  is  hoped  that  a  number  of 
old  monuments  bearing  dates  in  Maya  hiero- 
glyphics will  be  found  on  the  surface  in  the 
locality  of  the  buried  ruins. 

Finally  the  expedition  will  pitch  camp  in 
the  highlands  of  Guatemala  to  conduct  ethno- 
logical work  among  modern  Maya  tribes. 


New  Exhibit  of  Birds 

Exhibits  of  North  American  birds  at  Field 
Museum  have  been  augmented  by  a  new 
case  containing  145  specimens  of  a  great 
variety  of  species.  They  were  collected 
chiefly  by  Taxidermist  Ashley  Hine,  some 
during  a  recent  expedition  to  Arizona,  and 
some  in  Illinois. 


RARE  GEMS  ARE  PRESENTED 
BY  R.  T.  CRANE,  JR. 

Two  magnificent  and  highly  valuable  gem 
specimens,  one  of  them  pronounced  by  ex- 
perts the  largest  and  finest  of  its  kind  in  the 
world,  have  been  presented  to  the  Museum 
by  R.  T.  Crane,  Jr. 

The  stone  which  has  no  equal  of  its  kind  is 
of  the  rare  variety  of  topaz  known  variously 
as  "rose  topaz,"  "royal  topaz,"  and  "Bra- 
zilian ruby."  It  is  of  deep  table  cut,  one  and 
one-quarter  inches  long  and  seven-eighths 
of  an  inch  wide,  and  weighs  97.55  carats. 

The  other  is  a  superb  specimen  of  black 
opal  in  the  form  of  a  plaque  about  two  and 
one-half  inches  long  and  two  inches  wide, 
and  weighs  148.43  carats. 

These  gems  have  been  added  to  the  ex- 
hibits in  H.  N.  Higinbotham  Hall. 

The  topaz  is  a  rich  red  in  color,  and  is 
perfectly  transparent.  Topaz  of  this  color 
is  found  chiefly  in  Brazil,  and  its  occurrence 
in  any  large  and  transparent  form  is  extremely 
rare. 

The  large  black  opal  plaque  has  a  surface 
stippled  all  over  with  minute  brilliant  colors 
which  change  uniformly  to  other  tints  as 
the  stone  is  seen  from  different  angles. 


Page  2 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


February,  1931 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Founded  by  Marshall  Field,  1893 
Roosevelt  Road  and  Lake  Michigan,  Chicago 

THE  BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES 
John  Borden 
William  J.  Chalmers 
R.  T.  Crane,  Jr. 
Marshall  Field 
Stanley  Field 
Ernest  R.  Graham 
Albert  W.  Harris 
Samuel  Insull,  Jr. 
William  V.  Kelley 
Cykus  H.  McCormick 
William 


William  H.  Mitchell 
Frederick  H.  Rawson 
George  A.  Richardson 
Martin  A.  Ryerson 
Fred  W. Sargent 
Stephen  C  Simms 
James  Simpson 
Solomon  A.  Smith 
Albert  A.  S Prague 
Silas  H.  Str  awn 
Wrigley,  Jr. 

OFFICERS 

Stanley  Field President 

Martin  A.  Ryerson First  Vice-President 

Albert  A.  Spragub Second  Vice-President 

Jambs  Simpson Third  Vice-President 

Stephen  C.  Simms Director  and  Secretary 

Solomon  A.  Smith.  .  .Treasurer  and  Assistant  Secretary 

FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 

Stephen  C.  Simms,  Director  of  the  Museum Editor 

CONTRIBUTING  EDITORS 

Berthold  Laufer Curator  of  Anthropology 

B.  E.  Dahlgrbn Acting  Curator  of  Botany 

O.  C.  Farrington Curator  of  Geology 

Wilfred  H.  Osgood Curator  of  Zoology 

H.  B.  Harte Managing  Editor 

Field  Museum  is  open  every  day  of  the  year  during 
the  hours  indicated  below: 

November,  December,  January  9  a.m.  to  4:30  p.m. 

February,  March,  April,  October       9  a.m.  to  5:00  p.m. 
May,  June,  July,  August,  September  9  a.m.  to  6:00  p.m. 

Admission  is  free  to  Members  on  all  days.  Other 
adults  are  admitted  free  on  Thursdays,  Saturdays  and 
Sundays;  non-members  pay  25  cents  on  other  days. 
Children  are  admitted  free  on  all  days.  Students  and 
faculty  members  of  educational  institutions  are  admit- 
ted free  any  day  upon  presentation  of  credentials. 

The  Library  of  the  Museum,  containing  some  92,000 
volumes  on  natural  history  subjects,  is  open  for  refer- 
ence daily  except  Sunday. 

Traveling  exhibits  are  circulated  in  the  schools  of 
Chicago  by  the  Museum's  Department  of  the  N.  W. 
Harris  Public  School  Extension. 

Lecturers  for  school  classrooms  and  assemblies,  and 
special  entertainments  and  lecture  tours  for  children  at 
the  Museum,  are  provided  by  the  James  Nelson  and 
Anna  Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for  Public  School 
and  Children's  Lectures. 

Announcements  of  courses  of  free  illustrated  lectures 
on  science  and  travel  for  the  public,  and  special  lectures 
for  Members  of  the  Museum,  will  appear  in  Field 
Museum  News. 

There  is  a  cafeteria  in  the  Museum  where  luncheon 
la  served  for  visitors.  Other  rooms  are  provided  for 
those  bringing  their  lunches. 

Members  are  requested  to  inform  the  Museum 
promptly  of  changes  of  address. 


MUSEUM  ACTIVITIES  BENEFIT 
2,000,000  DURING  1930 

That  Field  Museum  is  successfully  ful- 
filling its  mission,  not  only  as  a  place  of 
immense  interest  for  casual  visitors,  but  also 
as  an  active  and  important  educational 
institution  of  tremendous  scope  and  influence, 
is  indicated  by  statistics  on  the  work  carried 
on  in  1930. 

During  the  year  the  number  of  visitors  to 
the  Museum  was  1,332,799,  an  increase  of 
164,369  or  more  than  14  per  cent  over  1929, 
which  had  the  largest  attendance  of  any 
previous  year  (1,168,430).  The  1930  record 
also  made  the  fourth  consecutive  year  in 
which  the  one  million  mark  was  passed.  Of 
the  visitors  it  seems  safe  to  estimate  that 
fully  one-third  were  children.  It  is  of  interest 
to  note  that  of  the  total  number  of  visitors, 
only  160,924  paid  admission.  Free  admis- 
sions on  pay  days  (Members,  children, 
teachers,  students,  etc.)  numbered  92,508, 
while  the  attendance  on  free  days  (Thurs- 
days, Saturdays  and  Sundays)  totalled 
1,079,367. 

In  addition  to  the  number  of  persons 
actually  coming  to  the  Museum,  the  institu- 


tion's benefits  were  extended  to  approxi- 
mately 716,000  school  children  through  the 
extra-mural  activities  conducted  by  the  De- 
partment of  the  N.  W.  Harris  Public  School 
Extension,  and  the  James  Nelson  and  Anna 
Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for  Public 
School  and  Children's  Lectures.  Thus,  in- 
cluding both  inside  and  outside  work,  the 
educational  effects  of  the  Museum  reached 
more  than  2,048,000  individuals,  of  whom 
approximately  1,160,000  were  children. 
Additional  thousands  were  reached  through 
the  publications  and  leaflets  issued  by  the 
Museum,  while  millions  more  read  inter- 
nationally circulated  press  reports  of  the 
results  of  scientific  research  conducted  by 
the  institution,  and  heard  radio  lectures 
about  the  Museum  and  its  activities. 

Ever  since  its  foundation  in  1912  with  an 
endowment  of  $250,000  presented  by  the 
late  Norman  W.  Harris,  the  Harris  Extension 
has  yielded  splendid  results,  with  a  constant 
increase  in  its  effectiveness  as  a  means  of 
visual  education.  To  its  founder,  and  also 
to  Albert  W.  Harris  who  increased  the 
endowment  with  a  gift  of  an  additional 
$100,000  in  1924,  and  other  members  of  the 
Harris  family  who  have  contributed  $25,000, 
Chicago  owes  much  gratitude  for  this  remark- 
ably successful  adjunct  to  its  school  system. 
During  1930,  as  in  other  years,  practi- 
cally every  child  in  the  Chicago  public 
schools,  and  many  thousands  in  private  and 
parochial  schools  and  other  institutions  as 
well,  was  reached  repeatedly  (once  every  two 
weeks  during  the  school  year)  by  the  travel- 
ing exhibition  cases  circulated  by  the  Harris 
Extension.  The  total  number  reached  by 
this  service  was  well  in  excess  of  half  a  million, 
as  enrollment  in  the  public  schools  alone 
included  506,845  pupils.  The  cumulative 
educational  effect  of  presenting  new  subjects 
in  natural  history  and  economic  exhibits 
every  fortnight  to  this  vast  number  of 
children  can  readily  be  imagined.  During 
1930  there  were  430  institutions  served  by 
the  Harris  Extension,  an  increase  of  twenty- 
two  over  1929.  Of  these,  381  are  public 
schools;  thirty  private  or  church  schools; 
eight  Y.  M.  C.  A's;  six  branch  libraries;  two 
boys'  clubs;  two  settlements,  and  one  orphan- 
age. The  number  of  Harris  exhibition  cases 
available  increased  from  1,123  to  1,176  in 
1930. 

The  year  1930  again  emphasized  the  great 
debt  the  city  owes  to  Mrs.  Anna  Louise 
Raymond  who,  by  her  establishment  in  1925 
of  the  James  Nelson  and  Anna  Louise 
Raymond  Foundation,  with  an  endowment 
of  $500,000,  made  possible  the  development 
of  another  great  educational  work  for  the 
school  children,  carried  on  through  the 
Museum.  Since  its  establishment  the  Foun- 
dation has  increased  its  activities  at  an 
extraordinary  pace,  and  additional  gifts  up 
to  the  end  of  1930  totalling  $27,000  have 
generously  been  made  by  Mrs.  Raymond 
from  time  to  time  to  aid  further  its  progress. 
In  1930  the  activities  of  the  Foundation 
reached  277,245  children.  Of  this  number, 
209,777  attended  lectures  in  their  own  schools 
or  other  gathering  places  outside  the 
Museum,  and  therefore  are  not  included  in 
the  general  attendance  figure  of  1,332,799, 
but  constitute  one  of  the  principal  additional 
items  in  arriving  at  the  figure  of  2,048,000 
as  the  total  number  of  persons  coming 
directly  within  the  Museum's  sphere  of  in- 
fluence. The  detailed  statistics  of  the  Foun- 
dation for  1930  show  the  following  facts: 
twenty-nine  entertainments  (educational 
motion  picture  programs,  story-hours,  etc.) 
were  given  in  the  James  Simpson  Theatre  of 
the  Museum  with  a  total  attendance  of 
39,793  children;  608  groups,  totalling  27,143 


children,  were  conducted  on  lecture  tours  of 
the  exhibition  halls  of  the  Museum;  four 
talks  were  given  in  the  Museum's  small 
lecture  hall  with  an  attendance  of  532;  and 
209,777  children  attended  extension  lectures 
in  schools  and  camps. 

For  adults,  twenty-seven  lectures  on 
science  and  travel  by  noted  naturalists  and 
explorers  were  given  in  the  Simpson  Theatre 
during  1930,  with  a  total  attendance  of 
27,603.  In  addition,  there  were  twelve  talks 
in  the  small  lecture  hall  attended  by  744 
persons,  and  528  groups  of  adults,  totalling 
8,684  persons,  were  conducted  on  lecture 
tours  of  the  Museum's  exhibits. 

The  Library  of  the  Museum,  in  addition 
to  its  constant  service  as  a  source  of  informa- 
tion to  the  scientific  staff  in  carrying  on 
research  work,  preparing  labels  for  exhibits, 
etc.,  also  served  some  700  visitors  from  out- 
side during  1930.  These  were  largely  students 
from  universities  in  and  about  Chicago. 
Others  who  used  the  Library's  facilities  were 
authors,  editors,  manufacturers'  representa- 
tives seeking  data,  teachers,  persons  engaged 
in  scientific  work,  and  others  needing  infor- 
mation on  subjects  within  the  scope  of  the 
92,500  books  and  pamphlets  available  here. 

The  collections  of  study  material  in  the 
various  departments  of  the  Museum,  main- 
tained for  the  convenience  of  students  and 
other  researchers,  were  also  used  by  many 
persons. 

Marshall  Field  Visits  Museum 

Marshall  Field,  of  New  York,  a  member 
of  Field  Museum's  Board  of  Trustees  and 
one  of  the  institution's  principal  benefactors, 
and  Mrs.  Field,  during  a  visit  to  Chicago  last 
month,  spent  an  afternoon  at  the  Museum 
in  company  with  President  Stanley  Field. 
They  inspected  many  new  exhibits  installed 
since  Mr.  Field's  last  visit  to  the  Museum. 


Buses  Stop  at  West  Door 

During  the  winter  months  the  No.  26 
(Jackson  Boulevard)  buses  of  the  Chicago 
Motor  Coach  Company,  operating  service 
to  Field  Museum,  will  stop  at  the  west 
entrance  of  the  building  as  well  as  the  north 
entrance,  for  the  accommodation  of  pas- 
sengers bound  for  this  destination. 


Gifts  to  the  Museum 

Following  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  principal 
gifts  received  during  the  last  month: 

From  Richard  T.  Crane,  Jr. — a  cut  ruby  topaz, 
97.55  carats,  and  a  polished  black  opal,  148.43  carats; 
from  A.  C.  Jones — a  specimen  group  of  fossil  brachio- 
pods;  from  Dillman  S.  Bullock — a  ground  dove;  from 
General  Biological  Supply  House — 8  specimens  of 
snakes,  frogs,  lizards  and  salamanders;  from  Henry 
Field — 2  bats  and  a  shellfish;  from  Viscount  Furness 
— 2  Scotch  red  deer. 


BEQUESTS  AND  ENDOWMENTS 

Bequests  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  may 
be  made  in  securities,  money,  books  or  collections. 
They  may,  if  desired,  take  the  form  of  a  memorial  to 
a  person  or  cause  named  by  the  giver.  For  those  desiring 
to  make  bequests,  the  following  form  is  suggested: 

FORM  OF  BEQUEST 
/  do  hereby  give  and  bequeath  to  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History  of  the  City  of  Chicago,  State  of  Illinois, 


Cash  contributions  made  within  the  taxable  year  to 
Field  Museum  not  exceeding  15  per  cent  of  the  tax- 
payer's net  income  are  allowable  as  deductions  in  com- 
puting net  income  under  Article  251  of  Regulation  69 
relating  to  income  tax  under  the  Revenue  Act  of  1926. 

Endowments  may  be  made  to  the  Museum  with  the 
provision  that  an  annuity  be  paid  to  the  patron  for  life. 
These  annuities  are  tax-free  and  are  guaranteed  against 
fluctuation  in  amount. 


February,  19S1 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


PageS 


CHILDREN'S  ENTERTAINMENTS 
—RAYMOND  FOUNDATION 

A  special  entertainment  for  children,  pro- 
vided by  the  James  Nelson  and  Anna  Louise 
Raymond  Foundation  for  Public  School  and 
Children's  Lectures,  will  be  given  in  the 
James  Simpson  Theatre  of  the  Museum  on 
Lincoln's  Birthday,  Thursday,  February  12. 

Motion  pictures  of  episodes  in  the  life  of 
Abraham  Lincoln  will  be  presented,  includ- 
ing the  following  films:  "My  Father,"  "Abe's 
First  Law  Case,"  and  "The  Call  to  Arms." 

The  Raymond  Foundation  announces  also 
its  annual  spring  series  of  ten  children's  enter- 
tainments on  Saturday  mornings,  which  will 
begin  this  month.  The  first  program  of  this 
series  will  be  on  February  2 1 ,  and  will  be  partly 
devoted  to  celebration  of  George  Washing- 
ton's birthday.  The  films  are  "Washington 
Becomes  President,"  "Alexander  Hamilton," 
"Washing  the  Elephants,"  and  "Sir  Stickle- 
back, the  Hedgehog." 

On  February  28  the  films  will  be  "Beautiful 
Winter,"  "The  Falls  of  Iguassu,"  "Insect 
Farmers  and  Laborers,"  "Plant  and  Animal 
Death-traps,"  and  "A  World  Unseen." 

There  will  be  two  showings  of  each  (in- 
cluding that  of  February  12) — one  at  10  A.M. 
and  one  at  11.    Admission  is  free. 

Announcement  of  the  other  eight  pro- 
grams of  the  spring  series  will  appear  in 
subsequent  issues  of  Field  Museum  News. 


MUSEUM  HONORS  CONFERRED 

At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  Field  Museum,  Arthur  S.  Vernay, 
of  New  York  and  London,  and  Mrs.  E. 
Marshall  Field,  of  New  York,  were  elected 
Honorary  Members  of  the  Museum.  This 
is  a  distinction  which,  under  the  by-laws  of 
the  Museum,  is  conferred  upon  those  persons 
who  have  rendered  eminent  service  to  science. 


Philip  M.  Chancellor  of  Santa  Barbara, 
Calif.,  was  elected  a  Patron  of  the  Museum, 
an  honor  conferred  in  recognition  of  eminent 
service  to  the  Museum. 

Mr.  Vernay  financed  and  personally  led 
the  Vernay-Lang  Kalahari  Expedition  for 
Field  Museum  last  year.  This  expedition 
brought  the  Museum  a  vast  zoological  collec- 
tion including  several  thousand  specimens  of 
African  mammals,  birds,  fishes  and  inverte- 
brates. In  addition,  Mr.  Vernay  obtained 
important  botanical  and  ethnological  collec- 
tions which  he  presented  to  the  Museum. 

Mrs.  E.  Marshall  Field  has  manifested  a 
long  continued  and  deep  interest  in  science, 
and  has  actively  participated  in  scientific 
work  in  the  interest  of  the  Museum.  Several 
years  ago  she  was  a  member  of  a  Field 
Museum  expedition  which  made  large  col- 
lections of  botanical,  geological  and  zoological 
material  over  a  wide  range  of  territory  in 
South  America.  The  work  of  Mrs.  Field 
contributed  much  to  the  success  of  this 
expedition. 

Mr.  Chancellor  has  financed  and  led  two 
Museum  expeditions,  the  Chancellor-Stuart 
Expedition  to  the  South  Pacific  (1929-30), 
and  the  Chancellor-Stuart  Expedition  to 
Aitutaki  (1930).  Both  of  these  expeditions 
brought  the  Museum  valuable  zoological 
collections.  Outstanding  specimens  include 
giant  dragon  lizards  of  Komodo,  one  of 
which  is  now  on  exhibition  in  Albert  W. 
Harris  Hall  (Hall  18),  and  reticulated  pythons 
of  Borneo  (the  world's  largest  species  of 
snake)  which  are  now  being  prepared  for 
exhibition.  

Practically  all  important  plants  of  Illinois, 
and  more  than  600,000  specimens  of  plants 
from  all  parts  of  the  world,  are  contained  in 
the  herbaria  of  Field  Museum. 


C.  SUYDAM  CUTTING  RETURNS 
FROM  SIKKIM  EXPEDITION 

C.  Suydam  Cutting  has  returned  to  his 
home  in  New  York  from  his  recent  zoological 
expedition  to  Sikkim  in  India,  and  along 
the  northern  border  of  Tibet,  conducted  on 
behalf  of  Field  Museum.  This  expedition, 
organized  and  wholly  financed  by  Mr. 
Cutting,  was  the  fifth  Museum  expedition 
in  which  he  has  participated.  He  was  accom- 
panied by  Herbert  Stevens,  well-known  col- 
lector from  Tring,  England,  who  has  remained 
in  the  field  to  continue  the  work  of  the 
expedition.  Mr.  Cutting  devoted  himself 
largely  to  hunting  big  game  and  to  photog- 
raphy, while  Mr.  Stevens'  work  is  for  the 
most  part  concentrated  on  the  collection  of 
smaller  mammals,  birds  and  reptiles. 

Both  as  an  active  member,  and  as  a  con- 
tributor of  funds  and  equipment,  Mr. 
Cutting  participated  in  the  James  Simpson- 
Roosevelts  Asiatic  Expedition  (1925-26);  the 
Field  Museum-Chicago  Daily  News  Abys- 
sinian Expedition  (1926-27);  an  expedition 
to  Assam  which  he  personally  conducted  in 
1928;  and  the  William  V.  Kelley-Roosevelts 
Expedition  to  Eastern  Asia  (1928-29). 

Mr.  Cutting's  interest  in  the  Museum  has 
been  demonstrated  also  in  other  ways.  After 
the  return  of  the  Daily  News  Abyssinian 
Expedition,  Mr.  Cutting  purchased  and  pre- 
sented to  the  Museum  the  remarkable  collec- 
tion of  bird  paintings  made  on  that  expedition 
by  the  late  Louis  Agassiz  Fuertes.  Last 
year  he  financed  the  publication  by  the 
Museum  of  a  portfolio  of  fine  reproductions 
in  colors  of  these  paintings.  He  has  pre- 
sented the  Museum  with  a  number  of  highly 
valued  motion  picture  films  made  on  various 
expeditions.  He  is  an  Honorary  Member,  a 
Patron,  and  a  Corporate  Member. 


EXHIBIT  OF  THE  DRAGON  LIZARD  OF   KOMODO— CHANCELLOR-STUART  EXPEDITION 


'    By  Karl  P.  Schmidt 
Assistant  Curator  of  Reptiles 

Half  legendary  tales  of  gigantic  lizards 
current  among  the  Malays  in  the  East  Indies 
were  discounted  by  travelers  as  variants  of 


of  until  1926,  when  the  Douglas  Burden 
Expedition  to  Komodo  Island  collected  a 
sufficient  series  of  specimens  to  prove  that 
ten  feet  is  about  the  maximum  length 
which  the  species  in  question  attains.    Even 


"natur-monument"  after  the  example  of  the 
national  monuments  of  the  United  States. 

The  Komodo  lizard  feeds  on  small  game 
of  all  kinds  and  is  undoubtedly  able  to  pull 
down  half-grown  wild  pigs  and  deer.    This 


Giant  Lizard  of  Komodo  (Hall  18) — Chancellor-Stuart  Expedition  to  the  South  Pacific 


the  Chinese  dragon  stories  until  the  giant 
lizard  of  Komodo  Island  was  described  in 
1912.  The  species  was  named  Varanus 
komodoensis  by  Dr.  P.  A.  Ouwens,  Director 
of  the  Buitenzorg  Gardens  in  Java,  from  a 
series  of  five  specimens,  the  largest  of  which 
measured  nearly  ten  feet  in  length. 

As  long  as  this  creature  remained  known 
from  only  a  few  specimens,  the  stories  of 
its  size  and  ferocity  continued  to  grow. 
Exaggerated  ideas  of  a  lizard  twenty-five 
to  thirty  feet  in  length  were  not  disposed 


this  leaves  the  "dragon  lizard  of  Komodo" 
much  the  largest  of  living  lizards,  for  it  is 
relatively  short-tailed  and  powerfully  built 
in  limbs  and  body. 

The  distribution  of  this  remarkable  lizard 
is  curiously  restricted  for  it  is  found  only 
on  Komodo  and  the  adjacent  end  of  the 
larger  island  of  Flores  in  the  Lesser  Sunda 
chain,  east  of  Java.  Fearing  the  extinction 
of  so  remarkable  a  form,  the  government  of 
the  Dutch  East  Indies  now  protects  the 
species  and   has  made   Komodo  Island  a 


diet  is  supplemented  by  carrion  from  larger 
animals. 

Field  Museum  is  fortunate  in  having 
specimens  of  the  "dragon  lizard,"  which  it 
owes  to  the  Chancellor-Stuart  Expedition 
of  1929,  led  by  Philip  M.  Chancellor. 
The  reproduction  now  on  exhibition  in 
Albert  W.  Harris  Hall  (Hall  18),  made  by- 
Leon  L.  Walters  of  Field  Museum's  taxi- 
dermy staff,  by  his  remarkable  cellulose- 
acetate  process,  exhibits  the  varied  coloring 
of  the  living  animal. 


Page  k 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


February,  1931 


HISTORY  OF  FIELD  MUSEUM 

By  Oliver  C.  Fakbington 

Curator,  Department  of  Geology 

(Concluding  installment) 

The  great  amount  of  attention  devoted  to 
expeditions  during  the  period  under  con- 
sideration, 1925-29,  did  not  lessen  activities 
within  the  Museum  itself.  On  the  contrary, 
these  activities  were  greatly  increased.  The 
large  receipts  of  material  from  expeditions 
called  for  redoubling  of  efforts  on  the  part 
of  the  taxidermists  and  preparators,  and  for 
additional  space  for  exhibition  purposes. 
The  needed  space  was  obtained  chiefly  by 
the  utilization,  for  the  first  time  for  exhibition 
purposes,  of  portions  of  the  ground  floor  of 
the  Museum  building. 

The  two  large  Mastaba  tombs  from  Egypt, 
which  had  been  received  in  1909,  were  the 
first  objects  to  be  installed  on  this  floor. 
These  were  installed  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
protect  them  from  injurious  climatic  influ- 
ences. Following  these,  the  whole  collection 
of  Egyptian  antiquities  was  moved  to  the 
same  hall  (Hall  J).  From  time  to  time 
other  units  of  the  anthropological  exhibits 
which  had  been  shown  on  the  main  floor 
were  transferred  to  the  ground  floor.  These 
changes  included  transfer  of  the  Philippine 
and  African  collections  and  of  the  collections 
illustrating  the  ethnology  of  the  peoples  of 
the  South  Seas.  Among  the  latter  exhibits 
it  was  possible  for  the  first  time  to  install 
the  great  Maori  council  house  which  had 
been  in  the  possession  of  the  Museum  for 
many  years. 

From  materials  collected  by  later  expedi- 
tions important  group  exhibits  were  prepared 
in  the  several  Departments  and  were  added 
to  the  exhibit  halls  as  fast  as  they  were  made 
ready.  Striking  exhibits  of  the  Victoria 
regia  of  South  America  and  of  the  cannon- 
ball  tree  were  added  to  the  botanical  exhibits 
in  1924.  The  year  1925  saw  the  completion 
and  installation  of  the  group  of  the  man- 
eating  lions  of  Tsavo,  and  of  the  shark  and 
crocodile  groups.  Large  models  of  a  cement 
plant  and  of  a  modern  brick  yard  were  com- 
pleted and  added  to  the  geological  exhibits  in 
1926.  Three  bronze  groups  made  by  the  late 
Carl  E.  Akeley  and  donated  by  Trustee  R.  T. 
Crane,  Jr.,  were  installed  in  Stanley  Field 
Hall  in  1926.  These  groups  represented 
lion-spearing  by  African  natives.  Provision 
of  an  apparatus  for  a  new  form  of  investi- 
gation was  made  by  President  Field  through 
his  donation  of  instruments  and  laboratory 
equipment  for  the  use  of  X-rays  in  the  study 
of  Museum  material. 

The  year  1927  saw  many  changes  made  in 
the  zoological  halls  through  the  withdrawal 
of  some  of  the  systematic  collections  and  the 
assignment  of  the  halls  so  vacated  to  mammal 
groups.  Such  groups  installed  during  1927 
included  those  of  the  mule  deer  and  Olympic 
elk.  During  this  year  the  Museum  suffered 
the  loss  of  two  members  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees,  Messrs.  Edward  E.  Ayer  and 
Arthur  B.  Jones,  who  had  served  the  interests 
of  the  Museum  from  the  beginning  with 
great  devotion  and  generosity. 

During  1928  the  groups  of  Marco  Polo 
sheep  and  ibex,  material  for  which  was  col- 
lected by  the  James  Simpson-Roosevelts 
Asiatic  Expedition  of  1925,  were  installed, 
as  was  also  a  group  of  mountain  nyala 
antelopes,  material  for  which  was  obtained 
by  the  Field  Museum-CMcaso  Daily  News 
Abyssinian  Expedition  of  1926.  A  group 
illustrating  fire-making  by  the  pygmies  of 
the  Malay  Peninsula  was  installed  in  1928. 
In  the  same  year,  Director  D.  C.  Davies, 
who  had  succeeded  Director  Skiff,  and  who, 
like  him,  had  been  a  pioneer  in  the  service 


of  the  Museum,  died.  The  present  Director, 
Stephen  C.  Simms,  was  appointed  to  fill  the 
vacancy. 

Through  the  generosity  of  Trustee  Ernest 
R.  Graham,  means  were  provided  in  1926 
for  an  elaborate  series  of  murals  showing 
restorations  of  various  animals  and  plants 
of  successive  geological  periods.  The  prepara- 
tion of  these  paintings  was  intrusted  to 
Charles  R.  Knight  of  New  York  City,  and 
up  to  1930  about  two-thirds  of  them  had 
been  completed  and  placed  upon  the  walls 
of  Ernest  R.  Graham  Hall.  Restorations 
in  three  dimensions,  of  typical  plants  and 
animals  of  past  geological  times,  were  also 
inaugurated  during  this  period.  Part  of 
this  work  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the 
sculptor  Frederick  Blaschke,  of  Cold  Spring- 
on-Hudson,  New  York,  for  execution,  and 
part  was  undertaken  by  the  Stanley  Field 
Plant  Reproduction  Laboratories  of  the 
Museum  under  the  direction  of  Acting  Cura- 
tor B.  E.  Dahlgren.  The  first  group  under- 
taken by  Mr.  Blaschke  and  the  only  one 
completed  before  1930  represented  the  place 
of  Man  in  geological  sequence  by  a  life-size 
group  of  a  family  of  Neanderthal  man  shown 
occupying  a  cave  or  rock  shelter  which  was  a 
replica  of  one  in  France  known  to  have  been 
inhabited  by  men  of  this  type. 

New  groups  of  mammals  placed  on  ex- 
hibition during  the  year  1929  were  the 
Indian  rhinoceros  and  Alaskan  bear.  Recon- 
structed groups  of  the  polar  bear,  bison  and 
musk-ox  were  also  installed.  Subsequent 
history  beyond  this  point  has  already  been 
recorded  in  successive  issues  of  Field 
Museum  News. 

Looking  back  over  the  outline  which  has 
been  given,  it  is  evident  that  continued 
expansion  and  development  have  character- 
ized the  history  of  the  institution  as  a  whole. 
That  this  may  be  continued  in  the  future  is 
the  hope  and  belief  of  all  friends  of  the 
institution,  and,  no  doubt,  they  will  give 
hearty  approval  to  the  declaration  of  Presi- 
dent Field  in  a  recent  article  that  "Field 
Museum  will  move  as  the  world  moves, 
forever  keeping  abreast  of  the  times  and  the 
changes  which  they  bring." 


Gifts  from  Friends  of  China 

Three  important  acquisitions  were  made 
recently  from  the  fund  annually  presented 
to  the  Museum  by  the  American  Friends 
of  China.  These  are  a  prehistoric  pottery 
jar  of  the  neolithic  period  (about  2000  B.C.) 
decorated  with  painted  designs  of  spirals, 
a  unique  gilt  bronze  figurine  of  a  rhinoceros, 
and  a  porcelain  jar  painted  in  enamel  colors 
with  scenes  from  the  lives  of  fishermen.  The 
pottery  jar  and  figurine  are  in  Case  7  of 
Stanley  Field  Hall,  to  which  the  two  polo 
figures  recently  presented  by  David  Weber 
have  also  been  added;  the  porcelain  jar  is 
shown  in  Case  31  of  Hall  24  (East  Gallery). 


Henry  Field  Returns 

Henry  Field,  Assistant  Curator  of  Physical 
Anthropology,  who  since  early  last  summer 
has  been  on  a  collecting  tour  in  Europe, 
gathering  material  and  data  for  use  in  the 
projected  new  Hall  of  Prehistoric  Man, 
and  Chauncey  Keep  Hall  of  Physical  Anthro- 
pology, returned  to  the  Museum  in  January. 


Museum  Officers  Re-elected 

Stanley  Field  was  re-elected  President  of 
Field  Museum  for  the  twenty-third  time  at 
the  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
of  the  institution,  held  Monday,  January  19. 
Mr.  Field  has  been  President  since  January, 
1909.  All  the  other  Officers  who  served 
during  1930  were  also  re-elected  for  1931. 


FEBRUARY  GUIDE-LECTURE  TOURS 

Following  is  the  schedule  of  conducted 
tours  of  the  exhibits  during  February: 

Week  beginning  February  2 — Monday:  11  a.m., 
Prehistoric  Animals,  3  p.m.,  Makers  of  Totem-poles; 
Tuesday:  11  a.m.,  Mexican  Archaeology,  3  p.m.,  African 
Animals;  Wednesday:  11  A.M.,  China,  3  P.M.,  Systematic 
Mammals;  Thursday:  11  a.m.  and  3  P.M.,  General 
Tours;  Friday:  11  A.M.,  Hall  of  Plant  Life,  3  P.M., 
South  Sea  Exhibits. 

Week  beginning  February  9 — Monday:  11  a.m., 
Fishes,  Past  and  Present,  3  P.M.,  Looms  and  Weaving; 
Tuesday:  11  A.M.,  Marine  Life,  3  P.M.,  Primitive  Cos- 
tumes; Wednesday:  11  a.m.,  Egypt,  3  P.M.,  Reptiles; 
Thursday:  11  A.M.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Friday: 
11  A.M.,  Musical  Instruments,  3  P.M.,  Birds  of  Gay 
Plumage. 

Week  beginning  February  16 — Monday:  11  A.M., 
Farmer  Indians,  3  P.M.,  Roman  Archaeology;  Tuesday: 
11  A.M.,  Gems  and  Jewelry,  3  p.m.,  Eskimo  Life; 
Wednesday:  11  A.M.,  Fur-bearers,  3  p.m.,  Early  Man; 
Thursday:  11  A.M.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Friday: 
11  A.M.,  Palms  and  Cereals,  3  P.M.,  Mummies. 

Week  beginning  February  23 — Monday:  11  A.M., 
Native  Philippine  Life,  3  P.M.,  Lizards  and  Other 
Reptiles;  Tuesday:  11  a.m.,  Indian  Art,  3  P.M.,  Habitat 
Groups;  Wednesday:  11  A.M.,  Asiatic  Animals,  3  P.M., 
South  America;  Thursday:  11  A.M.  and  3  P.M.,  General 
Tours;  Friday:  11  A.M.,  Economic  Minerals,  3  P.M., 
Pottery  Makers. 

Persons  wishing  to  participate  should 
apply  at  North  Entrance.  Tours  are  free 
and  no  gratuities  are  to  be  proffered.  A  new 
schedule  will  appear  each  month  in  Field 
MUSEUM  News.  Guide-lecturers'  services 
for  special  tours  by  parties  of  ten  or  more 
are  available  free  of  charge  by  arrangement 
with  the  Director  a  week  in  advance. 


NEW  MEMBERS 

The  following  persons  were  elected  to 
membership  in  Field  Museum  during  the 
period  from  December  17  to  January  16: 

Life  Members 

Harold  J.  Coolidge,  Jr.  (Non-Resident) 

Associate  Members 

Caleb  H.  Canby,  Jr.,  Henry  P.  Chandler,  Charles  A. 
Danz,  Eliot  H.  Evans,  Dr.  Lester  E.  Garrison,  Dr. 
Stanley  Gibson,  Ward  E.  Guest,  John  W.  Hutchinson, 
Archer  L.  Jackson,  Edward  H.  Kohlsaat,  Mrs.  Leander 
H.  LaChance,  John  M.  McVoy,  Charles  Z.  Meyer, 
Dr.  A.  H.  Parmelee,  Mrs.  Anna  J.  Peterson,  Arnold 
P.  Rayner,  Guy  A.  Richardson,  Mrs.  Kinney  Smith, 
Mrs.  William  H.  Tuthill,  William  Upton  Watson. 

Annual  Members 

Harry  T.  Alexander,  Burr  Blackburn,  George  A. 
Brown,  William  Jerome  Clark,  Charles  R.  Clow,  W.  H. 
Cornwell,  Mrs.  Frederick  B.  Cozzens,  Mrs.  Fred  W. 
Fahrenfeld,  Miss  Ada  M.  Fleming,  Mrs.  Joseph  B. 
Fleming.  Mrs.  John  L.  Forch,  Jr.,  P.  H.  Gilleland,  Mrs. 
Hans  Richard  Griesser,  Clyde  C.  Gruetzmacher,  Mrs. 
John  E.  Glynn,  Miss  Violet  F.  Hammond,  Frank  A. 
Hiter,  P.  S.  Howard,  Frank  Brookes  Hubachek,  H.  L. 
Huenink,  Mrs.  Stephen  R.  Knott,  H.  T.  Lavin,  Miss 
Ida  Larson,  James  Majarakis,  E.  S.  McWilliams,  Mrs. 
Charles  A.  Nowak,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Osborne,  Mrs.  John  C. 
Pitcher,  Mrs.  Frank  C.  Reed,  Mrs.  Charles  R.  Rice, 
Miss  Louise  C.  Robinson,  Dr.  Raymond  J.  Sauer, 
Arthur  L.  Scheying,  Mrs.  J.  G.  Shaw,  Mrs.  Mary  Edith 
Simpson,  A.  F.  Song,  Miss  Ida  W.  Thomas,  Theron 
Wasson,  Miss  Annie  C.  Wiersen,  Philip  E.  Willman, 
Mrs.  Percy  Wilson,  Mrs.  L.  D.  Winters,  Mrs.  Herbert 
W.  Wivel,  Joseph  J.  Wolfe,  Milton  G.  Wood. 


MEMBERSHIP  IN  FIELD  MUSEUM 

Field  Museum  has  several  classes  of  Members. 
Benefactors  give  or  devise  $100,000  or  more.  Contribu- 
tors give  or  devise  $5,000  to  $100,000.  Life  Members 
give  $500;  Non-Resident  (Life)  and  Associate  Members 
pay  $100;  Non-Resident  Associate  Members  pay  $50. 
All  the  above  classes  are  exempt  from  dues.  Sustaining 
Members  contribute  $25  annually.  After  six  years  they 
become  Associate  Members.  Annual  Members  con- 
tribute $10  annually.  Other  memberships  are  Corpo- 
rate, Honorary,  Patron,  and  Corresponding,  additions 
under  these  classifications  being  made  by  special  action 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

Each  Member,  in  all  classes,  is  entitled  to  free 
admission  to  the  Museum  for  himself,  his  family  and 
house  guests,  and  to  two  reserved  seats  for  Museum 
lectures  provided  for  Members.  Subscription  to  Field 
Museum  News  is  included  with  all  memberships.  The 
courtesies  of  every  museum  of  note  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada  are  extended  to  all  Members  of 
Field  Museum.  A  Member  may  give  his  personal  card 
to  non-residents  of  Chicago,  upon  presentation  of 
which  they  will  be  admitted  to  the  Museum  without 
charge.  Further  information  about  memberships  will 
be  sent  on  request. 


PRINTED   BY  FIELD    MUSEUM   PRESS 


tlseuiti  News 


Published  Monthly  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Chicago 


Vol.  2 


MARCH,  1931 


No.  3 


NEW   MURAL  DEPICTS  STRANGE  REPTILES   WHICH  LIVED  215,000,000   YEARS  AGO 


By  Elmer  S.  Riggs 
Associate  Curator  of  Paleontology 

A  large  mural  painting,  by  Charles  R. 
Knight,  in  which  are  restored  some  of  the 
strange  reptiles  of  the  Permian  period,  is  a 
recent  addition  to  the  series  of  twenty-eight 
murals  which  are  being  installed  on  the  walls 
of  Ernest  R.  Graham  Hall  (Hall  38).  This 
painting  shows  a  group  of  grotesque-looking 
creatures  which  lived  in  the  earliest  period  of 
the  Age  of  Reptiles.    They  date  back  almost 


kinds  represented,  Dimetrodon  (on  the  right 
in  the  picture),  was  armed  with  an  ugly  series 
of  sharp-pointed  teeth  which  proclaim  him 
an  animal  of  vicious  habits  and  a  flesh  eater. 
On  his  back,  spines  arose  to  a  height  equal 
to  the  length  of  his  body.  The  spines  were 
connected  by  a  membranous  covering  which 
extended  along  the  back  and  formed  a  great 
fin-like  projection.  This  fin  may  have 
served  as  a  sail  to  propel  the  animal  over  the 
Permian  seas,  but  as  he  was  more  fitted  for 


have  less  striking  characteristics  to  distin- 
guish them  from  modern  lizards,  but  they 
belonged  to  an  old  order  which  has  long  since 
died  out. 

Basking  along  the  shores  of  quiet  lagoons, 
these  animals  formed  a  distinctively  reptilian 
community.  No  inquisitive  mammals  roused 
them  from  their  drowsy  sleep  under  tropical 
suns;  no  birds  perched  upon  the  giant  horse- 
tail rushes  which  bordered  the  shores.  Great 
dragon  flies  may  have  skimmed  over  the 


Mural  painting  restoring  reptiles  of  the  Permian  Period.  Presented  by  Ernest  R.  Graham  and  on  exhibition  in  Hall  38.  Charles  R.  Knight  is  the  artist. 


to    the    coal    age,    215,000,000    years    ago, 
according  to  estimates. 

The  animals  reproduced  include  curious 
fin-back  reptiles  of  two  kinds,  and  several 
lizard-like  reptiles.  The  former  are  remark- 
able, not  because  of  their  size,  but  on  account 
of  their  unusual  proportions.     One  of  the 


land  habits,  it  is  probable  it  was  of  no  use 
beyond  the  decorative  effect. 

Naosaurus,  the  other  "fin-back"  shown 
(center  of  picture),  was  quite  similar  to 
Dimetrodon  but  was  inoffensive,  and  given 
to  feeding  upon  plants.  The  lizard-like 
reptiles  shown  in  the  picture  (on  the  left) 


waters  or  rested  on  a  snag  of  a  broken  tree, 
but  no  hum  of  busy  insects  filled  the  air.  It 
was  a  time  of  heavy  atmosphere  and  sluggish 
life  which  waited  through  the  long  ages  until 
awakening  intelligence  should  dawn  upon 
the  animal  world  to  give  more  activity  to  the 
scene. 


ROYAL  PERSIAN  PALACE 
UNEARTHED  AT  KISH 

The  first  well-preserved  palace  of  the 
Sassanian  dynasty  of  Persian  kings  ever 
found  has  been  discovered  at  Kish,  in  Irak, 
by  the  Field  Museum-Oxford  University 
Joint  Expedition  to  Mesopotamia,  according 
to  reports  from  Professor  Stephen  Langdon, 
director  of  the  expedition. 

The  discovery  was  largely  accidental, 
Professor  Langdon  states.  The  field  director, 
L.  C.  Watelin,  waiting  to  begin  excavations 
on  the  main  hill  over  the  site  of  the  ancient 
city,  set  his  Arab  workmen  to  leveling  the 
mounds  of  earth  near-by.  They  had  not 
been  at  work  for  a  week  before  one  wall  and 
two  gateways  of  the  royal  Persian  palace 
had  been  laid  bare.  Professor  Langdon 
estimates  its  date  at  about  a.d.  350. 

Below  it,  in  layers  which  represent  various 
stages  of  the  civilization  at  Kish,  are  the 
ruins  of  buildings  which  preceded  the  palace. 
Vertical  shafts  in  the  great  hill  where  ancient 
rulers  built  temples  to  the  mother  goddess 
show  buildings  dating  back  to  the  Sumerians, 
probably  the  first  of  civilized  peoples. 


The  new  discovery  is  regarded  as  of  the 
greatest  importance  for  the  light  which  it 
will  throw  on  the  history  concerned.  The 
present  chief  sources  of  information  regarding 
the  Sassanian  dynasty  are  Greek,  Arabic 
and  Persian,  and  it  is  hoped  that  the  con- 
tents of  this  palace  will  supplement  informa- 
tion already  available. 

The  Byzantine  empire  was  constantly  at 
war  with  the  Sassanian  kings,  and  Professor 
Langdon  believes  the  palace  will  contribute 
new  information  on  this  period  of  the  Roman 
empire.  Gold  ornaments  and  pieces  of 
sculpture  already  found  show  a  blend  of 
Persian  and  Greco-Roman  influences.  There 
is  the  characteristic  Sassanian  lotus  flower, 
and  on  the  plaques  and  friezes  on  the  palace 
wall  are  the  figures  of  plants,  animals,  giants 
and  soldiers.  The  gateway  is  decorated  with 
twelve  female  figures  on  a  lintel.  The 
excavation  has  not  progressed  far  enough  to 
gauge  the  size  and  plan  of  the  palace. 

Another  report  from  Professor  Langdon 
indicates  the  discovery  of  another  huge 
temple  believed  to  be  the  greatest  monument 
of  the  Sumerian  period,  dating  back  to  about 
3500  B.C.,  but  this  is  not  yet  confirmed. 


THE  LARGEST  SMALL  PLANT 

By  Paul  C.  Standley 
Associate  Curator  of  the  Herbarium 

A  branch  of  what  is  probably  the  largest 
plant  in  the  world  was  received  recently  by 
Field  Museum. 

Professor  Stanley  F.  Cain  of  Butler  Uni- 
versity presented  to  the  Museum  a  specimen 
of  the  box  huckleberry  (Gaylussacia  brachy- 
cera),  that  he  collected  in  June,  1930,  near 
Rugby,  Fentress  County,  Tennessee.  This 
plant  has  been  supposed  to  be  one  of  the 
rarest  American  shrubs,  known  only  from 
Delaware,  Pennsylvania,  West  Virginia,  and 
Virginia,  and  in  most  of  those  states  from 
very  few  localities. 

It  is  an  evergreen  shrub  that  trails  over 
the  ground  and  forms  mats  or  colonies  some- 
times one  hundred  acres  in  extent.  Botanists 
who  have  investigated  the  colonies  are  of  the 
opinion  that  often  they  consist  of  a  single 
plant,  hundreds  of  years  old.  If  they  are 
right,  the  box  huckleberry,  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  it  rises  scarcely  six  inches  above 
the  ground  is  perhaps  the  largest  plant  of 
the  whole  world. 


Page  2 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


March,  193 1 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Founded  by  Marshall  Field,  1893 
Roosevelt  Road  and  Lake  Michigan,  Chicago 


THE  BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES 
John  Borden  William  H.  Mitchell 

William  J.  Chalmers  Frederick  H.  Rawson 

R.  T.  Crane,  Jr.  George  A.  Richardson 

Marshall  Field  Martin  A.  Ryerson 

Stanley  Field  Fred  W.  Sargent 

Ernest  R.  Graham  Stephen  C.  Simms 

Albert  W.  Harris  James  Simpson 

Samuel  Insull,  Jr.  Solomon  A.  Smith 

William  V.  Kelley  Albert  A.  Sprague 

Cyrus  H.  McCormick  Silas  H.  Strawn 

William  Wrigley,  Jr. 

OFFICERS 

Stanley  Field President 

Martin  A.  Ryerson First  Vice-President 

Albert  A.  Sprague Second  Vice-President 

James  Simpson Third  Vice-President 

Stephen  C.  Simms Director  and  Secretary 

Solomon  A.  Smith  . . .  Treasurer  and  Assistant  Secretary 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 

Stephen  C.  Simms,  Director  of  the  Museum Editor 

CONTRIBUTING  EDITORS 

Berthold  Laufer Curator  of  Anthropology 

B.  E.  Dahlgrbn Acting  Curator  of  Botany 

O.  C.  Farrington Curator  of  Geology 

Wilfred  H.  Osgood Curator  of  Zoology 

H.  B.  Harts Managing  Editor 

Field  Museum  is  open  every  day  of  the  year  during 
the  hours  indicated  below: 

November,  December,  January  9  a.m.  to  4:30  P.M. 

February,  March,  April,  October       9  a.m.  to  5:00  p.m. 
May,  June,  July,  August,  September  9  a.m.  to  6:00  P.M. 

Admission  is  free  to  Members  on  all  days.  Other 
adults  are  admitted  free  on  Thursdays,  Saturdays  and 
Sundays:  non-members  pay  25  cents  on  other  days. 
Children  are  admitted  free  on  all  days.  Students  and 
faculty  members  of  educational  institutions  are  admit- 
ted free  any  day  upon  presentation  of  credentials. 

The  Library  of  the  Museum,  containing  some  92,000 
volumes  on  natural  history  subjects,  is  open  for  refer- 
ence daily  except  Sunday. 

Traveling  exhibits  are  circulated  in  the  schools  of 
Chicago  by  the  Museum's  Department  of  the  N.  W. 
Harris  Public  School  Extension. 

Lecturers  for  school  classrooms  and  assemblies,  and 
special  entertainments  and  lecture  tours  for  children  at 
the  Museum,  are  provided  by  the  James  Nelson  and 
Anna  Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for  Public  School 
and  Children's  Lectures. 

Announcements  of  courses  of  free  illustrated  lectures 
on  science  and  travel  for  the  public,  and  special  lectures 
for  Members  of  the  Museum,  will  appear  in  Field 
Museum  News. 

There  is  a  cafeteria  in  the  Museum  where  luncheon 
is  served  for  visitors.  Other  rooms  are  provided  for 
those  bringing  their  lunches. 

Members  are  requested  to  inform  the  Museum 
promptly  of  changes  of  address. 


FIELD  MUSEUM  PRESS 

The  extent  to  which  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  in  its  capacity  of  publisher 
of  scientific  books  and  pamphlets,  is  con- 
tributing to  the  world's  store  of  scientific 
information,  is  probably  little  realized  by 
the  general  public,  or  even  by  most  of  the 
Members  of  the  institution. 

In  its  various  regular  series  of  publications 
— the  Anthropological,  Botanical,  Geological, 
Zoological,  Historical,  and  Annual  Report 
Series — the  Museum  has  up  to  date  pub- 
lished more  than  280  works.  These  are 
chiefly  of  technical  character,  and  intended 
for  free  distribution  among  museums,  libra- 
ries, and  higher  institutions  of  learning,  and 
for  exchange  with  contemporary  authors, 
both  in  this  country  and  abroad.  They  are 
made  available,  also,  to  other  persons  to 
whom  they  would  be  of  use,  at  prices  barely 
covering  the  cost  of  printing.  The  list  of 
institutions  and  individuals  to  whom  these 
are  regularly  sent  now  comprises  1,250 
names. 

In  addition,  the  Museum  publishes  series 
of  Anthropological,  Botanical,  Geological 
and  Zoological  leaflets,  written  in  popular 


style  and  intended  primarily  to  disseminate 
knowledge  among  laymen.  More  than  sixty 
of  these  have  been  published  to  date.  They 
also  are  sent  regularly  to  a  mailing  list  of 
more  than  1,000  institutions  and  individuals 
both  in  the  United  States  and  foreign 
countries.  In  addition,  they  are  widely  sold 
to  the  general  public  at  cost  prices. 

Additional  works  issued  from  Field 
Museum  Press  include  the  Memoirs  Series 
of  quarto-size  scientific  publications  on  the 
results  of  specialized  research  conducted 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Museum;  the 
Technique  Series  of  handbooks  on  new  and 
efficient  methods  of  work  developed  at  Field 
Museum;  the  Design  Series  intended  for  the 
use  of  artists,  designers,  art  students,  textile 
workers,  etc.;  and  numerous  special  hand- 
books, leaflets,  portfolios  and  other  works. 

In  addition  to  producing  all  these  books 
and  pamphlets,  Field  Museum  Press  brings 
out  regularly  each  month  the  Field  Museum 
News;  prints  the  many  thousands  of  labels 
necessary  for  the  exhibits;  and  produces  all 
miscellaneous  printed  matter  required  by  the 
institution,  such  as  lecture  posters,  station- 
ery, direction  folders,  etc.  To  carry  on  this 
work,  the  Museum  has  a  large  and  complete 
book  and  job  printing  and  binding  plant, 
equipped  with  modern  machinery,  and  a 
photogravure  studio  and  press.  A  large 
staff  of  printers  is  employed,  and  various 
members  of  the  Museum  staff  devote  much 
time  to  writing  and  editorial  work. 

In  exchange  for  the  publications  distrib- 
uted free  to  the  institutions  and  individuals 
on  the  regular  mailing  lists  the  Museum 
receives  large  numbers  of  valuable  pub- 
lications which  are  added  to  the  Museum 
Library.  The  rest  of  the  Museum's  invest- 
ment in  publication  work  represents  a  con- 
tribution to  the  advancement  of  science  and 
the  dissemination  of  knowledge. 


rival  being  its  close  relative,  the  common 
sable  antelope  of  East  Africa.  The  giant 
species  is  distinguished  from  the  common 
one  chiefly  by  the  enormous  size  of  its  horns, 
and  the  distribution  of  the  white  markings 


Lions  Obtained  for  Museum 

Word  has  been  received  from  Marshall 
Field,  of  New  York,  Field  Museum  Trustee, 
that  he  will  present  to  the  Museum  a  large 
male  lion,  a  lioness  and  two  cubs,  which  he 
obtained  on  his  recent  private  hunting  trip 
in  Tanganyika  Territory,  British  East  Africa. 
The  specimens  will  fill  a  long-felt  need  for  a 
habitat  group  of  lions  to  be  added  to  the 
exhibits  in  Carl  E.  Akeley  Memorial  Hall. 


RARE  ANTELOPE  RECEIVED 

A  specimen  of  the  rare  giant  sable  antelope 
of  Africa,  in  size  extremely  close  to  the  record 
specimen  ever  taken  by  any  hunters,  has 
been  received  at  Field  Museum  as  a  result 
of  the  Vemay-Lang  Kalahari  Expedition. 
The  animal  was  obtained  through  the  efforts 
of  Arthur  S.  Vernay  of  New  York  and 
London,  who  financed  and  led  the  expedition, 
and  induced  the  Portuguese  government 
officials  in  Angola  (Portuguese  West  Africa) 
to  grant  permission  to  take  the  specimen  of 
this  highly  protected  animal.  Allan  Chap- 
man was  the  hunter  who  finally  stalked  and 
shot  the  handsome  beast.  The  skin,  skull 
and  antlers  have  all  arrived  at  the  Museum, 
and  work  will  soon  begin  to  mount  the 
animal  for  exhibition. 

The  horns  of  the  specimen  are  five  feet 
two  and  one-half  inches  long,  which  is  only 
one  and  one-half  inches  less  than  the  record 
size  ever  taken  by  any  hunter,  according  to 
Dr.  Wilfred  H.  Osgood,  Curator  of  Zoology. 
Until  comparatively  recently  the  giant  sable 
antelope  was  unknown,  having  been  dis- 
covered only  about  fifteen  years  ago,  Dr. 
Osgood  states.  It  is  found  nowhere  except 
in  a  limited  area  in  Angola.  Sportsmen  and 
naturalists  generally  concede  that  it  is  the 
most  magnificent  of  all  antelopes,  its  nearest 


Giant  Horns 

Antlers  and  skull  of  giant  sable  antelope  received 
from  Vernay- Lang  Kalahari  Expedition,  being  inspected 
by  Curator  Osgood. 

on  its  almost  jet  black  coat.  The  horns  of 
the  giant  species  run  to  five  feet  and  more 
in  length,  whereas  those  of  the  common 
species  average  between  three  and  four  feet. 
The  Vemay-Lang  Expedition  obtained  for 
the  Museum  also  a  vast  collection  including 
representatives  of  practically  all  the  larger 
mammals  of  South  Africa,  and  several 
thousand  specimens  of  small  mammals,  birds, 
reptiles,  fishes  and  invertebrates. 


Gifts  to  the  Museum 

Following  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  principal 
gifts  received  during  the  last  month: 

From  R.  Bensabott,  Inc. — a  carved  green  jade  box, 
China;  from  William  J.  Chalmers — a  brick  of  silver 
made  by  first  waterjacket  furnace  operated  at  Leadville, 
Colorado,  a  brick  of  silver  made  from  ore  of  early 
Montana  mines,  and  8  ethnological  objects  from  Algeria 
and  Morocco:  from  Dr.  I.  W.  Drummond — 10  ethno- 
logical objects,  China,  Near  East  and  Switzerland;  from 
Charles  L.  Watelin — 26  flints  of  Campignian  period, 
France;  from  Frank  von  Drasek — 8  specimens  diamond 
satellites,  quartz  crystals  and  other  minerals,  and  9 
photographs  illustrating  diamond  mining;  from  Charles 
S.  B.  Smith — 2  boards  of  sugar  maple;  from  J.  Neils 
Lumber  Company — 4  trunk  slabs,  2  boards  and  a 
wheel  section;  from  Great  Southern  Lumber  Company 
— 2  boards  of  longleaf  pine;  from  Harry  T.  Davis — an 
etched  fragment  of  Randolph  County  meteorite,  North 
Carolina;  from  Charles  H.  Swift — a  beaded  buckskin 
vest,  Dakota,  and  a  beaded  belt,  Menominee;  from 
H.  B.  Conover — a  Canada  goose;  from  T.  Gunning 
Davis — a  squirrel  monkey,  Paraguay;  from  Henry 
Field — 4  scorpions  and  6  jointed  spiders,  Irak;  from 
R.  C.  Swank — a  hornet's  nest,  Missouri. 


BEQUESTS  AND  ENDOWMENTS 

Bequests  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  may 
be  made  in  securities,  money,  books  or  collections. 
They  may,  if  desired,  take  the  form  of  a  memorial  to 
a  person  or  cause,  named  by  the  giver.  For  those  desiring 
to  make  bequests,  the  following  form  is  suggested: 

FORM  OF  BEQUEST 

J  do  hereby  give  and  bequeath  to  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History  of  the  City  of  Chicago,  State  of  Illinois, 


Cash  contributions  made  within  the  taxable  year  to 
Field  Museum  not  exceeding  15  per  cent  of  the  tax- 
payer's net  income  are  allowable  as  deductions  in  com- 
puting net  income  under  Article  251  of  Regulation  69 
relating  to  the  income  tax  under  the  Revenue  Act  of 
1926. 

Endowments  may  be  made  to  the  Museum  with  the 
provision  that  an  annuity  be  paid  to  the  patron  for  life. 
These  annuities  are  tax-free  and  are  guaranteed  against 
fluctuation  in  amount. 


March,  1931 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


Page  3 


SPRING  LECTURE  COURSE 
BEGINS  MARCH  7 

The  fifty-fifth  free  lecture  course  presented 
by  Field  Museum  will  begin  on  Saturday, 
March  7.  Eight  lectures  on  science  and 
travel,  illustrated  with  motion  pictures  and 
stereopticon  slides,  will  be  given  by  eminent 
explorers  and  naturalists.  The  lectures  will 
be  on  successive  Saturday  afternoons,  and 
will  be  given  in  the  James  Simpson  Theatre 
of  the  Museum. 

All  lectures  begin  at  3  p.m.    Admission  is 
free.    Following  is  the  complete  schedule: 
March  7 — The  Lost  Valleys  of  the  Caucasus 

William  Osgood  Field,  Lenox,  Massachusetts 

March  14 — The  Human  Side  of  the  Byrd 
Expedition 

Chief  Yeoman  Charles  E.  Lofgren,  United  States 
Navy  (retired),  Personnel  Officer  of  the  Byrd 
Expedition  to  the  Antarctic 

March  21 — Australian  Life  and  Scenery 

Professor  Griffith  Taylor,  University  of  Chicago 

March  28 — Exploring  the  Jungles  of  Sur- 
inam 

Jean  M.  F.  Dubois,  Denver,  Colorado 

April  4 — Alaska 

Amos  O.  Berg,  Ottawa,  Canada 

April  11 — Across  Asia's  Snows  and  Deserts 

William  J.  Morden,  Associate  in  Mammalogy, 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  New 
York  City 


April  18— The  Tale  of  the  Ancient  Whale- 
man 

Chester  Scott  Howland,  Boston,  Massachusetts 

April  25 — A  Close-up  of  Early  America 

Gilbert  E.  Gable,  New  York  City 

No  tickets  are  necessary  for  admission 
to  these  lectures. 


CHILDREN'S  ENTERTAINMENTS 
—RAYMOND  FOUNDATION 

Eight  more  of  the  free  motion  pictures  of 
the  spring  series  provided  for  children  by 
the  James  Nelson  and  Anna  Louise  Ray- 
mond Foundation  for  Public  School  and 
Children's  Lectures  remain  to  be  given  on 
Saturday  mornings  during  March  and  April 
in  the  James  Simpson  Theatre  of  Field 
Museum.  The  first  two  were  given  in 
February.  Following  is  the  schedule  of 
dates  and  titles  of  films  to  be  shown  on  each : 

March  7— The  Antics  of  the  Kilowatt;  The 

Eagle's  Nest;   Traveling  in  a  Goatskin 

Boat. 
March  14 — America  Raises  Rubber;  Thrills 

in  Yellowstone;  Bare  Facts  About  Bears. 
March   21 — Fine   Furs   on   Fine   Animals; 

Picturesque  Roumania. 


March  28 — A  Jaguar  in  Stone;  Belgian 
Cities;  How  Buds  Become  Leaves;  Fishes 
of  Many  Waters;  Hagotian,  the  Rug- 
maker. 

April  4— The  Story  of  Silk;  Pineapples; 
Life  in  a  Pond;  Undersea  Partnerships; 
The  Life  History  of  a  Pearl. 

April  11 — The  Story  of  Asbestos;  Fire- 
making  Without  Matches;  Drummers  and 
Boomers;  Porcupines  and  Their  Neighbors. 

April  18 — The  Island  of  Sugar;  Prodigal 
Palms;  Poor  Butterfly;  The  Message  of 
the  Flowers. 

April  25 — In  Batik  Land;  A  Dyak  Wedding; 
Teak-logging  in  Siam;  Elephants  on  Pa- 
rade; Wooden  Shoes. 
Each  program  is  given  twice,  at  10  and 

11  A.M.    Children  from  all  parts  of  Chicago 

and  suburbs  are  invited  to  attend. 


Archaeological  Expedition  Sails 

The  Third  Marshall  Field  Archaeological 
Expedition  to  British  Honduras  and  Guate- 
mala sailed  from  New  Orleans  February  27 
for  Belize.  It  will  excavate  ancient  Maya  sites 
and  conduct  ethnological  research  among 
the  modern  Mayas.  J.  Eric  Thompson, 
Assistant  Curator  of  Central  and  South 
American  Archaeology,  is  leader. 


MODELS  OF  ZAPOTEC  TEMPLE  AND  MAYA  PYRAMID  PLACED  ON  EXHIBITION  IN  HALL  8 


Bv  J.  Eric  Thompson 

Assistant  Curator  of  Central  and  South 
American  Archaeology 

Recently  a  model  of  the  famous  palace 
at  Mitla  in  the  state  of  Oaxaca,  Mexico,  was 
placed  on  exhibition  in  Hall  8.  Mitla  was 
the  capital  of  the  Zapotecs,  one  of  the  most 
advanced  tribes  of  ancient  Mexico,  who 
evolved  a  distinct  culture  and  maintained 
their  independence  until  conquered  by  the 
Aztecs  in  A.D.  1494. 

The  model,  which  was  made  at  the  United 
States  National  Museum,  shows  the  temple 
as  it  was  when  in  occupation,  but  the 
original,  even  at  the  present  time,  is  remark- 
ably well  preserved.  It  consists  of  a  long 
hall  with  great  stone  columns  down  the 
center,  the  long  axis  at  right  angles  to  the 
entrance,  and  behind,  four  long  and  narrow 
rooms  grouped  around  an  interior  court. 


depressions  in  the  mortar  beds  at  the  top 
of  the  walls  show  how  the  weight  was  carried 
by  wooden  beams,  and  in  the  model  part  of 
the  roof  is  restored  in  such  a  manner  that  the 
original  method  of  construction  shows. 

According  to  an  early  Spanish  writer, 
Burgoa,  who  visited  Mitla  shortly  after  the 
conquest,  this  building  served  as  the  temple 
and  residence  of  the  Zapotecan  rulers  and 
high  priests.  He  writes,  "One  of  the  rooms 
.  .  .  was  the  palace  of  the  high  priest,  where 
he  sat  and  slept,  for  the  apartment  offered 
room  and  opportunity  for  everything.  The 
throne  was  like  a  high  cushion  with  a  high 
back  to  lean  against,  all  of  jaguar  skin,  stuffed 
entirely  with  delicate  feathers  or  with  fine 
grass. . . .  All  the  rooms  were  clean  and  well 
furnished  with  mats.  It  was  not  the  custom  to 
sleep  on  bedsteads,  however  great  a  lord 
might  be." 


the  Carnegie  Institution  of  Washington.  The 
pyramid,  which  is  adorned  with  grotesque 
masks  of  the  rain  gods,  has  a  somewhat 
un-Maya  appearance.  The  later  inhabitants 
of  the  city  of  Uaxactun  had  covered  it  up  . 
in  order  to  build  a  larger  pyramid  on  top, 
and  to  this  the  under  pyramid  owes  its 
remarkably  good  state  of  preservation.  The 
excavation  was  the  work  of  Oliver  G. 
Ricketson  of  the  Carnegie  Institution,  and 
the  model  was  made  by  Samuel  Guernsey 
of  Boston. 

The  structure  is  of  peculiar  interest  be- 
cause it  appears  to  antedate  the  earliest 
dated  stelae  at  Uaxactun,  which  in  turn  are 
more  ancient  than  any  monument  known 
from  any  other  Maya  city. 

Casts  of  two  Maya  lintels  from  Yaxchilan 
in  Guatemala  have  recently  been  hung  at 
the  east  end  of  the  same  hall.    These  are 


«:«W^ 


'       "  -    -.  ■    ■    H 


MARM!  J  g£  J*  WSBSSBSt  _ 


Model  of  famous  Zapotec  temple  at  Mitla,  Oaxaca,  Mexico.     On  exhibition  In  Hall  8. 


The  chief  interest  of  the  building  lies  in 
the  very  fine  series  of  geometric  patterns  in 
stone  that  adorn  the  outer  and  inner  walls. 
These  designs  are  arranged  in  horizontal 
panels,  the  relief  having  a  depth  of  about 
an  inch  and  a  half.  The  panels  consist  of 
a  large  number  of  separate  stones,  each  with 
its  portion  of  design  carefully  carved  on  its 
surface  so  that  it  fitted  without  error  into 
the  general  pattern.  The  effect  was  enhanced 
by  painting  the  background  a  deep  red,. 
Although  the  roof  has  now  collapsed,  the 


According  to  this  same  writer,  the  high 
priests  and  kings  were  buried  under  the 
palace;  for  Mitla,  which  is  a  corruption  of 
an  Aztec  word  Mictlan,  meaning  the  abode 
of  the  dead,  was  supposed  to  be  above  the 
entrance  to  the  underworld.  Human  sacri- 
fice, too,  was  performed  in  this  building. 

Another  model,  representing  the  earliest 
known  Maya  building,  has  also  been  placed 
on  exhibition  in  Hall  8.  This  represents  a 
stucco  covered  pyramid  excavated  at  Uaxac- 
tun in  the  Peten  District  of  Guatemala  by 


magnificent  examples  of  Maya  sculpture. 
They  are  both  from  the  same  building  and 
represent  the  drawing  of  blood  from  the 
tongue  and  its  offering  to  the  two-headed 
plumed  serpent  god.  The  carving,  which  is 
in  deep  relief,  portrays  clearly  the  deforma- 
tion of  the  head,  the  head-dresses  of  quetzal 
feathers,  ear-plugs,  and  finely  woven  textiles. 
Other  improvements  to  Hall  8  include  a 
series  of  large  photographs  of  Maya  temples 
and  buildings,  additional  casts,  and  the 
reinstallation  of  material  in  the  cases. 


Page  k 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


March,  19S1 


THE  GAME  OF  POLO 

By  Bbrthold  Laufer 
Curator,  Department  of  Anthropology 

Many  Museum  visitors  viewing  the  ex- 
hibit of  four  Chinese  clay  figures  of  women 
on  horseback  engaged  in  a  polo  match, 
exclaim  in  surprise,  "We  never  knew  polo 
was  played  in  China,  and  that  Chinese 
women  indulged  in  athletic  sports."  Yet 
polo  has  had  a  long  and  honorable  history 
in  China,  and  has  been  a  favorite  subject  of 
many  illustrious  painters  and  sculptors. 

The  clay  figures  in  question,  which  were 
buried  with  sport-loving  noblemen  in  the 
eighth  century  of  our  era,  are  the  earliest 
monuments  to  polo  now  extant.  The  first 
great  polo  match  on  record  was  played  in 
a.d.  709,  at  the  imperial  court  of  Ch'ang-an, 
between  Chinese  princes  and  Tibetan  ambas- 
sadors who  had  arrived  from  Lhasa  to 
receive  a  daughter  of  the  Chinese  emperor 
who  was  to  marry  the  king  of  Tibet. 

Polo  was  first  played  about  the  beginning 
of  our  era  by  Iranian  tribes  of  nomadic 
horsemen  inhabiting  Central  Asia,  and  from 
this  center  both  the  polo  horses  and  the  game 
were  transmitted  to  Persia  and  China.  In 
its  origin  it  was  not  a  game,  but  rather  an 
exercise  in  preparation  for  war,  and  a  trial 
of  skill  and  endurance,  on  a  par  with  archery. 

In  China  polo  was  vigorously  cultivated 
by  several  emperors  of  the  T'ang  dynasty, 
and  also  under  the  Sung  dynasty,  during 
which  it  was  adopted  as  an  exercise  in  the 
army.  Under  the  Manchu  dynasty  the  game 
became  extinct. 

There  is  a  story  of  an  old  general,  who 
used  to  place  a  pile  of  ten  coins  in  the  polo 
court,  and  galloping  his  horse  strike  one  off 
with  his  club  each  time  he  passed,  knocking 
the  coin  up  seventy  to  eighty  feet  in  the  air. 

The  polo  sticks  are  described  as  terminat- 
ing in  a  point  like  the  crescent  moon,  and 
are  therefore  styled  "moon  sticks."  In 
Chinese  paintings  they  appear  provided  with 
a  scoop  or  ladle,  exactly  as  in  Persia.  The 
balls  were  of  an  elastic  vermilion  painted 
wood,  but  leather  balls  are  also  mentioned. 
The  players  formed  two  teams  and  con- 
tended for  the  same  ball.  The  goal  was  set 
up  at  the  south  end  of  the  course  and  con- 
sisted of  two  stakes  connected  by  a  board 
on  top,  making  an  open  gate,  in  which  was 
suspended  a  net  to  receive  the  ball.  The 
side  able  to  strike  the  ball  into  the  net  was 
the  winner.  The  horses  were  gorgeously 
adorned  with  pheasant  feathers,  tassels,  bells, 


and  metal  mirrors.  Once  tossed  into  the  air, 
the  ball  was  not  allowed  to  fall  to  the  ground, 
and  the  highest  ambition  was  to  keep  it 
spinning  in  the  air,  so  that  it  never  became 
detached  from  the  stick. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  in  China  donkeys 
and  mules  as  well  as  horses  were  trained  for 
polo.  From  ancient  times  Shantung  Prov- 
ince has  been  celebrated  for  its  enormous 


Polo  Player 

Chinese  mortuary  clay  figure  of  woman  polo  player. 
One  of  a  pair  presented  by  David  Weber. 

donkeys,  and  it  was  there  that  the  initiative 
was  taken  to  train  them  for  the  game.  In 
the  year  826  an  official  of  Shantung  sent  a 
present  of  polo  donkeys  to  the  imperial 
court  and  four  renowned  players  who  per- 
formed before  the  emperor.  The  prince  of 
Ting-siang  under  the  T'ang  taught  his  ladies 
to  play  polo  on  donkey-back.  The  Museum 
owns  several  Chinese  paintings  representing 
women  on  donkeys  playing  polo. 


Bird  Collecting  Expedition 

Staff  Taxidermist  Ashley  Hine  was  dis- 
patched to  California  toward  the  end  of  last 
month  to  conduct  an  expedition  which  will 
make  collections  of  important  birds  needed 
for  addition  to  the  Museum's  North  Ameri- 
can ornithological  series.  A  special  effort 
will  be  made  to  obtain  specimens  of  many 
small  birds  which  are  to  be  found  in  the 
middle  and  southern  parts  of  the  state  during 
the  next  few  months. 


MARCH  GUIDE-LECTURE  TOURS 

Following  is  the  schedule  of  conducted 
tours  of  the  exhibits  during  March: 

Week  beginning  March  2 — Monday:  11. A.M.,  Life  in 
the  Far  North,  3  P.M.,  Horses;  Tuesday:  11  A.M.,  South 
American  Indians,  3  P.M.,  Cereals  and  Spices:  Wednes- 
day: 11  A.M.,  Users  of  Horn,  Bone  and  Ivory,  3  P.M., 
Reptiles,  Past  and  Present;  Thursday :  1 1  A.M.  and  3  P.M., 
General  Tours;  Friday:  11  A.M.,  Horned  and  Hoofed 
Animals,  3  P.M.,  Chinese  Ethnology. 

Week  beginning  March  9 — Monday:  11  A.M.,  Armor 
and  Weapons,  3  p.m.,  Economic  Fibers;  Tuesday: 
11  a.m.,  Prehistoric  Animals,  3  p.m.,  Costumes;  Wednes- 
day: 11  a.m.,  Indians  of  the  Southwest,  3  p.m.,  Musical 
Instruments;  Thursday:  11  a.m.  and  3  p.m.,  General 
Tours;  Friday:  11  A.M.,  Egypt,  3  P.M.,  Trees  of  the 
Chicago  Area. 

Week  beginning  March  16 — Monday:  11  A.M.,  Birds 
of  March,  3  P.M.,  Crystals  and  Gems;  Tuesday:  11  a.m., 
Fishes,  3  P.M.,  Polynesia;  Wednesday:  11  A.M.,  Animal 
Life  of  the  Seas,  3  p.m.,  Basketry;  Thursday:  11  A.M. 
and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Friday:  11  A.M.,  Skeletons, 
3  P.M.,  The  Story  of  Man. 

Week  beginning  March  23 — Monday:  11  A.M., 
Economic  Minerals,  3  p.m.,  The  Mound  Builders; 
Tuesday:  11  A.M.,  North  American  Game  Animals, 
3  P.M.,  Roman  Archaeology;  Wednesday:  11  a.m.,  Carl 
Akeley  Hall,  3  P.M.,  Jewelry  of  Many  Lands;  Thursday: 
11  A.M.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Friday:  11  A.M., 
Mummies,  3  P.M.,  Plant  Families. 

Week  beginning  March  30 — Monday:  11  A.M.,  Africa 
and  Madagascar,  3  P.M.,  Physical  Geology;  Tuesday: 
11  a.m.,  Animals  of  the  Plains;  3  P.M.,  Peoples  of  the 
Pacific. 

Persons  wishing  to  participate  should 
apply  at  North  Entrance.  Tours  are  free 
and  no  gratuities  are  to  be  proffered.  A  new 
schedule  will  appear  each  month  in  Field 
Museum  News.  Guide-lecturers'  services 
for  special  tours  by  parties  of  ten  or  more 
are  available  free  of  charge  by  arrangement 
with  the  Director  a  week  in  advance. 


An  Important'Plant  Collection 

Field  Museum  has  received  in  exchange 
from  the  Royal  Museum  of  Stockholm, 
through  Dr.  Gunnar  Samuelsson,  a  valuable 
collection  of  1,336  specimens  of  plants  for 
the  Herbarium.  The  sending  consists  in 
part  of  450  specimens  collected  in  the  State  of 
Parana,  Brazil,  by  the  late  Per  Dusen. 
These  include  many  rare  species  not  repre- 
sented previously  in  the  Museum  Herbarium, 
and  they  are  the  more  desirable  because  of 
the  extreme  care  used  in  their  preparation. 

An  equally  desirable  portion  of  the  sending 
consists  of  640  plants  collected  in  Cuba  by 
Dr.  Erik  L.  Ekman. 


Museum  hours  in  March:  Daily,  9  a.m. 
to  5  P.M. 


Chancellor  Collection  Arrives 

A  collection  of  some  400  fishes,  and  numer- 
ous corals  and  other  marine  invertebrates, 
collected  by  the  recently  returned  Chancel- 
lor-Stuart-Field Museum  Expedition  to 
Aitutaki,  Cook  Islands,  was  received  at  the 
Museum  last  month.  Among  the  fishes  are 
many  remarkable  for  their  curious  forms  and 
their  beautiful  coloration,  and  these  will  make 
excellent  subjects  for  exhibits  which  are  to 
be  prepared  in  the  near  future.  Material  for 
addition  to  the  study  collections  was  also 
received. 

Philip  M.  Chancellor,  who  sponsored  and 
led  this  expedition  and  the  previous  Chancel- 
lor-Stuart-Field Museum  Expedition  to  the 
South  Pacific  in  1929-30,  is  now  engaged  in 
supervising  the  making  of  a  motion  picture 
film,  "The  Dragon  Lizard  of  Komodo."  Part 
of  this  film,  which  will  have  sound  effects, 
was  made  on  the  first  expedition,  and  some 
scenes  were  taken  at  Field  Museum  as  a 
result  of  the  exhibition  here  of  the  Komodo 
lizard  reproduction  made  from  one  of  the 
specimens  Mr.  Chancellor  collected. 


NEW  MEMBERS 

The  following  persons  were  elected  to 
membership  in  Field  Museum  during  the 
period  from  January  17  to  February  17: 

Non-Resident  Life  Members 

W.  C.  Stephens 

Associate  Members 

Arthur  L.  Allais,  Dr.  Nathaniel  Allison,  Mrs.  Clay 

Baird,    David    Degen,    Robert   J.    Dunham,    Howard 

Elting,  Edward  George  Felsenthal,  James  D.  Grant, 

Michael  Karpen,  John  A.   McGarry,  Edward   Mohr, 

Professor  Claude  Irwin  Palmer,  Miss  Jessie  H.  Rankin, 

William  J.  Rathje,  Charles  W.  Stiger,  Sr.,  J.  W.  Watzek, 

Jr.,  Samuel  W.  Weis. 

Annual  Members 

Robert  Leslie  Alton,  Mrs.  Howard  Ames.  Mrs.  Gallus 
J.  Bader,  Mrs.  Harold  Osborne  Barnes,  Dr.  E.  V.  L. 
Brown,  Mrs.  J.  F.  Brown,  William  Jerome  Byrnes, 
Robert  B.  Chittenden,  Dr.  Friend  R.  Eccles,  Mrs.  M.  A. 
Eilert,  Dewey  A.  Ericsson,  Mrs.  Henry  Frenzel,  Edward 
Gledhill,  William  B.  Greenlee,  Charles  F.  Harding,  Jr., 
Ralph  Horween,  Mrs.  James  B.  Keogh,  Mrs.  Calvin  P. 
King,  Frank  J.  Koepke,  William  J.  Larkin,  Mrs.  Robert 
Leitz,  Miss  Alma  J.  Lovett,  Mrs.  Hays  MacFarland, 
Charles  S.  MacFerran,  I.  S.  Martin,  Edwin  W.  C. 
Mayer,  Alexander  J.  McCarthy,  L.  McFall,  Charles  R. 
McKay,  Suejiro  Ogawa,  Mrs.  Christen  Olsen,  Thomas 
M.  O'Shea,  Frank  A.  Randall,  Mrs.  Frank  D.  Reed, 
Mrs.  Charles  H.  Requa,  Mrs.  John  Ritchie,  Rev. 
George  L.  Robinson,  Lester  Rockwell,  I.  Rosenberg, 


Clifford  A.  Rowley,  Joseph  P.  Savage,  Mrs.  George  J. 
Schmitt,  Mrs.  Charlea  R.  Simmons,  Charles  H.  Smart, 
Harold  E.  Stembridge,  Mrs.  Louis  L.  Thurstone,  Mre. 
Mary  Tuma,  Irving  M.  Tuteur,  Mrs.  Gerard  VanDyke, 
Fred  VanO'Linda,  Frederick  W.  Vodoz,  Miss  Mary  D. 
Weir,  Elmer  J.  Whitty,  Gerhard  C.  Wolterding, 
Ferdinand  H.  Young. 

MEMBERSHIP  IN  FIELD  MUSEUM 

Field  Museum  has  several  classes  of  Members. 
Benefactors  give  or  devise  $100,000  or  more.  Contribu- 
tors give  or  devise  $5,000  to  $100,000.  Life  Members 
give  $500;  Non- Resident  (Life)  and  Associate  Members 
pay  $100;  Non-Resident  Associate  Members  pay  $50. 
All  the  above  classes  are  exempt  from  dues.  Sustaining 
Members  contribute  $25  annually.  After  six  years  they 
become  Associate  Members.  Annual  Members  con- 
tribute $10  annually.  Other  memberships  are  Corpo- 
rate, Honorary,  Patron,  and  Corresponding,  additions 
under  these  classifications  being  made  by  special  action 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

Each  Member,  in  all  classes,  is  entitled  to  free 
admission  to  the  Museum  for  himself,  his  family  and 
house  guests,  and  to  two  reserved  seats  for  Museum 
lectures  provided  for  Members.  Subscription  to  Field 
Museum  News  is  included  with  all  memberships.  The 
courtesies  of  every  museum  of  note  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada  are  extended  to  all  Members  of 
Field  Museum.  A  Member  may  give  his  personal  card 
to  non-residents  of  Chicago,  upon  presentation  of 
which  they  will  be  admitted  to  the  Museum  without 
charge.  Further  information  about  memberships  will 
be  sent  on  request. 

PRINTED   BY   FIELD    MUSEUM   PRESS 


Field 


ews 


Published  Monthly  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Chicago 


Vol.  2 


APRIL,  1931 


No.  4 


EXHIBIT   OF    SLOTH    SKELETONS   OBTAINED    BY    MARSHALL    FIELD    EXPEDITION 


By  Elmer  S.  Riggs 
Associate  Curator  of  Paleontology 

The  skeletons  of  two  South  American 
ground  sloths  of  the  Pleistocene  Age  (one  to 
one  and  one-half  million  years  ago),  mounted 
in  positions  characteristic  of  their  habits  in 
life,  have  recently  been  placed  on  exhibition 
in  Ernest  R.  Graham  Hall  of  Historical 
Geology  (Hall  38).  The  specimens  are  part 
of  the  collection  of  fossils  obtained  by  the 
Marshall  Field  Paleontological  Expedition 
to  Bolivia  in  1927.  They  were  excavated 
from  an  accumulation  of  valley 
sands  and  clays. 

In  the  Museum  exhibit,  one 
of  the  sloths  is  mounted  in  the 
position  assumed  when  digging 
for  roots  and  tubers.  The 
other  is  rearing  to  reach  up 
among  the  branches  of  a  tree 
to  feed.  These  sloths  are  of 
the  species  which  is  known 
by  the  scientific  name  of 
Scelidodon  capellinii. 

Many  kinds  of  ground  sloths 
have  lived  in  various  parts 
of  the  western  hemisphere  at 
earlier  periods  of  the  earth's 
history,  but  all  of  them  are 
now  extinct.  In  addition  to 
the  abundance  of  fossil  skele- 
tons of  them  which  have  been 
found,  some  pieces  of  dried 
skin,  preserved  by  nature  for 
thousands  of  years,  have  been 
discovered  and  add  to  man's 
knowledge  of  these  great 
beasts.  Some  of  these  skin 
fragments  were  found  in  the 
cave  of  Ultima  Esperanza  in 
Chile,  and  more  recently  a 
desiccated  body  of  a  smaller 
species  was  discovered  in  a 
cave  in  New  Mexico. 

All  of  the  ground  sloths  are 
related  to  the  little  tree  sloths 
which  still  live  in  the  forested 
regions  of  South  America.  During  their 
earliest  history  the  ground  sloths  inhabited 
the  spacious  shores  of  southern  Argentina, 
where  they  were  among  the  most  numerous 
animals  of  their  time.  In  later  geological 
periods  they  lived  in  great  numbers  on  the 


plains  or  pampas  of  central  Argentina,  and 
in  the  fertile  valleys  of  northern  Argentina, 
Bolivia,  and  other  parts  of  South  America. 
Many  specimens  have  been  found  in  caves 
of  eastern  Brazil.  They  became  the  largest 
and  most  powerful,  as  well  as  probably  the 
most  numerous,  of  all  the  mammals  native 
to  South  America. 

After  land  had  been  formed  between  North 
and  South  America,  the  ground  sloths  found 
their  way  northward  into  the  territory  now 
occupied  by  the  United  States.    Remains  of 


New  ground  sloth  group  In  Ernest  R.  Graham  Hall 

certain  species  closely  related  to  those  in  the 
Museum  exhibit  have  been  found  in  the 
asphaltum  pits  of  Los  Angeles.  Others  have 
been  recovered  from  river  sands  in  Nebraska, 
and  from  caves  in  Pennsylvania.  Perhaps 
the  most  northerly  occurrence  is  one  which 


has  been  recorded   from    the    vicinity    of 
Minneapolis. 

Most  of  the  ground  sloths  had  massive 
bodies  and  short,  stout  legs.  Their  heads 
were  small  in  comparison.  The  jaws  were 
armed  with  five  pairs  of  short,  pig-like  teeth 
above  and  below.  The  teeth  were  not 
provided  with  the  hard  coating  of  enamel 
which  in  most  animals  protects  them  from 
wear.  In  many  species  of  sloths  there  were 
no  front  teeth  of  the  kind  used  by  most 
animals  in  seizing  their  food.  These  sloths 
apparently  drew  their  food 
into  the  mouth  by  means  of  a 
long,  flexible  tongue. 

The  fore  legs  were  longer 
than  the  hind  legs,  and  capable 
of  greater  freedom  of  move- 
ment. Each  fore  foot  was  armed 
with  three  claws,  which  were 
apparently  used  in  pulling  down 
the  branches  of  trees  and  in 
digging  food  out  of  the  ground. 
The  hind  legs  were  short  and 
stout,  and  used  in  supporting 
the  body  when  the  fore  part 
was  raised  to  reach  into  trees. 
From  the  famous  specimen 
aforementioned,  found  in  the 
Chilean  cave,  and  from  various 
other  fragments,  the  outer 
covering  of  these  animals  is 
known  to  have  been  a  thick 
skin  with  a  coat  of  coarse  hair. 
The  animal  was  further  pro- 
tected by  a  layer  of  small, 
rounded  bones  at  the  base 
of  the  skin.  These  were 
arranged  much  like  cobble- 
stones in  a  pavement.  Speci- 
mens of  these  small  bones  are 
often  found  scattered  through 
the  earth  along  with  the  fossil 
skeletons.  A  specimen  which 
may  be  seen  in  Ernest  R. 
Graham  Hall  shows  a  large 
section  of  these  pebble-like 
bones  or  ossicles,  lying  closely  joined  to- 
gether and  covering  part  of  the  ribs.  This 
arrangement  apparently  served,  like  the 
shells  of  turtles  and  armadillos,  to  protect 
these  slow-moving  creatures  from  the  attacks 
of  their  flesh-eating  enemies. 


STONE  AGE  MAN'S  SKELETON 
ARRIVES  AT  MUSEUM 

However  much  they  may  have  loved  him, 
when  a  man  died  among  a  certain  tribe 
which  inhabited  part  of  southern  Hungary 
in  neolithic  times,  his  comrades  did  not  want 
him  or  his  spirit  to  come  back.  At  least,  so 
it  appears  from  a  skeleton  of  a  prehistoric 
inhabitant  of  Hungary  which  recently 
arrived  at  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
for  the  toes  of  both  feet  were  cut  off  at  the 
first  joint  before  burial. 

That  this  was  a  custom  among  this  man's 
people  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  several 
other  skeletons  excavated  from  the  same 
burial  mound  reveal  the  same  treatment  of 
the  feet.  From  this  fact,  Henry  Field, 
Assistant  Curator  of  Physical  Anthropology, 


suggests  that  these  people,  who  lived  some 
7,000  to  10,000  years  ago,  believed  that  by 
mutilating  the  feet  they  could  prevent  de- 
parted souls  from  walking  back  to  frighten 
or  annoy  their  survivors. 

The  specimen  received  at  the  Museum 
comprises  not  only  the  human  remains  but 
the  complete  grave  with  the  original  earth 
in  which  the  skeleton  was  found.  It  repre- 
sents the  neolithic  or  late  stone  age.  With  it 
are  two  prehistoric  pottery  vessels  and  part 
of  a  wild  boar  tusk  which  had  been  buried 
with  the  deceased.  The  skeleton  is  of  a 
man  who  was  about  thirty-five  years  old 
when  he  died,  according  to  Mr.  Field.  It  is 
of  great  scientific  importance,  as  it  is  the 
only  practically  complete  human  skeleton 
representing  this  period  of  neolithic  culture 
which  has  reached  the  United  States. 


Persian  Mammals  En  Route 

Specimens  of  Persian  wild  ass  and  Persian 
wild  goat  are  on  their  way  to  Field  Museum 
of  Natural  History,  as  a  result  of  the  recent 
hunting  trip  in  Persia  of  James  E.  Baum,  Jr., 
who  returned  to  Chicago  last  month.  The 
specimens,  now  en  route,  will  be  presented  to 
the  Museum  by  Mr.  Baum  on  their  arrival. 


To  Hunt  in  Indo-China 

George  E.  Carey,  Jr.,  of  Baltimore,  and 
G.  F.  Ryan  of  Lutherville,  Md.,  are  on  their 
way  across  the  Pacific  to  Indo-China  for  a 
hunting  expedition  in  the  results  of  which 
Field  Museum  will  participate.  They  will 
collect  certain  animals  needed  to  complete 
the  series  of  habitat  groups  of  Asiatic 
mammals  in  William  V.  Kelley  Hall. 


Page  2 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


April,  1931 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Founded  by  Marshall  Field,  1893 
Roosevelt  Road  and  Lake  Michigan,  Chicago 

THE  BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES 


John  Borden 
William  J.  Chalmers 
R.  T.  Crane,  Jr. 
Marshall  Field 
Stanley  Field 
Ernest  R.  Graham 
Albert  W.  Harris 
Samuel  Insull,  Jr. 
William  V.  Kf.ij.ky 
Cyrus  H.  McCormick 
William 


William  H.  Mitchell 
Frederick  H.  Rawson 
George  A.  Richardson 
Martin  A.  Ryerson 
Fred  W.  Sargent 
Stephen  C.  Simms 
James  Simpson 
Solomon  A.  Smith 
Albert  A.  Spragub 
Silas  H.  Strawn 
Wrigley,  Jr. 


OFFICERS 

Stanley  Field President 

Martin  A.  Ryerson First  Vice-President 

Albert  A.  Spragub Second  Vice-Pretident 

James  Simpson Third  Vice-President 

Stephen  C.  Simms Director  and  Secretary 

Solomon  A.  Smith  . . .  Treasurer  and  Assistant  Secretary 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 

Stephen  C.  Simms,  Director  of  the  Museum Editor 

CONTRIBUTING  EDITORS 

Berthold  Laufer Curator  of  Anthropology 

B.  E.  Dahlgrbn Acting  Curator  of  Botany 

O.  C.  Farrington Curator  of  Geology 

Wilfred  H.  Osgood Curator  of  Zoology 

H.  B.  Harte Managing  Editor 

Field  Museum  is  open  every  day  of  the  year  during 
the  hours  indicated  below: 

November,  December,  January  9  a.m.  to  4:30  p.m. 

February,  March,  April,  October       9  a.m.  to  5:00  p.m. 
May,  June,  July,  August,  September  9  A.M.  to  6:00  p.m. 

Admission  is  free  to  Members  on  all  days.  Other 
adults  are  admitted  free  on  Thursdays,  Saturdays  and 
Sundays;  non-members  pay  26  cents  on  other  days. 
Children  are  admitted  free  on  all  days.  Students  and 
faculty  members  of  educational  institutions  are  admit- 
ted free  any  day  upon  presentation  of  credentials. 

The  Library  of  the  Museum,  containing  some  92,000 
volumes  on  natural  history  subjects,  is  open  for  refer- 
ence daily  except  Sunday. 

Traveling  exhibits  are  circulated  in  the  schools  of 
Chicago  by  the  Museum's  Department  of  the  N.  W. 
Harris  Public  School  Extension. 

Lecturers  for  school  classrooms  and  assemblies,  and 
special  entertainments  and  lecture  tours  for  children  at 
the  Museum,  are  provided  by  the  James  Nelson  and 
Anna  Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for  Public  School 
and  Children's  Lectures. 

Announcements  of  courses  of  free  illustrated  lectures 
on  science  and  travel  for  the  public,  and  special  lectures 
for  Members  of  the  Museum,  will  appear  in  Field 
Museum  News. 

There  is  a  cafeteria  in  the  Museum  where  luncheon 
is  served  for  visitors.  Other  rooms  are  provided  for 
those  bringing  their  lunches. 

Members  are  requested  to  inform  the  Museum 
promptly  of  changes  of  address. 


A  GRACIOUS  ACT 

On  exhibition  in  Field  Museum's  Egyptian 
archaeological  collections  is  a  cut  leather 
ceremonial  corselet  of  a  priest  of  ancient 
Thebes,  dating  back  to  the  eighteenth 
dynasty  (sixteenth  century  B.C.).  It  is  one 
of  the  only  two  known  examples  of  this  kind 
of  corselet  in  the  world.  It  was  placed  in 
the  Museum  by  T.  M.  Davis  of  Newport, 
Rhode  Island,  on  permanent  loan. 

Mr.  Davis  recently  died,  and  in  his  will 
left  all  of  his  Egyptian  collections  to  the 
Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  New  York. 
It  was  a  debatable  point  whether  Mr.  Davis 
intended  the  permanent  loan  he- had  made 
of  this  object  to  Field  Museum  to  continue 
after  his  death,  or  whether  he  intended  it  to 
be  included  with  his  other  Egyptian  collec- 
tions bequeathed  to  the  Metropolitan 
Museum. 

By  agreement  between  President  Robert 
W.  de  Forest  of  the  Metropolitan  Museum, 
and  President  Stanley  Field  of  Field  Museum, 
the  question  was  submitted  privately  to 
Judge  Julian  Mack  for  decision.  Judge 
Mack  studied  the  will,  and  all  of  the  cor- 


respondence with  Mr.  Davis  and  other  files 
relating  to  the  permanent  loan  of  the  object 
to  Field  Museum.  As  a  result,  he  decided 
that  Field  Museum  had  a  proper  claim  to 
retain  the  corselet.  This  decision  was 
accepted  by  Mr.  de  Forest  and  the  Metropol- 
itan Museum.  The  administration  of  Field 
Museum  is  deeply  appreciative  of  the  cour- 
tesy of  Mr.  de  Forest  and  the  other  authorities 
of  the  Metropolitan  Museum  for  their 
courtesy  in  allowing  decision  of  the  question 
on  the  basis  of  this  investigation,  and  their 
gracious  act  in  relinquishing  their  claim. 


ANNUAL  REPORT  PUBLISHED 

The  Annual  Report  of  the  Director  of 
Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  to  the 
institution's  Board  of  Trustees,  a  book  of 
256  pages  with  twenty  photogravure  illus- 
trations, is  off  the  press,  and  copies  will  be 
sent  to  all  Members  of  the  Museum  at  an 
early  date.  All  activities  of  the  Museum 
during  1930  are  reviewed  in  the  Report  by 
Director  Stephen  C.  Simms. 

The  Museum  was  the  recipient  of  a 
number  of  noteworthy  benefactions  during 
the  year,  the  Report  shows.  Among  the 
outstanding  gifts  were  six  contributions  for 
various  purposes,  totaling  $154,547  from 
President  Stanley  Field;  gifts  totaling 
$196,000  from  Marshall  Field;  $60,600,  repre- 
senting a  legacy  of  $50,000  and  payment  of 
a  previous  pledge  of  $10,600,  received  from 
the  estate  of  the  late  Chauncey  Keep; 
$50,000  from  Mrs.  E.  Marshall  Field; 
$10,000  from  Martin  A.  Ryerson;  $5,000  from 
Mrs.  James  Nelson  Raymond;  $7,819  from 
R.  T.  Crane,  Jr.;  $10,762  from  C.  Suydam 
Cutting  of  New  York,  who  in  addition 
financed  an  expedition  which  he  led  for  the 
Museum  in  Sikkim,  India;  $5,000  from  Mrs. 
William  H.  Moore;  $3,700  from  Albert  W. 
Harris;  $3,000  from  William  V.  Kelley; 
$5,000  from  the  Rockefeller  Foundation; 
$2,000  from  Mrs.  Louise  E.  Thome;  $1,000 
each  from  Bruce  Thome,  Henry  Graves,  Jr., 
and  George  Coe  Graves  II;  $834  from 
William  J.  Chalmers,  and  $655  from  the 
American  Friends  of  China.  In  addition, 
a  pledge  of  $18,000  for  a  group  to  be  placed 
in  Chauncey  Keep  Memorial  Hall,  was  made 
by  Mrs.  Charles  H.  Schweppe. 

After  allocation  of  all  contributions,  and 
all  income  from  the  Museum's  endowments 
and  other  sources,  the  institution  ended  the 
year  with  an  unprovided  for  operating  deficit 
of  $114,898,  the  Report  shows.  Total  ex- 
penditures for  the  year,  including  general 
operating  expenses,  purchases  of  collections, 
cost  of  expeditions  (excluding  those  privately 
financed  for  the  Museum  by  various  spon- 
sors), equipment,  the  N.  W.  Harris  Public 
School  Extension,  and  the  James  Nelson 
and  Anna  Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for 
Public  School  and  Children's  Lectures, 
amounted  to  $920,110. 

Persons  named  in  the  Report  who  by  their 
gifts  during  the  year  of  money  or  materials 
ranging  in  value  from  $1,000  to  $100,000 
were  made  eligible  and  elected  to  the  mem- 
bership classification  designated  as  Con- 
tributors, include  Arthur  S.  Vernay,  L.  M. 
Willis,  Lee  Ling  YUn,  Mrs.  E.  Marshall 
Field,  Mrs.  William  H.  Moore,  Mrs.  Charles 
H.  Schweppe,  and  Mrs.  Louise  E.  Thome. 
Many  of  the  others  whose  1930  gifts  would 
place  them  in  this  group  are  not  named  here 
simply  because  their  gifts  in  previous  years 
had  already  placed  them  in  this  class  or  in 
the  list  of  Benefactors  (persons  giving 
$100,000  or  more). 

Life  Members  elected  during  the  year  are 
Mrs.  Frank  H.  Armstrong,  Louis  E.  Asher, 
Henry  B.  Babson,  Thomas  M.  Boyd,  Herman 


A.  Brassert,  Aldis  J.  Browne,  George  R.  Carr, 
Mrs.  Lewis  L.  Coburn,  William  M.  Collins, 
George  A.  Cooke,  Charles  A.  Paesch,  and 
Mrs.  A.  A.  Sprague  II. 

The  Report  gives  detailed  statistics  of 
attendance,  and  full  accounts  of  seventeen 
expeditions,  research,  educational  activities, 
accessions,  installations,  and  all  other 
branches  of  the  Museum's  activities. 


THE  DIK  DIK 


The  dik  dik  of  Africa,  about  the  size  of  a 
rabbit,  is  one  of  the  world's  smallest  ante- 
lopes. Full  grown  specimens  attain  a 
shoulder  height  of  only  about  thirteen  inches, 
and  a  weight  of  not  more  than  twenty 
pounds.  Their  horns  range  between  two 
and  three  inches  in  length.  They  have 
curiously  enlarged  trunk-like  muzzles.  The 
group  in  the  accompanying  photograph  is  on 
exhibition  in  Carl  E.  Akeley  Memorial  Hall 
of  the  Museum.  It  is  composed  of  specimens 
of  male,  female  and  young,  obtained  by  the 
Field  Museum-Chicago  Daily  News  Abys- 
sinian Expedition.  The  group  was  mounted 
by  Staff  Taxidermist  Leon  L.  Pray. 


Gifts  to  the  Museum 

Following  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  principal 
gifts  received  during  the  last  month: 

From  Mrs.  Merritt  Starr — papoose  cradle  and  6 
other  objects  of  the  Kiowa  tribe,  Oklahoma;  from 
George  M.  Coram — a  specimen  of  box  crystal;  from 
Russell  T.  Neville — 2  spotted  salamanders  and  10 
photographs  of  cave  formations;  from  Henry  Field — 16 
specimens  of  rock  types,  Scotland;  from  Joseph  A. 
Gloski — 269  specimens  of  agate,  California;  from 
Robert  M.  Zingg — 55  specimens  of  small  mammals, 
birdskins,  lizards,  snakes,  etc.,  Mexico;  from  Professor 
Emanuel  Fritz — a  board  of  Monterey  cypress;  from 
Dr.  Charles  E.  Burt — 30  specimens  of  frogs,  toads, 
lizards  and  snakes;  from  Marshall  Field — 7  reels  of 
motion  picture  films  taken  in  Africa. 


BEQUESTS  AND  ENDOWMENTS 

Bequests  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  may 
be  made  in  securities,  money,  books  or  collections. 
They  may,  if  desired,  take  the  form  of  a  memorial  to 
a  person  or  cause,  named  by  the  giver.  For  those  desiring 
to  make  bequests,  the  following  form  is  suggested: 

FORM  OF  BEQUEST 

/  do  hereby  give  and  bequeath  to  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History  of  the  City  of  Chicago,  State  of  Illinois, 


Cash  contributions  made  within  the  taxable  year  to 
Field  Museum  not  exceeding  15  per  cent  of  the  tax- 
payer's net  income  are  allowable  as  deductions  in  com- 
puting net  income  under  Article  251  of  Regulation  69 
relating  to  the  income  tax  under  the  Revenue  Act  of 
1926. 

Endowments  may  be  made  to  the  Museum  with  the 
provision  that  an  annuity  be  paid  to  the  patron  for  life. 
These  annuities  are  tax-free  and  are  guaranteed  against 
fluctuation  in  amount. 


April,  1931 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


Page  3 


THE  ANTIQUITY  OF  PYORRHEA 
REVEALED  BY  X-RAY 

By  Anna  Reginalda  Bolan 
Division  of  Roentgenology 

The  incidence  of  pyorrhea  in  present  times 
is  too  well  known  to  merit  discussion;  its 
antiquity,  however,  has  not  been  exploited. 
This  disease  has  been  the  common  lot  of  man 
from  pre-dynastic  times  to  the  present  day. 

Careful  modern  diagnosticians  consider 
pyorrhea  an  important  etiologic  factor.  All 
patients  suffering  from  chronic  systemic 
disorders  are  subjected  to  an  intra-oral 
examination  before  definite  diagnosis  is  made. 
Every  physician's  and  dentist's  X-ray  labo-' 
ratory  has  a  file  of  case  histories  which 
includes  patients  with  pyorrhea.  Field  Mu- 
seum X-Ray  Laboratory  has  a  record  of 
mummies  which  display  roentgenologic  evi- 
dence of  having  been  afflicted  with  this  same 
disease. 

Peruvian  mummies  dating  back  over  hun- 
dreds of  years,  and  Egyptian  mummies 
dating  back  thousands  of  years  before  Christ, 
are  on  the  Museum's  pyorrhea  list.  Included 
is  one  of  the  oldest  Egyptian  mummies  on 
record,  a  pre-dynastic  specimen  of  a  woman 
antedating  3,500  B.C.,  who  lost  most  of  her 
teeth,  probably  due  to  pyorrhea. 

This  pre-dynastic  mummy  comes  from  a 
period  before  the  introduction  of  the  practice 
of  embalming;  the  body  was  dried  by  nature. 
A  shallow  pit  was  dug  in  the  desert  sands  and 
a  grass  mat  was  spread  in  the  bottom  of  it. 
The  body,  folded  in  the  embryonic  position, 
rested  on  this  mat,  and  was  covered  with 
skins  pieced  and  stitched  together,  the  short 
fur  on  the  inside.  This  in  turn  was  covered 
by  a  woven  piece  of  linen  cloth,  and  a  second 


Ancient  Pyorrhea  Sufferer 

X-ray  picture  of  mummy  of  Egyptian  woman  in 
Field  Museum  collection,  revealing  that  modern  disease 
attacked  ancients.  From  a  film  made  in  the  Museum's 
roentgenological  laboratory. 

grass  mat  was  placed  on  top.  The  head  was 
usually  toward  the  south.  Around  the  body 
were  set  jars  of  food  and  drink,  tools  and 
weapons,  and  sometimes  toilet  requisites. 
The  pit  was  then  filled  with  sand  and  left 
undisturbed  until  the  advent  of  the  archae- 
ologist. 

The  accompanying  illustration  is  a  roent- 
genogram of  this  pre-dynastic  Egyptian 
mummy.  The  specimen  is  on  exhibition  in 
the  Egyptian  Hall  (Hall  J)  of  the  Museum. 


This  woman,  who,  judging  from  her  skele- 
ton, was  not  an  elderly  individual  when  she 
died,  was  nevertheless  aged  physically.  In 
the  print,  it  can  easily  be  seen  that  her  back 
was  bowed,  and  to  the  observer  accustomed 
to  the  interpretation  of  these  films,  her 
entire  attitude  is  one  of  physical  decrepitude 
and  despair.  Pyorrhea  may  have  been  a 
contributing  cause  of  this  woman's  physical 
disability.  Prophylactic  measures  at  the 
onset  of  her  disease  might  possibly  have 
prevented  her  deformity  and  added  to  the 
span  of  her  life. 

An  interesting  series  of  research  prob- 
lems is  being  carried  out  in  the  Division  of 
Roentgenology  of  Field  Museum.  This 
laboratory  is  a  gift  to  the  institution  from 
President  Stanley  Field. 

A  new  and  unique  X-ray  technique  which 
produces  films  of  greater  brilliancy  than  it  is 
possible  to  produce  by  the  usual  methods, 
and  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  museum  work, 
has  been  developed  in  this  laboratory.  The 
ray  used  in  this  technique  could  not  be  used 
on  living  tissue  because  of  its  caustic  effect, 
but  it  does  not  in  any  way  harm  the  materials 
that  are  submitted  for  examination  in  the 
Museum. 

BATS  OF  THE  CHICAGO  AREA 

By  Colin  C.  Sanborn 
Assistant  Curator  of  Mammals 

Bats  are  flying  mammals  belonging  to  the 
order  Chiroptera.  The  seven  species  found 
in  the  Chicago  area  are  beneficial  rather 
than  harmful.  They  feed  entirely  on  insects, 
and  do  not  suck  blood  or  fly  into  a  person's 
hair.  Blind  bats  can  fly  about  and  avoid 
striking  objects  with  as  much  ease  as  bats 
which  can  see,  so  there  is  no  reason  to  be 
afraid  of  their  becoming  entangled  in  one's 
hair.  The  vampire  or  bloodsucking  bats 
are  found  only  in  Mexico  and  South  America. 

Bats  are  common  in  this  region  between 
May  and  September.  The  red  and  silver- 
haired  bats  are  the  most  abundant.  Then 
follow  the  little  brown  bats  and  also  the 
larger  brown  species.  The  hoary  bat,  the 
largest  one  found  here,  is  rather  scarce,  and 
there  are  but  few  records  of  Trouessart's 
and  Rafinesque's  bats.  These  last  two 
resemble  externally  the  little  brown  bat,  and 
could  easily  be  confused  with  it. 

Bats  are  more  plentiful  during  their  migra- 
tions in  the  spring  and  fall.  Some  bats  do 
not  migrate  for  the  winter  but  hibernate  here. 
A  silver-haired  bat  was  found  in  the  Museum 
on  February  5,  and  a  brown  bat  was  taken 
from  a  wood-pile  in  late  December.  The 
young  number  from  one  to  two.  When  small 
they  cling  to  the  mother  as  she  flies  about 
in  search  of  food. 

There  is  still  much  to  be  learned  about  the 
bats  of  the  Chicago  area,  and  Field  Museum 
will  be  glad  to  receive  specimens  or  records 
of  occurrence.  Most  of  the  bats  of  this 
region  may  be  seen  in  the  Museum  in  a 
case  especially  devoted  to  mammals  of  the 
Chicago  area. 


Nature  Study  Classes 

Approximately  65  scoutmasters  and  assist- 
ant scoutmasters  of  boy  scout  troops  in  the 
Chicago  area  attended  a  series  of  classes  in 
nature  study  held  at  Field  Museum  between 
February  28  and  March  28.  The  course  was 
presented  by  lecturers  of  the  James  Nelson 
and  Anna  Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for 
Public  School  and  Children's  Lectures.  Its 
aim  was  to  train  the  scoutmasters  for  con- 
ducting nature  study  work  among  the  boys 
enrolled  in  their  troops. 


REINSTALLATION  OF  WOODS 
IS  NEARLY  COMPLETED 

The  forests  of  North  America  are  scarcely 
excelled  by  those  of  any  other  country  for 
the  wealth  of  timbers  they  provide.  Accord- 
ing to  Sargent's  Manual  of  the  Trees  of  North 
America  there  are  more  than  700  species 
of  trees  growing  in  North  America. 

A  few  years  ago  Professor  Samuel  J. 
Record,  the  Museum's  Research  Associate 
in  Wood  Technology,  was  asked  to  formulate 


— — r*~""T— - ■f^hrjruB 

jft         !'T 

■BBB 


Typical  Wood  Exhibit 

This  case,  containing  specimens  of  southern  cypress, 
illustrates  the  manner  in  which  all  exhibits  of  North 
American  woods  are  being  reinstalled. 

a  plan  for  reinstallation  of  the  exhibits  of 
North  American  woods  in  Charles  F.  Mills- 
paugh  Hall  (Hall  26)  whereby  they  would 
be  displayed  to  the  best  advantage  to  meet 
the  requirements  of  the  student  interested 
in  American  forestry,  and  the  person  seeking 
definite  information  on  the  properties  and 
characteristics  of  various  woods  with  a  view 
to  some  specific  use,  as  well  as  the  casual 
visitor  to  the  Museum.  Professor  Record 
worked  out  a  plan  under  which  reinstallation 
was  begun  in  1929,  and  this  work  is  now 
nearing  completion. 

Of  the  very  large  number  of  species  of 
trees  native  to  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  a  few  are  of  vastly  greater  im- 
portance than  the  rest.  Some,  such  as 
walnut,  stand  out  because  of  their  excellent 
quality;  others,  such  as  yellow  pine,  because 
of  their  relatively  great  abundance.  Almost 
the  entire  supply  of  useful  timbers  of  the 
United  States  and  Canada  is  at  present 
derived  from  about  ten  per  cent  of  the 
total  number  of  existing  species.  Because 
of  this,  together  with  space  limitations,  the. 
exhibits  have  been  restricted  for  the  most 
part  to  the  trees  which  are  industrially  and 
commercially  of  actual  importance,  or  some 
eighty-four  species.  However,  the  Museum 
also  has  study  collections  comprising  samples 
of  almost  all  of  the  trees  of  North  America. 

The  present  appearance  of  the  wood  ex- 
hibits as  reinstalled  is  well  illustrated  in  the 
accompanying  photograph  showing  the  case 
containing  southern  cypress.  Arranged  in 
the  sequence  of  their  botanical  relationships, 
beginning  with  the  pines,  each  tree  is 
represented  in  a  standardized  manner  by  a 
section  of  trunk  showing  the  bark,  a  cross 
section  of  the  trunk,  and  selected  boards 
which  show  the  appearance  of  the  wood  and 
varieties  of  grains.  These  specimens  are 
supplemented  by  photographs  or  repro- 
ductions of  branches  showing  foliage,  flowers 
or  fruit;  photographs  showing  the  trees 
growing  both  under  summer  and  winter 
conditions,  and  maps  indicating  the  dis- 
tribution. In  the  labels  information  is  given 
as  to  the  principal  characteristics  and  physi- 
cal properties,  and  the  chief  uses  for  which 
the  wood  is  suitable. 


The  model  of  the  moon  at  Field  Museum 
is  the  largest  and  most  elaborate  ever  made. 


Page  J, 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


April,  1931 


FOUR    MORE   LECTURES 
IN  SPRING  COURSE 

Four  more  lectures  in  the  fifty-fifth  free 
course  presented  by  Field  Museum  remain 
to  be  given  on  Saturday  afternoons  during 
April.  These  lectures,  by  eminent  explorers 
and  naturalists,  will  be  illustrated  with 
motion  pictures  and  stereopticon  slides. 

All  lectures  are  given  in  the  James  Simpson 
Theatre  of  the  Museum,  and  begin  at  3  p.m. 
Following  is  the  schedule  of  dates,  titles, 
and  speakers: 
April  4 — Alaska 

Amos  O.  Berg,  Ottawa,  Canada 

April  11 — Across  Asia's  Snows  and  Deserts 

William  J.  Morden,  Associate  in  Mammalogy, 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  New 
York  City 

April  18— The  Tale  of  the  Ancient  Whale- 
man 

Chester  Scott  Howland,  Boston,  Massachusetts 

April  25 — A  Close-up  of  Early  America 

Gilbert  E.  Gable,  New  York  City 

No  tickets  are  necessary  for  admission 
to  these  lectures. 


CHILDREN'S  ENTERTAINMENTS 
—RAYMOND  FOUNDATION 

Four  more  of  the  free  motion  pictures  of 
the  spring  series  provided  for  children  by 
the  James  Nelson  and  Anna  Louise  Ray- 
mond Foundation  for  Public  School  and 
Children's  Lectures  remain  to  be  given  on 
Saturday  mornings  during  April  in  the  James 
Simpson  Theatre  of  Field  Museum.  Follow- 
ing is  the  schedule  of  dates  and  titles  of  films 
to  be  shown  on  each: 

April   4— The   Story   of   Silk;    Pineapples; 
Life  in  a  Pond;  Undersea  Partnerships; 
The  Life  History  of  a  Pearl. 
April    11 — The    Story    of    Asbestos;    Fire- 
making  Without  Matches;  Drummers  and 
Boomers;  Porcupines  and  Their  Neighbors. 
April   18— The  Island  of  Sugar;  Prodigal 
Palms;  Poor  Butterfly;  The  Message  of 
the  Flowers. 
April  25— In  Batik  Land;  A  Dyak  Wedding; 
Teak-logging  in  Siam;  Elephants  on  Pa- 
rade; Wooden  Shoes. 

Each  program  is  given  twice,  at  10  and 
11  a.m.  Children  from  all  parts  of  Chicago 
and  suburbs  are  invited  to  attend. 


FURTHER  TREASURES  REVEALED 
BY  KISH  EXCAVATIONS 

Priceless  jewelry  worn  at  the  court  of 
Nebuchadnezzar  some  2,500  years  ago,  mag- 
nificent sculptures  of  the  Sassanian  period 
(a.d.  226-637),  and  royal  tombs  more  than 
5,500  years  old,  have  been  discovered  as  a 
result  of  this  season's  excavations  on  the  site 
of  the  ancient  city  of  KLsh  by  the  Field 
Museum-Oxford  University  Joint  Expedition 
to  Mesopotamia,  according  to  reports  re- 
ceived from  Professor  Stephen  Langdon, 
director  of  the  expedition,  and  L.  C.  Watelin, 
director  of  excavations. 

Solid  gold  ornaments  are  included  among 
the  treasures  of  the  Babylonian  period  which 
have  been  unearthed  from  the  buried  city, 
Professor  Langdon  states.  These,  with  other 
jewelry  of  outstanding  beauty  and  artistry, 
represent  the  time  of  Nebuchadnezzar. 

Far  below  the  Temple  of  Nebuchadnezzar 
have  been  found  the  Sumerian  royal  tombs 
which  Professor  Langdon  estimates  date 
back  5,500  years.  Work  of  opening  and 
exploring  them   has  begun.     The  remains 


of  several  chariots,  oxen,  and  harnesses  have 
been  found. 

It  has  now  been  revealed  that  the  Sassan- 
ian palace,  discovery  of  which  was  reported 
in  the  March  issue  of  Field  Museum  News, 
had  a  spacious  open  court  with  a  fountain. 
Brick  columns  with  bases  of  yellow  glazed 
bricks  have  been  discovered.  Doorways 
from  the  court  lead  into  suites  of  rooms  in 
which  magnificent  sculptures  were  recovered. 
These  include  heads  of  women,  flying  angels, 
friezes  of  giants  and  animals,  and  plaques 
of  lotuses  and  pomegranates. 

In  the  previously  excavated  neo-Babylon- 
ian  temple  glazed  coffins  containing  gold 
jewelry  have  been  found.  Beneath  this 
temple  the  expedition  has  come  upon  the 
top  of  a  massive  building  believed  to  date 
from  the  age  of  Sargon  of  Accad,  about 
2700  B.C.  This  newly  discovered  building 
has  walls  eighteen  feet  thick.  It  is  believed 
to  have  been  the  Temple  of  Aruru  and 
probably  was  a  ruin  long  before  Nebuchad- 
nezzar was  king. 

The  present  season  is  the  ninth  in  which 
operations  have  been  conducted  at  Kish. 
More  than  300  men  are  engaged  in  the  work 
this  year.  The  expedition  is  financed  on 
behalf  of  Field  Museum  by  Marshall  Field, 
and  on  behalf  of  Oxford  by  a  group  of 
British  philanthropists. 


NAVAHO   HOMES 


A  miniature  model  of  winter  and  summer 
homes  of  the  Navaho  Indians  of  Arizona 
and  New  Mexico  is  on  exhibition  in  Hall  6 
of  the  Museum.  As  may  be  seen  in  the 
accompanying  photograph,  figures  in  the 
group  are  arranged  to  show  the  various 
occupations  and  pastimes  these  Indians 
engage  in,  such  as  pottery  making,  weaving, 
shearing  of  sheep,  gathering  wood,  gambling 
(pole  and  hoop  game),  and  other  activities. 

Stowaway  Land  Crab 

While  installing  large  corals,  secured  under 
the  sea  near  the  Bahamas  by  the  Field 
Museum-Williamson  Undersea  Expedition, 
for  a  new  exhibit  in  preparation  at  Field 
Museum,  workers  discovered  a  live  Bahaman 
land  crab  which  had  stowed  away  in  the 
crates  and  thus  stolen  a  ride  to  Chicago. 
The  crab  itself  is  now  preserved  for  use  in 
the  zoological  collections.  This  is  the  first 
appearance  of  a  land  crab  in  Chicago  by 
such  means  in  the  experience  of  the  Museum, 
although  the  accidental  dispersion  of  species 
of  various  living  things  is  not  uncommon. 


Chinese  Type  in  Museum 

A  complete  font  of  Chinese  type,  recently 
imported  from  China  by  Field  Museum,  has 
been  added  to  the  equipment  of  the  Division 
of  Printing.  It  is  being  used  under  the  super- 
vision of  Dr.  Berthold  Laufer,  Curator  of 
Anthropology,  for  special  work  in  connection 
with  certain  Museum  publications  where  it 
is  necessary  to  present  excerpts  from  Chinese 
literature  in  the  Chinese  characters,  in  addi- 
tion to  giving  their  English  translations. 


APRIL  GUIDE-LECTURE  TOURS 

Following  is  the  schedule  of  conducted 
tours  of  the  exhibits  during  April: 

Week  beginning  March  30 — Monday:  11  a.m.,  Africa 
and  Madagascar,  3  p.m.,  Physical  Geology;  Tuesday: 
11  a.m.,  Animals  of  the  Plains:  3  P.M.,  Peoples  of  the 
Pacific;  Wednesday:  11  a.m.,  Egypt,  3  P.M.,  American 
Trees;  Thursday:  11  A.M.  and  3  p.m..  General  Tours; 
Friday:  11  A.M.,  Crystals  and  Gems,  3  P.M.,  Indians  of 
the  Plains. 

Week  beginning  April  6 — Monday:  11  A.M.,  Pre- 
historic Life,  3  p.m.,  Industrial  Models;  Tuesday: 
11  a.m..  The  Story  of  Early  Man,  3  P.M.,  Birds  and 
Their  Nests;  Wednesday:  11  a.m.,  Lizards,  Past  and 
Present,  3  p.m..  Musical  Instruments;  Thursday: 
11  A.M.  and  3  p.m.,  General  Tours;  Friday:  11  A.M., 
Comparative  Anatomy,  3  P.M.,  Chinese  Art  of  the  Past. 

Week  beginning  April  13 — Monday:  11  a.m.,  Roman 
Exhibits,  3  P.M.,  Looms  and  Textiles;  Tuesday:  1 1  A.M., 
Systematic  Birds,  3  P.M.,  Tibet;  Wednesday:  11  A.M., 
Eskimo  Customs,  3  p.m.,  American  Archaeology; 
Thursday:  11  a.m.  and  3  p.m.,  General  Tours:  Friday: 
11  a.m.,  Tropical  Plants,  3  p.m.,  American  Mammals. 

Week  beginning  April  20 — Monday:  11  a.m.,  Melan- 
esia, 3  p.m.,  The  Primates;  Tuesday:  11  a.m.,  Animal 
Families,  3  P.M.,  Mummies;  Wednesday:  11  A.M., 
Fishing  in  Many  Lands,  3  P.M.,  Indian  Art;  Thursday: 
11  A.M.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Friday:  11  A.M., 
Man  Through  the  Ages,  3  p.m.,  Marine  Life. 

Week  beginning  April  27 — Monday:  11  A.M.,  Iron, 
Coal  and  Petroleum,  3  P.M.,  Indians  of  the  Northwest 
Coast;  Tuesday:  11  a.m.,  The  Grasses,  3  P.M.,  Chinese 
Art  of  Today;  Wednesday:  11  A.M.,  Work  of  Wind  and 
Water,  3  p.m.,  Madagascar;  Thursday:  11  a.m.  and 
3  p.m.,  General  Tours. 

Persons  wishing  to  participate  should 
apply  at  North  Entrance.  Tours  are  free 
and  no  gratuities  are  to  be  proffered.  A  new 
schedule  will  appear  each  month  in  Field 
Museum  News.  Guide-lecturers'  services 
for  special  tours  by  parties  of  ten  or  more 
are  available  free  of  charge  by  arrangement 
with  the  Director  a  week  in  advance. 


NEW  MEMBERS 

The  following  persons  were  elected  to 
membership  in  Field  Museum  during  the 
period  from  February  17  to  March  17: 

Associate  Members 

Harry  C.  Daley,  Harry  Eisenstaedt,  Mrs.  Alfred  K. 
Foreman,  R.  W.  Gerding,  Harold  J.  Gordon,  Mrs. 
William  Brooks  Greenlee,  Mrs.  E.  M.  Hill,  George  W. 
Hubbard,  Charles  W.  Isaacs,  Jr.,  Dr.  Henry  H.  Klein- 
pell,  Fred  L.  Mills,  Thomas  H.  Monaghan,  Kurt 
Rosenthal,  Richard  M.  Rosenwald,  Mrs.  Edward  L. 
Ryerson,  Sr.,  Jesse  D.  Scheinman,  J.  E.  Slocum, 
Robert  Wheeler  Swett,  Kay  Wood,  Jr. 

Sustaining  Members 
H.  Belin  Voorhees 

Annual  Members 

Elmer  T.  Anderson,  R.  O.  Berger,  Mrs.  W.  McCor- 
mick  Blair,  Otto  Frederick  Carl,  Charles  F.  Clyne, 
James  Draper,  Mrs.  Joseph  Feuchtwanger,  Sr.,  Mrs. 
Joseph  V.  Geyer,  Mrs.  Samuel  H.  Harris,  Fleming  D. 
Hedges,  Mrs.  Cyrus  G.  Hill,  Mrs.  Harry  L.  Kelly, 
David  W.  Lockwood,  Mrs.  L.  W.  Macmillan.  Mrs. 
Alfred  T.  Martin,  Frederick  H.  Massmann,  Mrs.  Emil 
Mayer,  Arthur  L.  Myers,  Edward  L.  Olin,  Miss 
Kathryn  Rahm,  George  G.  Roberts,  Mrs.  Theodore 
Rosenak,  Dr.  Theodore  Schaps,  Mrs.  W.  W.  Sherman, 
J.  D.  Sutherland,  Miss  Mattie  E.  Taberner,  Leupold 
Temps,  Miss  Edythe  C.  Tourtelot,  Theodore  O.  Weiss. 

Museum  hours  in  April:  Daily,  9  A.M. 
to  5  P.M. 


MEMBERSHIP  IN  FIELD  MUSEUM 

Field  Museum  has  several  classes  of  Members. 
Benefactors  give  or  devise  $100,000  or  more.  Contribu- 
tors give  or  devise  $1,000  to  $100,000.  Life  Members 
give  $500;  Non- Resident  (Life)  and  Associate  Members 
pay  $100;  Non-Resident  Associate  Members  pay  $50. 
All  the  above  classes  are  exempt  from  dues.  Sustaining 
Members  contribute  $25  annually.  After  six  years  they 
become  Associate  Members.  Annual  Members  con- 
tribute $10  annually.  Other  memberships  are  Corpo- 
rate, Honorary,  Patron,  and  Corresponding,  additions 
under  these  classifications  being  made  by  special  action 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

Each  Member,  in  all  classes,  is  entitled  to  free 
admission  to  the  Museum  for  himself,  his  family  and 
house  guests,  and  to  two  reserved  seats  for  Museum 
lectures  provided  for  Members.  Subscription  to  FIELD 
Museum  News  is  included  with  all  memberships.  The 
courtesies  of  every  museum  of  note  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada  are  extended  to  all  Members  of 
Field  Museum.  A  Member  may  give  his  personal  card 
to  non-residents  of  Chicago,  upon  presentation  of 
which  they  will  be  admitted  to  the  Museum  without 
charge.  Further  information  about  memberships  will 
be  sent  on  request. 


PRINTED   BY   FIELD    MUSEUM   PRESS 


liseum  News 


Published  Monthly  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Chicago 


Vol.  2 


MAY,   1931 


No.  5 


HABITAT  GROUP  OF  GUANACOS  IS  PLACED  ON  EXHIBITION  IN  HALL  16 


By  Colin  C.  Sanborn 
Assistant  Curator  of  Mammals 

A  habitat  group  of  the  strange  looking 
guanaco  has  just  been  installed  in  the  Hall 
of  American  Mammal  Habitat  Groups  (Hall 
16).  There  are  five  specimens  in  the  group, 
one  adult  male,  two  adult  females,  and  two 
young.  The  animals  were  collected  by  the 
Marshall  Field  South  American  Expedition 
of  1926. 

The  guanaco  is  a  member  of  the  camel 
family.    At  one  time  it  ranged  over  all  the 


found  in  South  America,  and  these  are  like- 
wise related  to  the  guanaco. 

The  guanacos  of  Patagonia  collect  in 
herds  of  from  five  individuals  up  to  about 
three  hundred.  In  winter  (July,  August, 
September)  they  go  south  to  the  timbered 
and  more  hilly  country  where  there  is 
shelter  from  the  cold  winds  and  snow.  They 
return  north  in  the  spring  to  the  open 
pampas,  and  there  the  young  are  born, 
in  November  or  December.  There  is  only 
a  single  offspring. 


will  attack  a  person  by  striking  from  behind 
with  both  knees. 

Before  the  white  man  came,  the  flesh 
of  this  animal,  like  the  bison  of  our  western 
plains,  was  used  by  the  Indians  for  food, 
while  its  skin  was  used  for  clothing  and 
tents,  but  today  it  is  being  rapidly  killed 
off  to  provide  more  pasture  for  sheep 
raising.  It  is  claimed  that  in  one  year  a 
guanaco  will  eat  as  much  as  three  sheep. 
During  its  migrations  and  in  the  rutting 
season  the  guanaco  is  charged  with  destroy- 


Guanaco  group  on  exhibition  In  Hall  16.     Specimens  collected  by  Marshall  Field  South  American  Expedition. 


bare  pampas  country  of  South  America, 
from  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  north  through 
the  Argentine,  and  across  the  Andes  into 
Chile,  Bolivia,  and  Peru.  Today  it  is  most 
common  in  the  southern  part  of  the  Argen- 
tine Republic  (Patagonia). 

The  llama  and  alpaca  are  domesticated 
forms  of  the  guanaco  and  are  used  as  beasts 
of  burden  in  northern  Chile,  Bolivia,  and 
southern  Peru.  The  vicuna,  which  is  found 
only  in  the  very  high  Andes,  is  smaller  than 
the  guanaco  and  has  finer,  silkier  hair,  which 
is  woven  by  the  Indians  into  various  sorts 
of  clothing.  There  are  also  a  number  of 
extinct  forms  of  camel,  fossils  of  which  are 


Guanacos  are  generally  wild  and  shy, 
especially  when  in  large  herds.  The  females 
and  young  move  off  first  at  a  brisk  canter 
while  the  males  slowly  bring  up  the  rear, 
turning  now  and  then  to  face  the  enemy 
and  uttering  their  shrill  neighing  challenge. 
A  small  herd  of  but  four  or  five  individuals 
is  apt  to  stand  and  watch  the  intruder  for  a 
short  time  before  running  away.  A  curious 
habit  of  the  guanaco  when  running  rapidly 
is  to  stretch  its  neck  and  lower  its  head  until 
it  almost  touches  the  ground.  Young  gua- 
nacos are  easily  tamed  and  make  interesting 
pets  until  they  are  grown.  Then  they 
become  savage,   especially  the  males,   and 


ing  fences  and  otherwise  damaging  property. 

The  hides  of  the  old  animals  seem  to  have 
no  market  value  today.  The  young,  how- 
ever, up  to  two  weeks  old  are  persistently 
hunted  down  and  the  skins  made  into 
"capas"  or  robes.  At  this  age  they  are 
called  "chulencos"  and  from  two  weeks  to  a 
month  old,  "barbuchos,"  when  they  are 
worth  but  half  the  value  of  a  "chulenco." 
A  good  "chulenco"  cape  is  worth  about  $15. 
This  wholesale  killing  of  the  young  each  year 
may  soon  exterminate  the  species. 

The  taxidermy  on  the  Museum's  group  is 
by  Julius  Friesser  of  the  staff,  and  the 
background  by  Staff  Artist  C.  A.  Corwin. 


Former  Curator  Dies 

With  deep  regret  members  of  the  adminis- 
trative and  scientific  staff  received  news  of 
the  death,  on  March  29,  of  Dr.  George  A. 
Dorsey,  former  Curator  of  Anthropology  at 
Field  Museum.  Many  lasting  and  important 
contributions  to  the  collections  and  publica- 
tions of  Field  Museum  resulted  from  Dr. 
Dorsey's  work  at  this  institution.  He  was 
the  leader  of  many  Museum  expeditions. 


Dr.  Dorsey  joined  the  Museum  staff  in 
1896  as  an  assistant  curator,  and  became 
Curator  of  Anthropology  in  1898,  holding 
that  post  until  1915.  He  did  important 
work  among  the  American  Indians,  espe- 
cially among  the  Pawnee,  and  during  his 
travels  collected  much  material  in  Peru, 
India,  Ceylon,  Java,  Australia,  New  Ireland, 
Buka,  Bougainville,  and  New  Guinea.  Dr. 
Dorsey  was  63.  He  died  in  New  York. 


Professor  Record  Views  Progress 

Professor  Samuel  J.  Record,  Research 
Associate  in  Wood  Technology  for  Field 
Museum,  and  Professor  of  Forest  Products 
at  Yale  University,  visited  the  Museum  last 
month  to  inspect  the  progress  made  in  rein- 
stalling the  timber  exhibits  in  the  Hall  of' 
North  American  Woods.  He  also  formulated 
plans  to  proceed  with  work  necessary  in  the 
Hall  of  Foreign  Woods. 


Page  2 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


May,  1931 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Founded  by  Marshall  Field,  1893 
Roosevelt  Road  and  Lake  Michigan,  Chicago 


THE  BOARD 
John  Borden 
William  J.  c   almers 
R.  T.  Crane,  j«c. 
Marshall  Field 
Stanley  Field 
Ernest  R.  Graham 
Albert  W.  Harris 
Samuel  Insull,  Jr. 
William  V.  Kelley 
Cyrus  H.  McCormick 
William 


OF  TRUSTEES 

William  H.  Mitchell 
Frederick  H.  Rawson 
George  A.  Richardson 
Martin  A.  Ryerson 
Fred  W.  Sarcent 
Stephen  C.  Simms 
James  Simpson 
Solomon  A.  Smith 
Albert  A.  Sprague 
Silas  H.  Strawn 

Wrigley,  Jr. 


OFFICERS 

Stanley  Field President 

Martin  A.  Ryerson First  Vice-President 

Albert  A.  Sprague Second  Vice-President 

James  Simpson Third  Vice-President 

Stephen  C.  Simms Director  and  Secretary 

Solomon  A.  Smith  . .  Treasurer  and  Assistant  Secretary 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 

Stephen  C.  Simms,  Director  of  the  Museum Editor 

CONTRIBUTING  EDITORS 

Berthold  Laufer Curator  of  Anthropology 

B.  E.  Dahlgren Acting  Curator  of  Botany 

O.  C.  Farrington Curator  of  Geology 

Wilfred  H.  Osgood Curator  of  Zoology 

H.  B.  H  arte Managing  Editor 

Field  Museum  is  open  every  day  of  the  year  during 
the  hours  indicated  below: 

November,  December,  January  9  A.M.  to  4 :30  P.M. 

February,  March,  April,  October  9  A.M.  to  5:00  p.m. 

May,  June,  July,  August,  September    9  A.M.  to  6 :00  P.M. 

Admission  is  free  to  Members  on  all  days.  Other 
adults  are  admitted  free  on  Thursdays,  Saturdays  and 
Sundays;  non-members  pay  25  cents  on  other  days. 
Children  are  admitted  free  on  all  days.  Students  and 
faculty  members  of  educational  institutions  are  admit- 
ted free  any  day  upon  presentation  of  credentials. 

The  Library  of  the  Museum,  containing  some  92,000 
volumes  on  natural  history  subjects,  is  open  for  refer- 
ence daily  except  Sunday. 

Traveling  exhibits  are  circulated  in  the  schools  of 
Chicago  by  the  Museum's  Department  of  the  N.  W. 
Harris  Public  School  Extension. 

Lectures  for  school  classrooms  and  assemblies,  and 
special  entertainments  and  lecture  tours  for  children  at 
the  Museum,  are  provided  by  the  James  Nelson  and 
Anna  Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for  Public  School 
and  Children's  Lectures. 

Announcements  of  courses  of  free  illustrated  lectures 
on  science  and  travel  for  the  public,  and  special  lectures 
for  Members  of  the  Museum,  will  appear  in  Field 
Museum  News. 

There  is  a  cafeteria  in  the  Museum  where  luncheon 
is  served  for  visitors.  Other  rooms  are  provided  for 
those  bringing  their  lunches. 

Members  are  requested  to  inform  the  Museum 
promptly  of  changes  of  address. 


TEN  YEARS  IN  THE  NEW  BUILDING 

The  second  day  of  May  this  year  marks 
the  tenth  anniversary  of  the  occupation  of 
the  present  building  by  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History.  In  looking  back  over  the 
records  of  these  ten  years  it  is  gratifying  to 
note  the  tremendous  progress  made  in  every 
channel  of  the  Museum's  activities. 

The  foresight  in  choosing  the  present  site, 
which  is  almost  equally  convenient  from  all 
sides  of  the  city,  has  been  proved  during 
this  time  by  the  attendance  figures.  During 
the  more  than  twenty-five  years  of  occupancy 
of  the  old  Jackson  Park  building  the  total 
number  of  visitors  received  at  the  Museum 
was  5,839,579,  while  in  the  less  than  ten 
years  from  the  opening  of  the  new  building 
until  the  time  of  going  to  press  with  this 
issue  of  the  News  (April  20)  the  total 
number  was  8,568,571. 

When  the  new  building  was  first  opened 
it  was  the  solitary  occupant  of  an  area  of 
rough,  bare,  newly  made  land.  The  sur- 
roundings looked  almost  like  a  devastated 
region  in  a  war  torn  country.  As  yet  only 
crude  roads  and  footpaths  led  to  the  Mu- 


seum. •  In  the  years  that  have  intervened 
this  has  been  transformed  into  a  beautiful 
park  area  which  is  being  further  improved. 
Grass,  shrubbery  and  trees  now  adorn  the 
landscape;  broad  well  paved  boulevards  lead 
to  the  Museum  from  north  and  south;  bus 
transportation  is  available  direct  to  the 
Museum  doors;  wide  sidewalks  invite  those 
who  prefer  to  walk.  The  once  solitary 
Museum  building  has  been  joined  by  two 
sister  scientific  institutions — the  Shedd 
Aquarium  and  the  Adler  Planetarium.  An- 
other neighbor  is  Soldier  Field  with  its  great 
stadium. 

Huge  Moving  Operation 

The  moving  of  the  Museum  from  Jackson 
Park  was  undoubtedly  one  of  the  largest 
transfer  operations  ever  seen  anywhere. 
Many  months  were  spent  on  careful  packing 
of  the  priceless  treasures  in  the  collections  to 
guard  them  against  damage  in  transit.  Cer- 
tain exhibition  material  required  drastic 
treatment  to  make  it  ready  for  moving. 
The  African  elephant  with  trunk  elevated, 
from  the  group  mounted  by  Carl  E.  Akeley, 
had  to  have  its  head  removed  before  it  was 
practicable  to  transport  it.  To  protect  the 
heavy  but  fragile  bones,  the  huge  skeleton 
of  the  dinosaur  from  Fruita,  Colorado,  had 
to  be  completely  disarticulated  and  reas- 
sembled after  arrival  in  the  new  building — 
a  task  of  proportions  comparable  to  the  orig- 
inal mounting  of  the  skeleton.  Other  large 
skeletons  required  similar  treatment. 

The  large  model  of  the  moon  (nineteen 
feet  in  diameter)  had  to  be  separated  into  116 
sections,  and  reassembled  at  the  new  building 
in  proper  order.  Some  of  the  exhibits 
moved  numbered  thousands  of  specimens, 
the  identity  of  each  of  which  had  to  be 
preserved,  while  their  arrangement  had  to 
be  so  systematized  that  they  could  be 
reinstalled  in  the  same  order.  Protection 
from  weather  and  dust  was  also  essential. 

The  month  of  May  brings  shudders  to 
many  who  have  to,  or  have  had  to  move 
their  possessions  from  one  apartment  or 
house  to  another.  They  can  appreciate  the 
gigantic  task  that  faced  the  Museum  staff. 
The  moving  involved  1,727  standing  exhi- 
bition cases,  98  disassembled  cases,  11,645 
boxes,  crates,  barrels,  and  packages,  and  8,006 
pieces  of  office  furniture,  general  equipment, 
and  other  objects.  Once  all  the  preparations 
were  made,  the  actual  moving  was  carried 
out  with  utmost  dispatch.  A  large  part  of 
the  transfer  was  made  over  the  tracks  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  special  spurs  of  track  and 
loading  platforms  being  built  up  to  the  doors 
of  both  the  old  and  new  buildings.  There 
were  321  freight  car  loads,  and  the  transfer 
of  material  by  rail  was  completed  in  34  days. 
The  balance  of  the  material  was  transported 
in  354  five-ton  truck  loads,  and  movement 
was  completed  in   132   days. 

So  carefully  had  the  preparations  been 
made  that  out  of  the  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  specimens  not  a  single  one  was  lost  or 
misplaced,  and  the  damage  suffered  was 
negligible.  With  material  worth  many  mil- 
lions of  dollars  moved,  the  repairs  for  material 
damaged,  including  the  replacing  of  broken 
glass  in  exhibition  cases,  amounted  to  only 
slightly  over  $4,000.  The  amount  of  glass 
alone  which  was  moved,  at  the  1921  prices, 
was  valued  at  more  than  $750,000. 

Due  to  careful  planning  and  the  assigning 
of  space  in  the  new  building  in  advance,  and 
then  depositing  material  in  the  assigned 
spaces  upon  arrival,  it  was  possible  to  push 
through  the  greater  part  of  the  new  installa- 
tion of  exhibits  in  a  remarkably  short  time, 
considering  the  magnitude  of  the  work. 
Thus,  with  transfer  operations  concluded  on 


June  4,  1920,  the  Museum  was  ready  for 
reopening  within  less  than  a  year. 

Great  strides  have  been  made  in  increasing 
the  exhibition  space  in  the  Museum  building 
since  1921.  Due  to  a  vast  program  of  re- 
construction on  the  ground  floor  many 
additional  exhibition  halls,  not  contemplated 
in  the  original  plans,  have  been  created. 
The  exhibits  themselves  have  been  largely 
reinstalled  or  improved  in  various  ways  since 
the  building  opened,  and  the  additions  of  new 
material  to  the  exhibits  have  been  extensive. 

All  other  forms  of  Museum  activity  have 
likewise  seen  great  advances  during  these 
ten  years.  The  number  of  expeditions  has 
been  unprecedented.  Many  of  these  have 
been  organized  on  a  larger  scale  than  any 
from  this  institution  which  preceded  them. 
The  explorations  and  collecting  undertaken 
have  been  broadened  in  scope,  and  widely 
scattered  and  remote  parts  of  the  world 
have  been  searched  for  material. 

An  outstanding  step  during  the  period 
was  the  practical  doubling  of  the  educational 
facilities  provided  for  children  by  the  crea- 
tion (in  1925)  of  the  James  Nelson  and 
Anna  Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for  Pub- 
lic School  and  Children's  Lectures.  This 
was  made  possible  by  the  $500,000  endow- 
ment generously  established  by  Mrs.  James 
Nelson  Raymond. 

The  N.  W.  Harris  Public  School  Extension 
of  the  Museum  has  increased  its  work  until 
now  its  service  of  circulating  traveling  exhi- 
bition cases  reaches  some  430  schools  and 
other  institutions  with  an  enrollment  of 
more  than  500,000  children. 

More  Lectures  Given 

More  lectures  in  the  spring  and  autumn 
courses  and  special  series  have  been  given 
at  the  Museum  in  these  ten  years  than  ever 
before,  and  attendance  at  these  has  reached 
new  pinnacles.  Guide-lecture  service  for  the 
public  has  been  increased  in  scope  and  in 
numbers  of  people  served.  The  issue  of 
scientific  publications,  popular  leaflets  on 
scientific  subjects,  and  other  books  and  pam- 
phlets has  been  on  a  larger  scale  than  at  any 
previous  time,  requiring  large  additions  to 
the  equipment  and  working  force  of  the 
Division  of  Printing. 

These  are  but  a  few  of  many  achievements 
of  the  Museum  during  the  ten  years  since  it 
left  Jackson  Park.  To  go  into  detail  would 
require  a  large  volume. 

The  Museum's  plans  for  the  future  fore- 
cast as  great  or  greater  strides  forward  in 
the  next  ten  years  as  in  the  past.  Great  proj- 
ects further  to  increase  and  improve  the  ex- 
hibits are  under  way  at  the  present  moment. 
All  Departments  and  Divisions  of  the  Mu- 
seum are  busily  engaged  to  the  end  that  the 
institution  may  ever  grow  greater,  and  better 
fill  the  needs  of  Chicago. 

BEQUESTS  AND  ENDOWMENTS 

Bequests  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  may 
be  made  in  securities,  money,  books  or  collections. 
They  may,  if  desired,  take  the  form  of  a  memorial  to 
a  person  or  cause,  named  by  the  giver.  For  those  desiring 
to  make  bequests,  the  following  form  is  suggested : 

FORM  OF  BEQUEST 

/  do  hereby  give  and  bequeath  to  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History  of  the  City  of  Chicago,  State  of  Illinois, 


Cash  contributions  made  within  the  taxable  year  to 
Field  Museum  not  exceeding  15  per  cent  of  the  tax- 
payer's net  income  are  allowable  as  deductions  in  com- 
puting net  income  under  Article  251  of  Regulation  69 
relating  to  the  income  tax  under  the  Revenue  Act  of 
1926. 

Endowments  may  be  made  to  the  Museum  with  the 
provision  that  an  annuity  be  paid  to  the  patron  for  life. 
These  annuities  are  tax-free  and  are  guaranteed  against 
fluctuation  in  amount. 


May,  1931 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


Page  3 


FOREST  OF  350,000,000   YEARS  AGO  IS  SUBJECT  OF  NEW  MURAL  PAINTING  IN  HALL  38 


By  Sharat  K.  Roy 
Assistant  Curator  of  Invertebrate  Paleontology 

A  large  mural  painting  representing  a 
forest  of  Devonian  times  has  been  installed  in 
Ernest  R.  Graham  Hall  (Hall  38).  The  paint- 
ing visualizes  the  diverse  flora  of  this  remote 
period,  approximately  350,000,000  years  ago. 
So  far  as  known,  these  were  the  truly 
primeval  forests,  since  in  this  period  the 
gradually  expanding  plant  life  first  attained 
the  size  of  trees.  The  representation  of  the 
forest  is  based  chiefly  on  observations  made 
from  fossil  specimens. 

Prominently  shown  in  the  painting  are 
large  trees  with  bushy  crowns,  believed  to 
be  the  oldest  of  all  trees.  They  are  com- 
monly known  as  Gilboa  trees,  and  technically 
called  Eospermatopteris  (eos,  dawn;  sperma, 
seed;  pteris,  fern — thus,  the  dawn  of  seed 
ferns).  They  were  first  discovered  in  the 
vicinity  of  Gilboa,  New  York,  when  an 
autumn  freshet  sweeping  the  upper  valley 
of  Schoharie  Creek  exposed  in  the  bedrock 
of  the  banks  a  series  of  erect  or  slightly 
inclined  stumps.  One  of  these  stumps 
is  now  on  exhibition  in  Graham  Hall. 
Roots,  foliage  and  seed-bearing  capsules  of 
the  trees  are  preserved  in  the  study  collec- 
tion of  the  Department  of  Geology. 


extensive  root  systems.  Their  trunks  tapered 
gradually  and  terminated  in  bushy  crowns 
of  long,  gently  arched  fronds,  spirally 
arranged.  These  fronds  are  shown  in  the 
painting  in  various  stages  of  development. 
The  Gilboa  trees  strongly  resemble  the  tree 
ferns  of  modern  tropical  jungles. 

Interspersed  with  the  Gilboa  trees  grew 
a  giant  ancestor  of  the  modern  clubmosses, 
the  Protolepidodejidron  (proto,  first;  lepis, 
scale;  dendron,  tree),  or  Naples  tree,  as  it  is 
commonly  known,  due  to  its  discovery  near 
Naples,  New  York. 

The  Naples  tree  attained  a  height  of 
twenty-five  feet,  and  a  diameter  of  nearly 
a  foot  at  the  base.  From  this  base  rose  a 
straight  trunk,  tapering,  at  first  rapidly, 
then  very  gently,  and  finally  dividing  into 
slender,  gracefully  drooping,  forked  branches 
to  which  the  open,  needle-like,  persistent 
leaves  imparted  a  feathery  aspect.  The 
Naples  tree  is  the  oldest  of  its  kind  known. 

Also  shown  in  the  painting  are  Calamites 
(calamus,  a  reed),  ancestors  of  our  present 
day  "horsetails"  or  scouring  rushes.  Fossil 
evidences  of  these  plants  have  been  found 
in  widely  distributed  areas. 

The  Calamites  grew  in  swamps,  from  stout, 
underground  rhizomes.     They  had  hollow 


stems,  must  have  been  much  taller  than 
their  modern  dwindled  descendants. 

Of  the  less  conspicuous  plants  represented 
in  the  painting,  Psilophylon  {psilon,  smooth; 
phyton,  stem)  may  be  mentioned.  These 
grew  in  marshes  from  cylindrical,  woolly 
rhizomes  that  were  attached  by  short,  round 
rootlets.  They  were  comparatively  small 
plants,  seldom  exceeding  six  feet  in  height. 
Psilophyton  may  be  considered  transitional 
between  seaweeds  and  true  land  plants. 

The  Devonian  forest  may  have  been  en- 
tirely devoid  of  insect  life.  However,  since 
insects,  like  worms,  are  soft-bodied  organ- 
isms and  therefore  rarely  found  in  the  fossil 
state,  it  is  possible  that  crickets  and  katy- 
dids may  have  chirped  in  the  Devonian 
jungles,  but  have  left  no  records  of  their 
existence. 

Another  remarkable  fact  with  regard  to 
this  ancient  flora  is  that  none  of  the  trees 
show  annual  rings  of  growth.  This  was 
doubtless  due  to  the  fact  that  the  climate 
was  generally  uniform  and  not  subject  to 
marked  seasonal  changes.  The  flora  extended 
from  eastern  North  America  through  the 
Arctic  region  to  northwestern  Europe.  It 
is  obvious,  therefore,  that  there  was  a  land 
connection    between    North    America    and 


Mural  painting  representing  a  Devonian  forest,  by  Charles  R.  Knight.     Presented  by  Ernest  R.  Graham  and  on  exhibition  in  Hall  38. 


Gilboa  trees  grew  abundantly  in  shore 
muds  bordering  the  Devonian  Sea  west  of 
the  present  Catskill  Mountains.  They  were 
majestic  for  their  time,  attaining  heights  up 
to  forty  feet.    They  had  bulbous  bases,  with 


or  pithy  stems  which  were  divided  into 
inequidistant  nodes.  The  few  branches  were 
placed  in  whorls.  Leaves  were  short  and 
pointed,  and  also  in  whorls.  The  Devonian 
Calamites,  judging  from  the  size  of  their 


Europe  during  the  period. 

The  painting  is  one  of  the  nearly  completed 
series  of  twenty-eight  presented  to  the 
Museum  by  Ernest  R.  Graham.  Charles  R. 
Knight  is  the  artist. 


BURDOCK  AND  EVOLUTION 

By  Paul  C.  Standley 
Associate  Curator  of  the  Herbarium 

Are  new  plants  originating  today  in  the 
Chicago  region?  A  curious  burdock  never 
found  elsewhere  indicates  that  this  may  be 
the  case.  In  the  summer  of  1930  William 
F.  C.  Grams  presented  to  the  Museum  speci- 
mens of  a  strange  burdock  with  deeply  cut 
leaves  that  he  had  found  growing  at  Des 
Plaines,  Illinois.  The  deep  cutting  made  the 
leaves  very  different  in  appearance  from 
those  of  the  common  barnyard  burdock, 
which  is  an  immigrant  from  Europe. 

Several  years  ago  the  same  abnormal 
burdock  was  described  by  Professor  W.  N. 
Clute,  formerly  of  Joliet,  as  a  new  form, 
Arctium  minus  f.  laciniatum.  Search  made 
this  year  in  botanical  books  by  the  Depart- 
ment of  Botany  of  Field  Museum  revealed 


no  record  of  the  occurrence  of  such  a  form 
in  Europe.  Specimens  from  Des  Plaines 
were  sent  to  the  Botanical  Museum  of  Berlin, 
which  owns  probably  the  largest  collection 
of  European  plants  in  the  whole  world;  the 
Director  reported  that  the  plant  was  not 
represented  in  the  Berlin  collections. 

It  seems  probable,  therefore,  that  the  cut- 
leaved  burdock,  which  has  been  found  only 
in  northeastern  Illinois  and  near-by  Indiana, 
really  has  originated  recently  there,  as  a 
mutation  or  sport  from  the  common  burdock. 
If  this  is  true,  there  is  a  paradox  of  a  distinct 
form  of  a  European  plant  that  is  unknown 
in  Europe! 

PREHISTORIC  TOOLS  RECEIVED 

A  collection  of  flint  implements  approxi- 
mately one  million  years  old,  representing 
the  earliest  definitely  determined  handiwork 


of  prehistoric  man  yet  discovered  anywhere 
in  the  world,  has  been  received  at  Field 
Museum  of  Natural  History  from  Ipswich, 
England,  where  they  were  found.  These 
tools  were  discovered  as  the  result  of  excava- 
tions made  in  a  gravel  deposit  of  Pliocene 
age  by  J.  Reid  Moir,  well-known  British 
archaeologist,  who  has  been  placed  in  charge 
of  certain  investigations  for  Field  Museum. 
According  to  Henry  Field,  Assistant  Cura- 
tor of  Physical  Anthropology,  who  worked 
with  Mr.  Moir  for  a  period  last  year,  the 
gravel  bed  in  which  investigations  are  being 
conducted  was  deposited  about  one  million 
years  ago,  and  this  indicates  that  the  imple- 
ments found  there  are  approximately  of  the 
same  date  as  the  famous  Peking  skull. 
Coming  from  below  the  "red  crag"  or  stratum 
deposited  by  the  first  glaciation,  the  imple- 
ments apparently  prove  that  man  existed 
previous  to  the  glacial  period. 


Page  i 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


May,  19S1 


EXPEDITION  IN  CHINA 
REPORTS  PROGRESS 

After  a  successful  trip  of  about  2,000 
miles  into  the  interior  from  Shanghai,  the 
Marshall  Field  Zoological  Expedition  to 
Southern  China  has  arrived  in  the  mountains 
above  Mouping  in  the  province  of  Szechwan 
and  begun  the  collecting  of  rare  animals  for 
Field  Museum.  This  was  learned  in  a 
recent  report,  dispatched  by  courier,  re- 
ceived from  Floyd  T.  Smith,  leader  of  the 
expedition.  Large  parts  of  the  journey  on 
the  Yangtse  River  and  its  tributaries  were 
made  in  native  hand-propelled  boats,  and 
other  long  stretches  were  made  afoot. 

Mr.  Smith,  who  is  from  Long  Island, 
N.  Y.,  is  the  only  white  man  on  the  expedi- 
tion. He  is  accompanied  by  about  forty 
native  hunters  and  skinners.  A  whole  fleet 
of  the  small  paddled  boats  was  necessary  to 
carry  his  caravan  up  the  Yangtse,  Ya  and 
Min  rivers.  On  the  land  sections  of  the 
journey  native  porters  carried  supplies. 

An  immediate  object  of  the  expedition  is 
to  collect  specimens  of  the  rare  goat-antelope 
called  the  takin,  and  one  of  these  animals 
has  already  been  obtained,  Mr.  Smith  re- 
ports. Specimens  of  many  other  kinds  of 
animals  have  also  been  collected. 


BUSHMAN  COLLECTION  RECEIVED 

A  valuable  collection  of  ethnological  ma- 
terial representing  the  Bushmen  of  Africa, 
who  are  probably  the  most  primitive  people 
in  existence  today,  has  been  received  at 
Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  as  a  gift 
from  Arthur  S.  Veraay,  of  New  York  and 
London.  Mr.  Vernay  collected  the  objects 
while  leading  the  Vernay-Lang  Kalahari 
Expedition  of  Field  Museum,  which  recently 
returned  to  this  country. 

The  simple  hunting  culture  of  the  nomadic 
Bushmen,  against  whom  other  African  tribes 
as  well  as  European  settlers  have  constantly 
waged  war,  is  completely  represented.  As 
the  part  of  the  Kalahari  Desert  where  this 
material  was  obtained  is  extremely  difficult 
of  access,  the  Bushman  culture  is  illustrated 
in  a  form  unaffected  by  European  influence. 

Included  in  the  collection  are  quivers  and 
poisoned  arrows,  bows,  ornaments  consisting 
of  ostrich-eggshell  beads  threaded  to  form 
necklaces,  girdles  and  head-bands,  beaded 
aprons,  and  an  engraved  ostrich  egg.  There 
is  also  a  well-preserved  Bushman  skull,  much 
valued  because  of  the  difficulty  of  obtaining 
anatomical  specimens. 


COPTIC  TEXTILES  INSTALLED 

One  of  the  two  largest  collections  in  this 
country  of  Coptic  textiles  from  ancient 
Egypt  has  been  placed  on  exhibition  at 
Field  Museum.  Several  hundred  pieces  are 
included,  some  of  them  almost  complete 
garments,  others  fragmentary.  In  display- 
ing them,  a  method  new  to  archaeological 
exhibits  in  museums  has  been  adopted, 
whereby  the  entire  collection  appears  in  one 
huge  architecturally  built-in  case  108  feet 
long,  forming  part  of  one  of  the  walls  of  the 
Egyptian  hall  (Hall  J).  The  case  is  divided 
into  a  large  lower  section  and  a  smaller 
upper  section,  and  the  display  is  made 
especially  attractive  by  the  use  of  concealed 
lighting. 

The  collection  is  representative  of  all 
phases  of  textile  making  and  decorative 
design  of  the  Coptic  period  in  Egypt  (first 
centuries  of  the  Christian  era),  and  includes 
many  beautiful  and  rare  examples  which 
possess  highest  artistic  merit  as  well  as  great 
archaeological  interest.  Not  only  the  char- 
acter of  the  designs,  some  of  them  being 
intricately   woven    pictures,    but   also   the 


interweaving  of  many  colors  in  a  large  num- 
ber of  the  pieces,  make  the  textiles  note- 
worthy. The  figure  of  a  dancing  girl  playing 
her  own  accompaniment  on  a  tambourine 
is  almost  modern  in  composition  and  is  one 
of  the  most  attractive  pieces  in  the  collection. 

The  bulk  of  this  valuable  collection  was 
presented  to  the  Museum  by  Ernest  R. 
Graham.  The  other  pieces  were  contributed 
by  D.  G.  Hamilton  and  others. 

Almost  all  of  the  pieces  are  of  linen,  with 
their  ornamentation  in  tapestry,  woven  with 
woo!.  They  date  from  early  centuries  of  the 
Christian  era.  Included  are  children's  and 
adults'  garments,  parts  of  mummy  wrap- 
pings, a  red  wool  hair  net,  bonnets  and  caps, 
ornamental  panels  and  medallions,  and  other 
textile  products.  The  designs  show  a  great 
variety  of  motifs,  some  illustrating  the  per- 
sistence of  native  Egyptian  art  of  earlier 
periods,  and  others  exemplifying  the  influ- 
ence of  Greek,  Roman  and  Persian  art. 


SPECIAL  NOTICE 

All  Members  of  Field  Museum  who 
have  changed  their  residences  or  are 
planning  to  do  so  are  earnestly  urged 
to  notify  the  Museum  at  once  of 
their  new  addresses,  so  that  copies  of 
FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS  and  all  other 
communications  from  the  Museum 
may  reach  them  promptly. 

Members  going  away  for  a  period 
during  the  summer,  who  desire 
Museum  matter  to  be  sent  to  their 
temporary  addresses,  may  have  this 
service  by  notifying  the  Museum  of 
the  summer  addresses  and  the  dates 
between  which  they  are  to  be  used. 


Kish  Season  Closes 

The  1930-31  season  of  operations  on  the 
site  of  the  ancient  city  of  Kish  by  the  Field 
Museum-Oxford  University  Joint  Expedi- 
tion to  Mesopotamia  ended  last  month,  it 
is  reported  by  L.  C.  Watelin,  field  director 
of  the  expedition.  In  the  division  with  the 
several  cooperating  institutions  of  the  relics 
unearthed,  the  greater  part  of  the  treasures 
found  in  the  recently  discovered  Sassanian 
palace  (see  Field  Museum  News,  March 
and  April,  1931)  was  allotted  to  Field 
Museum,  Mr.  Watelin  states.  The  objects 
brought  to  light,  and  the  data  collected,  will 
now  be  studied  by  Professor  Stephen  Lang- 
don,  director  of  the  expedition,  who  will 
interpret  their  archaeological  significance. 


Gifts  to  the  Museum 

Following  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  principal 
gifts  received  during  the  last  month: 

From  Mrs.  Charles  K.  Bassett — 85  prehistoric  arrow- 
points  and  knives,  Oregon;  from  Charles  Beckman — 72 
prehistoric  arrowheads,  knives  and  pendants,  Washing- 
ton; from  L.  K.  Johnston — a  prehistoric  stone  axe, 
scraper  and  3  arrowheads,  Indiana;  from  Gilbert  Sellers 
— an  ironstone  concretion,  Illinois;  from  E.  B.  Faber — a 
fossil  amblypod  jaw,  Colorado;  from  H.  C.  Eggers 
— 5  photographs  illustrating  desert  phenomena;  from 
Dr.  Charles  E.  Burt — 113  specimens  of  frogs,  toads, 
snakes,  lizards  and  salamanders,  Texas;  from  A.  B. 
Scott — a  prehistoric  stone  ear-plug,  Arkansas;  from 
William  B.  Parmelee — 3  paper  carps  used  at  the  boys' 
festival,  Japan;  from  Dr.  and  Mrs.  C.  E.  Hellmayr — 
226  butterflies  and  moths,  Bavaria  and  Switzerland; 
from  Emil  Liljeblad — 392  beetles,  Idaho;  from  Von 
Platen-Fox  Company — a  trunk  of  tamarack,  and  a 
board  of  sugar  maple,  Michigan;  from  Edward  Hines 
Western  Pine  Company — 2  boards  (flat  grain)  of 
western  larch,  Oregon;  from  Richmond  Cedar  Company 
— a  trunk  and  2  boards  of  southern  white  cedar, 
Virginia;  from  West  Coast  Lumbermen's  Association — 
4  trunk  slabs,  a  wheel  section  and  2  boards  of  western 
red  cedar,  Washington;  from  Eastman-Gardiner  Hard- 
wood Company— 4  trunk  slabs,  a  wheel  section  and  2 
boards  of  sycamore,  Mississippi;  from  Berst-Forster- 
Dixfield  Company — a  trunk,  a  wheel  section  and  2 
boards  of  paper  birch,  Minnesota;  from  the  Con- 
servator of  Forests  at  Belize — 62  samples  of  woods  of 
British  Honduras. 


MAY  GUIDE-LECTURE  TOURS 

Following  is  the  schedule  of  conducted 
tours  of  the  exhibits  during  May: 

Friday,  May  1 — 11  A.M.,  Primitive  Art,  3  p.m.. 
Dinosaurs  and  Other  Reptiles. 

Week  beginning  May  4 — Monday:  11  a.m.,  Asiatic 
Animals,  3  p.m.,  Peoples  of  trie  South  Seas;  Tuesday: 
1 1  A.M.,  Crystals  and  Gems,  3  p.m.,  Economic  Plant 
Life;  Wednesday:  11  a.m.,  Roman  Exhibits,  3  P.M., 
Marine  Animals;  Thursday:  11  a.m.  and  3  P.M.,  General 
Tours:  Friday:  11  a.m.,  Game  Animals,  3  p.m.,  Melane- 
sian  Art. 

Week  beginning  May  n — Monday:  11  A.M.,  Fishes, 
Past  and  Present,  3  P.M.,  Eskimo  Life;  Tuesday:  11  A.M., 
Indian  Ceremonies,  3  p.m.,  Mummies;  Wednesday: 
11  am..  Basket  Makers,  3  P.M.,  Physical  Geology; 
Thursday:  11  a.m.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Friday: 
11  A.M.,  Birds  of  the  Chicago  Area,  3  P.M.,  Africa  and 
Madagascar. 

Week  beginning  May  18 — Monday:  11  A.M.,  Peat, 
Coal  and  Oil,  3  p.m.,  Egyptian  Art;  Tuesday:  11  AJ»., 
Jewelry,  3  p.m..  Prehistoric  Life;  Wednesday:  11  a.m., 
Chinese  Exhibits,  3  P.M.,  Makers  of  Totem-poles; 
Thursday:  11  A.M.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Friday: 
11  a.m.,  South  America,  3  P.M.,  Animals  of  Economic 
Value. 

Week  beginning  May  25 — Monday:  11  a.m.,  Story 
of  the  Horse,  3  P.M.,  Trees  of  the  Chicago  Area;  Tues- 
day: 11  a.m.,  Animal  Habitat  Groups,  3  p.m.,  Pottery 
Makers;  Wednesday:  11  a.m.,  Story  of  Early  Man, 
3  P.M.,  Weavers;  Thursday:  11  A.M.  and  3  P.M.,  General 
Tours;  Friday:  11  a.m.,  Rare  Animals,  3  P.M.,  Mexico. 

Persons  wishing  to  participate  should 
apply  at  North  Entrance.  Tours  are  free 
and  no  gratuities  are  to  be  proffered.  A  new 
schedule  will  appear  each  month  in  Field 
Museum  News.  Guide-lecturers'  services 
for  special  tours  by  parties  of  ten  or  more 
are  available  free  of  charge  by  arrangement 
with  the  Director  a  week  in  advance. 


NEW  MEMBERS 

The  following  persons  were  elected  to 
membership  in  Field  Museum  during  the 
period  from  March  17  to  April  16: 

Life  Members 

Max  Epstein 

Associate  Members 

Louis  L.  Becker,  Edwin  Bluthardt,  Dr.  Frank  Cary, 

Arthur  E.  Chapman,  Theodore  Dickinson,  James  H. 

Douglas,    Jr.,    C.    P.    Dubbs,    Kenneth    P.    Edwards, 

Walter   L.   Fisher,   Mrs.   J.   Arthur  Friedlund,    H.    B. 

Gear,    Mrs.    Marianna    L.    Griest,    A.    O.    Hartmann, 

George  J.  Holmes,  Mrs.  Virginia  H.  Kendall,  Arthur 

F.  Klein,  Mrs.  Albert  E.  Leight,   Mrs.  Andrew  Mac- 

Leish,  Maurice  S.  Marcus,  Mrs.  William  Remy,  Harold 

F.  Reynolds,  Henry  S.  Robbins,  Mrs.  Walter  J.  Seifert, 

George  V.  Wienhoeber. 

Annual  Members 
Mrs.  William  F.  Babcock,  Charles  D.  Boyles,  J.  W. 
Brashears,  James  F.  Clancy,  John  A.  Derham,  Mrs. 
Seth  C.  Drake,  N.  A.  Ford,  Robert  H.  Gardner, 
Benjamin  J.  Glick,  Miss  Mary  Pomeroy  Green,  Adolph 
H.  Hansen,  Charles  F.  Henning,  Mrs.  James  Hughes, 
Mrs.  Clara  P.  Knoke,  Robert  S.  Leiser,  Miss  Mabel 
McLaren,  Mrs.  John  K.  Notz,  Mrs,  W.  Irving  Osborne, 
Charles  Rennolds  Ostrom,  Mrs.  I.  D.  Rawlings,  John 
R.  Reilly,  Mrs.  Kenneth  E.  Rice,  Fred  Seip,  William 
F.  Thiehoff,  Roy  E.  Waite,  Mrs.  S.  Arthur  Walther, 
John  L.  Wilds,  Mrs.  Harry  G.  Wolff,  Mrs.  R.  J.  Wuerst, 
Walter  H.  Wyszynski,  E.  Frank  Young,  Miss  Edna 
Zemon. 


MEMBERSHIP  IN  FIELD  MUSEUM 

Field  Museum  has  several  classes  of  Members. 
Benefactors  give  or  devise  $100,000  or  more.  Contribu- 
tors give  or  devise  $1,000  to  $100,000.  Life  Members 
give  $500.  Non-Resident  (Life)  and  Associate  Members 
pay  $100.  Non-Resident  Associate  Members  pay  $50. 
All  the  above  classes  are  exempt  from  dues.  Sustaining 
Members  contribute  $25  annually.  After  six  years  tney 
become  Associate  Members.  Annual  Members  con- 
tribute $10  annually.  Other  memberships  are  Corpo- 
rate, Honorary,  Patron,  and  Corresponding,  additions 
under  these  classifications  being  made  by  special  action 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

Each  Member,  in  all  classes,  is  entitled  to  free 
admission  to  the  Museum  for  himself,  his  family  and 
house  guests,  and  to  two  reserved  seats  for  Museum 
lectures  provided  for  Members.  Subscription  to  Field 
Museum  News  is  included  with  all  memberships.  The 
courtesies  of  every  museum  of  note  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada  are  extended  to  all  Members  of 
Field  Museum.  A  Member  may  give  his  personal  card 
to  non-residents  of  Chicago,  upon  presentation  of 
which  they  will  be  admitted  to  tne  Museum  without 
charge.  Further  information  about  memberships  will 
be  sent  on  request. 


PRINTED   BY  FIELD    MUSEUM   PRESS 


News 


Published  Monthly  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Chicago 


Vol.  2 


- 


JUNE,   1931 


No.  6 


WHEN  MASTODONS  AND  MAMMOTHS  ROAMED  CHICAGO  AND  ITS  ENVIRONS 


By  Elmer  S.  Rigqs 
Associate  Curator  of  Paleontology 

A  question  often  asked  is,  "How  long  is  it 
since  Mastodons  and  Mammoths  lived  in 
and  around  what  is  now  Chicago?" 

It  is  estimated  that  the 
ice-sheet  finally  disappeared 
from  the  "Wisconsin  area" 
(including  the  site  of 
Chicago)  some  twenty 
thousand  years  ago.  The 
bones  of  Mastodons  and 
Mammoths  are  found  in  bogs 
and  small  lakes  which  were 
formed  after  the  ice  had 
melted  away.  Mastodon  and 
Mammoth  bones  now  in 
Field  Museum  which  were 
excavated  near  Minooka, 
Illinois,  came  from  gravels 
around  a  spring  left  there  by 
the  melting  glacial  ice.  The 
animals  had  apparently  come 
there  for  a  drink,  become 
mired  in  the  bog  around  the 
spring,  and,  unable  to  extri- 
cate themselves,  had  sunk  to 
their  deaths  in  its  bottom. 
A  Mastodon  skull  which  the 
Museum  obtained  at  York- 
ville,  Illinois,  came  from 
black  muck  only  eighteen 
inches  below  the  surface, 
which  would  indicate  that  a 
comparatively  short  length 
of  time,  geologically  speak- 
ing, had  elapsed  for  the 
remains  of  the  animal  to  be  covered  to 
that  depth.  So,  from  this  and  many  other 
evidences,  it  seems  to  be  a  safe  conclusion 
that  Mastodons  and  Mammoths  lived  in 


the  Chicago  area  as  late  as  ten  thousand 
years  ago. 

One  eminent  authority  believes  that  the 
Mastodon  lived  in  North  America  after  the 
coming  of  the  American  Indian,  and  that 


Mural  Painting  of  Mastodon 

One  of  the  series  of  prehistoric  studies  by  Charles  R.  Knight,  on  exhibition  in  Ernest  R.  Graham  Hall 

the  red  man  doubtless  had  a  hand  in  extermi- 
nating it.  This  conclusion  is  largely  based 
on  apparent  probabilities.  Nobody  knows 
when  the  first  Indians  came  to  the  Chicago 


region,  or  how  long  they  lived  here.  They 
had  among  them,  so  far  as  is  known,  no 
traditions  of  these  animals.  They  left  no 
implements  in  America  carved  of  Mastodon 
or  Mammoth  bones  or  ivory,  such  as  are 
found  in  the  Old  World.  They 
left  no  carvings  or  picture- 
writings  of  these  animals 
such  as  decorate  the  cave- 
dwellings  of  primitive  man  in 
western  Europe.  Therefore 
we  have  no  evidence  that 
the  Mastodon  or  the  Mam- 
moth were  ever  hunted,  or 
that  they  were  known  to  any 
race  of  primitive  men  about 
Chicago. 

We  do  know  from  abun- 
dant evidence  that  both  these 
races  of  extinct  elephants 
were  very  common  through- 
out North  America;  that  the 
Mastodon  came  first  and 
that  his  race  was  well  estab- 
lished here  some  millions  of 
years  ago.  We  know  also 
that  the  Mammoths  came 
later,  from  Asia;  that  both 
lived  throughout  the  greater 
part  of  the  United  States; 
and  that  both  races  died  out 
on  this  continent  after  the 
Ice  Age  and  apparently  long 
after  the  ice  had  melted  in 
this  latitude.  The  region 
about  the  southern  end  of 
Lake  Michigan  is  one  where 
their  fossil  remains  are  very  abundant. 
Therefore  it  may  be  said  with  full  assurance 
that  these  elephants  roamed  about  Chicago 
only  a  few  thousand  years  ago. 


A  PREHISTORIC  NEEDLE 

By  Henry  Field 
Assistant  Curator  of  Physical  Anthropology 

A  perfect  bone  needle,  25,000  years  old, 
has  come  to  Field  Museum  as  a  result  of 
the  recent  Marshall  Field  Archaeological 
Expedition  to  Europe.  This  bone  needle, 
which  is  more  than  three  inches  in  length, 
is  complete,  and  has  as  perfect  an  eye  as 
if  it  had  been  made  yesterday.  It  was  made 
by  a  prehistoric  Magdalenian  craftsman,  and 
was  undoubtedly  used  for  making  clothes  out 
of  reindeer  skins. 

The  needle  was  excavated  by  Jean 
Cazedessus  in  a  rock  shelter  at  Ganties  in 
the  south  of  France,  and  was  found  asso- 
ciated with  implements  of  flint  and  bone, 
representatives  of  a  cold-loving  fauna,  and 
a  typical  Upper  Magdalenian  culture.  The 
entire  results  of  these  excavations  were 
acquired  by  the  expedition. 

Field  Museum  has  on  exhibition  near 
Stanley  Field  Hall  the  only  complete  Mag- 
dalenian skeleton  in  the  United  States.  When 
this  young  man  was  alive,  western  Europe 
was  cloaked  under  a  mantle  of  ice  and  snow. 
Reindeer  and  other  animals  adapted  to  the 
specialized  life  of  a  cold  climate  were 
abundant,  and  there  was  a  plentiful  supply 


of  food  for  the  Magdalenian  hunter.  Hence 
there  was  time  for  relaxation,  and  this 
resulted  in  the  dawn  of  art. 

This  beautiful  bone  needle,  fashioned  with 
a  flint  blade  and  drilled  by  a  flint  borer,  is  a 
witness  to  the  advanced  technique  evolved 
by  the  Magdalenian  hunter-artists  more 
than  twenty  thousand  years  before  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Christian  era. 


Museum  Cooperation  in  Jubilee 

Field  Museum  participated  in  the  recent 
Chicago  Jubilee  by  remaining  open  in  the 
evening  from  6  to  10  p.m.  on  Tuesday, 
May  12,  at  the  request  of  the  committee  in 
charge  of  the  jubilee.  Although  the  day 
was  one  when  normally  admission  is  charged, 
during  the  evening  hours  the  public  was 
admitted  free. 


Museum  Handbook  in  Press 

A  new  Handbook  of  Field  Museum,  con- 
taining in  brief  form  general  information 
concerning  the  institution,  its  history,  its 
building,  its  exhibits,  its  expeditions,  and 
its  varied  activities,  is  now  on  the  press.  It 
will  be  published  soon,  and  placed  on  sale 
at  a  nominal  price. 


MR.  AND  MRS.  MARSHALL  FIELD 
PRESENT  LIONS  AND  FILMS 

Field  Museum  received  last  month,  as 
gifts  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marshall  Field, 
five  specimens  of  lions  which  they  shot  in 
Africa,  and  several  thousand  feet  of  motion 
picture  film  depicting  wild  life  on  that 
continent. 

The  films,  which  were  made  by  Mrs. 
Field,  contain  especially  good  views  of  groups 
of  lions  amid  rock  dens  as  well  as  in  the  open. 
An  unusual  and  most  interesting  bit  of 
motion  photography  was  achieved  by  Mrs. 
Field  in  filming  two  cheetahs  in  action,  these 
being  among  the  most  difficult  of  all  animals 
to  photograph  because  they  rank  with  the 
fleetest  of  mammals. 

The  specimens  and  films,  result  from  the 
recent  hunting  trip  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Field 
in  Tanganyika  Territory,  British  East  Africa. 
Included  among  the  lions  are  a  large  full 
grown  male,  a  female,  and  two  cubs.  The 
male  is  between  nine  and  ten  feet  long,  which 
is  almost  the  maximum  size  attained  by  lions. 
It  is  heavily  maned. 

The  lion  specimens  are  to  be  used  in  the 
preparation  of  a  habitat  group  which  has 
long  been  desired  for  addition  to  the  Mu- 
seum's African  exhibits. 


Page  2 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


June,  1931 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Founded  by  Marshall  Field,  1893 
Roosevelt  Road  and  Lake  Michigan,  Chicago 

THE  BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES 
John  Borden  William  H.  Mitchell 

William  J.  Chalmers  Frederick  H.  Rawson 

R.  T.  Crane,  Jr.  George  A.  Richardson 

Marshall  Field  Martin  A.  Ryerson 

Stanley  Field  Fred  W.  Sargent 

Ernest  R.  Graham  Stephen  C.  Simms 

Albert  W.  Harris  James  Simpson 

Samuel  Insull,  Jr.  Solomon  A.  Smith 

William  V.  Kelley  Albert  A.  Sprague 

Cyrus  H.  McCormick  Silas  H.  Strawn 

William  Wrigley,  Jr. 

OFFICERS 

Stanley  Field President 

Martin  A.  Ryerson First  Vice-President 

Albert  A.  Sprague Second  Vice-President 

James  Simpson Third  Vice-President 

Stephen  C.  Simms Director  and  Secretary 

Solomon  A.  Smith  . . .  Treasurer  and  Assistant  Secretary 

FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 

Stephen  C.  Simms,  Director  of  the  Museum Editor 

CONTRIBUTING  EDITORS 

Berthold  Laufer Curator  of  Anthropology 

B.  E.  Dahlgren Acting  Curator  of  Botany 

O.  C.  Farrington Curator  of  Geology 

Wilfred  H.  Osgood Curator  of  Zoology 

H.  B.  Harte Managing  Editor 

Field  Museum  is  open  every  day  of  the  year  during 
the  hours  indicated  below: 

November,  December,  January  9  A.M.  to  4 :30  P  Jt 

February,  March,  April,  October  9  a.m.  to  5:00  P.M. 

May,  June,  July,  August,  September    9  A.M.  to  6 :00  P.M. 

Admission  is  free  to  Members  on  all  days.  Other 
adults  are  admitted  free  on  Thursdays,  Saturdays  and 
Sundays;  non-members  pay  25  cents  on  other  days. 
Children  are  admitted  free  on  all  days.  Students  and 
faculty  members  of  educational  institutions  are  admit- 
ted free  any  day  upon  presentation  of  credentials. 

The  Library  of  the  Museum,  containing  some  92,000 
volumes  on  natural  history  subjects,  is  open  for  refer- 
ence daily  except  Sunday. 

Traveling  exhibits  are  circulated  in  the  schools  of 
Chicago  by  the  Museum's  Department  of  the  N.  W. 
Harris  Public  School  Extension. 

Lectures  for  school  classrooms  and  assemblies,  and 
special  entertainments  and  lecture  tours  for  children  at 
the  Museum,  are  provided  by  the  James  Nelson  and 
Anna  Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for  Public  School 
and  Children's  Lectures. 

Announcements  of  courses  of  free  illustrated  lectures 
on  science  and  travel  for  the  public,  and  special  lectures 
for  Members  of  the  Museum,  will  appear  in  Field 
Museum  News. 

There  is  a  cafeteria  in  the  Museum  where  luncheon 
is  served  for  visitors.  Other  rooms  are  provided  for 
those  bringing  their  lunches. 

Members  are  requested  to  inform  the  Museum 
promptly  of  changes  of  address. 


EDITORIALS 

Vacation  time  is  here.  Vacations  offer  a 
good  opportunity  to  make  those  long  deferred 
visits  to  the  Museum  which  so  many  people 
have  planned,  but  put  off  during  the  year 
on  account  of  pressure  of  business  or  for 
other  reasons.  A  day,  or  part  of  a  day,  of 
your  vacation  used  in  visiting  the  Museum 
will  be  well  spent.  If  you  have  not  made 
such  a  visit  for  a  year  or  more,  you  will 
find  many  new  exhibits  of  great  interest. 
Everything  has  been  done  to  make  your 
visit  convenient.  There  are  motor  coaches 
running  direct  to  the  entrance  of  the  Museum 
(the  No.  26,  Jackson  Boulevard  line  with 
free  transfers  to  and  from  all  other  lines  of 
the  Chicago  Motor  Coach  Company).  Ample 
free  parking  space  is  available  for  your  own 
car.  The  Museum  is  open  from  9  a.m.  to 
6  p.m.  during  the  summer  months.  There  is 
a  cafeteria  in  the  building  where  luncheons 
may  be  obtained. 

As  a  Member  of  the  Museum  you  are 
entitled  to  bring  or  send  your  family  and 
friends,  who  will  be  admitted  free  on  pre- 
sentation of  your  personal  card.    Take  full 


advantage  of  this  and  the  other  privileges 
granted  under  your  membership. 

With  the  schools  closing  this  month,  it  is 
gratifying  to  note  that  Field  Museum's 
educational  work  for  children  has  been 
carried  on  in  full  force  and  with  noteworthy 
results.  The  Department  of  the  N.  W. 
Harris  Public  School  Extension  of  Field 
Museum  has  again  circulated  hundreds  of 
traveling  exhibition  cases  among  all  the 
public  schools,  and  many  parochial  and 
private  ones  as  well,  changing  the  exhibits 
every  two  weeks,  and  reaching  approximately 
500,000  children  over  and  over  again  through 
the  school  year.  The  James  Nelson  and 
Anna  Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for 
Public  School  and  Children's  Lectures  has 
continued  all  of  its  activities — Saturday 
entertainments  for  children  at  the  Museum, 
lecture-tours  of  the  exhibits,  extension  lec- 
tures in  the  schools  before  several  hundred 
classrooms  and  assemblies  of  pupils,  and 
other  work.  Its  statistics  are  not  available 
at  this  time,  being  compiled  on  a  January 
to  December  basis,  but  it  seems  safe  to 
predict  that  its  record  of  reaching  more  than 
a  quarter  of  a  million  children  a  year  will 
be  maintained  in  1931.  It  will  soon  announce 
a  summer  series  of  entertainments  for 
children. 


BARRO  COLORADO  ISLAND 

By  Paul  C.  Standley 
Associate  Curator  of  the  Herbarium 

Recently  the  Department  of  Botany  deter- 
mined an  important  collection  of  plants 
gathered  last  winter  on  Barro  Colorado 
Island,  Panama,  by  Professor  C.  L.  Wilson 
of  Dartmouth  College.  The  most  striking 
feature  of  the  collection  was  the  fact  that 
it  contained  thirty-two  plants  never  found 
before  on  the  island,  and  one,  a  Mimosa, 
that  represents  a  new  species.  Three  lists 
of  Barro  Colorado  Island  plants  have  been 
published  at  various  times  by  the  present 
writer. 

In  the  North  statements  regarding  the 
wealth  of  plants  and  animals  in  the  tropics 
often  are  received  with  skepticism.  Just 
how  rich  in  animals  and  plants  a  tropical 
island  can  be  is  shown  by  the  recently  issued 
seventh  annual  report  of  the  Barro  Colorado 
Island  Laboratory  in  the  Panama  Canal  Zone. 

Field  Museum  is  one  of  nine  institutions 
supporting  the  Barro  Colorado  Biological 
Laboratory.  This  laboratory  is  directed  by 
the  Institute  for  Research  in  Tropical 
America,  through  Dr.  Thomas  Barbour.  The 
resident  custodian  of  the  laboratory,  James 
Zetek,  has  been  the  patient  counselor  and 
friend  of  almost  every  scientist  who  has 
visited  Panama  in  recent  years. 

The  Barro  Colorado  laboratory  has  be- 
come the  chief  center  for  research  work  in 
natural  history  in  tropical  America,  and  it 
is  visited  each  year  by  increasing  numbers 
of  scientists  from  the  United  States.  It  is 
situated  on  an  island  of  six  square  miles 
in  Gatun  Lake,  the  shipping  of  the  Panama 
Canal  passing  directly  before  its  door. 

The  island  has  been  set  aside  as  a  per- 
manent reservation  for  the  wild  life  of  the 
region.  It  is  covered  with  dense  forest,  com- 
posed of  an  inexhaustible  variety  of  trees, 
shrubs,  ferns,  orchids,  and  other  plants,  the 
known  species  now  numbering  more  than 
900  varieties.  One  of  them  is  the  famous 
dove  or  Holy  Ghost  orchid,  whose  flowers 
represent  perfectly  a  white  dove  with  out- 
spread wings. 

The  report  lists  forty-three  mammals  from 
the  island,  including  sloths,  armadillos,  tapirs, 
porcupines,  squirrels,  pumas,  ocelots,  four 
kinds  of  monkeys,  and  many  others.     The 


report  records  also  thirty-two  kinds  of  frogs 
and  toads,  two  crocodiles,  four  turtles, 
twenty-three  lizards,  and  twenty-five  snakes. 
Although  the  snakes  include  some  of  the 
most  venomous  kinds  found  in  America, 
they  seldom  are  seen  by  visitors. 

From  personal  experience,  the  writer  can 
state  that  the  comfortable  laboratory  on 
Barro  Colorado  is  an  ideal  headquarters  for 
field  and  laboratory  work,  and  that  its  sur- 
roundings, made  accessible  by  well-kept 
trails,  afford  a  fascinating  field  for  study. 


Ancient  Installment  Buying 

Evidence  that  something  similar  to  the 
modern  plan  of  "installment  buying"  may 
have  been  in  existence  in  ancient  Egypt  has 
been  found  in  a  collection  of  examples  of 
Egyptian  writing  and  writing  equipment  now 
on  exhibition  in  Hall  J  of  the  Museum.  In 
deciphering  a  number  of  inscribed  tablets, 
boards,  limestone  flakes  and  potsherds  in 
the  collection,  Dr.  T.  George  Allen,  Assistant 
Curator  of  Egyptian  Archaeology,  came 
upon  one  which  proved  to  be  a  receipt  for  a 
series  of  payments  made  by  a  man  named 
Pedikhonsu,  in  the  year  30  of  some  Ptolemaic 
or  Roman  ruler  of  Egypt.  The  receipt 
seemed  to  imply  that  Pedikhonsu  had 
purchased  something  on  the  installment 
plan. 

Included  also  in  the  collection  are  wooden 
tags  for  attachment  to  mummies  in  ship- 
ment to  living  relatives,  limestone  tablets 
bearing  legal  documents  and  prayers,  as 
well  as  the  palettes  and  pens  used  by  the 
scribes. 

Russian  Scientist  Visits  Museum 

Dr.  N.  I.  Vavilov  of  the  Institute  of  Plant 
Industry,  Leningrad,  returning  from  a  tour 
of  Mexico  and  Central  America,  recently 
visited  Field  Museum.  He  has  in  press  an 
important  monograph  upon  cultivated 
plants,  and  consulted  with  the  Staff  of  the 
Museum  to  obtain  information  regarding 
economic  plants  of  tropical  America. 


Gifts  to  the  Museum 

Following  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  principal 
gifts  received  during  the  last  month : 

From  Linus  Long— 2  ceremonial  jade  axes,  Sung 
and  K'ien-lung  periods,  China;  from  Ralph  M.  Chait — ■ 
a  large  barrel-shaped  pottery  wine  vessel,  Han  period, 
China,  and  2  specimens  chalcedony  geodes  containing 
water,  Uruguay;  from  Frank  von  Drasek — 40  specimens 
Arkansas  minerals;  from  Joseph  Comer — lower  jaw  of  a 
fossil  beaver,  Indiana;  from  R.  M.  Barnes — a  marcasite 
concretion,  Illinois;  from  Professor  C.  L.  Wilson — 
131  herbarium  specimens,  Panama;  from  William  C. 
Meyer — 147  herbarium  specimens,  British  Honduras; 
from  Ralph  Hoffman — 29  herbarium  specimens,  Santa 
Cruz  Island;  from  General  Biological  Supply  House — 
2  crayfish  frogs,  Louisiana;  from  Doctor  Charles  E. 
Burt — 29  snakes,  lizards,  frogs  and  toads,  Texas;  from 
Doctor  Frank  J.  Psota — 6  damselnies,  Mindanao, 
Philippine  Islands. 

BEQUESTS  AND  ENDOWMENTS 

Bequests  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  may 
be  made  in  securities,  money,  books  or  collections. 
They  may,  if  desired,  take  the  form  of  a  memorial  to 
a  person  or  cause,  named  by  the  giver.  For  those  desiring 
to  make  bequests,  the  following  form  is  suggested: 

FORM  OF  BEQUEST 

/  do  hereby  give  and  bequeath  to  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History  of  the  City  of  Chicago,  State  of  Illinois, 


Cash  contributions  made  within  the  taxable  year  to 
Field  Museum  not  exceeding  15  per  cent  of  the  tax- 
payer's net  income  are  allowable  as  deductions  in  com- 
puting net  income  under  Article  251  of  Regulation  69 
relating  to  the  income  tax  under  the  Revenue  Act  of 
1926. 

Endowments  may  be  made  to  the  Museum  with  the 
provision  that  an  annuity  be  paid  to  the  patron  for  life. 
These  annuities  are  tax-free  and  are  guaranteed  against 
fluctuation  in  amount. 


June,  1931 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


Page  3 


THE  RETICULATED  PYTHON 
ADDED  TO  EXHIBITS 

By  Karl  P.  Schmidt 
Assistant  Curator  of  Reptiles 

The  Old  World  pythons  include  the  largest 
extant  species  of  snakes,  and  of  them  all  the 
reticulated  python  of  the  East  Indies  is 
much  the  largest.  This  form  is  said  to 
reach  a  length  of  thirty-five  feet,  while 
specimens  twenty-five  feet  long  or  more  are 
impressively  gigantic  snakes.  An  example 
twenty-six  feet  long,  collected  on  the  Ogan 
River  in  Sumatra  by  the  Chancellor-Stuart- 
Field  Museum  Expedition  to  the  South 
Pacific  in  1929,  is  the  subject  of  an  exhibit 
recently  completed  and  installed  in  Albert 
W.  Harris  Hall  (Hall  18)  at  Field  Museum. 

The  reticulated  python  is  distinctively  a 
forest  creature.  It  lies  stretched  out  on  the 
lower  limbs  of  trees,  and  captures  for  food 
both  the  tree-dwelling   monkeys  and  the 


Reticulated  Python 

The  specimen,  when  taken,  concealed  a  clutch  of  82 
eggs  in  her  coils.    A  few  of  these  are  shown  in  the  exhibit. 

terrestrial  pigs,  deer  and  other  forest  ani- 
mals. Like  the  boas,  pythons  are  powerful 
constrictors,  and  kill  their  prey  by  the  crush- 
ing action  of  their  coils. 

Unlike  the  American  boa  constrictors, 
which  bring  forth  living  young,  the  pythons 
are  egg-laying  snakes.  The  mother  snake 
coils  herself  compactly  around  her  eggs  and 
remains  with  them  until  they  hatch.  This 
habit  evidently  protects  the  eggs  from  ma- 
rauding egg-eating  animals,  such  as  monitor 
lizards  and  mongooses,  which  abound  in  the 
Malayan  forests.  The  first  of  the  young 
snakes  to  hatch  may  even  return  to  their 
eggshells  for  a  few  days  for  shelter  until  the 
whole  mass  is  abandoned  by  the  parent 
snake.  Very  few  other  species  of  snakes 
care  for  their  eggs  in  this  manner. 

The  Museum's  exhibit  is  a  reproduction 
in  cellulose-acetate  of  the  twenty-six  foot 
specimen  obtained  by  the  Chancellor  Expedi- 
tion. The  expedition,  which  was  financed 
and  led  by  Philip  M.  Chancellor  of  Santa 
Barbara,  California,  brought  the  Museum  a 
second  specimen  only  slightly  shorter  than 
the  other.  The  reproduction  was  made  by 
Taxidermist  Leon  L.  Walters,  who  has  devel- 
oped a  special  process  for  this  type  of  work. 


EXPEDITION  TO  SOUTHWEST 
RESUMES  OPERATIONS 

The  Field  Museum  Expedition  to  the 
Southwest,  which  worked  through  the  sum- 
mer of  1930  (see  Field  Museum  News, 
June,  July,  September,  November,  1930)  has 
resumed  operations  for  the  season  of  1931. 
Led  by  Dr.  Paul  S.  Martin,  Assistant  Cura- 
tor of  North  American  Archaeology,  it  left 
Chicago  late  in  May  to  continue  work  on 
the  site  of  the  Lowry  ruin  in  southwestern 
Colorado,  upon  which  extensive  excavations 
were  made  last  year.  The  expedition  is 
financed  from  income  derived  from  the  Julius 
and  Augusta  Rosenwald  Fund. 

En  route  to  Colorado,  Dr.  Martin,  accom- 
panied by  Modeler  John  G.  Prasuhn  of  the 


Department  of  Anthropology,  made  a  special 
trip,  financed  from  the  Marshall  Field  Fund, 
to  the  Dakota  Indian  reservation  at  Pine 
Ridge,  South  Dakota.  This  trip  was  for  the 
purpose  of  obtaining  casts,  sketches,  and 
data  to  be  used  in  the  construction  of  a 
projected  life-size  group  for  Hall  5,  devoted 
to  the  Indian  Tribes  of  the  Great  Plains. 

The  first  few  weeks  of  work  on  the  Lowry 
ruin  will  be  devoted  to  the  continuation  of 
the  preservation  of  the  rooms  which  were  ex- 
amined last  year.  The  walls  of  these  rooms 
were  found  to  be  in  excellent  condition,  but 
since  the  individual  stones  are  held  in  place 
by  mud  mortar  only,  it  is  necessary  to  pro- 
tect the  mortar  from  weathering  and  disin- 
tegration by  capping  the  top  courses  of 
masonry  with  cement,  and  to  point  with 
cement  the  lower  courses  so  that  the  mud 
will  not  wash  out.  Walls  cared  for  in  this 
manner  will  stand  indefinitely,  but  if  left 
unprotected  will  tumble  down  in  four  or  five 
years.  Of  course,  when  the  Indians  inhabited 
this  large  village,  they  probably  applied  fresh 
mud  mortar  every  season.  After  the  aban- 
donment of  the  site,  the  wooden  roofs,  while 
they  lasted,  prevented  rains  and  snows  from 
damaging  the  interiors,  while  drifting  sand 
soon  blew  around  the  exterior  of  the  rooms, 
thus  happily  preserving  the  pueblo  for 
modern  study. 

When  the  walls  have  all  been  properly 
cared  for,  excavations  will  be  resumed.  It 
is  hoped  this  season  to  continue  work  in 
one  of  the  smaller  kivas  and  perhaps  in  the 
large  kiva.  A  kiva  is  a  subterranean,  cere- 
monial chamber,  wherein  many  sacred  rites 
were  performed,  and  it  is  perhaps  the  most 
important  single  portion  of  any  village  of 
the  southwest,  as  its  origins  may  reach  back 
into  considerable  antiquity. 

Likewise,  some  digging  will  be  done  in 
the  secular  or  living  quarters,  with  a  view 
of  gaining  more  knowledge  of  the  everyday 
life  of  the  ordinary  individual.  It  is  in  the 
living  quarters  that  one  is  more  likely  to 
find  wooden  roof  beams,  by  the  tree  rings 
of  which  the  pueblo  may  be  approximately 
dated. 

One  of  the  most  puzzling  problems  of  the 
Lowry  ruin  is  the  fact  that  no  burial  ground 
has  yet  been  discovered.  The  village  must 
have  been  occupied  for  some  time,  perhaps 
a  century  or  more,  and  yet  not  a  single  grave 
has  been  found.  Since  it  is  from  burial 
mounds  and  rubbish  heaps  that  archaeol- 
ogists glean  most  of  their  knowledge  of  the 
past,  further  search  will  be  made  for  the 
burial  ground  of  the  Lowry  ruin. 

Hebrew  Educator  at  Museum 

Arrangements  for  cooperation  between  the 
Hebrew  University  of  Jerusalem  and  Field 
Museum  were  completed  during  a  visit  to 
the  Museum  made  by  Dr.  Julius  Magnes, 
president  of  the  university,  on  May  8.  Dr. 
Magnes  consulted  with  members  of  the 
scientific  staff,  and  formulated  plans  for 
exchange  of  specimens  and  publications 
between  the  two  institutions. 


Lectures  for  Girl  Scouts 

A  group  of  Girl  Scouts  from  Oak  Park  and 
Berwyn,  under  the  leadership  of  Mrs.  A.  J. 
Kudrna,  was  given  a  course  of  lectures  on 
nature  study  last  month  by  lecturers  of  the 
James  Nelson  and  Anna  Louise  Raymond 
Foundation  for  Public  School  and  Children's 
Lectures.  Classes  were  held  in  the  Museum 
on  four  Saturdays,  and  talks  given  covered 
the  birds,  trees,  wild  flowers  and  mammals 
*  of  the  Chicago  area.  The  course  was  designed 
to  equip  the  girls  to  pass  examinations  for 
special  scout  honors. 


RARE  IDOL-LIKE  FIGURE 
FROM  ILLINOIS  MOUND 

Bv  Paul  S.  Martin 
Assistant  Curator  of  North  American  Archaeology 

In  1900,  Field  Museum  purchased,  along 
with  some  pottery  and  other  archaeological 
material,  a  stone  "idol,"  carved  from  a  piece 
of  fluorite.  This  figure  is  now  on  display  in 
Mary  D.  Sturges  Hall  (Hall  3).  It  was 
excavated  in  1873  from  an  Indian  burial 
mound  by  Thomas  M.  Perrine,  near  Anna, 
Union  County,  in  southern  Illinois.  Since 
then  it  has  become  famous  and  is  known 
as  the  "Perrine  image." 

The  figure  represents  the  work  of  the 
ancient  mound  builders.  Few  such  elabo- 
rately carved  pieces  have  been  found  by 
archaeologists  in  Illinois.  The  idol  repre- 
sents a  human  figure,  seated  with  the  right 
knee  drawn  up  by  the  right  hand  towards 
the  chin,  and  the  left  leg  folded  under  the 
body.  It  is  twelve  inches  high,  and  weighs 
forty-two  pounds. 

The  carving  of  the  features  is  executed 
with  remarkable  skill,  and  is  quite  modern 
in  conception,  although  it  is  estimated  the 
figure  must  have  been  made  about  1,000 
years  ago,  long  before  any  Europeans  set 
foot  in  America.  It  is  similar  in  proportions 
and  style  to  other  stone  figures  and  effigy 


The  "Perrine  Image" 

Prehistoric  figure  carved  in  fluorite,  from  an  Indian 
burial  mound  in  southern  Illinois. 

pottery  which  have  been  excavated  at  vari- 
ous places  in  the  Mississippi-Ohio  area,  and 
illustrates  well  the  highly  developed  art  of 
the  prehistoric  Indians. 


Japanese  Royalty  Visits  Museum 

Their  Imperial  Highnesses,  Prince  and 
Princess  Takamatsu  of  Japan,  attended  by 
their  suite,  were  visitors  at  Field  Museum 
on  May  12.  They  were  received  by  the 
Director,  and  conducted  on  a  tour  of  some 
of  the  most  interesting  exhibits.  Other 
members  of  the  party  were  Commander  T. 
Yamagata,  Master  of  Ceremonies;  Madame 
Ochiai,  Lady-in- Waiting;  S.  Kato,  Counsellor 
of  the  Japanese  Embassy  at  Washington; 
Dr.  T.  Sakamoto,  physician;  Lieutenant- 
Commander  K.  Midzuno,  Aide-de-Camp; 
Yoshio  Muto,  Japanese  Consul  at  Chicago, 
and  Commander  Zacharias,  United  States 
Navy. 


Page  i 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


June,  19S1 


BONGO  SPECIMENS  RECEIVED 
FROM  CAPTAIN  WHITE 

From  Africa  there  arrived  at  Field  Mu- 
seum last  month  five  specimens  of  the  bongo, 
one  of  the  rarest  and  handsomest  of  all 
antelopes.  The  animals  were  sent  by  Cap- 
tain Harold  A.  White  of  New  York  and 
Major  John  Coats  of  London,  who  are  lead- 
ing an  expedition,  financed  by  them  jointly, 
in  behalf  of  the  Museum. 

The  bongos  will  be  used  in  the  near  future 
in  the  preparation  of  a  new  habitat  group. 
For  years  specimens  of  these  animals  have 
been  desired  at  the  Museum,  but  none  of 
the  institution's  previous  expeditions  to 
Africa  have  been  fortunate  enough  even  to 
come  within  sight  of  the  elusive  creatures. 
Included  among  those  sent  by  Captain  White 
is  a  huge  bull  which  is  close  to  the  record 
size  ever  obtained  by  any  hunter. 

The  bongo  is  a  giant  beast  of  reddish 
brown  color  with  numerous  vertical  white 
stripes  on  its  body.  Full-grown  bongos 
weigh  from  400  to  600  pounds.  The  group 
of  them  was  the  most  important  objective 
of  the  expedition,  although  there  have  also 
been  obtained  specimens  of  Colobus  mon- 
keys, rhinoceros,  eland,  and  various  other 
animals.  Hunting  the  bongo  is  an  extremely 
difficult  task,  according  to  Dr.  Wilfred  H. 
Osgood,  Curator  of  Zoology.  One  must  often 
crawl  on  hands  and  knees  for  long  distances 
through  extremely  deep  dense  wet  forest 
areas  on  the  higher  mountains  while  track- 
ing it.  The  chief  habitation  of  the  animal 
centers  around  Mount  Kenya  and  neigh- 
boring peaks. 

Captain  White  has  notified  the  Museum 
that  he  and  his  associates  not  only  obtained 
the  specimens,  but  were  also  successful  in 
making  the  first  motion  and  still  photographs 
ever  taken  of  living  bongos. 


organic  matter,  such  as  spent  tan  bark,  are 
uncertain  and  often  destructive.  Methods 
depending  upon  the  use  of  corrosive  gases 
and  liquids  form  patinas  that  are  not  as 
pleasing  in  color  as  might  be  desired.  Accu- 
rate imitations  of  patina  can  be  secured  by 
the  use  of  colored  lacquers  and  waxes,  but 
as  these  are  imitations  they  are  not  much 
favored  in  the  large  museums. 


PATINA  ON  ANCIENT  BRONZE 

By  H.  W.  Nichols 
Associate  Curator  of  Geology 

The  more  ancient  among  the  antique 
bronzes  and  coppers  which  are  being  restored 
by  an  electrolytic  process  in  Field  Museum, 
now  possess,  upon  completion  of  the  treat- 
ment, a  good  natural  patina.  The  patina  of 
a  bronze  is  the  thin  coating  which  the  bronze 
acquires  in  the  course  of  time  through  a 
slight  oxidation  of  its  surface  from  exposure 
to  the  atmosphere.  The  patina,  when  well 
formed  on  a  bronze  of  good  composition,  has 
an  attractive  color,  texture,  and  luster,  and 
it  is  highly  prized. 

The  antique  metal  treated  at  Field 
Museum  has,  when  first  received,  a  heavy* 
crust  composed  of  a  mixture  of  soil  with  the 
products  of  corrosion  of  the  bronze.  When 
this  is  removed  by  electrolysis  the  bright 
surface  of  the  metal  is  exposed.  Any  origi- 
nal patina,  if  not  already  destroyed  by 
corrosion  of  the  buried  bronze,  will  be 
removed  with  the  crust.  In  several  years' 
•  study  of  the  problem  methods  have  been 
developed,  based  on  minor  modifications  of 
details  of  the  electric  treatment,  by  which 
the  metal  surface  is  left  in  such  a  sensitive 
state  that  it  will  acquire  naturally  in  a  few 
hours  a  patina  that  it  takes  years  for  a 
normal  bronze  surface  to  take  on. 

This  method  of  patinating  bronze  is  still 
in  the  development  stage.  At  present  it  is 
uniformly  successful  only  with  the  most 
ancient  bronzes.  It  is  expected  that  further 
study  will  so  develop  the  process  that  it  will 
be  effective  on  bronzes  of  more  recent  origin. 

Replacing  lost  patina  on  bronze  has  long 
been  a  problem  in  museums.  Methods  of 
obtaining  the  patina  which  depend  on  bury- 
ing the  bronze  for  a  long  time  in  decaying 


THE  NESTING  OF  THE 
HUMMINGBIRD 

By  Colin  C.  Sanborn' 
Assistant  Curator  of  Mammals 

The  smallest  feathered  architect  of  the 
Chicago  area  is  the  ruby-throated  humming- 
bird. It  is  the  female  of  this  tiny  bird  which 
not  only  broods,  feeds  the  young,  and  starts 
them  on  their  way  in  the  world,  but  builds 
the  nest  before  their  coming.  The  male  seems 
to  expend  all  his  energy  in  a  very  acrobatic 


Hummingbird's  Nest 

Photograph  is  approximately  natural  size.  The  speci- 
men is  1 H  inches  long,  1  >£  inches  wide,  1 H  inches  deep 
on  the  outside,  and  ?s  inch  deep  inside.  This  is  a 
fair  average  size. 

courtship,  flying  back  and  forth  before 
the  female  in  a  great  U-shaped  arc,  and 
displaying  his  bright-colored  throat  for  her 
benefit. 

The  nest  is  placed  in  a  crotch  or  astride 
a  small  limb,  from  four  to  twenty  feet  from 
the  ground.  It  is  made  of  downy  fibers 
from  ferns  and  milkweeds,  and  silky  fila- 
ments from  willows  and  poplars,  which  are 
bound  together  by  spider  or  tent-caterpillar 
webs.  As  it  is  built,  the  outside  is  covered 
with  lichens  and  bits  of  bark  so  that,  when 
completed,  it  appears  to  be  a  knot  or  growth 
on  the  tree.  The  female  shapes  the  nest  with 
her  body  while  arranging  the  material  with 
her  bill  and  feet.  The  nest  measures  about 
one  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter  and 
about  the  same  in  depth.  With  fair  weather, 
it  usually  takes  about  a  week  to  build. 

The  two  elliptical,  white  eggs,  about  the 
size  of  a  navy  bean,  are  laid  a  day  or  so 
apart  and  hatch  in  from  eleven  to  fourteen 
days.  The  young  remain  in  the  nest  from 
fourteen  to  twenty-eight  days. 

The  young  are  fed  by  regurgitation,  on 
nectar  from  flowers  and  on  small  insects 
which  are  caught  on  the  wing. 

The  ruby-throat  breeds  in  this  region  in 
late  May  and  early  June,  and  sometimes 
raises  a  second  brood  in  August.  It  arrives 
early  in  May  and  leaves  in  September. 

Of  the  eighteen  hummingbirds  found  in 
North  America,  the  ruby-throat  is  the  only 
one  occurring  in  the  east.  It  breeds  from 
Labrador  to  Florida  and  west  to  North 
Dakota,  Nebraska,  and  Kansas. 


JUNE  GUIDE-LECTURE  TOURS 

Following  is  the  schedule  of  conducted 
tours  of  the  exhibits  during  June: 

Week  beginning  June  1 — Monday:  11  a.m.,  Indians 
of  the  Northwest,  3  p.m..  Trees  of  the  Chicago  Area; 
Tuesday:  11  a.m.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Wednes- 
day: 11  a.m..  Chinese  Art,  3  p.m.,  Musical  Instruments; 
Thursday:  11  A.M.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours:  Friday: 
1 1  A.M.,  Eskimo  Exhibits,  3  P.M.,  The  Cat  Family. 

Week  beginning  June  8 — Monday:  11  a.m.,  Rare 
Animals,  3  p.m.,  Physical  Geology;  Tuesday:  11  A.M. 
and  3  p.m..  General  Tours;  Wednesday:  1 1  a.m.,  Habitat 
Groups,  3  p.m.,  Looms  and  Weaving;  Thursday: 
11  A.M.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Friday:  11  A.M., 
Marine  Life,  3  P.M.,  The  Story  of  Man. 

Week  beginning  June  15 — Monday:  11  a.m., Workers 
in  Metals,  3  p.m..  Oils  and  Fibers  of  Economic  Value; 
Tuesday:  11  a.m.  and  3  p.m..  General  Tours;  Wednes- 
day: 11  A.M.,  Prehistoric  Life,  3  p.m.,  Roman  Culture; 
Thursday:  11  A.M.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Friday: 
11  a.m..  South  America,  3  P.M.,  Systematic  Birds. 

Week  beginning  June  22— Monday:  11  a.m..  North 
American  Mammals,  3  P.M.,  Indians  of  the  Southwest; 
Tuesday:  11  a.m.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Wednes- 
day: 11  A.M.,  Peoples  of  the  South  Seas,  3  P.M.,  Gems 
and  Jewelry;  Thursday:  11  a.m.  and  3  p.m..  General 
Tours;  Friday:  11  a.m..  Egypt,  3  P.M.,  African  Animals. 

Week  beginning  June  29 — Monday:  11  a.m.,  Mexico, 
3  P.M.,  Reptiles,  Past  and  Present;  Tuesday:  11  A.M. 
and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours. 

Persons  wishing  to  participate  should 
apply  at  North  Entrance.  Tours  are  free 
and  no  gratuities  are  to  be  proffered.  A  new 
schedule  will  appear  each  month  in  Field 
Museum  News.  Guide-lecturers'  services 
for  special  tours  by  parties  of  ten  or  more 
are  available  free  of  charge  by  arrangement 
with  the  Director  a  week  in  advance. 


NEW  MEMBERS 

The  following  persons  were  elected  to 
membership  in  Field  Museum  during  the 
period  from  April  17  to  May  16: 

Life  Members 
Walter  S.  Carr,  Scott  S.  Durand 

Associate  Members 

Dr.  Samuel  W.  Chavis,  Duncan  L.  Clinch,  Howell 
W.  Kitchell,  Miss  Frances  Rail  ton,  Dr.  William  M. 
Scholl.  Mrs.  Frederick  W.  Spiegel,  Miss  Josephine 
Stockton. 

Sustaining  Members 

Mrs.  Maude  Staley 

Annual  Members 

Miss  Lily  A.  Berlizheimer,  Mrs.  Rollin  T.  Chamber- 
lin,  Mrs.  D.  F.  Cleary,  J.  H.  Clemer,  C.  Groverman 
Ellis,  Mrs.  R.  V.  Fletcher,  Miss  Maude  Gordon,  Mrs. 
M.  A.  Griffith,  Fred  C.  Holmes,  John  Hayes  Kelly, 
Charles  F.  Keyser,  Sr.,  Raymond.  H.  Koch,  George 
Kort,  Howard  L.  Krum,  L.  L.  lAzelle,  A.  L.  Letter- 
mann,  George  Russell  McVay,  Edward  F.  Moore, 
Treadway  B.  Munroe,  Miss  fda  Peirce,  Mrs.  J.  P. 
Pfeifer,  Daniel  C.  Plummer,  Jr.,  John  W.  Shaver,  Mrs. 
Paul  Amandus  Thomas,  Ernest  H.  Thompson,  Mrs. 
E.  H.  Waterman,  R, .swell  B.  Whidden,  Rudolph  L. 
Wild,  Mrs.  James  D.  Woolf,  Mrs.  Joseph  W.  Young. 
Mrs.  H.  Zitzewitz. 


MEMBERSHIP  IN  FIELD  MUSEUM 

Field  Museum  has  several  classes  of  Members. 
Benefactors  give  or  devise  $100,000  or  more.  Contribu- 
tors give  or  devise  $1,000  to  $100,000.  Life  Members 
give  $500.  Non-Resident  (Life)  and  Associate  Members 
pay  $100.  Non-Resident  Associate  Members  pay  $50. 
All  the  above  classes  are  exempt  from  dues.  Sustaining 
Members  contribute  $25  annually.  After  six  years  they 
become  Associate  Members.  Annual  Members  con- 
tribute $10  annually.  Other  memberships  are  Corpo- 
rate, Honorary,  Patron,  and  Corresponding,  additions 
under  these  classifications  being  made  by  special  action 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

Each  Member,  in  all  classes,  is  entitled  to  free 
admission  to  the  Museum  for  himself,  his  family  and 
house  guests,  and  to  two  reserved  seats  for  Museum 
lectures  provided  for  Members.  Subscription  to  Field 
Museum  News  is  included  with  all  memberships.  The 
courtesies  of  every  museum  of  note  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada  are  extended  to  all  Members  of 
Field  Museum.  A  Member  may  give  his  personal  card 
to  non-residents  of  Chicago,  upon  presentation  of 
which  they  will  be  admitted  to  the  Museum  without 
charge.  Further  information  about  memberships  will 
be  sent  on  request. 


PRINTED   BY   flELO   MUSEUM   PffCSS 


Field  Museum  News 

Published  Monthly  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Chicago 


Vol.  2 


JULY,   1931 


No.  7 


LIFE-SIZE  RESTORATION  OF  TITANOTHERES  IS  PLACED  ON  EXHIBITION 


By  Elmer  S.  Riggs 
Associate  Curator  of  Paleontology 

A  life-size  restoration  of  gigantic  titano- 
theres — extinct  animals  which  resembled 
rhinoceroses  in  appearance,  but  were  as  tall 
and  bulky  as  elephants — has  just  been  placed 
on  exhibition  in  Ernest  R.  Graham  Hall  of 
Historical  Geology  (Hall  38).  The  group,  a 
gift  to  the  Museum  from 
Mr.  Graham,  is  the  work 
of  Frederick  A.  Blaschke, 
sculptor  of  Cold  Spring- 
on-Hudson,  New  York, 
who  also  made  the  restora- 
tion of  the  Neanderthal 
family  and  the  Mesohip- 
pus  which  have  now  been 
on  exhibition  in  the  same 
hall  for  some  time  past. 
The  group  of  titanotheres 
is  composed  of  three 
animals — an  enormous 
male  in  standing  position, 
a  female,  and  a  young 
titanothere  lying  down. 
A  background  reproduc- 
ing the  supposed  natural 
habitat  of  these  huge 
beasts  has  been  provided, 
this  being  the  work  of 
Charles  A.  Corwin,  staff 
artist  of  the  Museum. 

The  titanotheres  were 
great  two-horned  beasts 
which  were  abundant  in 
the  Bad  Lands  of  Ne- 
braska and  the  Dakotas 
about  30,000,000  years  ago,  according  to 
scientific  estimates.  The  animals,  as  restored 
in  the  Museum's  exhibit,  are  modeled  to 
show  them  as  it  is  indicated  by  fossils  they 
must  have  appeared  in  life.  The  male  figure 
was  constructed  from  measurements  and 
studies  of  a  fossil  skeleton  in  the  Museum 
of  Yale  University;  the  female  from  a  skele- 
ton in  the  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  New  York;  and  the  young  one  from 
a  skeleton  in  the  University  of  Wyoming. 


This  is  the  first  time  an  attempt  has  been 
made  by  scientists  to  reproduce  in  full-size 
three-dimensional  form  amid  natural  sur- 
roundings a  group  of  these  great  beasts.  In 
the  work  the  sculptor  has  had  the  advice  of 
Professor  Henry  Fairfield  Osborn,  President 
of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
New  York,  and  Professor  W.  K.  Gregory  of 


Restoration  of  Titanotheres 

Life-size  group  prepared  by^Frederick  Blaschke,  on"  exhibition  in  Ernest  R.  Graham  Hall, 


Columbia  University,  who  are  among  the 
foremost  authorities  on  prehistoric  life,  as 
well  as  Curator  of  Geology  Oliver  C.  Farring- 
ton  of  Field  Museum,  and  the  present 
writer. 

The  titanotheres  lived  in  wet  marshy 
lands  and  fed  upon  plants.  They  were  once 
almost  as  abundant  as  bison  were  when 
white  men  first  explored  America.  Their 
two  blunt  horns  were  placed  side  by  side 
on  the  nose  and  served  as  offensive  weapons. 


They  were  related  on  the  one  hand  to  the 
horse  family  and  on  the  other  to  the  rhinoc- 
eroses, but  they  differed  from  both  of  these 
in  many  ways.  They  died  out  suddenly 
millions  of  years  ago.  In  recent  years 
numerous  fossil  skeletons  of  them  which  have 
been  covered  up  by  sands  and  clays  have 
been  found  in  the  Bad  Lands  of  Nebraska  and 
the  Dakotas  as  the  bones 
have  been  washed  out  by 
rains  and  streams. 

The  largest  titanotheres 
attained  a  height  of  more 
than  eight  feet  and 
weighed  fully  as  much  as 
African  elephants.  Their 
legs  were  massive,  and 
their  feet  were  padded 
like  those  of  elephants. 
Splendid  fossil  specimens 
are  preserved  in  Field 
Museum  and  in  a  number 
of  other  museums  through- 
out America. 

Transportation  of  the 
life-size  models  of  these 
huge  creatures  from  the 
sculptor's  studio  at  Cold 
Spring-on-Hudson  to 
Chicago  offered  a  unique 
problem.  They  were 
brought  in  motor  trucks, 
but  many  detours  had  to 
be  made  on  account  of  low 
bridges  and  the  tremen- 
dous height  of  the  male 
model.  Even  with  these 
detours,  it  was  necessary  to  cut  off  the  hump 
of  the  standing  animal  model  temporarily, 
and  to  release  all  air  from  the  truck  tires  to  get 
clearance  for  the  load  under  certain  bridges. 
Mr.  Blaschke  personally  rode  the  trucks  to 
supervise  the  safe  transit  of  the  models. 

A  large  mural  painting  of  a  group  of 
titanotheres,  by  Charles  R.  Knight,  also 
presented  by  Mr.  Graham,  has  been  added 
to  the  series  of  prehistoric  scenes  on  the 
walls  of  Graham  Hall. 


Totems  for  Exchange  or  Sale 

After  having  selected  types  of  totem  poles, 
house  posts  and  grave  posts  representing 
the  Alaskan  Eskimos  and  Northwest  Coast 
Indians  for  its  exhibits  in  Hall  10,  Field 
Museum  has  left  a  number  of  excellent 
similar  specimens  for  which  no  use  can  be 
found  here  due  to  the  lack  of  space.  It  is 
believed  that  these  would  be  of  value  to 
other  institutions  or  to  private  collectors, 
and  negotiations  as  to  their  disposal  either 
by  exchange  or  sale  are  solicited.  Those 
who  might  be  interested  are  invited  to  cor- 
respond with  the  Director  of  the  Museum. 


51,917  Visitors  in  One  Day 

Field  Museum  was  visited  by  51,917  per- 
sons on  May  21.  This  vast  number  of 
people  came  to  the  Museum  largely  as  a 
result  of  the  fact  that  Grant  Park  was 
thronged  that  day  with  spectators  viewing 


the  United  States  Army  Air  Corps  parade 
on  the  lake  front,  a  feature  of  the  recent 
Chicago  Jubilee.  This  attendance  was  ex- 
ceeded on  only  one  previous  day  in  the 
Museum's  history — May  24,  1929,  when  the 
number  of  visitors  was  59,843. 


University  Honors  Dr.  Laufer 

Dr.  Berthold  Laufer,  Curator  of  Anthro- 
pology at  Field  Museum,  received  an  honor- 
ary degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  from  the 
University  of  Chicago  during  the  June  com- 
mencement exercises  at  the  university.  The 
honor  was  in  recognition  of  the  important 
work  he  has  performed  in  Asiatic  research. 

The  many  important  economic  products 
of  palm  trees,  with  specimens  from  the  trees 
themselves,  are  the  subject  of  a  Museum 
exhibit. 


Argali  Sheep  Received 

Three  specimens  of  the  Argali  or  Hodg- 
son's sheep,  a  mountain  animal  very  difficult 
to  obtain,  have  been  received  at  Field 
Museum  of  Natural  History  as  a  result  of 
the  expedition  to  Sikkim  (on  the  Tibetan 
border)  conducted  for  the  Museum  by  C. 
Suydam  Cutting  of  New  York.  The  ani- 
mals were  encountered  at  high  altitudes  in 
the  mountains,  and  were  shot  by  Mr. 
Cutting  himself.  He  was  accompanied  by  a 
party  of  native  hunters.  The  sheep  are 
somewhat  similar  to  the  rare  Marco  Polo 
sheep,  also  found  in  Asia,  of  which  the 
Museum  has  mounted  specimens  which  were 
obtained  by  Colonel  Theodore  Roosevelt  and 
Kermit  Roosevelt  while  leading  the  James 
Simpson-Roosevelts  Asiatic  Expedition. 

An  assembled  skeleton  of  the  extinct  great 
auk,  huge  bird  which  once  inhabited  North 
America,  is  on  exhibition  at  the  Museum. 


Page  2 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


July,  19S1 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Founded  by  Marshall  Field,  1893 
Roosevelt  Road  and  Lake  Michigan,  Chicago 

THE  BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES 
John  Borden  William  H.  Mitchell 

William  J.  Chalmers  Frederick  H.  Rawson 

R.  T.  Crane,  Jr.  George  A.  Richardson 

Marshall  Field  Martin  A.  Ryerson 

Stanley  Field  Fred  W.  Sargent 

Ernest  R.  Graham  Stephen  C.  Simms 

Albert  W.  Harris  James  Simpson 

Samuel  Insull,  Jr.  Solomon  A.  Smith 

William  V.  Kelley  Albert  A.  Sprague 

Cyrus  H.  McCormick  Silas  H.  Strawn 

William  Wrigley,  Jr. 

OFFICERS 

Stanley  Field President 

Martin  A.  Ryerson First  Vice-President 

Albert  A.  Sprague Second  Vice-President 

James  Simpson Third  Vice-President 

Stephen  C  Simms Director  and  Secretary 

Solomon  A.  Smith  . . .  Treasurer  and  Assistant  Secretary 

FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 

Stephen  C  Simms,  Director  of  the  Museum Editor 

CONTRIBUTING  EDITORS 

Berthold  Laufer Curator  of  Anthropology 

B.  E.  Dahlgren Acting  Curator  of  Botany 

O.  C.  Farrington Curator  of  Geology 

Wilfred  H.  Osgood Curator  of  Zoology 

H.  B.  Harte Managing  Editor 

Field  Museum  is  open  every  day  of  the  year  during 
the  hours  indicated  below: 

November,  December,  January  9  A.M.  to  4 :30  P -M. 

February,  March,  April,  October  9  A.M.  to  5:00  P.M. 

May,  June,  July,  August,  September    9  A.M.  to  6 :00  P.M. 

Admission  is  free  to  Members  on  all  days.  Other 
adults  are  admitted  free  on  Thursdays,  Saturdays  and 
Sundays;  non-members  pay  25  cents  on  other  days. 
Children  are  admitted  free  on  all  days.  Students  and 
faculty  members  of  educational  institutions  are  admit- 
ted free  any  day  upon  presentation  of  credentials. 

The  Library  of  the  Museum,  containing  some  92,000 
volumes  on  natural  history  subjects,  is  open  for  refer- 
ence daily  except  Sunday. 

Traveling  exhibits  are  circulated  in  the  schools  of 
Chicago  by  the  Museum's  Department  of  the  N.  W. 
Harris  Public  School  Extension. 

Lectures  for  school  classrooms  and  assemblies,  and 
special  entertainments  and  lecture  tours  for  children  at 
tne  Museum,  are  provided  by  the  James  Nelson  and 
Anna  Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for  Public  School 
and  Children's  Lectures. 

Announcements  of  courses  of  free  illustrated  lectures 
on  science  and  travel  for  the  public,  and  special  lectures 
for  Members  of  the  Museum,  will  appear  in  Field 
Museum  News. 

There  is  a  cafeteria  in  the  Museum  where  luncheon 
is  served  for  visitors.  Other  rooms  are  provided  for 
those  bringing  their  lunches. 

Members  are  requested  to  inform  the  Museum 
promptly  of  changes  of  address. 


NEW  IMPROVED  CAFETERIA 
SERVES  MUSEUM  VISITORS 

Representing  another  effort  on  the  part 
of  Field  Museum  to  serve  the  comfort  and 
convenience  of  the  public,  the  Museum's 
cafeteria,  completely  remodeled,  redecorated 
and  equipped  with  the  most  modern  facilities, 
opened  again  last  month  with  a  new  con- 
cessionaire in  charge  of  its  management. 

This  has  been  done  at  great  expense,  and 
once  again,  as  has  been  the  case  with  so 
many  of  the  improvements  made  in  the 
Museum,  the  burden  of  its  cost  and  the 
work  of  planning  for  it  have  been  borne  by 
Mr.  Stanley  Field,  the  Museum's  President. 

The  cafeteria  has  in  the  past  few  years 
become  an  increasingly  important  adjunct 
to  the  Museum,  due  to  the  ever  increasing 
numbers  of  visitors,  of  whom  so  many  are 
always  in  the  building  at  lunch  time.  The 
improved  facilities  now  offered  make  possible 
a  much  more  efficient  and  satisfactory 
handling  of  crowds. 

The  remodeling  has  resulted  in  a  com- 
pletely new  cafeteria  of  a  type  unique  in 
institutions  of  this  kind.    While  it  is  in  the 


same  location  on  the  ground  floor  as  the  old 
one,  everything  in  the  large  room  is  new, 
and  even  the  ceiling  has  been  reconstructed 
of  a  soundproof  material  which  produces  a 
far  quieter  and  pleasanter  atmosphere  for 
the  diners.  During  the  reconstruction  a 
smaller  temporary  room  was  fitted  out  and 
used  so  that  there  would  be  no  interruption 
in  service  to  the  public. 

An  attractive  and  at  the  same  time  in- 
structive scheme  of  decoration  has  been 
adopted  in  the  new  cafeteria.  On  the  walls  of 
the  room  have  been  painted  large  maps  of  the 
continents — North  America,  South  America, 
Africa,  Europe,  Asia  and  Australia — and 
on  one  wall  appears  a  map  of  the  world 
as  a  whole  together  with  maps  of  the  Arctic 
and  Antarctic  regions.  These  provide  a 
pleasing  decoration  in  light  pastel  colors, 
and  at  the  same  time  they  suggest  the  world- 
wide scope  of  the  expeditions  and  other 
activities  of  the  Museum,  and  the  vast 
sweep  of  lands  and  seas  from  which  have 
been  gathered  its  collections  of  exhibited 
material.  The  rest  of  the  color  scheme  is  in 
two  pleasing  shades  of  green,  with  trim  of 
harmonious  woods  and  marble,  and  an 
attractive  and  comfortable  floor  covering. 
Colorful  new  tables  and  chairs,  new  blue 
china,  new  silverware  and  other  table  service, 
all  enhance  the  pleasant  atmosphere  created. 

The  most  modern  and  complete  equipment 
for  cooking,  electric  refrigeration  and  dish- 
washing has  been  installed.  Operation  of  the 
cafeteria  has  been  placed  in  the  hands  of  the 
John  R.  Thompson  Company,  whose  wide- 
spread interests  and  long  experience  in  the 
restaurant  business,  and  whose  large  com- 
missary with  its  extensive  buying  power, 
assure  the  cafeteria  of  obtaining  the  best 
foods  and  selling  them  at  reasonable  prices. 
The  cafeteria  is  open  daily  after  11  a.m. 
Since  its  opening  on  June  8  it  has  been 
patronized  by  many  persons  who  have 
graciously  expressed  their  admiration  of  the 
new  facilities  and  the  quality  of  service  being 
rendered. 

As  previously,  the  Museum  makes  avail- 
able also  accommodations  for  children  and 
other  persons  bringing  their  own  lunches. 
The  room  with  many  tables  and  chairs  for 
this  purpose  has  also  been  improved.  Those 
using  these  facilities  have  the  privilege  of 
supplementing  their  lunches  with  coffee, 
tea,  milk,  and  other  things  purchased  at  a 
special  counter  provided  in  this  room.  For 
the  benefit  of  the  thousands  of  school  children 
who  come  to  the  Museum,  special  reduced 
prices  have  been  placed  on  the  beverages  and 
other  things  sold  in  this  room.  The  welfare 
of  the  children  is  assured  by  the  purity  of 
the  foods  and  drinks,  and  the  cleanliness  of 
the  service. 

A  special  lunch  room  has  been  provided  for 
the  scientific  and  administrative  staffs  of 
the  Museum.  This  room  has  been  equipped 
to  permit  of  luncheon  conferences  to  discuss 
Museum  business  when  required.  Its  walls 
are  attractively  decorated  with  enlarged 
reproductions  of  designs  from  a  codex  of 
the  Aztecs,  the  original  of  which  is  in  the 
possession  of  the  Vatican.  It  connects  with 
the  pantry  of  the  main  cafeteria  and  is 
served  from  there. 


and  continued  for  several  more  columns 
inside.  A  special  checkup  at  the  Museum 
on  the  day  of  publication  revealed  that  at 
least  3,000  of  the  15,655  visitors  who  came 
that  day  were  influenced  to  do  so  by  this 
article,  while  many  more,  concerning  whom 
no  definite  information  was  obtainable,  also 
probably  came  as  a  result  of  this  publicity. 

A  few  weeks  previously  the  Museum  was 
given  a  full  page  advertisement  in  the 
Chicago  Evening  American  through  the  cour- 
tesy of  the  publisher  of  that  newspaper. 
This  page,  printed  in  large  type,  which  must 
have  attracted  the  attention  of  most  of  the 
newspaper's  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
readers,  emphasized  the  cultural  advantages 
offered  by  the  Museum. 

These  are  outstanding  recent  courtesies 
extended  by  the  press  of  the  city  to  the 
Museum.  It  should  be  added  that  all  of 
the  Chicago  newspapers  are  constantly  co- 
operating with  the  institution  by  publishing 
news  of  its  activities,  and  there  can  be  no 
question  that  this  publicity  is  reflected  in 
the  increasing  number  of  visitors  the  Mu- 
seum receives. 


Expedition  to  Nebraska 

An  expedition  to  collect  fossil  mammals 
of  Miocene  age  (19,000,000  to  23,000,000 
years  ago)  in  various  parts  of  Nebraska  left 
Chicago  June  6  on  behalf  of  Field  Museum. 
Elmer  S.  Riggs,  Associate  Curator  of  Paleon- 
tology at  the  Museum,  is  the  leader.  Other 
members  of  the  Museum  staff  in  the  party 
are  Bryan  Patterson,  James  Quinn  and 
Sven  Dorf.  The  expedition  is  sponsored  by 
Marshall  Field.  Localities  never  before 
investigated  by  a  Field  Museum  expedition 
will  be  the  scene  of  operations. 


NEWSPAPER  COOPERATION 

Field  Museum  has  recently  received  two 
especially  valuable  pieces  of  publicity  due 
to  the  interest  of  the  publishers  of  Chicago 
newspapers.  On  Sunday,  June  14,  the 
Chicago  Tribune  published  a  comprehensive 
article  about  the  institution,  prepared  by 
its  noted  staff  writer,  James  O'Donnell 
Bennett.  This  began  with  a  full  column 
on  the  first  page  of  the  main  news  section, 


Gifts  to  the  Museum 

Following  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  principal 
gifts  received  during  the  last  month: 

From  Mrs.  Margaret  S.  Fitch — 5  ethnological  speci- 
mens, Portuguese  East  Africa:  from  Frank  Vondrasek — 
68  prehistoric  arrowheads,  Magnet  Cove,  Arkansas; 
from  Mrs.  Frances  Cowles  Badger — globular  stone  jar 
with  band  of  incised  designs,  California;  from  Professor 
Sir  Flinders  Petrie — 2  hair  samples  from  Egyptian 
mummies  of  Roman  period;  from  Jesus  Gonzalez 
Ortega — 200  herbarium  specimens,  Sinaloa;  from  Frank 
Schoble  and  Company — 17  samples  of  men's  straw 
hats  and  hat-making  materials;  from  Frederick  Blaschke 
— model  of  the  horse  Man  o'  War,  one-fifth  natural 
size;  from  William  J.  Chalmers — group  of  crystallized 
cuprite,  Arizona;  from  Museum  of  Comparative  Zool- 
ogy— 198  sea  urchins  (13  species),  Europe  and  North 
America;  from  A.  A.  Dunbar  Brander — 17  birdskins 
and  2  mounted  birds,  Scotland;  from  John  G.  Shedd 
Aquarium — a  marine  iguana,  a  geographic  turtle  and 
a  tree  frog;  from  Robert  M.  Zingg — 22  lizards,  9  snakes 
and  a  toad,  Chihuahua;  from  Doctor  K.  K.  Chen — 5 
Japanese  toads;  from  T.  M.  Whitson — a  green  snake, 
Illinois;  from  Captain  R.  J.  Walters — a  large  scorpion 
fish  and  a  large  shark  sucker,  Florida;  from  Professor 
T.  D.  A.  Cockerell — 2  shells  (cotypes),  New  Caledonia; 
from  Henry  Field — 80  lantern  slides,  Egypt  and  the 
Near  East. 

BEQUESTS  AND  ENDOWMENTS 

Bequests  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  may 
be  made  in  securities,  money,  books  or  collections. 
They  may,  if  desired,  take  the  form  of  a  memorial  to 
a  person  or  cause,  named  by  the  giver.  For  those  desiring 
to  make  bequests,  the  following  form  is  suggested: 

FORM  OF  BEQUEST 

/  do  hereby  give  and  bequeath  to  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History  of  the  City  of  Chicago,  State  of  Illinois, 


Cash  contributions  made  within  the  taxable  year  to 
Field  Museum  not  exceeding  15  per  cent  of  the  tax- 
payer's net  income  are  allowable  as  deductions  in  com- 
puting net  income  under  Article  251  of  Regulation  69 
relating  to  the  income  tax  under  the  Revenue  Act  of 
1926. 

Endowments  may  be  made  to  the  Museum  with  the 
provision  that  an  annuity  be  paid  to  the  patron  for  life. 
These  annuities  are  tax-free  and  are  guaranteed  against 
fluctuation  in  amount. 


July,  1931 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


Page  3 


IDEAS  OF  MANHOOD  IN 
WEST  AFRICA 

By  W.  D.  Hambly 

Assistant  Curator  of  African  Ethnology  and  leader  of 

Frederick  H.  Rawson-Field  Museum  Ethnological 

Expedition   to    West   Africa 

In  many  primitive  societies  boys  are  not 
allowed  to  grow  gradually  into  manhood. 
The  adult  stage  is  attained  only  by  passing 
through  ceremonies  which  invariably  impose 
many  restraints  and  much  physical  suffering. 

When  at  Cangamba  in  the  far  east  of 
Angola,  with  the  Frederick  H.  Rawson- 
Field  Museum  Ethnological  Expedition  to 
West  Africa,  my  attention  was  called  to  a 
large  enclosure  built  of  brushwood  in  such 
a  way  that  the  interior  was  entirely  screened 
from  passers-by.  It  was  for  the  boys'  initia- 
tion ceremonies,  which  are  held  only  once  in 
four  years.  With  some  difficulty  I  obtained 
admittance,  chiefly  because  I  was  able  to 
say  that  I  was  not  a  government  official, 
and  was  thus  enabled  to  witness  parts  of 
the  ceremonies. 

The  first  stage  in  the  initiation  proceeding 
is  the  approach  of  a  group  of  young  boys  to 
the  elders  of  the  village  asking  that  such 
initiation  may  take  place.  The  ceremony  is 
essential  as  a  prelude  to  marriage;  moreover, 
the  uninitiated  boy  is  regarded  as  a  child  who 
may  never  be  a  companion  of  the  initiated. 

On  entering  the  enclosure  I  found  five 
boys  apparently  varying  in  age  from  twelve 
to  seventeen  years.  Each  boy  had  to  make 
for  himself  a  mask  of  bark  cloth  which  is 
painted  black  and  white.  The  masks  are 
newly  made  for  each  initiation  ceremony,  but 
the  netting  fiber  costumes  had  evidently  seen 
long  service. 

Usually  the  boys  live  for  two  months  in 
this  enclosure.  During  this  period  each  boy 
has  to  spend  fourteen  days  continuously 
lying  on  his  back  in  a  small  cage  built  from 
branches  of  trees.  The  long  seclusion  is 
marked  by  semi-starvation  and  flogging;  in 
fact  there  are  deaths  among  the  boys  from 
time  to  time. 

The  message  sent  to  the  parents  of  a  boy 
who  has  died  under  this  treatment  has  a 
touch  of  pathos.  The  wooden  food  platter 
used  by  the  deceased  is  sent  to  the  parents 
after  it  has  been  perforated,  so  as  to  suggest 
that  it  will  be  of  no  further  use. 

About  the  time  of  my  departure  from 
Cangamba,  all  the  newly-initiated  boys  were 
presented  at  a  village  feast.     Four  expert 


drummers  played  continuously  for  several 
hours,  almost  to  the  point  of  my  exhaustion 
and  their  own.  Everyone  knows  that  these 
weird  figures  are  the  boys  who  disappeared 
for  initiation  some  eight  weeks  ago,  but 
everyone  pretends  that  the  village  has  been 
visited  by  the  ochigangi,  or  spirits  of  the 
dead.  The  garbed  figures  dance  wildly  here 
and  there,  occasionally  darting  about  to 
disperse  a  group  of  women  and  girls  who 
run  screaming  to  the  bush. 

Several  complete  costumes,  including 
masks,  were  obtained,  which  will,  in  due 
course,  be  exhibited  in  Hall  D,  devoted  to 
African  ethnology. 


AMAZON  WOODS  EXHIBITED 

A  collection  of  two  dozen  planks  repre- 
senting the  principal  species  of  woods  of 
economic  importance  which  are  obtained 
from  the  Amazon  valley  has  been  placed 
on  exhibition  in  the  Hall  of  Foreign  Woods 
(Hall  27).  These  specimens  were  obtained 
in  the  state  of  Para,  Brazil,  by  the  Marshall 
Field  Botanical  Expedition  to  the  Amazon. 

According  to  Dr.  B.  E.  Dahlgren,  Acting 
Curator  of  Botany,  who  was  leader  of  the 
Amazon  Expedition,  no  region  on  earth  has 
vaster  forest  areas  or  is  more  prolific  in 
species  of  trees  than  the  Amazon  valley. 
More  than  a  thousand  kinds,  almost  twice 
as  many  as  exist  in  all  of  North  America 
above  the  Rio  Grande,  have  been  described 
from  the  state  of  Para  alone.  In  the  pres- 
ence of  such  a  wealth  of  forest  resources 
a  notable  development  of  lumbering  could 
be  expected.  However,  while  a  considerable 
export  business  both  in  logs  and  cut  lumber 
does  exist,  it  is  with  some  surprise  that  one 
discovers  that  the  local  utilization  of  wood 
is  confined  to  a  few  dozen  kinds  at  most. 

For  the  names  of  some  of  these  woods 
the  native  Indian  designations  have  been 
retained.  Thus  one  encounters  a  variety  of 
strange  and  sonorous  terms  like  massaran- 
duba,  muirapiranga,  araracanga,  piquiarana, 
sapucaia,  tatajuba,  marupa — words,  some- 
one has  said,  made  to  order  for  the  naming 
of  Pullman  cars. 

The  woods  to  which  they  are  applied  are 
as  different  as  their  appellations.  Some  are 
distinguished  for  their  beautiful  or  unusual 
color,  some  for  peculiar  grain,  characteristic 
striping  or  bizarre  markings;  others  for  light- 
ness and  excellent  working  qualities  or  for 
solidity  and  resistance  to  wear  and  exposure. 


VOLCANIC  BOMBS 

By  Henry  W.  Nichols 
Associate  Curator  of  Geology 

Volcanic  bombs  do  not  explode,  although 
they  fall  from  such  height  that  they  can  do 
much  damage  when  they  hit  the  earth.  They 
have  a  curious  origin.  A  volcano  in  violent 
eruption  throws  melted  lava  high  in  the  air. 
Most  of  it  is  torn  to  fragments  by  the  vio- 
lence of  the  eruption  and  falls  as  volcanic 
ash  and  scoria.  Occasionally  a  lump  of  lava 
in  a  semi-fluid  state  is  thrown  so  high  that 
it  has  time  to  cool  enough,  before  falling  to 
the  earth,  to  retain  the  form  impressed  upon 
it  during  its  aerial  travel.  Such  a  mass 
during  its  ascent  and  descent  spins  rapidly. 
The  rapid  revolution  forces  the  plastic  mass 
to  assume  the  spindle  form  by  which  vol- 
canic bombs  are  recognized.  The  outside  of 
the  mass  chills  rapidly  so  that  it  has  a  thin 
glassy  glaze.  The  inside  cools  more  slowly 
and  may  have  the  aspect  of  stony  lava. 

Usually,  however,  the  molten  lava  is  satu- 
rated with  dissolved  gases  and  steam,  in 
which  case  the  inside  of  the  bomb  is  porous 
and  resembles  pumice  or  the  inside  of  a  loaf 
of  bread.  The  resemblance  to  bread  is  more 
marked  in  the  breadcrust  variety  of  volcanic 
bomb  which  has  a  surface  reticulated  by 
shallow  cracks  such  as  appear  on  bread  crust. 
This  is  due  to  contraction  from  cooling. 

The  recent  Marshall  Field  Expedition  to 
Mount  Taylor  added  a  number  of  specimens 
to  the  volcanic  bomb  collection  in  Clarence 
Buckingham  Hall  (Hall  35). 


Museum's  Printing  Chief  Dies 

U.  A.  Dohmen,  for  more  than  thirty-five 
years  Chief  of  the  Division  of  Printing  of 
Field  Museum,  died  on  May  21.  Mr. 
Dohmen  was  born  December  24,  1874,  and 
began  his  work  for  the  Museum  in  1895. 
Starting  with  hand-set  type,  foot-operated 
printing  press,  and  himself  as  the  only 
printer,  Mr.  Dohmen  developed  the  plant 
in  his  charge  into  a  large  one  with  modern 
typesetting,  printing,  binding  and  cutting 
machinery,  and  a  staff  of  numerous  workers. 
His  devotion  to  his  duties  and  the  great 
success  he  made  of  the  printing  plant,  were 
greatly  appreciated  by  the  administrative 
officers  of  the  Museum,  and  his  death  repre- 
sents a  serious  loss. 

Dewey  S.  Dill,  for  several  years  an  assist- 
ant of  Mr.  Dohmen's,  has  been  placed  in 
charge  of  the  Division  of  Printing. 


GOOD  FOOD  AMID  PLEASANT  SURROUNDINGS  PROVIDED  FOR  MUSEUM  VISITORS 


Field  Museum's  New  Cafeteria 

View  of  part  of  new  lunchroom  looking  toward  the  serving  counter.    Improved  facilities  make  possible  quicker  and  more  efficient 
service  for  large  numbers  of  people.     See  editorial  on  page  2. 


Page  k 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


July,  19S1 


RAYMOND  FOUNDATION 
PROGRAMS 

The  James  Nelson  and  Anna  Louise 
Raymond  Foundation  for  Public  School  and 
Children's  Lectures  offers  a  summer  series 
of  free  entertainments  for  children,  to  be 
presented  at  Field  Museum  during  July  and 
August.  There  will  be  six  programs,  be- 
ginning with  one  on  Thursday,  July  9,  and 
running  on  consecutive  Thursdays  up  to 
and  including  August  13. 

The  programs  are  varied  in  character, 
including  motion  pictures,  story  hours,  and 
tours  of  certain  sections  of  the  exhibits 
conducted  by  Raymond  Foundation  lec- 
turers. The  motion  pictures  and  the  story 
hours  will  be  presented  in  the  James  Simpson 
Theatre  of  the  Museum. 

Following  is  the  schedule: 

July  9 — 10  a.m.,  motion  picture:  "With  Byrd  at 
the  South  Pole." 

July  16 — 10  A.M.,  story  hour:  "Giants  of  Long  Ago"; 
11  AJf.,  tour:  Prehistoric  Animals  and  People. 

July  23 — 10  am.,  tour:  Chinese  Exhibits;  11  A.M., 
motion  picture:  "Glimpses  of  China." 

July  30 — 10  A.M.,  motion  picture:  "The  Silent 
Enemy." 

August  6 — 10  A.M.,  story  hour:  "Children  of  Many 
Lands";  11  AJI.,  tour:  Exhibits  Showing  Child-life. 

August  13 — 10  AJI.,  tour:  Animals  of  Land  and 
Water;  11  AJt.,  motion  pictures:  "Alligators,"  "Alaskan 
Sheep,"  "Bears,"  "Animals  of  the  Galapagos,"  "Lions 
at  Home." 

Children  from  all  parts  of  the  city  and 
suburbs  are  invited  to  these  entertainments, 
and  no  tickets  are  necessary  for  admission. 
In  addition  to  those  coming  individually, 
large  groups  organized  in  various  community 
centers  are  expected. 


KISH  ANTIQUITIES  ARRIVE 

Twenty-one  boxes  of  stuccos,  sculptures, 
jewelry  and  other  treasures  excavated  from 
the  ruins  of  Kish,  including  objects  from  the 
Persian  temples  wliich  were  discovered  on 
the  site  of  the  ancient  city  by  the  Field 
Museum-Oxford  University  Joint  Expedi- 
tion to  Mesopotamia  during  its  1930-31 
season,  have  been  received  at  the  Museum. 

Professor  Stephen  Langdon,  director  of 
the  expedition,  reports  various  archaeological 
discoveries  which  may  have  an  important 
bearing  in  reconstructing  the  history  of  the 
world's  earliest  civilizations.  Among  these 
was  the  finding  of  a  seal  of  the  early  Indus 
Valley,  which  was  buried  nine  meters  below 
the  surface  of  the  mound  covering  the  great 
temple  area  of  Kish.  It  bears  an  inscription 
of  seven  hieroglyphs  of  a  type  previously 
known  from  excavations  at  Mohenjo-Daro 
and  Harappa,  representing  the  prehistoric 
but  advanced  civilization  of  India.  This  is 
the  first  time  that  one  of  these  seals  has  been 
found  in  situ  in  a  pre-Sargonic  stratum  in 
Mesopotamia,  according  to  Professor  Lang- 
don. It  was  found  with  an  object  inscribed 
with  a  cuneiform  text,  which  can  be  dated 
by  its  script  at  about  2800  B.C. 

"It  is  therefore  clear  that  the  great  civi- 
lization now  recovered  in  India  and  entirely 
unsuspected  until  very  recent  times  is  ex- 
tremely ancient,"  states  Professor  Langdon. 
"It  further  appears  that  a  race,  related  to 
the  Sumerians,  who  had  founded  a  great 
civilization  in  India  before  3000  B.C.  had 
close  commercial  relations  with  Sumer  and 
Elam  in  that  remote  period.  They  may 
even  have  invaded  Mesopotamia,  for  the 
palace  decorations  of  the  old  Sumerian 
palace  at  Kish  have  revealed  a  race  of  kings 
and  prisoners  whose  dress  and  tonsure  are 
totally  unlike  those  of  the  Sumerians.  They 
wear  the  pigtail  tonsure,  and  surely  indicate 
a  foreign  invasion." 


Professor  Langdon  further  reports  that 
of  two  Persian  palaces  of  the  Sassanian 
period  found  on  the  site  of  Kish  this  season, 
one  has  a  court  shaped  like  the  nave  of  a 
Christian  church,  with  a  "choir"  at  the  back. 
The  building  suggests  the  influence  of  the 
famous  sect  of  the  Manichaeans,  he  says. 
So  striking  is  its  resemblance  to  a  Christian 
cathedral  that  one  is  led  to  question  descrip- 
tion of  the  building  as  a  palace,  except  for 
the  fact  that  four  busts  of  a  Sassanian  king 
were  found  in  the  ruins,  and  the  mural 
decorations  show  no  religious  motifs  what- 
ever. 


THE  SEA  ROBIN 

By  Alfred  C.  Weed 
Assistant  Curator  of  Fishes 

Many  fishes  have  received  the  name  "fly- 
ing fishes."  Some  of  them  can  make  long 
gliding  jumps  through  the  air.  Others  never 
leave  the  water  of  their  own  accord  and 
are  called  fliers  simply  because  they  have 
large  fins.  In  the  latter  group  we  find  some 
creatures  that  have  also  been  called  "sea 
robins"  because  they  have  long,  winglike 


The  Sea  Robin 

Reproduction  exhibited  in  Albert  W.  Harris  Hall. 

fins  and  usually  show  much  red  color  on 
the  body.  On  our  coasts  they  are  found 
from  Maine  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

In  European  waters  some  of  the  sea  robins 
are  called  gurnards.  There  they  are  common 
food  fish  but  are  not  so  used  in  this  country. 
Most  of  ours  are  small  and  would  furnish 
very  little  meat. 

In  an  aquarium  the  sea  robins  are  among 
the  showiest  species.  Their  colors  are  bril- 
liant. They  are  almost  always  in  motion 
and  spread  their  immense  pectoral  (arm)  fins 
in  all  sorts  of  strange  ways.  Ordinary  fishes 
do  not  seem  to  make  much  use  of  their 
side  fins,  but  the  sea  robin  waves  them 
around  in  the  most  unexpected  manner.  One 
fin  may  be  folded  like  a  fan  while  the  other 
is  spread  like  a  great  umbrella.  One  may 
be  spread  out  horizontally  in  an  almost  per- 
fect imitation  of  a  certain  type  of  airplane 
wing  while  the  other  is  spread  as  widely 
but  pointed  straight  downward.  All  the 
while  there  is  a  continual  flow  of  color 
changes  over  the  whole  fish.  All  sorts  of 
bronzy  tints  in  reds,  browns,  purples  and  golds 
come  and  go  as  body  colors  and  as  surface 
washes. 

When  the  fish  comes  to  rest  on  the  bottom 
we  have  another  surprise.  The  three  lower 
rays  of  the  pectoral  fin  on  each  side  are 
separated  from  the  rest  and  look  like  long 
skinny  fingers.  They  are  as  movable  as 
fingers  and  are  used  just  as  freely.  When 
the  distance  is  not  too  great  the  fish  may 
walk  on  them  just  as  a  crab  walks  on  the 
tips  of  its  legs.  If  the  fish  wishes  to  rest 
quietly  on  the  sand  it  may  dig  a  shallow 
pit  with  these  same  fingers.  It  may  also 
poke  and  prod  around  in  the  sand  in  search 
of  something  to  eat. 

A  very  fine  specimen  of  one  of  the  larger 
sea  robins  has  been  received  from  the  John 
G.  Shedd  Aquarium  and  has  been  reproduced 
in  celluloid  by  A.  G.  Rueckert  of  the  Museum 
staff.  It  is  now  on  exhibition  in  Albert  W. 
Harris  Hall  (Hall  18). 


JULY  GUIDE-LECTURE  TOURS 

Following  is  the  schedule  of  conducted 
tours  of  the  exhibits  during  July: 

Wednesday,  July  1 — 11  A.M.,  Man  Through  the  Ages, 
3  P.M.,  The  Horse  and  Its  Relatives;  Thursday:  11  A.M. 
and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Friday:  11  a.m.,  Birds  of 
Shores  and  Swamps,  3  P.M.,  Egypt. 

Week  beginning  July  6 — Monday:  11  a.m.,  Palms 
and  Cereals,  3  P.M.,  Industrial  Models;  Tuesday:  11 
A.M.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Wednesday:  11  A.M., 
Dwellers  of  the  Far  North,  3  P.M.,  Plant  and  Animal 
Life  of  Long  Ago;  Thursday:  11  a.m.  and  3  P.M.,  General 
Tours;  Friday:  11  A.M.,  Textiles,  3  p.m.,  Sea  Life. 

Week  beginning  July  13 — Monday:  11  a.m.,  Rare 
and  Exotic  Plants,  3  p.m.,  Africa  and  Madagascar; 
Tuesday:  11  AM.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Wednes- 
day: 11  A.M.,  Mummies  and  Burial  Customs,  3  p.m., 
Gems  and  Jewelry;  Thursday:  11  A.M.  and  3  P.M., 
General  Tours;  Friday:  11  A.M.,  Trees  and  Wood  Prod- 
ucts, 3  p.m.,  Weapons  and  Armor. 

Week  beginning  July  20 — Monday:  11  A.M.,  Reptiles 
and  Fishes,  3  P.M.,  China;  Tuesday:  11  A.M.  and  3  P.M., 
General  Tours;  Wednesday:  11  a.m.,  Primitive  Musical 
Instruments,  3  P.M.,  Mines  and  Minerals;  Thursday: 
11  A.M.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Friday:  11  a.m., 
Indians  of  Plains  and  Deserts,  3  p.m.,  Asiatic  Animals. 

Week  beginning  July  27 — Monday:  11  A.M.,  Boats 
and  Fishing,  3  P.M.,  Work  of  Wind  and  Water;  Tuesday: 
11  AM.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Wednesday:  11  A.M., 
Oriental  Theatricals,  3  p.m.,  Primitive  Costumes; 
Thursday:  11  AJf.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Friday: 
11  AJI.,  African  Game  Animals,  3  P.M.,  Mexico,  Past 
and  Present. 

Persons  wishing  to  participate  should 
apply  at  North  Entrance.  Tours  are  free 
and  no  gratuities  are  to  be  proffered.  A  new 
schedule  will  appear  each  month  in  Field 
Museum  News.  Guide-lecturers'  services 
for  special  tours  by  parties  of  ten  or  more 
are  available  free  of  charge  by  arrangement 
with  the  Director  a  week  in  advance. 


NEW  MEMBERS 

The  following  persons  were  elected  to 
membership  in  Field  Museum  during  the 
period  from  May  17  to  June  16: 

Associate  Members 
Miss  Ruth  D.  Bannister,  Oliver  A.  Blackburn,  Dr. 
Walter  L.   Blomgren,   John   F.    Cuneo,    Mrs.    C.   W. 
McLaury,  Mrs.  Albert  J.  Metzel,  Mrs.  Olive  C.  Sleeper. 

Annual  Members 

Marshall  Frank  Barrett,  Mrs.  Grace  L.  Cowan,  Miss 
Louise  K.  Dittmar,  Mrs.  Clarence  L.  Frederick,  Dr. 
William  W.  Gibbs,  J.  Roberts  Harm,  Mrs.  George 
Francis  Hartford,  Mrs.  A.  N.  Hauter,  Mrs.  Marshall 
W.  Hill,  Mrs.  Robert  L.  Holmes,  Miss  Edna  Gray 
Johnson,  Frank  Johnson,  Meyer  Kestnbaum,  Maurice 
Leigh,  Dr.  Thomas  McGuigan,  E.  E.  Mclnnis,  Rev. 
Jesse  L.  McLaughlin,  S.  D.  McNeal,  Clarence  E. 
Mehlhope,  Arthur  M.  Nichelson,  Stephen  M.  Paddock, 
Samuel  Schweitzer,  Eben  Stanley,  Charles  F.  Thomas, 
Mrs.  H.  Tifft,  William  M.  Tippett,  Mrs.  Joseph  Triner, 
John  Tuthill  Walbridge,  Mrs.  G.  Albert  West,  Mrs. 
Thomas  Y.  Wickham,  Gerald  T.  Wiley,  Lawrence  M. 
Williams,  Donald  M.  Wood,  Robert  M.  Zacharias, 
Tytus  Zbyszewski. 


New  Guidebook  To  Be  Issued 

The  fifteenth  edition  of  the  General  Guide 
to  Field  Museum  will  be  published  shortly. 
Revisions  cover  important  changes  made  in 
the  exhibits  during  the  past  year. 

MEMBERSHIP  IN  FIELD  MUSEUM 

Field  Museum  has  several  classes  of  Members. 
Benefactors  give  or  devise  $100,000  or  more.  Contribu- 
tors give  or  devise  $1,000  to  $100,000.  Life  Members 
give  $500.  Non-Resident  (Life)  and  Associate  Members 
pay  $100.  Non-Resident  Associate  Members  pay  $50. 
All  the  above  classes  are  exempt  from  dues.  Sustaining 
Members  contribute  $25  annually.  After  six  years  they 
become  Associate  Members.  Annual  Members  con- 
tribute $10  annually.  Other  memberships  are  Corpo- 
rate, Honorary,  Patron,  and  Corresponding,  additions 
under  these  classifications  being 'made  by  special  action 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

Each  Member,  in  all  classes,  is  entitled  to  free 
admission  to  the  Museum  for  himself,  his  family  and 
house  guests,  and  to  two  reserved  seats  for  Museum 
lectures  provided  for  Members.  Subscription  to  Field 
Museum  News  is  included  with  all  memberships.  The 
courtesies  of  every  museum  of  note  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada  are  extended  to  all  Members  of 
Field  Museum.  A  Member  may  give  his  personal  card 
to  non-residents  of  Chicago,  upon  presentation  of 
which  they  will  be  admitted  to  the  Museum  without 
charge.  Further  information  about  memberships  will 
be  sent  on  request. 

PRINTED  BY  FIELD  MUSEUM   PRESS 


News 


Published  Monthly  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Chicago 


Vol.  2 


AUGUST,   1931 


No.  8 


GREAT  ANTEATERS   OF    SOUTH  AMERICA  ON  VIEW  IN  NEW  HABITAT  GROUP 


By  Wilfred  H.  Osgood 
Curator,  Department  of  Zoology 

The  latest  addition  to  the  Hall  of  American 
Mammal  Habitat  Groups  (Hall  16)  is  an 
exhibit  showing  the  great  anteater  amid  a 
reproduction  of  its  natural  habitat.  This 
group  was  completed  and 
opened  to  public  view  last 
month. 

The  great  anteater, 
which  ranges  from  south- 
ern Mexico  to  southern 
Brazil,  is  one  of  the 
queerest  of  the  many 
queer  beasts  inhabiting 
the  American  tropics.  It 
is  peculiar  in  appearance, 
in  structure,  and  in  habits. 
One  of  its  names  is  ant 
bear,  perhaps  on  account 
of  its  large  size  and  shaggy 
coat,  but  it  is  not  even 
remotely  related  to  bears. 
It  belongs  to  that  rather 
anomalous  group  of  mam- 
mals called  edentates,  of 
which  the  known  extinct 
species  are  much  more 
numerous  than  those  now 
living.  It  is  one  of  three 
principal  kinds  of  ant- 
eaters  in  South  and  Cen- 
tral America.  The  other 
two  are  the  medium  sized 
tamandua  and  the  much 
smaller  silky  anteater, 
both  of  which  are  highly  arboreal  in  habits. 

The  grotesque  appearance  of  the  great 
anteater  is  largely  due  to  its  very  long  and 
very  narrow  head  which  is  actually  six  times 
as  long  as  wide.  In  other  words,  it  is  longer 
than  that  of  a  very  large  grizzly  bear  and 
scarcely  wider  than  that  of  a  jackrabbit. 
The  mouth  is  reduced  to  very  small  size, 


serving  only  as  an  opening  through  which 
to  protrude  its  long,  extensile  tongue  and 
draw  in  its  insect  food. 

That  such  a  large  animal  should  be  wholly 
sustained  on  a  diet  of  ants  and  termites 
seems  incredible,  but  this  is  the  case.    Al- 


Great  Anteater  Group 

Exhibit  in  Hall  16  of  animals  obtained  by  Marshall  Field  South  American  Expedition 

though  this  must  be  regarded  as  strong  testi- 
mony as  to  the  abundance  of  these  insects 
in  the  countries  to  the  south  of  us,  it  is  still 
stronger  as  to  the  efficiency  of  nature's 
machine  for  capturing  them  in  large  quan- 
tities. The  great  anteater  has  sometimes 
been  kept  alive  successfully  in  zoological 
gardens,  but  it  is  an  expensive  pet,  for  its 


board  bill  runs  to  high  figures.  To  supply 
it  with  all  the  insects  it  needs  reaches  a 
cost  rivaling  that  of  the  tons  of  hay  for 
the  elephant. 

Teeth  are  unnecessary  for  an  anteater  and 
they  have  been  entirely  eliminated,  but  the 
animals  are  provided  with 
unusually  large  salivary 
glands  which  supply  a 
viscid  secretion  to  assist 
the  effectiveness  of  the 
tongue.  The  long,  heavy 
claws  of  the  front  feet  are 
used  mainly  for  tearing 
open  the  ant  and  termite 
nests,  but  when  necessary 
can  be  used  very  effec- 
tively in  defense.  For 
this  reason  the  anteater 
is  held  in  very  great 
respect  by  local  hunters 
and  also  by  such  preda- 
cious animals  as  the  jaguar 
and  the  puma  which  are 
usually  inclined  to  give  it 
a  wide  berth.  Many  a 
good  hunting  hound  has 
been  literally  disem- 
boweled by  a  powerful 
sweep  of  these  claws. 

The   Museum's   group 

was  obtained  by  Colin  C. 

Sanborn,  Assistant 

Curator  of   Mammals, 

while  a  member  of  the 

Marshall  Field  South 

American  Expedition  of  1926.    The  animals 

are  shown  in  the  light  forest  or  semi-savanna 

of  southwestern  Brazil  where  the  physical 

conditions  are  those  they  prefer.    They  may 

also  occur  about  the  edges  of  heavy,  humid 

forests  but  do  not  penetrate  far  into  them. 

The  taxidermy  is  by  Julius  Friesser  and  the 

painted  background  by  Charles  A.  Corwin. 


MUSEUM  EXPEDITION  RETURNS 
FROM  MAYA  LANDS 

The  Third  Marshall  Field  Archaeological 
Expedition  to  British  Honduras  and  Guate- 
mala, which  had  been  in  the  field  since 
February,  concluded  its  work  and  returned 
to  the  Museum  in  June.  Collections  of 
rare  and  curious  objects,  and  many  new 
scientific  data  on  both  the  ancient  and 
modern  Mayas  were  brought  back  by  J. 
Eric  Thompson,  Assistant  Curator  of  Cen- 
tral and  South  American  Archaeology,  who 
was  leader  of  the  expedition. 

Reconnaissance  and  research  work  was 
conducted  by  the  expedition  at  several  points 
in  British  Honduras  and  Guatemala,  and  on 
a  site  near  San  Jose  in  western  British  Hon- 
duras fifteen  burial  mounds  were  excavated. 
Before  the  excavations  could  proceed,  Mr. 
Thompson  and  his  assistants  had  the  ardu- 
ous task  of  clearing  the  site  of  a  heavy 
overgrowth  of  forest  in  which  were  trees 
reaching  as  high  as  100  feet.  The  site  is 
one  which  had  hitherto  been  untouched  by 
archaeologists. 


Among  the  specimens  brought  back  are 
a  number  of  sets  of  human  teeth  with  inlays 
of  jade.  The  practice  of  drilling  and  filling 
teeth  with  jade  and  other  ornamental  stones 
was  a  common  one  among  the  ancient 
Mayas,  according  to  Mr.  Thompson.  Ap- 
parently it  was  purely  for  personal  adorn- 
ment, and  there  was  no  dental  hygiene  idea 
behind  it,  he  says.  Certain  old  women 
developed  great  skill  in  the  work,  and  prac- 
tically all  of  it  was  done  by  them.  They 
were  kept  almost  constantly  busy  at  it,  old 
records  indicate.  Drilling  was  done  with  a 
sharpened  stone  drill  or  file,  turned  by  a 
string  bow.  The  operations  must  have  been 
extremely  painful,  but  apparently  were  re- 
garded as  an  ordeal  to  be  endured  as  a 
proof  of  Spartan-like  fortitude,  or  as  part  of 
the  ceremonies  for  initiation  of  youths  into 
manhood. 

Among  other  objects  brought  to  the 
Museum  by  Mr.  Thompson  are  skulls  show- 
ing the  results  of  the  practice  of  deformation 
by  binding  planks  to  the  forehead  during 
childhood;  bowls  containing  skulls  of  per- 
sons who  had  been  the  victims  of  sacrificial 


death  rites;  large  ear-plugs  of  jade  weighing 
more  than  three  ounces  each;  jade  amulets; 
the  contents  of  a  child's  grave,  including 
various  toys  such  as  dolls  with  whistles;  and 
peculiar  flint  implements  shaped  like  scor- 
pions, dogs,  human  beings  and  other 
creatures. 


Museum  Member's  Cooperation 

The  interest  taken  in  the  Museum  by 
many  of  its  Members  is  exemplified  by  a 
recent  occurrence.  Work  on  the  restoration 
of  a  Carboniferous  forest,  now  in  course  of 
preparation  for  Ernest  R.  Graham  Hall,  had 
proceeded  to  a  stage  where  it  was  necessary 
to  procure  a  certain  kind  of  peat  to  simulate 
the  mucky  soil.  As  only  a  certain  variety 
of  peat,  not  readily  available,  would  do,  this 
threatened  to  be  a  matter  of  considerable 
expense  and  difficulty.  However,  when 
C.  N.  Ackerman,  an  Associate  Member, 
heard  of  the  difficulty  he  at  once  presented 
the  Museum  with  several  hundred  pounds 
of  the  necessary  peat  from  his  property  in 
Antioch,  Illinois. 


Page  2 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


August,  19S1 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Founded  by  Marshall  Field,  1893 
Roosevelt  Road  and  Lake  Michigan,  Chicago 

THE  BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES 
John  Borden  William  H.  Mitchell 

William  J.  Chalmers  Frederick  H.  Rawson 

R.  T.  Crane,  Jr.  George  A.  Richardson 

Marshall  Field  Martin  A.  Ryerson 

Stanley  Field  Fred  W.  Sargent 

Ernest  R.  Graham  Stephen  C.  Simms 

Albert  W.  Harris  James  Simpson 

Samuel  Insull,  Jr.  Solomon  A.  Smith 

William  V.  Kelley  Albert  A.  Sprague 

Cyrus  H.  McCormick  Sn-As  H.  Strawn 

William  Wrigley,  Jr. 

OFFICERS 

Stanley  Field President 

Martin  A.  Ryerson First  Vice-President 

Albert  A.  Sprague Second  Vice-President 

James  Simpson Third  Vice-President 

Stephen  C.  Simms Director  and  Secretary 

Solomon  A.  Smith.  . .  Treasurer  and  Assistant  Secretary 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 

Stephen  C .  Simms,  Director  of  the  Museum Editor 

CONTRIBUTING  EDITORS 

Berthold  Laufer Curator  of  Anthropology 

B.  E.  Dahlgren Acting  Curator  of  Botany 

O.  C.  Farrington Curator  of  Geology 

Wn-FRED  H.  Osgood Curator  of  Zoology 

H.  B.  Harte Managing  Editor 

Field  Museum  is  open  every  day  of  the  year  during 
the  hours  indicated  below: 

November,  December,  January  9  A.M.  to  4 :30  P M. 

February,  March,  April,  October  9  a.m.  to  5:00  P.M. 

May,  June,  July,  August,  September    9  A.M.  to  6 :00  P.M. 

Admission  is  free  to  Members  on  all  days.  Other 
adults  are  admitted  free  on  Thursdays,  Saturdays  and 
Sundays;  non-members  pay  25  cents  on  other  days. 
Children  are  admitted  free  on  all  days.  Students  and 
faculty  members  of  educational  institutions  are  admit- 
ted free  any  day  upon  presentation  of  credentials. 

The  Library  of  the  Museum,  containing  some  92,000 
volumes  on  natural  history  subjects,  is  open  for  refer- 
ence daily  except  Sunday. 

Traveling  exhibits  are  circulated  in  the  schools  of 
Chicago  by  the  Museum's  Department  of  the  N.  W. 
Harris  Public  School  Extension. 

Lectures  for  school  classrooms  and  assemblies,  and 
special  entertainments  and  lecture  tours  for  children  at 
the  Museum,  are  provided  by  the  James  Nelson  and 
Anna  Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for  Public  School 
and  Children's  Lectures. 

Announcements  of  courses  of  free  illustrated  lectures 
on  science  and  travel  for  the  public,  and  special  lectures 
for  Members  of  the  Museum,  will  appear  in  Field 
Museum  News. 

There  is  a  cafeteria  in  the  Museum  where  luncheon 
is  served  for  visitors.  Other  rooms  are  provided  for 
those  bringing  their  lunches. 

Members  are  requested  to  inform  the  Museum 
promptly  of  changes  of  address. 


DEPARTMENT  OF  ANTHROPOLOGY 
—ITS  AIMS  AND  OBJECTS 

Departments  of  anthropology  have  been 
founded  at  many  of  our  leading  universities 
and  in  the  larger  natural  history  museums. 
The  scientist  who  desires  to  make  anthro- 
pology his  lifetime  vocation  has  therefore  the 
choice  between  an  academic  and  a  museum 
career.  The  teaching  of  anthropology  is,  of 
course,  an  important  task,  as  investigators 
must  be  trained  to  shoulder  the  burden  of 
their  predecessors,  and  our  museums  must 
look  to  the  universities  for  a  supply  of 
competent  men. 

The  anthropologist  devoting  his  energies 
to  museum  work  enjoys  a  wide  sphere  of 
activities  and  an  unlimited  range  of  oppor- 
tunity; he  may  be  explorer,  research-worker, 
author,  lecturer  and  educator  at  the  same 
time.  A  hall  in  the  museum  covering  the 
ethnology  or  archaeology  of  a  certain  country 
or  group  of  tribes,  properly  arranged  and 
labeled,  has  the  same  value  and  offers  the 
same  advantages  as  a  university  lecture 
course  on  the  same  subject — with  two 
notable  differences,  however:  the  university 


course  is  given  for  the  benefit  of  a  limited 
number  of  students,  while  the  silent  course 
offered  by  a  museum  hall  will  reach  many 
hundreds  and  thousands  of  people  daily. 
Moreover,  it  is  a  permanent  institution,  a 
visual  demonstration  of  facts  and  data 
accompanied  by  lectures  printed  on  labels, 
while  the  class  room  instruction  naturally 
is  transient  and  evanescent  and  lacks  the 
actual  demonstration  of  culture  objects, 
models,  and  groups. 

At  present  eighteen  large  halls  are  installed 
with  labeled  exhibits  in  the  Department  of 
Anthropology  of  Field  Museum.  These 
cover  all  parts  of  the  world  and  represent 
the  equivalent  of  eighteen  lecture  courses, 
which  is  far  more  than  all  university  depart- 
ments of  anthropology  combined  are  able 
to  offer.  Any  visitor  to  the  Museum  who 
is  determined  to  study  these  collections  care- 
fully case  by  case  and  to  digest  the  informa- 
tion given  on  the  labels  will  receive  a  liberal 
education  in  anthropology  and  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  cultural  achievements  of 
mankind. 

The  label  is  the  bond  that  links  the 
Museum  with  the  public.  A  label  may  be 
very  concise,  consisting  of  only  a  line  or 
two,  and  yet  it  will  embody  the  results  of 
long  and  painstaking  research  and  consider- 
able thought. 

It  is  hoped  to  publish  a  guide  for  each  of 
the  halls.  Three  such  guides  have  already 
been  issued,  and  a  fourth  is  in  press  now. 
The  object  of  this  series  of  handbooks  is  to 
furnish  the  synthesis  to  the  analytic  collec- 
tions, to  present  a  survey  of  the  region  or 
culture  in  question  and  to  depict  in  particular 
its  geographical,  historical,  social  and  reli- 
gious background.  These  booklets  are  amply 
provided  with  illustrations,  maps,  and 
bibliographies,  and  are  gotten  up  in  an 
attractive  style. 

While  all  resources  are  thus  supplied  by  the 
Museum  for  an  intensive  study  and  appre- 
ciation of  all  phases  of  human  cultures,  the 
Department  is  not  content  with  the  mere 
role  of  disseminating  knowledge  of  its 
science,  but  it  is  also  eager  to  perform  a 
distinct  service  to  the  public.  The  practical 
value  of  the  art  of  primitive  and  oriental 
nations  to  our  own  art  and  industries  is  now 
generally  recognized,  and  the  creators  of 
new  and  better  ideas  have  always  discovered 
in  the  Museum's  collections  many  sugges- 
tions and  inspirations.  Art  students,  artists, 
craftsmen,  designers,  and  manufacturers 
have  made  liberal  use  of  decorative  forms 
and  designs  such  as  those  shown  in  the 
American  Indian,  ancient  Egyptian,  Chinese, 
South  Pacific  and  other  collections. 

A  new  study  room  has  just  been  opened 
in  the  quarters  of  the  Department  of 
Anthropology  on  the  third  floor  of  the 
building.  It  is  spacious,  well  lighted,  attrac- 
tively furnished  and  equipped  with  study 
material  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  arranged 
in  wall  cases.  This  room  is  open  to  all  who 
desire  to  pursue  specific  studies  in  any 
anthropological  subject  or  to  apply  material 
to  any  legitimate  purpose  in  art  or  industry. 
■ — Berthold  Laufer 

(An  article  on  the  purposes  and  functions 
of  the  Department  of  Botany  will  appear  next 
month,  and  similar  articles  on  the  Depart- 
ments of  Geology  and  Zoology  in  succeeding 
months.) 


The  famous  race  horse  was  selected  to 
represent  the  highest  development  of  the 
modern  horse  in  the  Museum's  series  of 
models  illustrating  the  evolution  of  the  horse 
from  a  four-toed  animal  about  the  size  of  a 
cat,  through  the  various  stages  of  develop- 
ment to  the  present  day. 

The  model  of  Man  o'  War  is  the  work  of 
Frederick  Blaschke,  sculptor  of  Cold  Spring- 
on-Hudson,  New  York,  who  has  presented 
it  to  the  Museum  as  a  gift.  It  is  one-fifth 
actual  size,  and  was  made  from  life  by  Mr. 
Blaschke  shortly  after  Man  o'  War's  retire- 
ment from  the  turf. 

With  the  addition  of  the  model  of  Man  o' 
War,  the  Museum's  horse  evolution  exhibit 
shows  six  stages  of  development.  The  dis- 
play begins  with  the  Eohippus  or  "dawn 
horse,"  which  had  four  toes  on  the  fore  feet 
and  three  on  the  hind  feet.      It  grew  no 


Man  o'  War 

Model  of  famous  race  horse  presented  to  Field 
Museum  by  the  sculptor,  Frederick  Blaschke,  and 
added  to  series  illustrating  evolution  of  horse. 

larger  than  a  cat,  and  lived  about  55,000,000 
years  ago,  according  to  Dr.  Oliver  C. 
Farrington,  Curator  of  Geology.  Next  is 
shown  the  Mesohippus,  a  three-toed  horse 
about  the  size  of  a  collie  dog,  which  lived 
about  35,000,000  years  ago.  Following  this 
are  a  slender-limbed  small  desert  horse,  of 
19,000,000  years  ago;  a  larger  one-toed 
horse  of  some  7,000,000  years  back;  and 
finally  the  modern  horse  as  represented  by 
Man  o'  War. 

In  addition  to  the  models,  fossil  skulls 
and  feet  of  each  of  these  are  on  exhibition. 
Although  the  horse  appears  to  have  origi- 
nated in  North  America,  soon  spreading 
to  South  America,  and  appearing  later  in  Asia 
and  Europe,  it  was  completely  exterminated 
on  the  American  continents  in  prehistoric 
times,  and  modern  horses  here  are  descended 
chiefly  from  European  and  Asiatic  stock. 


MODEL  OF  FAMOUS  HORSE 

"Man  o'  War,"  one-time  race  track  favo- 
rite, has  been  immortalized  by  the  placing 
of  a  model,  showing  his  sleek  lines,  on 
permanent  exhibition  in  Field  Museum. 


BEQUESTS  AND  ENDOWMENTS 

Bequests  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  may 
be  made  in  securities,  money,  books  or  collections. 
They  may,  if  desired,  take  the  form  of  a  memorial  to 
a  person  or  cause,  named  by  the  giver.  For  those  desiring 
to  make  bequests,  the  following  form  is  suggested: 

FORM  OF  BEQUEST 

I  do  hereby  give  and  bequeath  to  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History  of  the  City  of  Chicago,  State  of  Illinois, 


Cash  contributions  made  within  the  taxable  year  to 
Field  Museum  not  exceeding  15  per  cent  of  the  tax- 
payer's net  income  are  allowable  as  deductions  in  com- 
puting net  income  under  Article  251  of  Regulation  69 
relating  to  the  income  tax  under  the  Revenue  Act  of 
1926. 

Endowments  may  be  made  to  the  Museum  with  the 
provision  that  an  annuity  be  paid  to  the  patron  for  life. 
These  annuities  are  tax-free  and  are  guaranteed  against 
fluctuation  in  amount. 


August,  1931 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


Page  3 


THE  DEATH  VINE— 
AYAHUASCA 

By  Llewelyn  Williams 

Assistant  in  Wood  Technology; 
Leader,  Marshall  Field  Botanical  Expedition  to  Peru 

A  primitive  art  of  curing  and  healing  was 
developed  to  an  astonishing  degree  by  the 
Incas,  even  before  the  advent  of  the  Span- 
iards. These  natives  of  America  knew  the 
medicinal  value  of  certain  herbs,  shrubs,  and 
the  roots,  barks,  resins  and  leaves  of  trees, 
and  how  to  administer  them  to  effect  cures. 
They  were  acquainted  also  with  the  use  of 
certain  narcotics.  This  knowledge,  modi- 
fied by  the  passing  of  time,  has  been  trans- 
mitted from  generation  to  generation,  and 
is  the  basis  of  practices  carried  on  today  by 
a  few  Indian  tribes  in  certain  regions  in  the 
eastern  ranges  of  the  Andes  and  the  adjacent 
equatorial  forests.  Many  ancient  customs 
and  traditions  have  survived  unaltered 
among  these  people  because  of  the  simple  en- 
vironment in  which  they  live.  It  is  therefore 
not  surprising  to  find  among  them  certain 
individuals  regarded  as  wizards  or  medicine- 
men. 

Among  the  botanical  specimens  brought 
back  by  the  Marshall  Field  Expedition  to 
Peru,  one  of  the  most  interesting  is  the 
ayahuasca,  used  by  these  medicine-men. 
This  name  derives  from  the  Quecha  dialect 
words  aya,  meaning  death,  and  huasca,  mean- 
ing vine.  The  "death  vine"  belongs  to  the 
tropical  family  Malpighiaceae. 

Among  these  Indians  the  leaves  of  this 
vine  are  boiled  in  water  for  several  hours, 
and  the  resulting  infusion  is  drunk  copiously 
at  ceremonial  feasts  to  eliminate  fear  and  to 
stimulate  reckless  bravery  in  warfare.  The 
narcotic  element  in  the  drink  has  a  rapid 
and  violent  effect  on  the  nervous  system. 
It  is  strongly  habit  forming. 

During  a  tribal  gathering  the  medicine- 
man acts  as  cup-bearer.  He  serves  the 
ayahuasca  drink  in  a  small  calabash  con- 
taining about  a  cupful.  In  about  two 
minutes  its  effect  begins  to  be  apparent. 
The  drinker  turns  pale,  trembles  in  every 
limb,  and  is  swept  by  dizziness.    When  this 


stage  has  passed  he  announces  that  he  sees 
charming  landscapes,  trees  laden  with  fruits, 
birds  of  gorgeous  plumage  and  other  beauti- 
ful things.  Then,  suddenly,  the  vision 
changes.  Unable  longer  to  support  himself, 
he  has  hallucinations  of  persons  appearing 
to  ridicule  him,  of  tigers,  serpents  and  super- 
natural creatures  preparing  to  attack  him, 
and  other  fearsome  things.  He  howls  and 
groans  mournfully,  screams  incoherent  unin- 
telligible words.  All  of  this,  the  medicine- 
man explains  later,  is  due  to  some  particular 
individual — usually  an  enemy  of  the  family 
— for  whom  a  poisonous  concoction  should 
be  prepared. 

When  the  Indian  awakes  from  his  trance 
he  must  be  held  down  by  force  to  prevent 
him  from  seizing  his  weapons  and  attacking 
the  first  person  he  encounters.  This  stage 
is  followed  by  lethargy,  lapsing  into  uncon- 
sciousness. Finally,  upon  recovering,  there 
is  a  feeling  of  heavy  drowsiness  and  headache 
which  lasts  for  several  days. 

The  ayahuasca  concoction  is  drunk  also 
by  the  medicine-man  himself,  to  produce  a 
trance  supposed  to  enable  him  to  do  such 
things  as  settle  a  dispute  or  quarrel,  discover 
robbers,  tell  if  strangers  are  approaching, 
give  proper  answer  to  an  envoy  from  another 
tribe,  discover  the  plans  of  an  enemy,  dis- 
cover if  wives  are  unfaithful,  or,  in  the  case 
of  a  sick  man,  to  tell  who  bewitched  him. 

The  powerful  ayahuasca  narcotic,  which 
is  similar  in  its  effects  to  both  opium  and 
henbane  (although  botanically  it  is  very 
different  from  either),  does  not  seem  to  have 
been  studied  by  toxicologists. 


MISSIONARIES  AND  MUSEUMS 

By  Karl  P.  Schmidt 
Assistant  Curator  of  Reptiles 

So  many  rare  or  otherwise  interesting 
specimens  of  plants,  animals,  and  ethnolog- 
ical objects  come  to  museums  from  mis- 
sionaries stationed  in  foreign  lands  that  these 
workers  may  well  take  pride  in  the  mark 
their  collecting  has  made  in  scientific  history. 
From  the  nature  of  their  primary  interests, 


it  is  natural  that  the  chief  scientific  contri- 
butions of  missions  and  missionaries  have 
been  made  in  anthropology  and  linguistics. 
Many  individuals,  however,  have  turned  to 
the  strange  animal  and  plant  life  of  their 
surroundings  for  recreation  and  diversion, 
and  the  sum  of  their  collecting  has  produced 
notable  advances  in  our  knowledge  of  the 
plant  and  animal  life  of  the  world.  Some 
have  even  become  trained  collectors,  quite 
on  a  par  with  museum  professionals. 

Aside  from  their  collecting,  mission  sta- 
tions in  remote  parts  of  the  world  have 
proved  extremely  hospitable  to  scientists  or 
scientific  expeditions  passing  through  their 
territory.  The  debt  of  science  to  missions 
is  perhaps  even  greater  in  this  respect  than 
for  more  direct  contributions. 

A  few  instances  from  Field  Museum's 
recent  contacts  with  missionaries  will  illus- 
trate both  these  relations.  The  Museum 
not  long  ago  received,  through  Miss  Emily  A. 
Clark,  of  the  Sudan  Interior  Mission  (Inter- 
denominational), in  Central  Nigeria,  a  speci- 
men of  one  of  the  rarest  of  African  lizards, 
the  curious  primitive  gecko  Hemithecony 
caudicinctus.  Last  year  it  obtained  speci- 
mens of  the  largest  of  all  frogs,  the  West 
African  Goliath  frog,  and  of  the  even  more 
remarkable  "haired"  frog  of  the  same  region, 
from  Mrs.  Edwin  Cozzens  of  the  Presby- 
terian Mission  in  the  Cameroons.  These 
were  the  latest  of  a  long  and  notable  series 
of  collections  received  by  various  American 
museums  from  this  group  of  missions.  On 
the  recent  Cornelius  Crane  Pacific  Expedi- 
tion of  Field  Museum  the  eminent  immunol- 
ogist,  Dr.  W.  L.  Moss,  who  accompanied 
the  expedition  as  physician,  was  enabled  to 
make  a  unique  series  of  blood  tests  of  native 
Fijians  through  the  cordial  cooperation  of 
the  Wesleyan  Mission  in  the  Fiji  Islands. 
When  the  expedition  planned  to  visit  the 
upper  Sepik  River  in  northern  New  Guinea, 
an  ideal  guide  and  leader  was  available  in 
Father  Franz  Kirschbaum,  whose  knowledge 
of  New  Guinean  ethnology  and  linguistics 
has  grown  to  be  pre-eminent  during  his 
eighteen  years  of  service  with  the  Catholic 
Mission  of  the  Society  of  the  Holy  Word. 


MODEL   OF   MENANGKABAU  NATIVE  VILLAGE  IN  SUMATRA  IS  NOW  COMPLETED    IN  HALL  G 


A  miniature  model  of  a  village  of  the 
Menangkabau,     powerful     Malayan    tribe 
which   inhabits   the   Padang   Highlands   of 
Sumatra,  and  is  especially 
interesting  for  its  matri- 
archal form   of   social 
organization,   has   been 
completed  and  is  now  on 
exhibition  in  Hall  G  of  the 
Museum. 

The  model  shows  several 
typical  dwellings,  among 
them  one  under  construc- 
tion on  which  the  men 
are  seen  busily  engaged 
in  thatching  the  roof  and 
putting  up  carved  wall 
panels.  In  the  back- 
ground is  seen  Mount 
Merapi  at  a  distance,  with 
terraced  rice  fields  extend- 
ing far  up  its  slopes,  and 
scattered  settlements 
buried  beneath  coconut 
palms  and  other  tropical 
foliage.  In  the  foreground 
is  the  village  pool  which 
serves  for  fishing,  bathing,  and  providing  the 
water  supply.  Here  two  men  are  seen  wash- 
ing clothes,  while  a  young  girl  bathes  a  baby. 
Scattered  about  are  groups  and  individuals 
engaged  in  various  other  typical  activities. 


Among  these  people,  inheritance  and 
descent  are  reckoned  in  the  female  line,  and 
this  leads  to  unusual  situations  which  are 


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Menangkabau  Village 

Miniature  model  showing  varied  activities  of  strange  tribe 

reflected  in  the  village  life,  according  to  Dr. 
Berthold  Laufer,  Curator  of  Anthropology. 
A  settlement,  such  as  is  shown  in  the  Mu- 
seum's model,  consists  usually  of  only  three 
or  four  houses,  each  of  which  is  occupied  by 


a  head  woman,  her  sisters,  daughters,  nieces 
and  their  families.  A  large  common  room 
is  provided  where  sons  and  brothers  have 
equal  rights  as  to  sleeping 
and  eating;  but  after 
marriage  the  men  become 
visitors  in  the  homes  of 
their  wives  and  spend 
much  of  their  time  there. 
However,  they  continue 
as  members  of  the  house 
in  which  they  were  born, 
and  have  equal  vote  there 
with  the  women,  whereas 
they  have  no  authority  in 
the  homes  of  their  wives. 
Several  villages  make 
up  a  clan,  and  a  number 
of  these  form  a  phratry. 
Each  phratry  has  a  council 
house  (one  of  which  is 
represented  in  the  Mu- 
seum's exhibit),  where 
representatives  of  the 
clans  meet. 

The  data  for  the 
exhibit  were  collected 
several  years  ago  by  Dr.  Fay-Cooper  Cole 
while  conducting  an  expedition  for  the 
Museum  in  Sumatra,  Java  and  Borneo. 
The  modeling  was  done  by  John  G.  Prasuhn 
of  the  Museum  staff. 


Page  b 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


August,  1931 


RAYMOND  FOUNDATION 
PROGRAMS 

The  final  two  programs  of  the  summer 
series  of  free  entertainments  for  children, 
provided  by  the  James  Nelson  and  Anna 
Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for  Public 
School  and  Children's  Lectures,  will  be  given 
in  August. 

On  Thursday,  August  6,  the  program  will 
consist  of  a  story  hour,  "Children  of  Many 
Lands,"  to  be  given  in  the  James  Simpson 
Theatre  at  10  a.m.,  and  a  tour  of  exhibits 
showing  child-life,  conducted  by  Raymond 
Foundation  lecturers,  which  will  begin  at 
11  A.M. 

On  Thursday,  August  13,  the  program 
includes  a  lecture-tour  illustrating  the  sub- 
ject "Animals  of  Land  and  Water,"  to  be 
conducted  at  10  a.m.,  and  motion  pictures  at 
11  a.m.  in  the  James  Simpson  Theatre,  the 
films  to  be  shown  being  as  follows:  "Alli- 
gators," "Alaskan  Sheep,"  "Bears,"  "Ani- 
mals of  the  Galapagos,"  and  "Lions  at 
Home." 

Children  from  all  parts  of  the  city  and 
suburbs  are  invited  to  these  entertainments. 
No  tickets  are  necessary  for  admission.  In 
addition  to  those  coming  individually, 
children  may  come  in  groups  from  clubs, 
community  centers  and  other  organizations. 

EGYPTIAN  SANDALS  AND  BASKETS 

A  collection  of  ancient  Egyptian  sandals 
and  baskets  was  recently  added  to  the  ex- 
hibits in  Hall  J.  Iron  candlesticks  equipped 
with  snuffers,  and  wooden  headrests  used  in 
place  of  pillows  are  also  included  in  the 
exhibit. 

Even  before  the  first  Egyptian  dynasty 
(about  3500  B.C.)  sandals  had  been  invented, 
according  to  Dr.  T.  George  Allen,  Assistant 
Curator  of  Egyptian  Archaeology.  How- 
ever, most  Egyptians,  both  of  the  high  and 
low  classes,  for  a  long  time  thereafter  pre- 
ferred to  go  barefoot  except  when  protection 
for  the  feet  was  absolutely  needed,  as  in 
crossing  fields  of  stubble.  The  wearing  of 
sandals  did  not  become  prevalent  until  about 
1500  B.C.,  and  even  then  it  was  customary 
to  remove  them  in  the  presence  of  one's 
superiors.  The  sandals  were  made  of  papy- 
rus, palm  fiber  and  leather.  They  protected 
only  the  soles  of  the  feet,  and  were  held  on 
by  looped  thongs  or  cords. 

The  baskets  exhibited  are  made  of  reeds, 
grass  and  palm  fibers,  and  range  in  date 
from  about  2000  to  1300  B.C.  The  sandals 
were  presented  by  Stanley  Field,  President 
of  the  Museum,  H.  J.  Patten,  and  Charles 
B.  Pike,  and  the  baskets  were  collected  by 
the  late  Edward  E.  Ayer. 


EPOCHAL  X-RAY  PICTURE 
PRODUCED  AT  MUSEUM 

By  Anna  Reginalua  Bolan 
Division  of  Roentgenology 

After  a  long  series  of  experiments,  the 
Division  of  Roentgenology  of  Field  Museum 
has  succeeded  in  producing  a  new  type  of 
large  roentgenogram  which  it  is  expected 
will  mark  the  opening  of  a  new  chapter  in 
x-ray  work. 

The  first  roentgenogram  of  this  new  type, 
with  an  Egyptian  mummy  as  its  subject, 
was  finally  successfully  completed  on  July  7, 
1931.  The  dimensions  of  the  film  are  seven 
feet  by  two  feet.  This  is  the  first  time  that 
an  entire  adult  mummy  in  its  casket  has 
ever  been  x-rayed  on  one  film  and  with  only 
one  exposure.  It  is  also,  so  far  as  is  known, 
the  largest  roentgenogram  ever  made  of  any 
subject.  The  accompanying  illustration  is 
a  photograph  of  this  history-making  film, 
and  the  success  of  the  experiment  from  a 


diagnostic  standpoint  can  readily  be  seen. 

Heretofore  mummies  have  been  x-rayed 
in  sections  on  the  regulation  size  film,  four- 
teen by  seventeen  inches.  Then  these  smaller 
films  were  pieced  together  and  from  this 
"mosaic"  the  specimen  was  viewed  and  its 
anatomical  relation  to  cartonnage  and  casket 
estimated.  The  advantage  of  the  new  type 
of  single  large  film  is  obvious. 

The  Museum's  roentgenological  laboratory 
was  established  and  equipped  about  five 


World's  Largest  Single  X-ray  Film 

Roentgenogram  of  Egyptian  mummy,  produced  in 
Museum  laboratory.  The  size  of  the  film  may  be 
gauged  by  comparison  with  the  height  of  the  roentgen- 
ologist. 

years  ago  by  President  Stanley  Field.  Special 
apparatus  was  recently  built  and  installed  to 
produce  the  new  type  of  work  described  in 
this  article.         

One  of  the  best  panoramic  views  of 
Chicago's  sky  line  and  water  front  to  be 
found  anywhere  in  the  city  may  be  enjoyed 
by  visitors  from  the  steps  at  the  north 
entrance  of  the  Museum. 


Gifts  to  the  Museum 

Following  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  principal 
gifts  received  during  the  last  month: 

From  Miss  Carolyn  Wicker — a  nest  of  boxes  and 
pair  of  flutes,  Japan  and  India;  from  James  Britton 
and  Lawrence  Britton  Reed — 24  prehistoric  flint  arrow- 
heads and  spearheads,  Pennsylvania;  from  William  A. 
Schipp — 155  herbarium  specimens,  British  Honduras; 
from  American  Gem  and  Pearl  Company — cluster  of 
Amazonite  crystals,  Virginia;  from  C.  S.  Williams — a 
fossil  crinoid,  Illinois;  from  William  B.  Pitts — 2  polished 
specimens  of  colite  and  jasper,  and  3  rock  and  mineral 
specimens,  California  and  Nevada;  from  Frank  von 
Drasek — 31  rock  and  mineral  specimens,  Arkansas; 
from  Karl  Plath — a  green  lizard,  Dalmatia;  from  P.  B. 
Clark — 12  Alaskan  blackfish;  from  Walter  L.  Necker — 
34  salamanders,  toads  and  treefrogs,  Tennessee;  from 
Robert  Zingg — 14  birdskins,  11  mammal  skins  and  10 
mammal  skulls,  Mexico;  from  George  M.  Stevens — a 
giant  snapping  turtle,  Arkansas. 


AUGUST  GUIDE-LECTURE  TOURS 

Following  is  the  schedule  of  conducted 
tours  of  the  exhibits  during  August: 

Week  beginning  August  3 — Monday:  11  A.M.,  Giants 
of  Long  Ago,  3  p.m.,  Chinese  Exhibits;  Tuesday:  11  A.M. 
and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Wednesday:  11  a.m., 
American  Animal  Life,  3  P.M.,  Gems  and  Jewelry; 
Thursday:  11  A.M.  and  3  p.m.,  General  Tours;  Friday: 
11  a.m.,  Rocks  and  Their  Origins,  3  P.M.,  The  Komodo 
and  Its  Relatives. 

Week  beginning  August  10 — Monday:  11  A.M., 
Skeletons,  Past  and  Present,  3  P.M.,  Life  of  the  Ancient 
Egyptians;  Tuesday:  11  a.m.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours; 
Wednesday:  11  A.M.,  Workers  in  Metals,  3  p.m.,  Horses; 
Thursday:  11  A.M.  and  3  p.m.,  General  Tours;  Friday: 
11  A.M.,  American  Archaeology,  3  P.M.,  Burial  Customs. 

Week  beginning  August  17 — Monday:  11  A.M., 
Indian  Ceremonies,  3  P.M.,  Marine  Life;  Tuesday:  11 
a.m.  and  3  p.m.,  General  Tours;  Wednesday:  11  a.m., 
Games  and  Toys,  3  p.m.,  Plants  of  Marshes,  Bogs  and 
Streams;  Thursday:  11  a.m.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours; 
Friday:  11  a.m.,  Music  in  Primitive  Lands,  3  p.m., 
Prehistoric  Man. 

Week  beginning  August  24 — Monday:  11  A.M.,  The 
Story  of  Coal,  3  p.m.,  Chinese  Art;  Tuesday:  11  A.M. 
and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Wednesday:  11  A.M., 
Polynesia  and  Micronesia,  3  p.m.,  Birds  at  Home; 
Thursday:  11  A.M.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Friday: 
11  A.M.,  Masks  and  Their  Uses,  3  P.M.,  South  American 
Mammals. 

Monday,  August  31 — 11  A.M.,  Low  Forms  of  Plant 
Life,  3  P.M.,  Mexico. 

Persons  wishing  to  participate  should 
apply  at  North  Entrance.  Tours  are  free 
and  no  gratuities  are  to  be  proffered.  A  new 
schedule  will  appear  each  month  in  Field 
Museum  News.  Guide-lecturers'  services 
for  special  tours  by  parties  of  ten  or  more 
are  available  free  of  charge  by  arrangement 
with  the  Director  a  week  in  advance. 


Radio  Stations  Cooperate 

Four  important  radio  stations — WMAQ, 
WGN,  WLS,  and  WCFL— are  cooperating 
with  Field  Museum  by  broadcasting  weekly 
announcements  of  the  summer  programs  for 
children  offered  under  the  provisions  of  the 
James  Nelson  and  Anna  Louise  Raymond 
Foundation  for  Public  School  and  Children's 
Lectures.  Indications  are  that  this  helpful 
cooperation  is  drawing  additional  attendance. 


NEW  MEMBERS 

The  following  persons  were  elected  to 
membership  in  Field  Museum  during  the 
period  from  June  17  to  July  13: 

Associate  Members 

John  N.  Bantsolas,  A.  J.  Boynton,  Isaac  Horton 
Johnson,  Mrs.  Frances  B.  Sands,  Otto  C.  Staack. 

Sustaining  Members 

Mrs.  Milton  F.  Goodman 
Annual  Members 
John  J.  English,  Mrs.  G.  E.  Frazer,  Mrs.  Remi  J. 
Gits,  Miss  Serena  Hepp,  Hon.  Henry  Horner,  Mrs. 
Walter  H.  Johnson,  Lesley  Kennedy,  Mrs.  C.  Hobart 
Kirkland,  Miss  Clara  L.  Lange,  Mrs.  Samuel  N.  Leitzell, 
Richard  F.  Locke,  Ellery  Norton,  John  F.  O'Toole,  Mrs. 
Willett  B.  Ranney,  Werner  Schueller,  Henry  Justin 
Smith,  Mrs.  Haddon  Hubbard  Sundblom,  Charles  L. 
Wilkins. 


MEMBERSHIP  IN  FIELD  MUSEUM 

Field  Museum  has  several  classes  of  Members. 
Benefactors  give  or  devise  $100,000  or  more.  Contribu- 
tors give  or  devise  $1,000  to  $100,000.  Life  Members 
give  $500.  Non-Resident  (Life)  and  Associate  Members 
pay  $100.  Non-Resident  Associate  Members  pay  $50. 
All  the  above  classes  are  exempt  from  dues.  Sustaining 
Members  contribute  $25  annually.  After  six  years  they 
become  Associate  Members.  Annual  Members  con- 
tribute $10  annually.  Other  memberships  are  Corpo- 
rate, Honorary,  Patron,  and  Corresponding,  additions 
under  these  classifications  being  made  by  special  action 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

Each  Member,  in  all  classes,  is  entitled  to  free 
admission  to  the  Museum  for  himself,  his  family  and 
house  guests,  and  to  two  reserved  seats  for  Museum 
lectures  provided  for  Members.  Subscription  to  Field 
Museum  News  is  included  with  all  memberships.  The 
courtesies  of  every  museum  of  note  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada  are  extended  to  all  Members  of 
Field  Museum.  A  Member  may  give  his  personal  card 
to  non-residents  of  Chicago,  upon  presentation  of 
which  they  will  be  admitted  to  the  Museum  without 
charge.  Further  information  about  memberships  will 
be  sent  on  request. 


PRINTED   BY   FIELD   MUSEUM   I 


News 


Published  Monthly  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Chicago 


Vol.  2 


SEPTEMBER,   1931 


No.  9 


GRAVE    OF    AN   ILLINOIS   MOUND-BUILDER   REPRODUCED   IN   MUSEUM    EXHIBIT 


A  full-size  reproduction  of  the  grave  of  a 
prehistoric  mound-builder  of  Illinois,  with 
an  actual  skeleton  and  various  artifacts 
brought  from  the  original  mound  near 
Lewistown  in  Fulton  County,  was  installed 
last  month  in  Mary  D. 
Sturges  Hall  (Hall  3), 
devoted  to  North  Ameri- 
can archaeology.  It  shows 
a  mound  of  the  type  found 
in  southern  central  Illi- 
nois, representing  the 
"Dickson  culture,"  so 
named  for  Dr.  Don  F. 
Dickson,  who  discovered 
the  type  mound,  excavat- 
ed it,  and  preserved  its 
contents.  The  skeleton 
and  the  various  burial  ob- 
jects in  the  exhibit  were 
presented  to  Field  Mu- 
seum by  Dr.  Dickson. 

In  the  exhibit  the 
mound  is  shown  with  the 
earth  partly  cut  away  so 
as  to  expose  fully  a  com- 
plete skeleton  of  a  man 
about  35  years  old,  while 
a  skull  and  other  parts  of 
two  more  burials  are  seen 
projecting  from  the  walls 
of  the  excavation.  A 
water  bottle  lies  on  the 
right  side  of  the  head  of 
the  complete  skeleton, 
and  a  small  jar  on  the  left. 
Another  jar  containing  a 
finely  shaped  spoon  of 
mussel  shell,  lies  between 
the  knees.  Around  the 
neck  is  a  string  of  shell 
beads  with  a  pendant  made  from  a  small 
conch  shell.  Near  the  right  hand  lies  a  flint 
knife.  Other  objects  included  in  the  burial 
are  a  stone  celt,  various  unfinished  flint  im- 
plements with  an  antler  flaking  tool  used  in 


shaping  them,  and  also  a  piece  of  sandstone 
used  for  sharpening  the  flaking  tool. 

The  group  was  planned  by  Curator 
Berthold  Laufer  and  Assistant  Curator  Paul 
S.  Martin.    The  reproduction  of  the  mound 


Illinois  Mound-builder's  Grave 

Reproduction  of  burial  illustrating  "Dickson  culture,"  on  exhibition  in  Mary  D.  Sturges  Hall  (Hall  3). 

is  the  work  of  John  G.  Prasuhn.  The 
exhibit  is  completed  by  a  background  in  colors 
representing  the  country  where  the  mound  is 
located,  which  was  painted  by  Charles  A. 
Corwin,  staff  artist  of  the  Museum. 


The  mounds  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  were 
built  by  ancestors  of  the  present  American 
Indians,  and  not,  as  is  sometimes  believed, 
by  an  extinct  race  of  "mound-builders." 
The  skeletons  found  in  the  mounds  are  readily 
identified  as  those  of 
Indians.  While  the  Dick- 
son culture  shown  in  the 
Museum  exhibit  certainly 
dates  back  before  the 
white  man's  arrival,  it  is 
probably  not  more  than 
500  to  1,000  years  old. 
This  is  indicated  by  the 
excellent  condition  of  the 
skeletons  and  artifacts. 

There  are  a  number  of 
historical  records  of  the 
building  of  mounds  by 
various  Indian  tribes. 
Most  of  the  Illinois 
mounds  were  constructed 
in  prehistoric  times,  but 
it  is  unlikely  that  any  of 
them  are  more  than  2,000 
years  old.  While  the 
majority  of  them  are 
burial  mounds,  a  few  may 
have  served  as  raised 
foundations  for  houses. 

Mounds  of  the  Dickson 
culture  usually  contain  a 
large  number  of  burials 
laid  at  various  levels,  in- 
dicating that  they  were 
built  up  gradually.  In 
sharp  contrast  with  the 
culture  represented  by  the 
well-known  Hopewell 
mounds  in  Ohio,  the 
Dickson  culture  con- 
tains almost  no  copper,  no  platform  pipes, 
few  perforated  teeth,  and  no  cut  jaws. 

Also  in  Mary  D.  Sturges  Hall  are  objects 
from  the  Hopewell  mounds,  a  miniature 
model  of  one  of  them,  and  two  mound  altars. 


MUSEUM  IS  IDEAL  PLACE  FOR 
HAY  FEVER  VICTIMS 

Field  Museum  has  been  pronounced  an 
unusually  attractive  place  for  hay  fever 
sufferers  by  Dr.  Siegfried  Maurer,  Chicago 
physician  who  has  been  conducting  research 
and  experiments  to  assist  in  the  work  of 
eliminating  this  common  summer  and 
autumn  affliction. 

Of  several  public  buildings  in  which  Dr. 
Maurer  made  a  count  of  ragweed  pollen  in 
the  air  over  a  period  of  time,  Field  Museum 
showed  the  lowest  count,  according  to  a  letter 
received  from  the  physician  by  Director 
Stephen  C.  Simms.  The  pollen  counts  were 
taken  on  specially  prepared  slides  during  the 
hay  fever  seasons  of  1929  and  1930,  and  are 
believed  to  indicate  approximately  the  condi- 
tions which  prevail  again  this  year. 

The  Museum's  system  of  ventilation  prob- 
ably has  much  to  do  with  the  small  quantity 
of  pollen  present  in  the  air,  Dr.  Maurer 
states,  declaring  that  on  the  days  when 
observations  were  made  the  count  seldom 
exceeded  the  remarkably  low  figure  of  ten 


granules  of  pollen  per  cubic  yard  of  air, 
whereas  on  these  days  in  certain  other  Chi- 
cago buildings  the  count  was  from  ten  to 
twenty  times  as  many.  Dr.  Maurer  added 
that  the  Museum's  count  was  only  about 
one-half  of  that  found  at  several  northern 
resorts  to  which  hay  fever  sufferers  go. 

"I  would  recommend  the  Museum  as  a 
safe  place  for  hay  fever  sufferers  to  spend 
the  day  in  order  that  they  may  be  in  an 
atmosphere  relatively  free  of  pollen,  and  one 
in  which  most  hay  fever  victims  should 
become  completely  free  of  symptoms," 
Dr.  Maurer  writes. 

Dr.  Maurer  reports  a  total  pollen  count 
of  156  granules  per  cubic  yard  in  20  days  in 
Field  Museum.  This  compares  with  a  count 
of  2,961  in  29  days  in  another  large  Chicago 
public  building,  and  8,445  in  37  days  at  an 
outdoors  observation  station. 

On  exhibition  in  the  Museum's  Hall  of 
Plant  Life  (Hall  29)  are  models  of  the  two 
most  common  ragweeds  of  the  Chicago 
region,  whose  pollen  is  believed  to  be  respon- 
sible largely  for  the  prevalence  of  hay  fever. 


Museum  Receives  Persian  Mammals 

Two  excellent  specimens  of  Persian  wild 
ass,  and  four  of  Persian  wild  goat  have  been 
received  at  Field  Museum  as  a  result  of  the 
recent  expedition  conducted  by  James  E. 
Baum,  Jr.  One  of  the  goats  is  an  extraordi- 
narily fine  male  with  horns  about  forty  inches 
long,  which  is  near  the  record  size.  These 
animals  inhabit  an  extremely  arid  region, 
and  are  very  shy.  Because  of  the  open  desert 
which  provides  no  cover  for  hunters  they  are 
extremely  difficult  to  obtain.  One  or  more 
of  the  animals  will  be  mounted  for  exhibition 
in  the  near  future. 

Japanese  Peer  Visits  Museum 

Count  Hirotaro  Hayashi,  member  of  the 
House  of  Peers  of  Japan,  and  professor  of 
pedagogy  in  the  Imperial  University  of 
Tokyo,  visited  Field  Museum  on  August  12. 
He  was  especially  interested  in  the  Neander- 
thal family  restoration  and  the  other  exhibits 
in  Ernest  R.  Graham  Hall,  and  also  in 
the  Egyptian  and  Chinese  archaeological 
collections. 


Page  2 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


September,  1931 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Founded  by  Marshall  Field,  1893 
Roosevelt  Road  and  Lake  Michigan,  Chicago 


THE  BOARD 
Johk  Borden 
William  J.  Chalmers 
R.  T.  Crane,  Jr. 
Marshall  Field 
Stanley  Field 
Ernest  R.  Graham 
Albert  W.  Harris 
Samuel  Insull,  Jr. 
William  V.  Kelley 
Cyrus  H.  McCormick 
William 


OF  TRUSTEES 

William  H.  Mitchell 
Frederick  H.  Rawson 
George  A.  Richardson 
Martin  A.  Ryerson 
Fred  W. Sargent 
Stephen  C.  Simms 
Jambs  Simpson 
Solomon  A.  Smith 
Albert  A.  Sprague 
Silas  H.  Strawn 

Wrigley,  Jr. 


OFFICERS 

Stanley  Field President 

Martin  A.  Ryerson First  Vice-President 

Albert  A.  Sprague Second  Vice-President 

James  Simpson Third  Vice-President 

Stephen  C.  Simms Director  and  Secretary 

Solomon  A.  Smith.  .  .Treasurer  and  Assistant  Secretary 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 

Stephen  C.  Simms,  Director  of  the  Museum Editor 

CONTRIBUTING  EDITORS 

Berthold  Laufer Curator  of  Anthropology 

B.  E.  Dahlgren Acting  Curator  of  Botany 

O.  C.  Farrington Curator  of  Geology 

Wilfred  H.  Osgood Curator  of  Zoology 

H.  B.  Harte Managing  Editor 

Field  Museum  is  open  every  day  of  the  year  during 
the  hours  indicated  below: 

November,  December,  January  9  A.M.  to  4 :30  P.M. 

February,  March,  April,  October  9  a.m.  to  5 :00  p.m. 

May,  June,  July,  August,  September    9  a.m.  to  6:00  p.m. 

Admission  is  free  to  Members  on  all  days.  Other 
adults  are  admitted  free  on  Thursdays,  Saturdays  and 
Sundays;  non-members  pay  25  cents  on  other  days. 
Children  are  admitted  free  on  all  days.  Students  and 
faculty  members  of  educational  institutions  are  admit- 
ted free  any  day  upon  presentation  of  credentials. 

The  Library  of  the  Museum,  containing  some  92,000 
volumes  on  natural  history  subjects,  is  open  for  refer- 
ence daily  except  Sunday. 

Traveling  exhibits  are  circulated  in  the  schools  of 
Chicago  by  the  Museum's  Department  of  the  N.  W. 
Harris  Public  School  Extension. 

Lectures  for  school  classrooms  and  assemblies,  and 
special  entertainments  and  lecture  tours  for  children  at 
the  Museum,  are  provided  by  the  James  Nelson  and 
Anna  Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for  Public  School 
and  Children's  Lectures. 

Announcements  of  courses  of  free  illustrated  lectures 
on  science  and  travel  for  the  public,  and  special  lectures 
for  Members  of  the  Museum,  will  appear  in  FrELD 
Museum  News. 

There  is  a  cafeteria  in  the  Museum  where  luncheon 
is  served  for  visitors.  Other  rooms  are  provided  for 
those  bringing  their  lunches. 

Members  are  requested  to  inform  the  Museum 
promptly  of  changes  of  address. 


THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  BOTANY 
—ITS  SCOPE  AND  FUNCTIONS 

Formerly  it  was  not  unusual  for  natural 
history  museums  to  concern  themselves  only 
with  the  mineral  kingdom,  with  animals,  and 
with  man,  and  to  ignore  the  plant  world 
entirely.  It  apparently  did  not  occur  to 
those  in  authority  that  without  vegetation 
there  could  be  no  animal  life. 

Field  Museum  recognized  from  the  begin- 
ning that  the  science  of  botany  is  one  of  the 
principal  divisions  of  natural  history,  and 
developed  its  Department  of  Botany  with  a 
staff  of  competent  scientists  and  technical 
assistants,  a  large  library,  laboratories,  and 
extensive  study  collections  and  exhibits.  It 
was  the  first  general  natural  history  museum 
to  devote  to  botany  attention  comparable  to 
that  given  other  subjects. 

The  botanical  exhibits  now  occupy  five 
large  halls.  They  are  designed  to  present  a 
synoptic  view  of  the  entire  plant  kingdom 
in  a  sufficiently  comprehensive  manner  .to 
give  the  visitor  or  student  a  general  idea  of 
its  various  main  divisions  from  bacteria  to 
the  many  orders  of  flowering  plants..    This 


is  a  matter  which  is  far  from  simple  because 
of  the  impossibility  of  preserving  the  natural 
appearance  of  plants.  The  problem  has  been 
solved  by  the  use  of  accurate  reproductions 
of  living  plants,  in  place  of  the  perishable 
parts  of  the  natural  material.  These  are 
provided  through  the  munificence  of  Presi- 
dent Stanley  Field,  who  maintains  for 
the  purpose  special  laboratories  in  the 
Department. 

Two  halls  are  devoted  to  plant  products 
which  play  a  large  part  in  furnishing  man- 
kind with  food  and  raw  materials  for  his 
industries.  Special  halls  illustrate  the  prin- 
cipal trees  of  North  America  and  of  foreign 
countries. 

Great  pains  are  taken  to  make  the 
labels  accompanying  all  the  exhibits  as 
informative  and  accurate  as  possible  with- 
out undue  technicalities.  The  exhibits  of  the 
Department  are  growing  and  are  being 
improved  constantly. 

Besides  the  collections  seen  by  the  casual 
visitor,  the  Department  of  Botany  has 
reserve  or  study  collections  which  are  the 
basis  of  research  by  members  of  the  staff, 
and  are  available  for  reference  by  others 
seeking  botanical  information.  Most  exten- 
sive of  these  is  the  Herbarium,  consisting  of 
640,000  mounted  sheets  of  plant  specimens 
assembled  from  every  part  of  the  world.  The 
Herbarium  is  especially  rich  in  plants  of 
tropical  America.  A  special  herbarium  of 
Illinois  plants  is  also  maintained.  These  col- 
lections have  been  the  basis  of  many  volumes 
of  botanical  studies  published  by  Field 
Museum  and  also  by  other  institutions. 

Non-technical  leaflets  are  published  to 
explain  for  the  layman  some  of  the  exhibits 
and  activities  of  the  Department.  Leaflets 
describing  the  wild  flowers  and  trees  of  the 
Chicago  region  have  had  a  large  circulation, 
as  has  also  an  illustrated  handbook  of  the 
plants  of  the  Lake  Michigan  sand  dunes. 

Some  of  the  plant  material  in  the  Museum's 
exhibits  and  study  collections  has  been 
obtained  through  gifts,  by  purchases,  and 
by  exchanges  with  other  museums,  but 
often  to  obtain  required  material  it  is  neces- 
sary to  send  expeditions  into  the  field.  These 
have  been  carried  on  chiefly  in  Central 
and  South  America  and  the  West  Indies. 
Through  them  much  material  that  is  unique 
has  been  acquired. 

In  order  to  increase  its  own  facilities,  and 
those  of  other  American  institutions  as  well, 
the  Department  has  undertaken,  with  the 
aid  of  a  special  grant  of  funds  from  the 
Rockefeller  Foundation,  the  important  task 
of  obtaining  in  European  herbaria  photo- 
graphs of  the  earliest  named  specimens  of 
thousands  of  tropical  American  plants  col- 
lected by  European  botanists  but  unrepre- 
sented in  American  collections. 

That  the  residents  of  the  Chicago  area  rely 
upon  Field  Museum  for  scientific  information 
is  proved  by  the  constant  queries  on  botani- 
cal subjects  which  are  received.  Every  year 
several  thousand  plant  specimens  are  named 
for  correspondents  in  lots  ranging  from  a 
single  specimen  to  many  hundred  different 
plants.  Rarely  does  a  day  pass  without 
requests  by  telephone,  letters  or  visitors  for 
data  regarding  plants  or  their  products. 
These  are  of  bewildering  variety,  and  cover 
almost  every  phase  of  botanical  science. 
They  come  from  educational  institutions, 
business  nouses,  other  organizations  of 
various  kinds,  and  individuals,  and  range 
from,  the  identification  of  mushrooms  for 
amateur  collectors,  and  inquiries  about  hay 
fever  pollen,  to  industrial  problems  involving 
plant  products,  and  questions  concerning  the 
establishment  of  plantations  in  the  tropics. 


Requests  for  assistance  in  botanical  mat- 
ters come  also  from  every  part  of  the  United 
States,  and  from  Europe  and  other  parts  of 
the  world  as  well. 

— B.  E.  Dahlgren 

{An  article  on  the  purposes  and  functions 
of  the  Department  of  Geology  will  appear  next 
month,  and  a  similar  article  on  the  Department 
of  Zoology  in  the  following  month.) 

ALL  GRAHAM  HALL  MURALS 
ARE  NOW  COMPLETED 

The  series  of  twenty-eight  large  mural 
paintings  depicting  life  in  prehistoric  ages, 
presented  to  Field  Museum  by  Ernest  R. 
Graham,  has  been  completed  by  the  artist, 
Charles  R.  Knight,  and  all  are  now  installed 
on  the  walls  of  Ernest  R.  Graham  Hall  of 
Historical  Geology  (Hall  38). 

The  final  three  were  hung  last  month.  One 
of  them  depicts  primitive  hoofed  mammals 
(Uintathere)  and  the  four-toed  horse  (Orohip- 
pus)  which  lived  approximately  55,000,000 
years  ago.  Another  shows  flying  reptiles, 
primitive  birds  and  small  dinosaurs  of 
175,000,000  years  ago.  The  third  illustrates 
primitive  reptiles  of  the  Permian  age,  some 
215,000,000  years  back.  More  detailed 
descriptions  of  these  paintings,  and  possibly 
photographs  of  them,  will  appear  in  future 
issues  of  Field  Museum  News. 

The  project  of  restoring  scenes  of  the  prim- 
itive world  in  large  mural  paintings  was 
undertaken  in  1926,  and  six  years  were 
allotted  for  its  completion.  The  work  has 
progressed  more  rapidly  than  was  expected, 
however,  enabling  this  important  educational 
series  to  be  finished  more  than  a  year  ahead 
of  schedule.  Mr.  Graham  provided  a  fund 
of  $125,000  for  the  execution  of  these  paint- 
ings, and  for  several  life  size  group  restora- 
tions. The  services  of  Mr.  Knight,  known 
as  a  foremost  painter  in  this  field  due  to  his 
previous  work  in  other  institutions,  were 
engaged  for  the  series.  In  these  twenty-eight 
pictures  Mr.  Knight  has  performed  some  of 
his  most  notable  work. 


Chinese  Painting  Presented 

A  rare  Chinese  painting  of  the  Ming  period 
(sixteenth  century)  was  recently  presented 
to  Field  Museum  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward 
W.  Everett  of  Hinsdale,  Illinois,  who  had 
acquired  it  at  Peking  some  years  ago.  The 
picture,  32  by  66  inches  in  dimensions,  is 
painted  in  bright  colors  on  silk.  It  represents 
a  school  of  carp  in  a  pond.  The  fish  are  life- 
like and  drawn  with  great  care  for  detail. 
This  painting,  with  a  number  of  others  in 
the  Museum's  possession,  will  adorn  the 
walls  of  the  new  Jade  Room  which  is  now  in 
process  of  preparation. 


BEQUESTS  AND  ENDOWMENTS 

Bequests  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  may 
be  made  in  securities,  money,  books  or  collections. 
They  may,  if  desired,  take  the  form  of  a  memorial  to 
a  person  or  cause,  named  by  the  giver.  For  those  desiring 
to  make  bequests,  the  following  form  is  suggested: 

FORM  OF  BEQUEST 

J  do  hereby  give  and  bequeath  to  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History  of  the  City  of  Chicago,  State  of  Illinois, 


Cash  contributions  made  within  the  taxable  year  to 
Field  Museum  not  exceeding  15  per  cent  of  the  tax- 
payer's net  income  are  allowable  as  deductions  in  com- 
puting net  income  under  Article  251  of  Regulation  69 
relating  to  the  income  tax  under  the  Revenue  Act  of 
1926. 

Endowments  may  be  made  to  the  Museum  with  the 
provision  that  an  annuity  be  paid  to  the  patron  for  life. 
These  annuities  are  tax-free  and  are  guaranteed  against 
fluctuation  in  amount.  i.,nv  :   ■'.        ..'■/> 


September,  1981 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


Page  S 


IMPORTANT  DISCOVERIES  MADE 
BY  SOUTHWEST  EXPEDITION 

Discoveries  of  extraordinary  interest, 
especially  because  there  still  remains  much 
mystery  as  to  their  origin,  are  being  made  at 
the  Lowry  Ruin  near  Ackmen,  Colorado,  by 
the  Field  Museum  Archaeological  Expedi- 
tion to  the  Southwest,  according  to  reports 
received  from  its  leader,  Dr.  Paul  S.  Martin, 
Assistant  Curator  of  North  American 
Archaeology. 

Dr.  Martin  writes:  "It  would  seem  now 
as  if  this  ruin  is  quite  out  of  place  geographi- 
cally, since  it  is  undoubtedly  the  work  of 
Chaco  Canyon  people  who  lived  hundreds  of 
miles  south  and  east  of  this  spot,  in  what  is 
now  New  Mexico.  The  pottery  types  found 
at  this  ruin  are  unlike  anything  here  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  belong  also  to  the  Chaco 
types.  The  other  day  we  found  in  a  small 
passageway  a  cache  of  seventeen  pieces  of 
pottery,  most  of  them  complete. 

"A  test  trench  through  the  great  kiva  has 
just  been  finished.  The  walls,  floors,  and 
other  remains  are  highly  interesting,  although 
very  puzzling.  Despite  the  heat  and  drought 
the  work  has  been  pushed  ahead." 

Among  noteworthy  discoveries  is  a  sacred 
spring  which  had  been  timbered  and  cribbed 
with  cedar  logs  in  prehistoric  times.  This 
seems  to  have  served  as  a  sort  of  sanctuary, 
for  in  the  water  at  the  bottom  were  found 
offerings  of  ten  pieces  of  pottery  and  more 
than  forty  wooden  prayer-sticks  very  similar 
to  those  used  at  present  by  the  Hopi.  These 
offerings  had  been  perfectly  preserved  by  the 
water. 

So  interesting  have  the  excavations  proved 
that  Dr.  Alfred  V.  Kidder  of  the  Carnegie 
Institution  of  Washington,  noted  authority 
on  Southwest  archaeology,  who  recently 
came  to  the  camp  for  a  visit  of  only  a  few 
hours,  remained  instead  for  several  days. 

The  expedition  is  in  its  second  season  of 
operations.  It  is  financed  from  funds  pro- 
vided by  Julius  Rosen wald  and  the  late 
Augusta  N.  Rosenwald. 


THE  SCORPION  FISH 

By  Alfred  C.  Weed 
Assistant  Curator  of  Fishes 

One  of  the  most  interesting  fishes  found  in 
the  crevices  of  coral  reefs  is  the  scorpion  fish. 
It  is  not  easily  seen  because  the  brilliant  and 
varying  colors  of  its  body  and  fins  harmonize 
so  completely  with  its  surroundings.  As  long 
as  it  remains  quiet  it  will  be  mistaken  for  a 
piece  of  the  mass  of  rocks. 

When  the  fish  moves,  however,  the  great 
pectoral  (arm)  fins  are  turned  over  and  show 
a  bold  pattern  of  black  spotted  with  white. 
Outside  of  this  is  a  series  of  broad  bands  of 
red,  yellow,  purple  or  something  equally 
striking.  The  ventral  (leg)  fins  with  their 
bold  markings  of  red,  black  and  white  are 
brought  up  parallel  with  the  pectorals  and 
combine  with  them  to  produce  an  effect  as 
striking  as  the  wings  of  the  most  brilliant 
butterflies.  As  the  fish  comes  to  rest  these 
brilliant  parts  are  turned  out  of  sight  or  are 
hidden  under  the  body  so  that  it  appears  to 
be  simply  a  mass  of  rock  of  a  more  or  less 
neutral  color. 

The  apparently  neutral  color  of  the  scor- 
pion fish  is  formed  by  an  exquisite  blending 
of  an  infinite  variety  of  colors.  Reds,  greens, 
yellows,  oranges,  purples,  blacks  and  whites, 
blended,  or  scattered  in  clean-cut  spots  make 
up  a  pattern  that  is  in  appearance  a  hit-or- 
miss  mixture.  Nevertheless,  it  is  a  definite, 
though  complex,  pattern.  There  is  a  reason 
for  each  tiny  spot  and  for  every  broad  shading. 

The  color  pattern  of  the  scorpion  fish  is 
not  at  all  constant.    It  is  hardly  ever  the 


same,  even  for  a  few  seconds.  A  tiny  patch 
of  apple  green  on  the  shoulder  may  flow  out 
to  cover  half  the  side  and  then  disappear 
altogether.  An  orange  spot  on  the  side  of 
the  head  may  be  only  a  tiny  dot  or  it  may 
cover  half  the  face.  It  may  remain  constant 
for  hours  or  it  may  come  and  go  as  rapidly 
as  the  fish  breathes.  While  one  watches,  the 
whole  color  tone  of  the  fish  may  change  from 
black  and  white  to  russet  brown,  green, 
golden  or  creamy. 

Whether  or  not  the  general  color  changes 
or  remains  constant  there  is  always  a  flow  of 
colors  over  the  entire  body.  This  is  the  one 
constant  thing  about  the  fish.  One  may 
watch  a  group  of  scorpion  fishes  in  an  aqua- 
rium for  hours  without  seeing  two  that  show 


Scorpion  Fish 

Reproduction  prepared  at  Field  Museum  for  exhi- 
bition in  the  near  future. 

the  same  pattern  or  without  seeing  any  one 
show  the  same  pattern  twice. 

A  very  fine  specimen  of  scorpion  fish  was 
recently  presented  to  the  Museum  by  Cap- 
tain R.  J.  Walters  of  the  Miami  (Florida) 
Aquarium.  From  this  specimen  A.  G. 
Rueckert  of  the  taxidermy  staff  of  the 
Museum  has  prepared  a  reproduction  in 
celluloid  that  will  soon  be  placed  on  exhibition . 


3,000  Plants  Determined 

There  have  been  returned  to  Europe 
recently  more  than  3,000  specimens  of  South 
American  and  other  plants,  submitted  to 
Field  Museum  for  study  and  determination. 
They  came  from  the  great  herbaria  of  Lon- 
don, Paris,  Stockholm,  Geneva,  and  Berlin. 
They  belong  to  the  Rubiaceae  or  coffee 
family,  and  were  identified  by  Associate 
Curator  Paul  C.  Standley,  who  is  engaged 
in  monographic  work  upon  the  group.  Many 
of  the  specimens  represented  species  pre- 
viously unknown  to  science,  which  will  be 
described  in  the  botanical  publications  of 
the  Museum. 


Nebraska  Fossils  Collected 

Thirty-eight  specimens  of  fossil  mammals, 
two  of  fossil  turtles,  and  six  skeletons  of 
modern  mammals  were  collected  by  the  recent 
paleontological  expedition  to  Nebraska  led 
by  Associate  Curator  Elmer  S.  Riggs. 
Among  these  were  several  very  desirable  as 
additions  to  the  Museum's  previous  collec- 
tions. Mr.  Riggs  was  accompanied  by 
Assistant  Bryan  Patterson,  James  Quinn, 
and  Sven  Dorf .  The  expedition  was  financed 
by  the  Marshall  Field  Fund. 


Articles  on  Roosevelt  Expedition' 

In  the  Gardeners'  Chronicle  of  London,  the 
leading  horticultural  magazine  of  the  world, 
there  appeared  lately  a  long  series  of  illus- 
trated articles  by  F.  Kingdon  Ward,  entitled 
"The  Roosevelt  Expedition  in  French  Indo- 
China."  Mr.  Ward  was  for  some  time 
attached  as  botanist  to  that  expedition  of 
Field  Museum,  and  a  collection  of  plants 
that  he  obtained  is  now  in  the  Museum 
Herbarium. 


RADIUM-BEARING  MINERALS 
ON  EXHIBITION 

An  exhibit  illustrating  a  quick  method  of 
testing  minerals  for  radium  as  well  as  show- 
ing the  relative  radioactivity  of  different 
mineral  species  was  recently  installed  in  the 
hall  of  minerals  (Hall  34)  by  Curator  of 
Geology  Oliver  C.  Farrington. 

The  test  for  radium  was  made  by  placing 
a  small  metallic  object,  such  as  a  flat  key; 
upon  an  unexposed  photographic  plate  and 
laying  the  specimen  to  be  tested  upon  the 
metallic  object.  The  whole  was  kept  in  a 
dark  place  for  twenty-four  to  forty-eight 
hours  and  the  plate  then  developed.  If  the 
rock  or  mineral  contained  radium,  the  rays 
from  the  radium  produced  an  image  of  the 
metallic  object  on  the  plate,  this  image  being 
brought  out  through  developing  the  plate  by 
the  usual  photographic  methods. 

All  the  principal  minerals  which  are  used 
as  commercial  sources  of  radium  are  included 
in  the  exhibit.  Of  these,  the  most  important 
are  those  from  the  Belgian  Congo,  Africa. 
These  are  so  rich  that  at  the  present  time 
they  have  superseded  all  other  sources  of 
radium.  Two  specimens  of  pitchblende,  the 
mineral  from  which  radium  was  first  ex- 
tracted, are  shown:  one  from  Bohemia,  this 
being  the  ore  which  was  used  by  Dr.  and 
Mme  Curie  in  their  discovery  of  radium, 
the  other  from  Colorado.  Carnotite  from 
Colorado,  which  was  the  chief  source  of 
radium  until  the  discovery  of  the  African 
ores,  is  also  included  in  the  series. 

Other  minerals  on  exhibition  showing 
noticeable  radioactivity  are  chiefly  the  rare 
earth  minerals,  samarskite,  aeschynite,  euxe- 
nite  and  fergusonite.  These  minerals  are 
found  in  the  United  States  chiefly  in  North 
Carolina  and  Texas.  The  greater  richness 
of  the  African  ores  is  shown  by  the  fact  that 
for  them  an  exposure  of  only  twenty-four 
hours  was  required  to  produce  sharp  images, 
while  for  most  other  minerals  an  exposure 
of  two  days  to  a  week  was  necessary. 

All  these  minerals  owe  their  radioactivity 
chiefly  to  the  uranium  they  contain.  This 
element,  as  is  well  known,  slowly  disinte- 
grates to  form  radium.  As  the  element 
thorium  decomposes  to  give  off  rays  similar 
to  those  from  radium,  two  thorium-bearing 
minerals,  monazite  and  thorite,  are  included 
in  the  series.  They  are  relatively  less  radio- 
active than  the  uranium-bearing  minerals. 
That  glass  is  relatively  impervious  to  these 
rays  was  shown  experimentally  by  the  fact 
that  the  monazite  sand  used,  when  contained 
in  a  glass  vial  gave  no  effect,  but  when 
placed  directly  on  the  metal  produced  a 
sharp  image. 

The  exposures  and  prints  for  the  series 
were  made  in  the  Museum's  Division  of 
Roentgenology  by  Miss  Anna  Reginalda 
Bolan,  Roentgenologist. 


AUTUMN  LECTURE  COURSE 

Field  Museum's  fifty-sixth  free  lecture 
course  will  begin  on  Saturday,  October  3, 
when  Dr.  Thomas  S.  Arbuthnot,  head  of 
the  Medical  School  of  the  University  of 
Pittsburgh,  will  speak  in  the  James  Simpson 
Theatre  of  the  Museum.  The  title  of  his 
lecture  is  "An  African  Hunting  Trip."  It 
will  be  illustrated  with  both  motion  pictures 
and  stereopticon  slides,  and  will  begin  at 

3  P.M. 

Eight  other  lectures  on  science  and  travel 
will  be  given  in  this  course  on  successive 
Saturday  afternoons  at  the  same  hour. 
Details  of  the  subjects  and  speakers  will 
appear  in  later  issues  of  Field  Museum 
News.  No  tickets  are  necessary  for  admis- 
sion to  the  lectures  in  this  course. 


Page  k 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


September,  1931 


THE  RAYMOND  FOUNDATION 
PROGRAMS  FOR  CHILDREN 

On  Saturday  morning,  September  26,  the 
first  of  the  autumn  series  of  free  motion 
picture  entertainments  for  children,  pre- 
sented under  the  provisions  of  the  James 
Nelson  and  Anna  Louise  Raymond  Founda- 
tion for  Public  School  and  Children's  Lec- 
tures, will  be  given  in  the  James  Simpson 
Theatre  of  the  Museum.  There  will  be 
eleven  programs  in  all,  to  be  given  on  succes- 
sive Saturdays.  Each  will  be  presented 
twice,  at  10  and  11  o'clock. 

Following  are  the  titles  of  the  films  on  the 
first  two  programs: 

September  26 — When  Autumn  Comes;  Hiawatha's 
Hunting  Ground;  Feathered  Braves;  Naskapi  Indiana; 
Where  the  Red  Trail  Ends. 

October  3 — Elephant  Seals;  Shooting  Rapids;  The 
Woolly  West;  Cowboy  Thrills. 

Details  of  the  remaining  nine  programs 
will  be  announced  in  succeeding  issues  of 
Field  Museum  News.  Children  from  all 
parts  of  Chicago  and  suburbs  are  invited  to 
attend  these  entertainments. 


GOLD  EARRINGS  FROM  KISH 

By  Henry  Field 
Assistant  Curator  of  Physical  Anthropology 

During  the  past  season  of  excavations 
conducted  by  the  Field  Museum-Oxford 
University  Joint  Expedition  at  Kish,  Meso- 
potamia, three  pairs  of  gold  earrings  were 
unearthed.  These  were  found  in  Babylonian 
graves  belonging  to  the  period  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar who  ruled  over  Kish  and  Babylon 
about  2,500  years  ago.  It  can  therefore  be 
suggested  with  some  degree  of  certainty  that 
they  were  worn  by  ladies  at  the  court  of 
King  Nebuchadnezzar. 

Two  pairs  are  made  of  wire  gold,  while 
the  lower  parts  of  the  third  pair  are  formed 
by  larger,  thin  semicircular  beads.  Four  of 
the  earrings  recently  were  received  at  Field 
Museum.  Among  these  there  is  one  pair, 
the  upper  portion  of  which  is  formed  of  thin 
wire  gold  which  penetrated  the  ear  lobe  and 
from  which  hangs  a  triangular  ornament 
covered  with  small  beads  and  terminating 
in  a  larger  golden  pearl.  There  is  also  a 
single  earring  with  a  wire  gold  loop  for 
insertion  through  the  ear  lobe  from  which 
hangs  a  large  lunate  golden  ornament. 

The  most  important  is  a  large  intricately 
designed  gold  earring  an  inch  and  three- 
quarters  long.  This  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  objects  which  has  been  found  in 
Mesopotamia  and  bears  eloquent  witness  to 
the  artistic  ability  of  the  Babylonian  crafts- 
men. The  upper  part  is  composed  of  a  wire 
gold  loop  for  attachment  to  the  ear  lobe. 
One  end  of  the  loop  is  attached  to  a  lunate 
ornament  decorated  with  three  rows  of  tiny 
pearls.  Below  this  is  a  fluted  ball  fastened 
to  a  plain  collar  decorated  around  the  base 
with  the  small  pearl  motif;  and  beneath  that 
is  a  larger  fluted  ball,  from  which  hang  two 
rows  of  six  smaller  round  ornaments.  At 
the  base  of  each  small  ball  is  a  triangular 
ornament  of  six  round  beads  in  the  shape 
of  an  inverted  pyramid.  The  central  lower 
portion  of  the  earring  consists  of  two  larger 
beads  placed  one  above  the  other  and  ter- 
minated by  an  inverted  pyramid  consisting 
of  ten  small  beads. 

The  artistic  beauty  of  these  objects  which 
were  designed  twenty-five  centuries  ago,  to- 
gether with  their  romantic  history,  make 
them  valuable  acquisitions  to  the  collections 
of  Field  Museum,  where  they  will  be  placed 
on  exhibition  in  the  near  future. 


contain  is  illustrated  in  a  revised  collection 
just  placed  on  display  in  Frederick  J.  V. 
Skiff  Hall  (Hall  37).  A  one-pound  piece  of 
each  variety  of  ore  is  shown  together  with  a 
piece  of  iron  equal  to  its  average  iron  content. 
In  the  case  of  the  commonest  ore,  hematite, 
the  iron  weighs  almost  eleven  and  one-quar- 
ter ounces,  or  nearly  three-quarters  of  the 
weight  of  the  ore.  The  comparative  scarcity 
of  gold  is  emphasized  by  comparison  of  this 
with  another  exhibit  in  the  same  hall  show- 
ing a  cube  of  less  than  three-eighths  inch 
diameter  representing  the  entire  gold  content 
of  a  near-by  specimen  of  gold  ore  which 
weighs  635  pounds  and  is  regarded  as  a  rich 
ore  although  this  amount  yields  less  than 
half  an  ounce  of  gold. 


Vanity  in  Ancient  Egypt 

A  case  of  objects  illustrating  the  vanities 
of  the  ancient  Egyptians  was  recently  placed 
on  exhibition  in  Hall  J.  Included  are  such 
articles  as  jars  which  held  unground  cos- 
metic materials,  slate  palettes  and  flint 
pebbles  for  grinding  the  cosmetics,  sticks  of 
bronze,  wood  and  stone  used  for  applying 
cosmetics,  spoons  for  applying  unguents, 
bronze  mirrors,  combs,  tweezers  for  depila- 
tory purposes,  razors,  and  various  personal 
ornaments.  The  objects  range  in  date  from 
the  predynastic  period  to  the  Coptic  or 
Christian  period  (4000  B.C.  to  a.d.  600). 

The  use  of  tweezers  for  plucking  out  super- 
fluous hairs,  and  also  for  extracting  thorns, 
and  the  practice  of  shaving  with  razors, 
appear  to  have  begun  as  early  as  the  first 
dynasty,  according  to  Dr.  T.  George  Allen, 
Assistant  Curator  of  Egyptian  Archaeology. 
The  first  razors  embodied  the  scraping  prin- 
ciple. Later  during  the  eighteenth  century 
a  rotating  saw  type,  of  which  examples  are 
included  in  the  Museum  exhibit,  became 
established. 

Both  long  and  short-toothed  combs,  made 
of  wood,  ivory  and  bone,  were  used.  Per- 
sonal ornaments  in  the  exhibit  include  an 
ivory  hairpin,  earrings,  ear-plugs,  and  many 
pins,  finger  rings  and  bracelets. 


Unusual  Form  of  Concretion 

The  Museum  received  recently  an  unusual 
form  of  concretion  from  R.  C.  Swank  of 
Chicago.  The  specimen  was  formerly  a 
prized  possession  of  Mr.  Swank's  friend,  John 
Klopper,  of  Denver,  Colorado.  Learning 
recently  that  Mr.  Klopper  had  died,  Mr. 
Swank  called  upon  his  widow  and  secured 
the  specimen  for  Field  Museum. 

The  concretion  is  circular  in  form,  fifteen 
inches  in  diameter  but  less  than  two  inches 
thick.  It  shows  also  what  is  known  as  cone- 
in-cone  structure. 


Iron  Yield  of  Ore  Illustrated 

The   relationship   between   quantities   of 
iron  ore  and  the  amount  of  actual  iron  they 


Gifts  to  the  Museum 

Following  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  principal 
gifts  received  during  the  last  month: 

From  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward  W.  Everett — a  painting 
on  silk  representing  a  school  of  carp,  sixteenth  century, 
China;  from  Dr.  Don  F.  Dickson — 29  specimens  of 
archaeological  material  from  Dickson  Mound,  Lewis- 
town,  Illinois;  from  William  J.  Chalmers — 8  specimens 
crystallized  minerals,  Maine  and  New  Mexico;  from 
Richard  C.  Swank — a  specimen  of  clay  concretion, 
fifteen  inches  in  diameter,  Kansas;  from  J.  K.  Hawkes — 
2  specimens  transparent  gypsum,  Oklahoma;  from 
E.  W.  John — 7  specimens  fossil  invertebrates,  Utah; 
from  R.  S.  Bacon  Veneer  Company — 10  veneered  panels 
of  foreign  woods;  from  Paul  Van  Cleef — trunk  of  a 
rubber  tree,  Singapore;  from  Frank  Schoble  and  Com- 
pany— 10  straw  hats  for  exhibit;  from  A.  S.  Windsor — ■ 
48  salamanders  and  2  snakes,  Tennessee;  from  J.  E. 
Baum,  Jr. — 4  Persian  goats  (with  skulls)  and  2  wild 
ass  (skins  only),  Persia;  from  Robert  H.  Everard — 
a  scaly  anteater,  Tanganyika  Territory,  Africa;  from 
Dr.  Karl  Alsolon — 2  specimens  of  the  Grottenolm, 
Proteus  anguineus,  the  blind  cave  salamander  of  Europe; 
from  General  Biological  Supply  House — 6  frogs,  Minne- 
sota; from  Frank  J.  Berek — a  rattlesnake  (head  only), 
Illinois. 


SEPTEM  BER  GUIDE-LECTURE  TOURS 

Following  is  the  schedule  of  conducted 
tours  of  the  exhibits  during  September: 

Week  beginning  August  31 — Monday:  11  A.M.,  Low 
Forms  of  Plant  Life,  3  p.m.,  Mexico;  Tuesday:  11  a.m., 
and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Wednesday:  11  a.m.,  Wood- 
land Indians,  3  P.M.,  Bears  and  Their  Relatives;  Thurs- 
day: 11  A.M.,  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Friday:  11  A.M., 
Interesting  Geological  Exhibits,  3  P.M.,  Hall  of  Plant 
Life. 

Week  beginning  September  7 — Monday:  Labor  Day 
holiday — no  tours;  Tuesday:  11  A.M.,  and  3  P.M.,  Gen- 
eral Tours;  Wednesday:  11  A.M.,  Primitive  Modes  of 
Travel,  3  P.M.,  Asiatic  Animals;  Thursday:  11  a.m.,  and 
3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Friday:  11  a.m..  Implements  of 
Warfare,  3  p.m.,  Rodents. 

Week  beginning  September  14 — Monday:  11  a.m., 
Economic  Minerals,  3  p.m.,  Oriental  Theatricals;  Tues- 
day: 11  a.m.,  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Wednesday: 
11  A.M.,  Migratory  Animals  and  Birds,  3  P.M.,  Economic 
Plants;  Thursday:  11  a.m.,  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours; 
Friday:  11  a.m.,  Roman  Archaeology,  3  P.M.,  Dinosaurs 
and  Other  Reptiles. 

Week  beginning  September  21 — Monday:  11  A.M., 
Food  Dishes  and  Household  Utensils,  3  P.M.,  Apes  and 
Monkeys;  Tuesday:  11  A.M.,  and  3  p.m.,  General  Tours; 
Wednesday:  11  A.M.,  Toltecs,  Aztecs  and  Mayas,  3  p.m., 
Fur-bearers;  Thursday:  11  A.M.,  and  3  P.M.,  General 
Tours;  Friday:  11  a.m.,  Egyptian  Hall,  3  P.M.,  Crystals 
and  Gems. 

Week  beginning  September  28 — Monday:  11  A.M., 
The  Carl  Akeley  Hall,  3  p.m.,  Firemaking;  Tuesday: 
11  A.M.,  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Wednesday:  11  a.m.. 
Home  and  Village  Models,  3  P.M.,  The  Grasses  and 
Their  Uses. 

Persons  wishing  to  participate  should 
apply  at  North  Entrance.  Tours  are  free 
and  no  gratuities  are  to  be  proffered.  A  new 
schedule  will  appear  each  month  in  Field 
Museum  News.  Guide-lecturers'  services 
for  special  tours  by  parties  of  ten  or  more 
are  available  free  of  charge  by  arrangement 
with  the  Director  a  week  in  advance. 


A  group  of  large  relief  maps  of  the  region 
about  Chicago,  showing  the  distribution  of 
land  and  water  in  this  district  during 
a  number  of  stages  following  the  glacial 
period,  is  available  for  study  in  Clarence 
Buckingham  Hall. 

NEW  MEMBERS 

The  following  persons  were  elected  to 
membership  in  Field  Museum  during  the 
period  from  July  13  to  August  17: 

Life  Members 

Newton  Camp  Farr 
Associate  Members 

Carol  W.  Alton,  Arthur  A.  Boettcher,  Mrs.  John 
Dolese,  Mrs.  Frank  M.  Elliot,  Robert  S.  Kinsey, 
George  F.  Mitchell,  Dr.  Gaston  C.  Parker,  Sparrow  E. 
Purdy,  David  Skooglund,  Fred  J.  Stebbins,  Selden 
Freeman  White. 

Annual  Members 

Paul  E.  Arnold,  Edward  B.  Dunigan,  Mrs.  Arthur  T. 
Evans,  Rollo  Gullickson,  Walter  Davis  Hardy,  Gustave 
Heding,  Thomas  H.  Hoyer,  Lloyd  B.  Huguenor, 
William  H.  Moore,  John  Thompson,  II.,  Miss  Elizabeth 
W.  Towner,  Walter  N.  Vance. 


MEMBERSHIP  IN  FIELD  MUSEUM 

Field  Museum  has  several  classes  of  Members. 
Benefactors  give  or  devise  $100,000  or  more.  Contribu- 
tors give  or  devise  $1,000  to  $100,000.  Life  Members 
give  $500.  Nun-Resident  (Life)  and  Associate  Members 
pay  $100.  Non-Resident  Associate  Members  pay  $50. 
All  the  above  classes  are  exempt  from  dues.  Sustaining 
Members  contribute  $25  annually.  After  six  years  they 
become  Associate  Members.  Annual  Members  con- 
tribute $10  annually.  Other  memberships  are  Corpo- 
rate, Honorary,  Patron,  and  Corresponding,  additions 
under  these  classifications  being  made  by  special  action 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

Each  Member,  in  all  classes,  is  entitled  to  free 
admission  to  the  Museum  for  himself,  his  family  and 
house  guests,  and  to  two  reserved  seats  for  Museum 
lectures  provided  for  Members.  Subscription  to  Field 
Museum  News  is  included  with  all  memberships.  The 
courtesies  of  every  museum  of  note  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada  are  extended  to  all  Members  of 
Field  Museum.  A  Member  may  give  his  personal  card 
to  non-residents  of  Chicago,  upon  presentation  of 
which  they  will  be  admitted  to  the  Museum  without 
charge.  Further  information  about  memberships  will 
be  sent  on  request. 


PRINTED  BY  FIELD   MUSEUM    PRESS 


News 


Published  Monthly  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Chicago 


Vol.  2 


OCTOBER,   1931 


No.  10 


TREES  OF  THE    COAL   AGE,  250,000,000    YEARS  AGO,   RESTORED  IN  NEW  EXHIBIT 


By  B.  E.  Dahlgren 
Acting  Curator,  Department  of  Botany 

A  scene  in  a  swamp  forest  of  the  Coal  Age 
is  vividly  represented  in  all  its  luxuriance,  and 
in  natural  size,  in  a  group  recently  completed 
in  Ernest  R.  Graham  Hall  (Hall  38)  of  the 
Museum.  Representing  much  intensive  re- 
search and  three  years  of  exacting  labor,  this 
group  is  the  most  recent  addition  to  the  series 
of  historical  geology  exhibits  provided  through 
the  generosity  of  Ernest  R.  Graham,  Trustee 
and  Benefactor  of  the  Museum. 

The  group  shows  a  landscape  of  late  Car- 


and  cover  the  coal  beds.  Thanks  to  the 
abundance  of  fossil  remains  and  to  the  labors 
of  many  paleontologists,  there  is  available  a 
large  amount  of  knowledge  concerning  the 
plants  which  gave  origin  to  coal,  as  well  as  of 
the  conditions  under  which  they  lived.  This, 
together  with  the  advanced  type  of  museum 
technique  developed  in  the  Stanley  Field 
Plant  Reproduction  Laboratories,  has  made 
possible  the  preparation  of  the  present  ex- 
hibit. Many  of  the  most  common  plants  of 
the  Pennsylvanian  flora,  especially  as  this  is 
represented  at  Mazon  Creek,  Illinois,  have 


bulk  of  the  vegetation.  Foremost  among  these 
were  the  great  clubmosses  of  many  species. 
With  their  columnar  stems  reaching  as  much 
as  six  feet  in  diameter  and  up  to  100  feet  in 
height,  fluted  or  ornamented  as  if  by  a  sculp- 
tured pattern,  with  their  unbranched  tops 
terminating  in  a  single  tuft  or  in  a  canopy  of 
grasslike  foliage,  and  their  long  horizontally 
extended  and  regularly  forking  roots,  these 
big  clubmosses  must  have  set  their  somber 
stamp  on  the  entire  landscape. 

The  two  principal  and  best  known  types 
of  these   are  the   Lepidodendrons   and  the 


Copyright  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Forest  of  the  Coal  Age 
Restoration  of  Carboniferous  vegetation  which  has  been  added  to  the  exhibits  in  Ernest  R.  Graham  Hall  of.  Historical  Geology. 


boniferous  time,  in  the  so-called  Pennsylvanian 
period,  some  250,000,000  years  ago.  The  land 
flora  of  the  Paleozoic  era  was  at  that  time 
reaching  its  culmination  in  the  vast  forests 
that  covered  much  of  the  land  then  raised 
above  the  sea  in  the  northern  hemisphere.  In 
Europe  and  in  northern  Asia,  as  well  as  in 
North  America,  these  forests  existed  for  mil- 
lions of  years,  giving  rise  in  the  course  of  time 
to  vast  accumulations  of  plant  material  that 
now  constitute  our  principal  coal  beds. 

Various  attempts  have  been  made  by  paleo- 
botanists  to  picture  the  appearance  of  the  coal 
flora,  but  the  present  Museum  exhibit  prob- 
ably represents  the  first  serious  effort  to  recon- 
struct in  three-dimensional  form  a  whole 
assemblage  of  plants  of  Carboniferous  time. 

Our  knowledge  of  the  botanical  character 
of  the  Carboniferous  vegetation  is  based  on  its 
fossil  remains,  present  mostly  in  the  form  of 
casts  and  impressions  in  the  layers  of  shale 
and  sandstone  that  formed  as  silt  during  inter- 
vals of  submergence,  and  that  now  separate 


been  reconstructed  in  natural  size  from  the 
impressions  and  casts  in  rocks  of  the  period. 
To  restore  to  a  semblance  of  its  living  condi- 
tion enough  of  the  coal  forest  vegetation  and 
of  the  animal  life  of  the  time  to  reconstruct  a 
typical  section  of  the  ancient  swamp  forest 
has  been  a  long  and  often  tedious  task,  involv- 
ing the  combined  efforts  of  a  half-dozen  work- 
ers in  the  plant  reproduction  laboratories. 

The  group,  which  measures  28  x  15  x  19 
feet,  shows  a  scene  in  a  dense  swamp  forest  at 
the  margin  of  a  stretch  of  shallow  and  stag- 
nant water  as  in  a  lagoon  of  a  river  estuary. 
The  extensive  bogs  and  marshes  of  the  time 
were  filled  with  dense  formations  of  calamites, 
giant  semiaquatic  horsetails  which  probably 
also  bordered  all  the  watercourses.  They 
resembled  the  present  day  equisetums  or 
scouring  rushes  in  form,  but  approached  bam- 
boos in  height  and  rapidity  of  growth  and  ri- 
valed the  giants  among  bamboos  in  diameter. 

The  calamites  were,  however,  greatly  ex- 
ceeded in  size  by  the  trees  which  formed  the 


Sigillarias.  The  former  had  a  scaly  armor  of 
leaf  cushions  covering  their  trunks;  the  latter 
were  marked  by  seal-like  leafscars  generally 
arranged  in  vertical  rows.  There  were  other 
forms  such  as  the  forking  Lepidophloios  shown 
near  the  center  of  the  group.  On  the  large 
branches  of  this  are  seen  clumps  of  short  leafy 
shoots,  each  terminating  in  a  sporebearing 
cone.  The  pollen-like  spores  must  have  been 
extremely  abundant,  for  masses  of  them  con- 
stitute an  important  element  of  the  material 
which  has  been  converted  into  coal. 

The  remainder  of  the  tall  forest  trees  of  the 
period  consisted  of  early  gymnosperms,  called 
Cordaites,  in  honor  of  the  famous  paleon- 
tologist Corda.  These  have  long  since 
disappeared.  They  belonged  to  a  line  which 
probably  gave  origin  to  such  conifers  as  the 
monkey  puzzles  and  the  Australian  kauri 
pine,  essentially  Tertiary  trees  still  existing  in 
the  southern  hemisphere.  The  Cordaites  were 
truly  large-leaved.     The  species  included  in 

{Continued  on  -page  S) 


Page  2 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


October,  19S1 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Founded  by  Marshall  Field,  1893 
Roosevelt  Road  and  Lake  Michigan,  Chicago 


THE  BOARD 
John  Borden 
William  J.  Chalmers 
R.  T.  Crake,  Jr. 
Marshall  Field 
Stanley  Field 
Ernest  R.  Graham 
Albert  \v.  Harris 
Samuel  Insull,  Jr. 
William  V.  Kelley 
Cyrus  H.  McCormick 
William 


OF  TRUSTEES 

William  H.  Mitchell 
Frederick  H.  Rawson 
George  A.  Richardson 
Martin  A.  Ryerson 
Fred  W.  Sargent 
Stephen  C.  Simms 
Jambs  Simpson 
Solomon  A.  Smith 
Albert  A.  Sprague 
Silas  H.  Strawn 

Wrigley,  Jr. 


OFFICERS 

Stanley  FrELD President 

Martin  A.  Ryerson First  Vice-President 

Albert  A.  Sprague Second  Vice-President 

James  Simpson Third  Vice-President 

Stephen  C.  Simms Director  and  Secretary 

Solomon  A.  Smith  . . .  Treasurer  and  Assistant  Secretary 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 

Stephen  C.  Simms,  Director  of  the  Museum Editor 

CONTRIBUTING  EDITORS 

Berthold  Laufer Curator  of  Anthropology 

B.  E.  D ahlgren Acting  Curator  of  Botany 

O.  C.  Farrington Curator  of  Geology 

Wilfred  H.  Osgood Curator  of  Zoology 

H.  B.  Harte Managing  Editor 

Field  Museum  is  open  every  day  of  the  year  during 
the  hours  indicated  below: 

November,  December,  January  9  A.M.  to  4 :30  p.m. 

February,  March,  April,  October  9  A.M.  to  5 :00  P.M. 

May,  June,  July,  August,  September    9  a.m.  to  6 :00  p.m. 

Admission  is  free  to  Members  on  all  days.  Other 
adults  are  admitted  free  on  Thursdays,  Saturdays  and 
Sundays;  non-members  pay  26  cents  on  other  days. 
Children  are  admitted  free  on  all  days.  Students  and 
faculty  members  of  educational  institutions  are  admit- 
ted free  any  day  upon  presentation  of  credentials. 

The  Library  of  the  Museum,  containing  some  92,000 
volumes  on  natural  history  subjects,  is  open  for  refer- 
ence daily  except  Sunday. 

Traveling  exhibits  are  circulated  in  the  schools  of 
Chicago  by  the  Museum's  Department  of  the  N.  W. 
Harris  Public  School  Extension. 

Lectures  for  school  classrooms  and  assemblies,  and 
special  entertainments  and  lecture  tours  for  children  at 
tne  Museum,  are  provided  by  the  James  Nelson  and 
Anna  Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for  Public  School 
and  Children's  Lectures. 

Announcements  of  courses  of  free  illustrated  lectures 
on  science  and  travel  for  the  public,  and  special  lectures 
for  Members  of  the  Museum,  will  appear  in  Field 
Museum  News. 

There  is  a  cafeteria  in  the  Museum  where  luncheon 
is  served  for  visitors.  Other  rooms  are  provided  for 
those  bringing  their  lunches. 

Members  are  requested  to  inform  the  Museum 
promptly  of  changes  of  address. 


AN  EARLY  THOUGHT  FOR 
CHRISTMAS 

A  note  made  now  concerning  Christmas 
may  save  much  time  and  effort  during  the  last 
hectic  weeks  of  shopping  before  the  holiday. 
Jot  this  down  on  your  calendar:  Fie  Id  Museum 
memberships  will  again  be  available  as  Christinas 
gifts  this  year. 

Here  is  a  form  of  gift,  obtainable  at  a  low 
price,  which  removes  for  the  giver  all  of  the 
burden  of  hunting  in  the  shops  and  the  prepa- 
ration of  packages.  At  the  same  time  it  is  a 
gift  of  distinction,  a  singularly  appropriate 
selection  to  represent  the  man  or  woman  of 
culture  seeking  a  holiday  remembrance  for 
another  man  or  woman  of  similar  cultural 
estate.  When  you  give  a  Museum  member- 
ship you  are  paying  a  compliment  to  the  recip- 
ient of  your  gift,  for  it  indicates  you  regard 
him  or  her  as  the  type  of  person  who  appre- 
ciates the  things  which  are  of  the  intellect. 
Moreover,  such  a  gift  is  not  put  aside  and  the 
giver  forgotten  within  a  short  time;  instead, 
it  has  a  lasting  effect  as  a  reminder  of  the 
giver,  for  many  times  a  year  the  person  to 
whom  it  is  given  will  receive  copies  of  Field 
Museum  News,  invitations  to  special  lectures 


for  Members,  and  the  opportunity  to  avail 
himself  of  the  various  privileges  extended  to 
those  on  the  Museum's  membership  rolls. 

Application  forms  and  full  details  will 
accompany  the  December  issue  of  the  News, 
or  they  may  be  had  earlier,  if  desired,  by 
telephoning  or  writing  the  Museum.  All  you 
need  do  is  furnish  the  names  and  addresses  of 
the  friends  to  whom  you  desire  to  present 
memberships,  and  a  check  for  the  membership 
fee,  and  the  Museum  will  relieve  you  of  all 
further  details  in  connection  with  your  gift. 
Those  whom  you  thus  favor  will  receive  by 
Christmas  Day  an  attractive  card  upon  which 
the  Museum  will  notify  them  of  your  gift,  and 
inform  them  what  privileges  their  membership 
confers.  A  wide  choice  is  offered  you  in  the 
cost  of  memberships  as  gifts,  beginning  with 
the  $10  Annual  Membership. 


THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  GEOLOGY 
—ITS  AIMS  AND  FUNCTIONS 

The  chief  purpose  of  geological  exhibits  and 
collections  may  be  said  to  be  the  representa- 
tion in  miniature  of  the  materials  of  the  earth 
and  the  history  of  its  ancient  life  as  shown  by 
the  remains  found  in  rocks.  While  this  objec- 
tive can  be  simply  stated,  its  complete  accom- 
plishment obviously  involves  a  wide  range  and 
vast  amount  of  effort.  Such  representation, 
to  be  complete,  must  include  more  than  a 
thousand  mineral  species,  several  hundred 
varieties  of  rocks,  a  great  variety  of  metallic 
ores,  representatives  of  the  non-metallic 
mineral  deposits,  such  as  coal,  petroleum, 
clays  and  soils,  and  a  full  series  of  the  fossils 
which  record  the  plant  and  animal  life  of  past 
ages.  Not  only  should  all  species  and  varieties 
be  represented,  but  also  those  from  many 
localities,  in  order  that  variations  resulting 
from  local  conditions  may  be  illustrated. 

Such  collections  should  also  include  many 
specimens  illustrating  structural  features  of 
the  earth  and  forms  resulting  from  special 
conditions  such  as  those  existing  in  volcanoes, 
caves,  springs,  et  cetera.  It  is  also  desirable  to 
represent  earth  materials  not  only  from  the 
standpoint  of  scientific  classification,  but  also 
from  that  of  economic  value. 

In  its  attainments  along  these  lines,  the 
Department  of  Geology  of  Field  Museum, 
while  far  from  reaching  completeness,  has 
already  acquired  an  impressive  total.  Mineral 
specimens  are  represented  by  33,000  speci- 
mens, varieties  of  rocks  by  9,000,  ores  and 
non-metallic  products  by  26,000,  and  fossils 
by  122,000  specimens.  Special  collections 
among  the  mineral  species  include  those  of 
gems  and  crystals.  Meteorites,  which  by 
their  fall  continually  add  to  the  mass  of  the 
earth,  are  represented  by  the  world's  largest 
collection  as  regards  the  number  of  falls 
possessed.  The  moon,  being  a  satellite  of  the 
earth,  is  represented  by  a  large  model. 
Models,  relief  maps  and  photographs  also 
illustrate  earth  features  too  extensive  to  be 
shown  in  any  other  way.  Other  models  illus- 
trate the  occurrence  of  ores  and  minerals  and 
methods  of  extraction  of  valuable  products 
from  them.  In  addition  to  exhibits  and  col- 
lections of  fossils  in  the  forms  in  which  they 
are  found,  life-size  restorations  of  some  of  the 
animals  of  the  past,  of  early  Man,  and  of  trees 
and  plants  of  the  Coal  Period  have  been  pre- 
pared, while  typical  scenes  of  past  geological 
periods  are  represented  by  twenty-eight  large 
mural  paintings. 

These  exhibits  occupy  five  halls  of  the 
Museum  and  a  part  of  a  sixth,  the  exhibit  of 
gems  sharing  space  with  jewels  chiefly  of 
anthropological  interest.  While,  as  a  rule, 
only  the  larger  or  more  important  specimens 
are  shown  in  the  exhibits,  all  are  available 
in  study  collections  for  intensive  and  detailed 
investigations. 


For  acquiring  such  collections  active  search 
in  diverse  parts  of  the  earth  is  necessary  and 
for  this  purpose  expeditions  have  been  from 
time  to  time  carried  on,  some  of  the  expedi- 
tions remaining  for  long  periods  in  remote  and 
uninhabited  regions. 

Correct  identification  and  classification  of 
the  individual  specimens  require  much  study 
along  microscopic,  chemical  and  physical 
lines,  and  for  this  purpose  well-equipped 
laboratories  have  been  provided.  The  com- 
bination of  large  collections  with  adequate 
laboratories,  an  extensive  library  and  a  com- 
petent scientific  staff  affords  facilities  for 
researches  of  a  unique  character,  and  permits 
results  to  be  obtained  which  could  not  be 
gained  otherwise.  Those  results  which  add 
to  the  body  of  geological  knowledge  are 
published  from  time  to  time  in  Museum  pub- 
lications and  are  distributed  to  scientists  and 
libraries  throughout  the  world.  In  addition, 
some  researches  have  resulted  in  making 
notable  advances  in  methods  for  the  preserva- 
tion and  restoration  of  various  Museum 
objects.  Leaflets,  sold  at  a  low  price,  explain- 
ing in  plain,  non-technical  language  the 
geological  principles  underlying  some  of  the 
exhibits,  are  also  issued  from  time  to  time  and 
serve  to  give  information  about  the  exhibits 
in  addition  to  that  afforded  by  the  labels. 

While  the  interest  and  information  of  visi- 
tors to  the  Museum  itself  is  considered  of 
primary  importance,  evidence  that  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Department  extends  far  beyond 
the  Museum  walls  is  given  by  the  large  num- 
ber of  requests  for  information  that  is  con- 
stantly being  received  by  mail,  telephone  and 
personal  call.  Replies  to  more  than  600  such 
requests  were  made  during  the  year  1930  and 
the  number  increases  yearly. 

— Oliver  C.  Farrington 
(An  article  on  the  purposes  and  functions  of  the 
Department  of  Zoology  will  appear  next  month.) 

Two  Corresponding  Members  Elected 

In  recognition  of  their  eminent  services 
rendered  to  Field  Museum,  Dr.  Stephen 
H.  Langdon,  Professor  of  Assyriology,  Jesus 
College,  Oxford  University,  England,  and 
Dr.  Ludwig  Diels,  Director  of  the  Botanical 
Garden  and  Museum  of  Berlin-Dahlem,  have 
been  elected  Corresponding  Members  of  the 
Museum  by  the  institution's  Board  of 
Trustees.  Professor  Langdon  is  Director 
of  _  the  Field  Museum-Oxford  University 
Joint  Expedition  to  Mesopotamia,  and  has 
conducted  excavations  at  the  ancient  city 
of  Kish  for  eight  seasons.  Dr.  Diels  has 
extended  noteworthy  cooperation  in  the 
botanical  work  of  Field  Museum,  especially 
in  its  activities  abroad  conducted  under  the 
provisions  of  the  Rockefeller  Foundation 
fund  for  obtaining  photographs  of  type 
specimens  of  plants  of  the  American  tropics. 

BEQUESTS  AND  ENDOWMENTS 

Bequests  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  may 
be  made  in  securities,  money,  books  or  collections. 
They  may,  if  desired,  take  the  form  of  a  memorial  to 
a  person  or  cause,  named  by  the  giver.  For  those  desiring 
to  make  bequests,  the  following  form  is  suggested: 

FORM  OF  BEQUEST 

/  do  hereby  give  and  bequeath  to  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History  of  the  City  of  Chicago,  State  of  Illinois, 


Cash  contributions  made  within  the  taxable  year  to 
Field  Museum  not  exceeding  15  per  cent  of  the  tax- 
payer's net  income  are  allowable  as  deductions  in  com- 
puting net  income  under  Article  251  of  Regulation  69 
relating  to  the  income  tax  under  the  Revenue  Act  of 
1926. 

Endowments  may  be  made  to  the  Museum  with  the 
provision  that  an  annuity  be  paid  to  the  patron  for  life. 
These  annuities  are  tax-free  and  are  guaranteed  against 
fluctuation  in  amount. 


October,  1931 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


Page  S 


KISH  EARRINGS  EXHIBITED 

The  remarkable  gold  earrings  from  ancient 
Kish,  obtained  recently  by  the  Field  Museum- 
Oxford  University  Joint  Expedition  to 
Mesopotamia,  and 
described  in  an  article 
on  page  4  of  the  Sep- 
tember Field  Mu- 
seum News,  are  now 
on  exhibition  in 
Stanley  Field  Hall  of 
the  Museum  (Case  11). 
The  accompanying 
illustration  shows  the 
largest  and  most  in- 
tricately designed  of 
the  four  earrings.  The 
picture  is  magnified  to 
approximately  twice, 
actual  size.  The  ear- 
rings were  found  in 
graves  identified  as 
belonging  to  the  period 
of  Nebuchadnezzar, 
who  ruled  over  Kish 
and  Babylon  about 
2,500  years  ago.  In 
design  and  workman- 
ship they  compare 
favorably  with  the 
work  of  the  best  gold- 
smiths and  jewelers  of  later  times  in  Europe 
and  elsewhere. 

The  earrings  are  displayed  with  other  repre- 
sentative archaeological  material  excavated 
from  the  ruins  of  Kish  by  the  Museum 
expedition. 


Kish  Earring 


COAL  AGE  FOREST  RESTORED 

(Continued  from  page  1 ) 

the  exhibit  has  a  sparsely  branching  trunk, 
and  strapshaped  leathery  foliage  massed  on 
the  branches  as  in  some  trees  of  the  lily  family. 
Although  related  to  the  conifer  line,  the  Cor- 
daites  trees  did  not  produce  cones;  instead, 
their  seeds  were  borne  on  small  shoots  in  the 
leaf  axils,  much  as  in  the  ginkgos  to  which 
they  are  distantly  related. 

The  shade  of  the  canopy  of  branches  was 
not  too  dense  to  prevent  the  existence  in  the 
Carboniferous  forest  of  a  luxuriant  vegetation 
of  lesser  size,  and  the  fossil  remains  include  an 
extraordinary  variety  of  stems  and  foliage  of 
fern-like  aspect.  So  numerous  are  these  that 
the  Carboniferous  age  is  often  called  the  Age 
of  Ferns.  It  is  now  known  that  these  fern-like 
fossils  are  derived  from  two  very  distinct  kinds 
of  plants,  true  spore-bearing  ferns,  partly  on 
the  order  of  present-day  tree-ferns,  and  a  large 
variety  of  seed-bearing  plants  with  fern-like 
foliage  which  at  first  led  to  their  confusion 
with  the  ferns.  These  latter  are  often  spoken 
of  as  seedferns,  and  their  seeds  resemble  those 
of  the  cycads  which  appeared  later. 

Several  seedferns  are  included  in  the  group. 
One  of  these  is  the  famous  Lyginodendron,  a 
climber  or  semiclimber.  It  is  easily  recog- 
nized by  its  proproots,  its  delicate  fern-like 
foliage  borne  by  the  slender  forked  stalk  of 
its  leaves,  and  by  its  special  fruiting  frond 
among  its  upper  leaves.  Ascending  a  small 
Lepidodendron  tree  on  the  right  of  the  exhibit 
is  a  characteristically  Carboniferous  climber, 
Mariopteris,  with  stiff  twice-branched  fern- 
like leaves. 

Stems  of  the  tree-ferns  are  frequent  among 
Carboniferous  fossil  remains.  Several  types 
are  known,  two  of  which  are  represented  in 
the  group.  One  of  these  does  not  differ  greatly 
in  appearance  from  its  modern  relatives;  the 
other  is  distinctly  peculiar,  due  to  the  fan- 
shaped  arrangement  of  its  fronds. 

On  the  ground  are  small  clumps  of  a  com- 
mon and  characteristic  plant  of  the  Carbonif- 
erous   swamp    vegetation,    Sphenophyllum, 


with  numerous  slender  jointed  stems,  whorls 
of  delicate  wedge-shaped  leaves,  and  long 
fruiting  catkin-shaped  spikes,  resembling 
closely  the  spore-bearing  spikes. 

The  preservation  of  the  prodigious  amount 
of  forest  litter  that  was  converted  into  coal  is 
evidence  of  the  prevalence  of  conditions  such 
as  a  super-abundance  of  water  and  a  sour 
swamp  soil  which  prevented  decomposition 
and  decay  on  a  large  scale.  Such  conditions 
are  also  indicated  by  characteristics  of  the 
plants,  especially  the  superficial  and  peculiar 
root  system  of  the  big  clubmosses.  With 
the  general  elevation  of  the  land  and  estab- 
lishment of  drier  conditions  in  the  next  period, 
the  Permian,  most  of  the  Carboniferous  flora 
disappeared.  The  great  spore-bearing  trees 
were  unable  to  maintain  themselves  or  to 
propagate  their  kind  except  in  the  presence 
of  abundant  moisture. 

Not  the  least  interesting  feature  of  the 
Carboniferous  forest  is  its  animal  life.  Insects 
were  very  numerous.  They  were  still  in  large 
part  primitive,  and  much  less  varied  than  they 
have  subsequently  become.  Many  modern 
groups  had  not  yet  made  their  appearance, 
but  together  with  the  simplest  forms  embody- 
ing all  primitive  characteristics  of  winged 
insects  there  were  others  already  specialized 
in  directions  pointing  to  modern  orders  such 
as  grasshoppers,  bugs,  flies,  ants,  and  wasps. 
Compared  with  recent  forms  they  were  large 
in  size  and  rather  clumsy.  They  had  two 
pairs  of  equal  wings  but  were  adapted  more 
for  short  flits  and  glides  than  for  flight.  The 
roaches  were  present  in  almost  incredibly 
large  numbers  and  were  represented  by  many 
hundreds  of  species,  some  of  large  size. 

Some  of  the  primitive  dragonflies  were 
enormous,  attaining  dimensions  that  never 
since  have  been  equaled  in  the  insect  world. 
One  of  these  giant  forms  with  a  spread  of  wing 
of  more  than  two  feet  may  be  seen  in  the 
exhibit,  together  with  roaches  up  to  three  and 
one-half  inches  long,  and  several  examples 
of  the  most  primitive  insects  known. 

The  earliest  remains  of  four-legged  animals 
are  from  the  Lower  Carboniferous  rocks  of 
Europe.  They  are  mostly  salamander-like 
forms  with  abundant  indication  of  their 
aquatic  ancestry  which  is  possibly  to  be 
sought  among  the  lungfishes  of  the  preceding 
period.  In  Upper  Carboniferous  time  they 
became  more  numerous,  and  many  species  are 
known  from  both  Europe  and  North  America. 
They  range  in  size  and  shape  from  tiny  sala- 
manders to  eel-like  forms  six  or  more  feet  in 
length.  The  largest  perhaps  seldom  or  never 
emerged  from  the  water  of  the  lakes  and  pools 
of  the  forest.  Most  of  the  others,  judging 
from  their  structure,  were  amphibious  rather 
than  purely  terrestrial  in  their  habits.  They 
had  feeble  legs  and  retained  the  elongated 
body  form  adapted  to  swimming.  From  this 
early  vertebrate  stock  there  arose  the  early 
reptiles  and  from  these  in  the  course  of  time 
all  the  other  higher  vertebrates.  In  the  his- 
tory of  life  on  earth  there  have  been  few  more 
important  periods  than  the  Carboniferous. 

With  the  work  on  this  group  concluded, 
acknowledgments  are  due  to  those  who  have 
directly  or  indirectly  contributed  to  its  execu- 
tion. They  should  be  made  first  of  all  to 
Ernest  R.  Graham  of  the  Museum's  Board  of 
Trustees  for  his  generosity  in  furnishing  the 
funds;  to  President  Stanley  Field  of  the 
Museum  for  his  permission  to  have  the  work 
carried  out  in  the  plant  reproduction  labora- 
tories maintained  by  him  for  the  Department 
of  Botany;  and  to  Dr.  Oliver  C.  Farrington, 
Curator  of  Geology,  for  his  valuable  advice 
and  support.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  record  the 
cheerful  cooperation  of  the  laboratory  staff: 
John  R.  Millar,  Emil  Sella,  George  Peterson, 
Isidor  Ilekis,  Milton  Copulos,  and  John  Wol- 
cott,  all  of  whom  have  contributed  through 


their  skill  and  industry  to  the  successful  pro- 
duction of  the  group.  Charles  A.  Corwin, 
Staff  Artist  of  the  Museum,  executed  the 
painting  of  the  background. 

Thanks  are  due  to  Samuel  Chambers  of 
the  Redpath  Museum  of  McGill  University, 
Montreal,  for  permission  to  obtain  impres- 
sions of  valuable  specimens  in  his  collection 
and  to  Dr.  R.  C.  Bassler,  Curator  of  Inverte- 
brate Paleontology  of  the  United  States 
National  Museum,  Washington,  D.C.,  who 
permitted  Field  Museum  to  obtain  a  selection 
from  the  extensive  duplicate  material  of  Penn- 
sylvanian  fossils  of  the  Lecoq  collection  in 
his  care. 

During  the  entire  course  of  the  work  the 
writer  has  had  the  advice  and  generous 
cooperation  of  Professor  A.  C.  No6,  the  paleo- 
botanist  of  the  University  of  Chicago,  whose 
intimate  and  extensive  knowledge  of  the  Car- 
boniferous flora  has  made  him  a  preeminent 
authority  on  this  subject. 

Valuable  advice  and  material  pertaining  to 
details  of  structure  of  the  vertebrates  included 
in  the  group  have  been  furnished  by  Professor 
W.  K.  Gregory  of  Columbia  University  and 
of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
New  York,  and  Professor  A.  S.  Romer  of  the 
Walker  Museum  of  the  University  of  Chicago. 


LIZARDS  BY  PARCEL  POST 

By  Karl  P.  Schmidt 
Assistant  Curator  of  Reptiles 

The  keeping  of  frogs  and  lizards  in  a 
small  cage  with  earth  and  plants  simulating 
natural  conditions  is  a  simple  matter,  quite 
as  suitable  to  private  homes  as  are  the  more 
familiar  aquaria.  Such  dry  cages  or  "ter- 
raria"  are,  in  fact,  very  popular  in  Europe, 
and  an  extensive  traffic  in  frogs,  lizards, 
snakes,  and  turtles  has  grown  up  in  connec- 
tion with  this  hobby. 

Since  cold-blooded  creatures  do  not  re- 
quire food  for  weeks  on  end,  and  even  require 
very  little  air,  it  has  proved  possible  to  ship 
small  and  medium-sized  amphibians  and 
reptiles  by  mail.  Snakes  and  lizards  are 
usually  sent  enclosed  in  cloth  sacks  which 
are  placed  in  light  wooden  boxes,  with  covers 
securely  tacked  down.  Cardboard  mailing 
tubes  are  especially  suited  to  small  shipments 
of  this  kind. 

Frogs  and  salamanders  cannot  withstand 
drying,  but  even  these  delicate  creatures  may 
be  shipped  long  distances  packed  in  moss 
which  is  damp  but  not  wet.  Excess  moisture 
proves  as  fatal  to  frogs  as  a  deficiency. 
Sphagnum  moss  dipped  in  water  and  then 
thoroughly  wrung  out  meets  this  require- 
ment excellently. 

Occasional  specimens  of  amphibians  and 
reptiles,  intended  for  use  in  the  preparation 
of  exhibition  models,  are  received  alive  in 
this  way  at  Field  Museum  of  Natural  His- 
tory. Such  parcels  are  relatively  unfamilar 
in  the  United  States,  and  a  package  from 
Spain,  opened  for  customs  inspection  in  the 
Chicago  postoffice,  caused  no  little  excite- 
ment when  a  large  ocellated  lizard  escaped. 
The  mail  clerks  who  had  to  move  drawers 
and  boxes  to  recapture  the  creatures  were 
probably  not  very  appreciative  of  the  extra- 
ordinary beauty  of  this  lizard,  with  its  black 
and  green  back,  and  its  sides  brilliantly 
spotted  with  blue. 

Compiling  Book  on  Colombia 

J.  Alden  Mason,  former  member  of  the  staff 
of  the  Department  of  Anthropology  of  Field 
Museum,  and  leader  of  the  Marshall  Field 
Archaeological  Expedition  to  Colombia,  has 
been  spending  a  month  at  the  Museum  com- 
piling data  for  a  publication  on  the  results  of 
his  expedition.  He  is  now  connected  with  the 
Museum  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


Page  i 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


October,  1931 


AUTUMN  LECTURE  COURSE 
BEGINS  OCTOBER  3 

The  fifty-sixth  free  lecture  course  presented 
by  Field  Museum  will  begin  on  Saturday, 
October  3.  In  all  there  will  be  nine  lectures 
on  science  and  travel.  Eminent  explorers  and 
naturalists  will  appear,  and  their  lectures  will 
be  illustrated  with  motion  pictures  and  stere- 
opticon  slides.  All  the  lectures  will  be  on 
Saturday  afternoons,  and  will  begin  at  3  p.m. 
They  will  be  given  in  the  James  Simpson 
Theatre  of  the  Museum. 

Following  is  the  complete  schedule  of  dates, 
subjects  and  speakers: 

October        3 — An  African  Hunting  Trip 

Dr.  Thomas  S.  Arbuthnot, 
Pittsburgh 

October      10 — Burma 

Louis  H.  Baker,  Hamilton,  Ontario 

October      17 — Bryce,  Zion  and  Grand  Can- 
yons 

(Illustrated  with  Lumiere  Auto- 
chrome  plates) 
Dr.  C.  O.  Schneider,  Chicago 

October      24 — Pioneering  in  the  Canadian 
Peace  River  Country 

Professor  Charles  C.  Colby,  Profes- 
sor of  Geography,  University  of 
Chicago 

October      31— East  of  Suez 

H.  C.  Ostrander,  Yonkers,  New 
York 

November    7 — Mexico 

Fred  Payne  Clatworthy,  Estes  Park, 
Colorado 

November  14 — Explorations  in  the  Old  Maya 
Empire 

Dr.  Sylvanus  G.  Morley,  Carnegie 
Institution,  Washington,  D.C. 

November  21 — On  the  Trail  of  the  Viking 

Captain  Donald  B.  MacMillan 

November  28 — Camera  Shooting  in   the 
Southern  Marshes 

Alfred  M.  Bailey,  Director,  Chicago 
Academy  of  Sciences 

No  tickets  are  necessary  for  admission 
to  these  lectures. 


CHILDREN'S  ENTERTAINMENTS 
—RAYMOND  FOUNDATION 

Ten  more  free  motion  picture  programs  of 
the  autumn  series  for  children,  provided  by  the 
James  Nelson  and  Anna  Louise  Raymond 
Foundation  for  Public  School  and  Children's 
Lectures,  remain  to  be  given  on  Saturday 
mornings  during  October,  November  and 
December.  The  first,  a  special  program  of 
Indian  films,  was  given  on  September  26. 

Following  is  thejschedule  of  the  dates  and 
the  titles  of  the  films  to  be  shown  on  each: 

October        3 — Elephant  Seals 
Shooting  Rapids 
The  Woolly  West 
Cowboy  Thrills 

October      10 — Columbus* 

Tricks  or  Weapons? 
Secrets  of  the  Sea 

October  17 — The  Sacred  Beetle 
Wonder  Book  III 
From  Mountain  to  Cement 

Sack 
The  Dogville  Theatre 

October      24 — Glimpses  of  India 

People  in  White  (Korea) 
When  Elk  Come  Down 
How  Rangers  Fight  a  Fire 

October      31 — The    Settlement    of   James- 
town* 
A  Trip  to  a  Zoo 

November    7 — Maizok  of  the  South  Seas 
Magic  Gems 


November  14 — The  Eve  of  the  Revolution* 
A  Trip  to  Banana  Land 
Unselfish  Shells 

November  21 — The  Declaration  of  Indepen- 
dence* 
The  Hamster  Family 
A  Jungle  Roundup 

November  28 — The  Pilgrims* 

Animals  Prepare  for  Winter 
Children  of  the  Sun 

December    5 — Winter  Birds 
Snowflakes 

Mr.  Groundhog  Wakes  Up 
Skating  in  the  Spreewald 

*Yale  Chronicles.     Gift  of  Mr.  Chauncey  Keep  to  the 
Museum 

Each  program  is  given  twice,  at  10  A.M. 
and  at  11.  Children  from  all  parts  of  Chicago 
and  suburbs  are  invited  to  attend. 


SPECIAL  NOTICE 

All  Members  of  Field  Museum  who 
have  changed  their  residences  or  are 
planning  to  do  so  are  earnestly  urged 
to  notify  the  Museum  at  once  of 
their  new  addresses,  so  that  copies  of 
FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS  and  all  other 
communications  from  the  Museum 
may  reach  them  promptly. 


Sculptress'  Work  Progresses 

Miss  Malvina  Hoffman,  noted  sculptress 
commissioned  by  Field  Museum  to  execute 
more  than  100  life-size  figures,  busts  and 
heads  of  the  various  living  races  of  man 
which  are  to  be  exhibited  in  Chauncey  Keep 
Memorial  Hall,  returned  to  America  from 
Europe  recently  with  the  first  completed 
figures,  numbering  about  thirty.  After  a 
brief  stay  in  this  country,  during  which  she 
visited  the  Museum  for  a  conference  with 
officials,  she  departed  for  Honolulu  and  the 
Far  East  to  continue  with  her  task. 


Eskimo  Collection  Received 

A  new  collection  of  Eskimo  archaeological 
material  from  the  Bering  Straits  region  has 
been  received  by  Field  Museum  through  an 
exchange  with  the  United  States  National 
Museum  at  Washington.  Added  to  the  collec- 
tions of  this  kind  which  were  presented  to 
the  Museum  by  Trustee  John  Borden  as  a 
result  of  the  Borden-Field  Museum  Arctic 
Expedition,  the  new  material  builds  up  a 
comprehensive  series  of  objects  for  prepara- 
tion of  an  exhibit  which  will  be  installed  in 
the  near  future. 


Passenger  pigeons,  once  common  but  now 
extinct,  are  preserved  for  posterity  in  an 
exhibit  at  Field  Museum. 


Gifts  to  the  Museum 

Following  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  principal 
gifts  received  during  the  last  month: 

From  Florida-Louisiana  Red  Cypress  Company — 
single  and  double  "knee"  of  southern  cypress  speci- 
mens; from  Robert  B.  Jones — a  grooved  stone  ax  and 
10  flint  spear-heads;  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  W. 
Field — prehistoric  arrow  and  spear  points,  rejects, 
fragments,  etc.;  from  John  T.  Zimmer — a  prehistoric 
stone  pounder;  from  Roy  Muhr — a  Mastodon  skull; 
from  Robert  B.  Jones — 3  specimens  invertebrate  fossils 
and  15  specimens  minerals;  from  Albert  O'Conner — a 
kingfisher;  from  John  M.  Schmidt — a  soft-shelled 
turtle,  a  water  snake,  and  8  garter  snakes;  from  General 
Biological  Supply  House — a  pocket  gopher  skin;  from 
Anton  C.  G.  Kaempfer — a  lower  jaw  of  a  four-tusked 
Mastodon. 


OCTOBER  GUIDE-LECTURE  TOURS 

Following  is  the  schedule  of  conducted 
tours  of  the  exhibits  during  October: 

Thursday,  October  1:  11  a.m.  and  3  p.m.,  General 
Tours;  Friday:  11  a.m.,  Industrial  Models,  3  P.M., 
Africa  and  Madagascar. 

Week  beginning  October  5 — Monday:  11  a.m., 
Reptiles  and  Amphibians,  3  p.m.,  Crystals  and  Gems; 
Tuesday:  11  a.m.,  Plant-life,  Past  and  Present,  3  p.m., 
Mummies;  Wednesday:  11  a.m.,  Pewter,  Bronze  and 
Cloisonne,  3  p.m.,  South  American  Archaeology;  Thurs- 
day: 11  a.m.  and  3  p.m.,  General  Tours;  Friday:  11  a.m., 
The  Totem-pole  Makers,  3  P.M.,  Creatures  of  the  Seas. 

Week  beginning  October  12 — Monday:  11  a.m.,  Use- 
ful Minerals  and  Metals,  3  p.m.,  Melanesia;  Tuesday: 
11  a.m.,  American  Archaeology,  3  p.m.,  Looms  and 
Textiles;  Wednesday:  11  a.m.,  Mexico,  3  p.m.,  Building 
Materials;  Thursday:  11  a.m.  and  3  p.m.,  General  Tours; 
Friday:  11  a.m.,  People  of  the  Far  North,  3  p.m.,  Useful 
Fibers  and  Resins. 

Week  beginning  October  19 — Monday:  11  a.m.,  The 
Young  of  Mammals  and  Birds,  3  P.M.,  Roman  Home 
Life;  Tuesday:  11  a.m.,  Crocodiles,  Snakes  and  Turtles, 
3  p.m.,  Musical  Instruments;  Wednesday:  11  A.M., 
Chinese  Art,  3  P.M.,  North  American  Trees  and  Their 
Uses;  Thursday:  11  a.m.  and  3  p.m.,  General  Tours; 
Friday:  11  a.m.,  Comparative  Anatomy,  3  p.m.,  Peoples 
of  the  South  Seas. 

Week  beginning  October  26 — Monday:  11  a.m., 
Indians  of  Plains  and  Deserts,  3  p.m.,  Peat,  Coal  and 
Oil;  Tuesday:  11  a.m.,  Man  Through  the  Ages,  3  P.M., 
South  American  Animals;  Wednesday:  11  a.m.,  Egyp- 
tian Art,  3  p.m.,  Prehistoric  Animals;  Thursday:  11  a.m. 
and  3  p.m.,  General  Tours;  Friday:  11  a.m.,  Jewelry, 
3  p.m.,  Habitat  Groups. 

Persons  wishing  to  participate  should 
apply  at  North  Entrance.  Tours  are  free 
and  no  gratuities  are  to  be  proffered.  A  new 
schedule  will  appear  each  month  in  Field 
Museum  News.  Guide-lecturers'  services 
for  special  tours  by  parties  of  ten  or  more 
are  available  free  of  charge  by  arrangement 
with  the  Director  a  week  in  advance.  *- 


NEW  MEMBERS 

The  following  persons  were  elected  to 
membership  in  Field  Museum  during  the 
period  from  August  18  to  September  17: 

Corresponding  Members 

Professor  Stephen  Langdon,  Dr.  Ludwig  Diels. 

Associate  Members 

Mrs.  Julian  Armstrong,  Kingman  Douglass,  Sol 
Ekenstein,  Mrs.  Sidney  H.  Gettelman,  Miss  Margaret 
H.  Graham,  Fowler  McCormick,  S.  A.  Tucker,  James 
Z.  Van  Winkle. 

Sustaining  Members 

Mrs.  Caryl  B.  Young 

Annual  Members 

Dr.  J.  B.  Anderson,  Mrs.  Fred  A.  Bartman, 
Frederick  W.  Bunts,  Mrs.  T.  W.  Burrows,  Mrs.  Griffith 
Chadwick,  John  J.  Coburn,  Harley  O.  Gable,  Willis  S. 
Hilpert,  W.  Kelso  Hunter,  Donald  Kirkpatrick,  F.  H. 
Kuflman,  Jr.,  Martin  J.  Murray,  Robert  W.  Nessler, 
J.  F.  O'Neil,  Mrs.  Charles  H.  Pajeau,  Miss  Erna  M. 
Pohlmann,  Mrs.  Joseph  E.  Rhodes,  Herbert  Sieck, 
Albert  A.  Sprague,  Jr.,  Mrs.  Wilmer  M.  States,  D.  F. 
Sweeney,  W.  W.  Watkins,  L.  C.  Welch,  Ray  A. 
Whidden,  Mrs.  Jason  F.  Whitney. 


MEMBERSHIP  IN  FIELD  MUSEUM 

Field  Museum  has  several  classes  of  Members. 
Benefactors  give  or  devise  $100,000  or  more.  Contribu- 
tors give  or  devise  $1,000  to  $100,000.  Life  Members 
give  $500.  Non-Resident  (Life)  and  Associate  Members 
pay  $100.  Non-Resident  Associate  Members  pay  $50. 
All  the  above  classes  are  exempt  from  dues.  Sustaining 
Members  contribute  $25  annually.  After  six  years  they 
become  Associate  Members.  Annual  Members  con- 
tribute $10  annually.  Other  memberships  are  Corpo- 
rate, Honorary,  Patron,  and  Corresponding,  additions 
under  these  classifications  being  made  by  special  action 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

Each  Member,  in  all  classes,  is  entitled  to  free 
admission  to  the  Museum  for  himself,  his  family  and 
house  guests,  and  to  two  reserved  seats  for  Museum 
lectures  provided  for  Members.  Subscription  to  Field 
Museum  News  is  included  with  all  memberships.  The 
courtesies  of  every  museum  of  note  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada  are  extended  to  all  Members  of 
Field  Museum.  A  Member  may  give  his  personal  card 
to  non-residents  of  Chicago,  upon  presentation  of 
which  they  will  be  admitted  to  the  Museum  without 
charge.  Further  information  about  memberships  will 
be  sent  on  request. 


FIELD    MUSEUM    PRESS 


News 


Published  Monthly  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Chicago 


Vol.  2 


NOVEMBER,  1931 


No.  11 


GROUP  OF   SOUTH  AMERICAN  TAPIRS   IS  ADDED  TO  MAMMAL   HABITAT   SERIES 


By  Wilfred  H.  Osgood 
Curator,  Department  of  Zoology 

Unlike  Africa  and  tropical  Asia,  South 
America  at  the  present  time  does  not  support 
a  mammal  fauna  including  many  species 
of  large  size.  Although  its  mammals  are 
numerous  and  of  great  interest,  they  are 
mostly  of  small  or  medium  size.  Among 
the  larger  ones  none  is  more  peculiar  or 
characteristic  than  the  tapir.  Therefore, 
this  animal  was  chosen  as  the  subject  of 
the  fifth  South  American  group  for  the  Hall 
of  American  Mammal 
Habitat  Groups.  Other 
animals  now  represented 
in  this  series  include  the 
guanaco,  marsh  deer, 
great  anteater,  jaguar, 
and  capybara. 

The  group  of  American 
tapir,  recently  completed, 
shows  three  specimens — 
two  adults  and  one  partly 
grown  young.  They  are 
represented  in  mid-day 
under  the  shade  of  a  tree 
at  the  edge  of  a  grassy 
swamp.  Beyond  them 
stretches  a  painted  scene 
typical  of  southwestern 
Brazil — open  marsh  and 
scattered  clumps  of  small 
trees  from  which  here  and 
there  a  palm  sends  up  its 
slender  but  towering 
trunk. 

Although  there  are  at 
least  two  other  species  of 
tapirs  found  in  tropical 
America,   both   of   these   are   restricted   to 
special  regions,  one  in  Central  America  and 
the  other  in  the  mountains  of  Ecuador,  so 
the  name  American  tapir  is  applied  to  the 
common   and   widespread   species   which 
ranges   throughout   the   lowlands   from 


Panama  to  Paraguay.  It  is  a  shy,  inoffen- 
sive animal,  fond  of  wallowing  in  mud  and 
water,  but  also  resorting  at  times  to  rela- 
tively dry  uplands.  It  is  mainly  nocturnal 
and  for  protection  from  its  enemies  depends 
upon  concealment  and  watchfulness  in 
which  keen  scent  doubtless  plays  a  large 
part.  It  can  run  at  fair  speed  for  a  short 
distance,  but  this  is  but  partial  defence 
against  such  an  enemy  as  the  jaguar,  and 
stealth,  therefore,  is  its  only  recourse.  Its 
short  proboscis,  which  in  structure  is  much 


South  American  Tapirs 

New  exhibit  in  Hall  16.    The  specimens  were  obtained  by  the  Marshall  Field  South  American 

Expedition  of  1926. 

like  the  trunk  of  an  elephant,  is  probably 
too  small  for  more  than  limited  use  as  an 
organ  of  prehension  and  perhaps  should  be 
regarded  principally  as  an  outward  evidence 
of  a  very  highly  developed  sense  of  smell. 
The  young  tapir  is  sharply  marked  with 


light  spots  and  stripes  which  disappear  in 
the  adult.  These  serve  to  render  it  incon- 
spicuous in  the  alternating  light  and  shade 
of  the  jungle  and  may  at  times  afford  it 
some  measure  of  protection. 

Among  present  day  animals,  tapirs  are 
most  closely  related  to  horses,  and  fossil 
remains  of  certain  extinct  mammals  indicate 
quite  clearly  that  tapirs  and  horses  were 
derived  from  a  common  ancestor.  The  toes 
of  tapirs  are  divided  much  as  in  some  of 
the  ancestral  horses,  and  their  teeth,  al- 
though less  complicated 
in  structure,  show  basic 
resemblances  to  those  of 
horses.  Even  superficially 
it  is  easily  seen  that  the 
shape  of  a  tapir's  head  is 
similar  to  that  of  a  horse. 
Besides  the  several 
tapirs  of  America,  there 
is  only  one  other  living 
species,  the  Malay  tapir, 
which  is  confined  to  a 
small  area  in  southeastern 
Asia  and  the  East  Indies. 
Since  many  fossil  tapirs 
have  been  found  in 
various  parts  of  the  world, 
it  is  evident  that  the 
living  species,  although 
now  so  widely  separated, 
were  formerly  connected. 
They  are  remnants  proba- 
bly saved  from  extinction 
by  the  vastness  and  al- 
most impenetrable  nature 
of  the  jungles  in  which 
they  live. 
The  specimens  for  the  Museum's  group 
were  collected  by  Assistant  Curator  Colin 
C.  Sanborn  during  the  Marshall  Field  South 
American  Expedition  of  1926.  The  taxi- 
dermy is  by  Julius  Friesser,  and  the  painted 
background  by  Charles  A.  Corwin. 


MODERN  ARABS  OF  THE  KISH  AREA 

By  Henry  Field 
Assistant  Curator  of  Physical  Anthropology 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  season  of  excava- 
tions in  1927-28  by  the  Field  Museum-Ox- 
ford University  Joint  Expedition  at  Kish, 
Mesopotamia  (Irak),  I  devoted  some  time 
to  a  detailed  anthropometric  study  of  the 
modern  Arabs  who  live  in  the  Kish  area. 

The  statistics  thereby  obtained  show  that 
there  has  been  little  if  any  change  in  the  physi- 
cal characteristics  of  the  population  of  that 
area  during  the  past  5,500  years.  The  long- 
headed (dolichocephalic)  element  appears 
to  have  been  dominant  in  the  earliest  cul- 
tural levels,  and  also  to  predominate  among 
the  modern  Arabs.  Broad-headed  (brachy- 
cephalic)  peoples  appear  to  have  been  pres- 
ent, but  in  smaller  numbers,  and  they  proba- 
bly represent  the  aristocratic  or  ruling  group, 
in  ancient  Kish.  The  modern  Arabs  are  pre- 
dominantly dolichocephalic  with  a  slight 
admixture  of  brachycephaly,  which  from 
skeletal  evidence  appears  to  have  been  super- 
imposed on  the  population  at  an  early  date. 


A  small  group  of  Bedouins  was  also  studied. 
The  Bedouins  belong  to  the  same  racial  stock 
as  the  other  Arab  inhabitants  of  the  area,  but 
for  many  hundreds  of  years  their  tribes  have 
wandered  over  the  desert,  and  have  mixed 
very  little  with  agricultural  groups  which  live 
in  and  around  the  towns.  The  results  of  the 
anthropometric  work  done  among  the 
Bedouins  would  suggest  that  they  are  more 
consistently  dolichocephalic.  The  incursions 
of  brachycephalic  peoples  into  Mesopotamia 
did  not  have  as  marked  an  effect  on  them  as 
upon  the  other  Arabs  of  the  area.  The 
nomadic  life  of  the  Bedouins  has  undoubtedly 
kept  their  dominant  racial  characters  little 
changed,  while  people  of  new  racial  strains 
were  attracted  to  the  fertile  region  between 
the  rivers  Tigris  and  Euphrates  where  they 
mingled  with  the  Arab  population  and  there- 
by slightly  affected  the  purity  of  the  stock. 

The  manufacture  of  cement,  from  the 
mining  of  the  constituent  limestone  and 
clay  to  the  storing  of  the  completed  product, 
is  illustrated  by  a  large  model  of  a  cement 
plant  in  the  Department  of  Geology. 


EXHIBIT  OF  DYES  AND  TANNINS 

Recently  added  to  the  economic  exhibits 
of  the  Department  of  Botany  are  collections 
of  vegetable  dyes,  and  of  tanning  materials, 
which  have  been  placed  on  view  in  Hall  28. 
The  dyestuffs  include  many  which  have  been 
in  common  use  throughout  historic  time. 
Among  these  are  henna,  indigo,  madder, 
saffron,  turmeric,  catechu,  and  Persian 
berries.  Also  displayed  are  such  materials 
as  brazilwood,  logwood,  fustic,  cochineal  and 
arnatto,  used  for  centuries  by  American 
Indians,  who  introduced  them  to  Europeans. 

While  the  use  of  artificial  dyes,  especially 
from  coal  tar,  has  reduced  the  importance 
of  natural  dyestuffs,  many  of  them  still  find 
application,  according  to  James  B.  McNair, 
Assistant  Curator  of  Economic  Botany.  The 
employment  of  harmless  plant  dyes  for  color- 
ing foods,  oils,  and  other  such  products  is 
becoming  more  widespread. 

The  exhibit  of  tanning  materials  includes 
hemlock  bark,  quebracho  wood,  gambier, 
mangrove  bark,  sumach,  myrobolan  nuts, 
valonia  acorns,  and  other  plant  products. 


Page  t 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


November,  19S1 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Founded  by  Marshall  Field,  1893 
Roosevelt  Road  and  Lake  Michigan,  Chicago 

THE  BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES 

John  Borden  Wiujam  H.  Mitchell 

William  J.  Chalmers  Frederick  H.  Rawson 

R.  T.  Crane,  Jr.  George  A.  Richardson 

Marshall  Field  Martin  A.  Ryerson 

Stanley  Field  Fred  W.  Sargent 

Ernest  R.  Graham  Stephen  C.  Simms 

Albert  W.  Harris  James  Simpson 

Samuel  Insull,  Jr.  Solomon  A.  Smith 

William  V.  Kelley  Albert  A.  Sprague 

Cyrus  H.  McCormick  Silas  H.  Strawn 

William  Wrigley,  Jr. 

OFFICERS 

Stanley  Field President 

Martin  A.  Ryerson First  Vice-President 

Albert  A.  Sprague Second  Vice-President 

James  Simpson Third  Vice-President 

Stephen  C.  Simms Director  and  Secretary 

Solomon  A.  Smith  . . .  Treasurer  and  Assistant  Secretary 

FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 
Stephen  C.  Simms,  Director  of  the  Museum Editor 

CONTRIBUTING  EDITORS 

Berthold  Laufbr Curator  of  Anthropology 

B.  E.  D ahlgren Acting  Curator  of  Botany 

O.  C.  Farrington Curator  of  Geology 

Wilfred  H.  Osgood Curator  of  Zoology 

H.  B.  Harte Managing  Editor 

Field  Museum  is  open  every  day  of  the  year  during 
the  hours  indicated  below: 

November,  December,  January  9  a.m.  to  4 :30  P.M. 

February,  March,  April,  October  9  a.m.  to  5:00  PJI. 

May,  June,  July,  August,  September    9  a.m.  to  6:00  P.M. 

Admission  is  free  to  Members  on  all  days.  Other 
adults  are  admitted  free  on  Thursdays,  Saturdays  and 
Sundays;  non-members  pay  25  cents  on  other  days. 
Children  are  admitted  free  on  all  days.  Students  and 
faculty  members  of  educational  institutions  are  admit- 
ted free  any  day  upon  presentation  of  credentials. 

The  Library  of  the  Museum,  containing  some  92,000 
volumes  on  natural  history  subjects,  is  open  for  refer- 
ence daily  except  Sunday. 

Traveling  exhibits  are  circulated  in  the  schools  of 
Chicago  by  the  Museum's  Department  of  the  N.  W. 
Harris  Public  School  Extension. 

Lectures  for  school  classrooms  and  assemblies,  and 
special  entertainments  and  lecture  tours  for  children  at 
the  Museum,  are  provided  by  the  James  Nelson  and 
Anna  Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for  Public  School 
and  Children's  Lectures. 

Announcements  of  courses  of  free  illustrated  lectures 
on  science  and  travel  for  the  public,  and  special  lectures 
for  Members  of  the  Museum,  will  appear  in  Field 
Museum  News. 

There  is  a  cafeteria  in  the  Museum  where  luncheon 
is  served  for  visitors.  Other  rooms  are  provided  for 
those  bringing  their  lunches. 

Members  are  requested  to  inform  the  Museum 
promptly  of  changes  of  address. 


REMINDER  FOR  CHRISTMAS 

Attention  was  directed  in  the  October 
Field  Museum  News  to  the  advantages 
Field  Museum  memberships  offer  as  Christ- 
mas gifts  for  your  friends.  The  shopping 
season  will  be  on  in  full  force  shortly,  so  a 
second  reminder  seems  timely. 

Summarized  briefly,  Museum  member- 
ships are  worthy  of  your  consideration  for 
some  of  the  people  on  your  Christmas  lists 
for  the  following  reasons: 

They  will  save  you  much  thought  and 
physical  effort  in  making  selections  of  gifts, 
hunting  for  them  in  the  shops,  and  preparing 
packages. 

All  you  have  to  do  is  send  in  the  name 
and  address  of  the  person  to  receive  the 
membership.  All  details  of  presenting  it  at 
the  proper  time,  with  an  attractive  card 
bearing  your  name,  are  taken  care  of  for 
you  by  the  Museum. 

It  is  a  gift  of  distinction,  especially  appro- 
priate for  a  man  or  woman  of  culture,  and 
in  presenting  such  a  gift  you  are  paying  a 
compliment  to  the  recipient. 

Through  the  monthly  issues  of  Field 
Museum  News,  invitations  to  special  lec- 


tures, and  other  features  of  Museum  mem- 
bership, it  will  serve  to  remind  the  recipient 
of  your  thoughtfulness  many  times  a  year. 

Both  giver  and  receiver  may  derive  satis- 
faction from  their  identification  with  the 
body  of  better  citizens  who  are  supporting 
an  important  cultural  institution  performing 
great  public  services. 

The  cost  is  reasonable,  various  classes  of 
membership  being  available,  beginning  with 
the  $10  Annual  Membership. 

Application  forms  and  full  details  will 
accompany  the  December  issue  of  the  News, 
or  they  may  be  had  earlier  by  telephoning  or 
writing  the  Museum. 


THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  ZOOLOGY 
—ITS  AIMS  AND  ACTIVITIES 

Zoology  is  the  science  of  animals.  The 
objects  of  a  museum  department  of  zoology, 
therefore,  are  to  master  and  to  advance  this 
science  and  to  present  it  to  the  public  attrac- 
tively, instructively,  and  authoritatively. 
The  study  of  animals,  however,  is  such  a 
large  subject  that  no  museum  ever  has  fully 
encompassed  it.  From  microscopic  disease 
germs  and  the  tiniest  insects  to  huge  elephants 
and  whales,  the  range  of  interest  conceivably 
may  include  every  living  thing  outside  the 
realm  of  botany. 

In  order  to  carry  out  the  objects  success- 
fully many  things  are  involved,  but  the 
fundamental  requirements  are  only  two- 
specimens  of  animals  or  parts  of  animals, 
and  knowledge  about  animals.  For  this 
reason  the  men  who  compose  a  good  zoolog- 
ical staff  are  divided  rather  definitely  into 
two  classes,  those  who  are  expert  in  the 
preparation  of  animal  material  and  those 
who  are  specialists  in  the  study  of  animals. 
Results  of  the  highest  quality  are  obtained 
only  by  the  cooperative  effort  of  the  tech- 
nician or  artist  on  the  one  hand  and  the 
scientist  on  the  other. 

Unfortunately,  zoological  specimens  do  not 
come  ready-prepared  for  exhibition.  More- 
over, wild  animals  do  not  offer  themselves  to 
be  caught  nor  do  they  stand  waiting  to  be 
killed.  A  prime  requisite  for  a  department 
of  zoology,  therefore,  is  like  that  of  the 
famous  recipe  for  the  dish  called  jugged 
hare,  which  begins  with  the  direction, 
"First  catch  your  hare."  Hence  expeditions 
to  far  countries  are  an  important  part  of 
the  work.  Many  interesting  animals  are 
now  approaching  extinction  and  others  are 
confined  to  remote  parts  of  the  earth.  These 
must  be  obtained  soon  or  not  at  all. 

The  zoological  exhibits  of  Field  Museum 
are  in  three  principal  series:  habitat  groups 
of  animals;  classified  collections  of  the  most 
important  kinds  of  animals;  and  subjective 
zoology  or  special  preparations  designed  to 
illustrate  and  explain  what  the  science  of 
zoology  has  learned  about  animals. 

A  love  of  animals  is  well  nigh  universal, 
and  one  of  man's  needs,  like  that  for  music 
and  art,  is  the  pure  enjoyment  of  contem- 
plating them.  The  habitat  groups,  although 
not  uninstructive,  serve  largely  to  meet  this 
need.  In  their  preparation  effort  is  directed 
to  the  production  of  effects  that  are  beautiful 
as  well  as  accurate  and  natural.  The  classi- 
fied or  systematic  exhibits,  although  often  of 
great  beauty,  have  a  somewhat  different 
purpose.  In  a  sense  they  form  an  objective 
index  or  dictionary  of  the  animal  kingdom. 
Theoretically,  at  least,  the  different  species 
stand  in  proper  sequence,  each  in  its  place 
among  its  relatives,  ready  to  be  examined 
when  needed.  Practically,  the  number  of 
species  is  so  vast  that  no  museum  can 
attempt  to  show  all  of  them,  so  they  are 
carefully  selected  to  include  the  most  im- 
portant  ones   according   to   limitations   of 


space  and  resources.  The  subjective  or 
biological  exhibits  illustrate  facts,  ideas,  and 
theories  about  animals.  In  other  words, 
they  present  the  evidence  in  simplified, 
graphic  form  in  such  subjects  as  evolution, 
variation,  distribution,  heredity,  coloration, 
animal  locomotion,  animal  psychology,  and 
economic  zoology. 

Unknown  to  the  general  public  and  even 
unsuspected  by  many  are  the  study  or 
reference  collections,  the  laboratories,  and 
the  staff  of  specialists  who  preside  over  them. 
As  someone  has  said  in  another  connection, 
"The  exhibit  is  the  electric  light  and  the 
study  collection  is  the  dynamo  that  makes  it 
glow."  The  quality  of  the  study  collections 
and  the  scientific  staff  determines  to  a  large 
extent  the  instructiveness  of  the  exhibits  and 
the  labels  that  go  with  them.  It  also  governs 
the  amount  and  accuracy  of  the  information 
given  to  the  community  in  response  to 
requests  by  letter,  by  telephone  and  in 
person.  The  number  of  such  requests  is 
very  large  and  the  Department  thus  serves 
as  a  bureau  of  zoological  information  not 
only  for  Chicago  but  for  the  whole  middle 
west.  Coupled  with  this  is  cooperation  with 
higher  educational  institutions  both  local  and 
national. 

The  zoological  staff  carries  the  respon- 
sibility of  keeping  abreast  of  its  subject  and 
of  contributing  to  any  advances  in  knowledge 
of  it  that  are  made.  By  force  of  circum- 
stances, this  responsibility  now  rests  wholly 
on  the  museum  zoologist,  since  universities 
and  colleges  are  no  longer  able  to  carry  it. 
Their  effort  is  directed  mainly  to  history 
and  theory,  to  physiology,  and  to  experi- 
mental zoology,  leaving  the  broad  field  which 
centers  in  classification  to  the  museum 
zoologist.  In  other  words,  the  museum  can- 
not go  to  the  university  for  its  zoological 
knowledge  but  must  produce  its  own,  not 
only  for  itself  but  for  the  world  at  large. 
Therefore,  research  is  an  important  feature 
of  the  Department's  work,  and,  so  far  as 
other  duties  permit,  the  zoological  staff  of 
Field  Museum  engages  in  studies  the  results 
of  which  are  published  by  the  Museum  and 
distributed  to  other  institutions  and 
specialists  throughout  the  world. 

— Wilfred  H.  Osgood 


Ornithologist  Joins  Staff 
W.  Rudyerd  Boulton,  formerly  a  member 
of  the  staff  of  the  Carnegie  Museum  in 
Pittsburgh,  has  been  appointed  Assistant 
Curator  of  Birds  at  Field  Museum.  He 
will  begin  his  duties  here  on  November  2. 
Mr.  Boulton  is  a  graduate  of  the  University  of 
Pittsburgh,  and  has  carried  on  special  studies 
at  Columbia  University.  He  has  also  had 
wide  field  experience,  having  been  a  member 
of  various  expeditions,  especially  in  Africa. 


BEQUESTS  AND  ENDOWMENTS 

Bequests  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  may 
be  made  in  securities,  money,  books  or  collections. 
They  may,  if  desired,  take  the  form  of  a  memorial  to 
a  person  or  cause,  named  by  the  giver.  For  those  desiring 
to  make  bequests,  the  following  form  is  suggested: 

FORM  OF  BEQUEST 

I  do  hereby  give  and  bequeath  to  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History  of  the  City  of  Chicago,  State  of  Illinois, 


Cash  contributions  made  within  the  taxable  year  to 
Field  Museum  not  exceeding  15  per  cent  of  the  tax- 
payer's net  income  are  allowable  as  deductions  in  com- 
puting net  income  under  Article  251  of  Regulation  69 
relating  to  the  income  tax  under  the  Revenue  Act  of 
1926. 

Endowments  may  be  made  to  the  Museum  with  the 
provision  that  an  annuity  be  paid  to  the  patron  for  life. 
These  annuities  are  tax-free  and  are  guaranteed  against 
fluctuation  in  amount. 


November,  1931 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


Page  S 


EXPEDITION   TO   THE    SOUTHWEST 
RETURNS  WITH  COLLECTIONS 

By  Paul  S.  Martin 

Assistant  Curator  of  North  American  Archaeology ; 

Leader,  Field  Museum  Archaeological  Expedition 

to  the  Southwest 

From  June  to  October  this  year,  excava- 
tions on  the  Lowry  ruin,  begun  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1930,  were  continued.  Probably  the 
most  interesting  single  fact  ascertained  this 
season  was  that  the  culture  of  the  Lowry 
ruin  is  an  offshoot  of  one  known  as  that  of 
Chaco  Canyon.  The  locale  of  the  parent 
culture  is  nearly  300  miles  southeast  of  the 
Lowry  ruin.  Thus  this  extension  northward 
and  westward  is  greater  than  ever  supposed. 

The  question  may  arise:  How  is  it  ascer- 
tained that  the  Lowry  ruin  is  a  Chaco 
Canyon  type? 

First,  from  the  ground  plan  or  layout  of 
the  village.  The  Lowry  ruin  belongs  not 
to  the  cliff-house  type,  but  rather  to  the 
mesa  type;  that  is,  it  is  built  on  a  mesa  top 
between  two  canyons.  All  the  rooms  are 
clustered  about  the  central  row  of  chambers. 
If  this  ruin  were  of  the  Mesa  Verde  type, 
which  was  to  have  been  expected  in  this 
region,  the  living  quarters  would  be  grouped 
around  numerous  kivas. 

Second,  the  style  of  architecture  classifies 
it  as  of  the  Chaco  Canyon  type.  The  con- 
struction of  the  stone  walls  consists  of 
tabular,  well-cut  slabs  of  sandstone,  chinked 
with  many  sandstone  spalls.  The  doors  and 
ceilings,  instead  of  being  squat  and  low,  as 
in  the  Mesa  Verde  type,  are  high,  a  distinctly 
Chaco  feature. 

Third,  the  pottery,  although  manifesting 
many  local  variations,  comes  nearer  to  Chaco 
than  to  any  other  group. 

The  beginnings  of  the  Lowry  pueblo  were 
humble  and  unpretentious,  but  as  the  cen- 
turies passed  the  occupants  conceived  greater 
building  plans.  Thus  it  is  that  there  are 
distinguishable  five  separate  building  periods 
and  probably  seven  occupations.  The  final 
result  was  a  terraced  pueblo,  in  stages  one, 
two,  and  three  stories  high,  which  contained 
approximately  80  rooms  and  was  able  to 
house  200  to  400  people.  

What  the  reasons  were  for 
the  various  withdrawals  is  not 
clear.  The  time  between  each 
varied  probably  from  50  to  100 
years.  The  Chaco  people  were 
ultimately  driven  out,  and  the 
rooms  were  reoccupied  by 
Mesa  Verde  people,  who  made 
certain  changes  and  additions. 
The  earliest  date  is  not  at 
present  known,  but  the  middle 
period  of  the  pueblo  was 
probably  somewhere  between 
a.d.  800  and  1000. 

The  most  startling  dis- 
covery was  that  of  mural 
decorations  on  the  kiva  walls. 
These  paintings  are  well  pre- 
served and  represent  symboli- 
cal ideas  of  either  the  origin 
of  man,  or  rain  and  lightning. 

Most  puzzling  was  the 
failure  to  find  any  burial 
grounds.  In  the  centuries  of 
occupation  many  people  must 
have  died;  but  where  and  how 
the  dead  were  disposed  of  is 
still  unknown.  This  is 
tantalizing,  for  it  is  from 
graves  that  archaeologists 
usually  obtain  the  maximum 
information  regarding  the  past 
history  of  any  people.  It  is 
possible,  though  not  probable, 


that  there  is  a  burial  ground  undiscovered 
as  yet;  that  cremation  was  practised  and 
that  the  crematories  are  yet  to  be  found; 
or  that  the  dead  were  placed  in  crevices 
along  the  canyon  rim,  and  that  the  rains 
which  have  fallen  during  the  ten  or  more 
intervening  centuries,  have  washed  into  the 
canyon  and  finally  into  the  rivers  all 
evidences  of  burials. 

As  a  result  of  the  expedition,  which  was 
financed  from  funds  provided  by  Julius 
Rosenwald  and  the  late  Augusta  N.  Rosen- 
wald,  the  Museum  received  70  pieces  of 
pottery;  400  potsherds,  bone  tools,  and 
fragments  of  prayer  sticks;  100  photographs; 
ink  drawings  of  every  potsherd;  ground 
plans,  cross  sections,  drawings  of  restora- 
tions, and  1,200  feet  of  motion  picture  film. 


FOSSIL  RHINOCEROS  SKULL 

A  splendid  skull  of  the  great  woolly 
rhinoceros,  Coelodonla  antiquatatus,  has 
recently  been  received  at  the  Museum  from 
the  Royal  Museum  of  Brussels,  Belgium, 
and  has  been  placed  on  exhibition  in  Ernest 
R.  Graham  Hall  (Hall  38). 

The  woolly  rhinoceros  was  common  in 
Europe  and  in  Siberia  as  a  member  of  the 
fauna  of  the  third  glacial  period.  It  was 
related  to  the  white  rhinoceros  of  Africa  and 
was  of  similar  size.  It  is  characterized  by  a 
thickening  of  the  bones  of  the  nose  to  support 
a  long  horn  which  was  directed  forward. 
A  second  lesser  horn  arose  from  the  face 
closely  behind  the  first.  The  body  was 
covered  with  a  heavy  coat  of  woolly  hair 
which  enabled  the  animal  to  endure  the 
extreme  cold  of  the  glacial  period. 

A  remarkable  specimen  preserved  at  the 
Museum  of  Leningrad  has  the  side  of  the 
face  still  covered  with  golden  brown  wool. 
These  rhinoceroses  became  extinct  before 
the  close  of  the  glacial  period. 


CHILDREN'S  ENTERTAINMENTS 
—RAYMOND  FOUNDATION 

Five  more  free  motion  picture  programs  of 
the  autumn  series  for  children,  provided  by  the 
James  Nelson  and  Anna  Louise  Raymond 
Foundation  for  Public  School  and  Children's 
Lectures,  remain  to  be  given  on  Saturday 
mornings  during  November  and  December. 

Following  is  the  schedule  of  the  dates  and 
the  titles  of  the  films  to  be  shown  on  each: 

November    7 — Maizok  of  the  South  Seas 
Magic  Gems 

November  14— The  Eve  of  the  Revolution* 
A  Trip  to  Banana  Land 
Unselfish  Shells 

November  21 — The  Declaration  of  Indepen- 
dence* 
The  Hamster  Family 
A  Jungle  Roundup 

November  28— The  Pilgrims* 

Animals  Prepare  for  Winter 
Children  of  the  Sun 

December    5 — Winter  Birds 
Snowflakes 

Mr.  Groundhog  Wakes  Up 
Skating  in  the  Spreewald 

♦Yale  Chronicles.    Gift  of  Mr.  Chauncey  Keep  to  the 
Museum 

Each  program  is  given  twice,  at  10  a.m. 
and  at  11.  Children  from  all  parts  of  Chicago 
and  suburbs  are  invited  to  attend. 


Selected  examples  of  birds  of  Paradise, 
the  most  curiously  and  gorgeously  plumaged 
group  of  birds  from  New  Guinea,  are  on 
exhibition  at  the  Museum. 


EXCAVATIONS  ON  THE  LOWRY  RUIN  IN  COLORADO 


BASKETRY  MATERIALS 
EXHIBITED 

An  exhibit  of  the  principal  materials  used 
in  basket  making  has  been  added  to  the 
economic  botany  collections  in  Hall  28.  In 
world  importance,  four  materials  stand  out 
above  all  others,  according  to  James  B. 
McNair,  Assistant  Curator  of  Economic 
Botany.  They  are  the  willows  and  rattan, 
which  furnish  the  most  used  materials  in 
Europe  and  North  America;  mucroo,  a 
material   peculiar  to  South  America;  and 

bamboos,  which  are  the  most 

popular  basket  material  of  the 
Orient. 

However,  nearly  all  parts  of 
native  plants — roots,  stems, 
bark,  leaves,  fruits,  seeds  and 
gums — have  been  used  by 
North  American  Indians,  and 
by  the  aborigines  of  other 
lands,  in  basket  making,  and 
a  large  collection  of  such 
materials  is  also  included  in 
the  exhibit. 


Photographs  of  African 
Plants 

A  collection  of  forty 
excellent  photographs  of 
remarkable  plants  of  South 
Africa  has  been  presented  to 
Field  Museum  by  Herbert 
Lang,  who,  with  Arthur  S. 
Vernay,  led  the  Vernay-Lang 
Kalahari  Expedition  for  the 
Museum. 


The  famous  Natural  Bridge 
of  Virginia  is  represented  by 
a  faithful  miniature  model  in 
the  Department  of  Geology. 


View  of  kivas,  one  above  the  other,  opened  by  Field  Museum  Archaeological  Expedition 
to  the  Southwest.  In  the  upper  left  corner  of  photograph  are  seen  some  of  the  symbolical 
mural  paintings  representing  lightning.     {See  article  in  first  column  of  this  page.) 


Mummies  in  the  Egyptian 
hall  (Hall  J)  range  in  date  from 
about  2300  B.C.  to  A.D.  200. 


Page  k 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


November,  1931 


FOUR  MORE  LECTURES 
IN  AUTUMN  COURSE 

Four  more  lectures  in  the  fifty-sixth  free 
course  presented  by  Field  Museum  remain 
to  be  given  during  November.  The  lectures 
are  given  on  Saturday  afternoons  in  the 
James  Simpson  Theatre  of  the  Museum, 
and  all  begin  at  3  P.M.  They  are  illustrated 
with  motion  pictures  and  stereopticon  slides. 
Eminent  explorers  and  naturalists  have  been 
engaged  as  lecturers. 

Following  is  the  schedule  of  dates,  subjects 
and  speakers: 
November    7 — Mexico 

Fred  Payne  Clatworthy,  Estes  Park, 
Colorado 

November  14 — Explorations  in  the  Old  Maya 
Empire 

Dr.  Sylvanus  G.  Morley,  Carnegie 
Institution,  Washington,  D.C. 

November  21 — On  the  Trail  of  the  Viking 

Captain  Donald  B.  MacMillan 

November  28— Camera  Shooting  in  the 
Southern  Marshes 

Alfred  M.  Bailey,  Director,  Chicago 
Academy  of  Sciences 

No  tickets  are  necessary  for  admission 
to  these  lectures. 


THE  PELICAN  FLOUNDER 

By  Alfred  C.  Weed 
Assistant  Curator  of  Fishes 

Conditions  in  the  cold  depths  of  the  ocean 
seem  to  force  all  creatures  living  there  to 
take  on  strange  shapes.  Some  of  the  fish 
are  long  and  slender.  Others  are  short  and 
thick.  Still  others  are  broad,  flat  and  almost 
as  thin  as  a  wafer.  Many  of  them  have  very 
elastic  stomachs  so  that  they  can  swallow 
creatures  actually  larger  than  themselves. 

Something  more  than  thirty-five  years  ago 
the  United  States  Bureau  of  Fisheries 
steamer  Albatross  was  sent  to  study  the 
ocean  and  its  inhabitants  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  Hawaiian  Islands.  During  the  course  of 
dredging  in  one  of  the  deep  channels  between 
the  islands,  a  very  strange  flounder  was 
caught.  This  fish  was  almost  as  transparent 
as  glass  and  hardly  thicker  than  a  sheet  of 
cardboard  although  it  was  about  eleven 
inches  long  and  nearly  three  inches  wide, 
across  the  fins.  Its  stomach  seemed  to 
be  very  small,  the  whole  body  cavity  being 
scarcely  larger  than  a  twenty-five  cent  piece. 
The  bones  seemed  to  be  united  so  firmly 
that  the  stomach  could  not  expand,  except 
a  little  in  thickness. 

The  most  surprising  thing  about  this  fish 
was  its  mouth.  The  jaws  were  long,  slender 
and  slightly  curved  at  the  tips.  Instead  of 
the  meaty  structures  that  we  see  on  the  floor 
of  the  mouth  of  a  bass,  this  fish  had  a  thin, 
tough  membrane  that  could  be  stretched 
almost  indefinitely  to  form  a  pouch  like  the 
one  a  pelican  uses  to  carry  home  a  fish  dinner. 
When,  later,  some  of  these  fish  were  caught 
with  deep-sea  shrimps  in  the  pouch,  it 
seemed  even  more  certain  that  the  slender, 
flexible  jaws  and  the  elastic  membrane  were 
actually  used,  first,  as  a  dipnet  to  catch 
food  and,  second,  as  a  purse  to  hold  it  until 
there  was  room  for  it  in  the  stomach  or 
until  it  could  be  made  small  enough  to  be 
swallowed. 

Very  few  fishes  use  their  jaw  teeth  for 
biting  or  crushing  their  food  after  it  is 
safely  inside  the  mouth.  They  are  used  to 
catch  or  hold  the  food  or  to  cut  or  crush  it 
loose  from  the  place  where  it  grows.  Back 
in  the  throat,  behind  the  gills  and  just  at 
the  entrance  to  the  gullet  is  a  set  of  bones 
that  usually  bear  teeth.  They  are  hard  and 
heavy  and  used  like  millstones  by  the  fish 


that  pick  up  hard-shelled  creatures  for  food. 
Some  vegetable  feeders  have  them  fitted 
for  cutting  the  food  into  small  bits.  Those 
that  catch  large,  slippery  prey  have  the 
throat  teeth  sharp  and  directed  backward, 
to  help  in  holding  the  victims  and  forcing 
them  into  the  stomach. 

Thus  the  pelican  flounder  can  catch  a  big 
shrimp  in  the  dipnet  and  hold  it  there  while 
nibbling  at  it  with  the  throat  teeth  until  it 
has  been  made  small  enough  to  be  swallowed. 
The  food  will  keep,  for  the  temperature  of 
the  water  and  of  the  fish  is  only  just  above 
the  freezing  point  of  fresh  water  and  colder 
than  most  refrigerators. 

Like  all  its  relatives,  the  pelican  flounder 
has  both  its  eyes  on  the  same  side  of 
the  head.  The  eyeballs  are  larger  than 
the  thickness  of  the  head  and  stand  on  the 
surface,    ordinarily.      When  they  must  be 


Pelican  Flounder 

Strange  deep-sea  fish  that  stores  its  prey  in  a  pouch. 
A  reproduction  now  on  exhibition  in  Albert  W.  Harris 
Hall  (Hall  18). 

drawn  in  they  project  into  the  mouth,  which 
spreads  a  little  to  give  room  for  them. 

A  celluloid  reproduction  of  one  of  these 
strange  fishes  has  been  made  by  Staff  Taxi- 
dermist A.  G.  Rueckert  and  is  now  on  ex- 
hibition in  Albert  W.  Harris  Hall  (Hall  18). 


UNIQUE  RACING  TROPHY 

An  ancient  Chinese  bronze  vase,  now  on 
exhibition  in  Stanley  Field  Hall,  was  repro- 
duced in  solid  gold  and  used  as  the  trophy 
in  the  Hawthorne  Gold  Cup  race  of  the 
Chicago  Business  Men's  Racing  Association 
which  was  run  on  October  8. 

The  original  vase  represents  the  art  of 
the  Han  Dynasty,  and  was  made  about 
1,800  years  ago,  according  to  Dr.  Berthold 
Laufer,  Curator  of  Anthropology,  who  at 
the  request  of  the  racing  association  selected 
the  subject  to  be  reproduced.  It  is  a  tech- 
nical masterpiece  of  casting. 

The  use  of  a  replica  of  this  vase  is  a  demon- 
stration of  the  applicability  of  many  of  the 
objects  in  the  anthropological  collections  for 
adaptation  to  modern  arts  and  industries, 
either  in  reproductions  or,  by  their  suggestive 
values,  in  design. 

Gifts  to  the  Museum 

Following  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  principal 
gifts  received  during  the  last  month: 

From  B.  Knoblock — 5  ethnological  and  2  archaeo- 
logical specimens,  Wisconsin,  Missouri  and  Illinois; 
from  R.  Bensabott,  Inc. — 22  inscribed  oracle  bones, 
Shang  dynasty  (about  1500  BC),  China;  from  Ralph 
A.  Bond — an  ipil  board,  Philippine  Islands;  from  James 
Zetek — 361  herbarium  specimens,  Canal  Zone;  from 
Companhia  Ford  Industrial  do  Brazil — 28  fiber  plants, 
Brazil;  from  The  Williamson  Veneer  Company — 2 
panels  of  Santa  Maria  veneer,  Panama;  from  Herbert 
C.  Walther — 17  specimens  of  rare  metals;  from  E.  A. 
Mueller — 174  fulgurites,  Wisconsin;  from  The  Stauffer 
Chemical  Company — 3  specimens  of  sulphur,  Texas: 
from  Western  Borax  Company,  Ltd. — a  specimen  of 
kernite  (borax  ore),  California;  from  Hobart  M.  Smith — 
15  lizards.  Oklahoma,  Texas  and  New  Mexico;  from 
G.  F.  Ryan  and  George  E.  Carey,  Jr. — a  seladang, 
French  lndo-China;  from  Major  Chapman  Grant — ■ 
21  frogs,  Porto  Rico;  from  Theron  Wasson — a  barbet 
skin,  headwaters  of  Rio  Napo,  Ecuador;  from  Dr. 
Mary  J.  Guthrie — 9  bats  in  alcohol,  Missouri;  from 
Cincinnati  Society  of  Natural  History — 2  paratypes 
of  salamander,  North  Carolina;  from  Thomas  K. 
Birks — 2  snakes,  Wisconsin;  from  Mrs.  W.  P.  Cronican 
— a  fox  snake,  Illinois. 


NOVEMBER  GUIDE-LECTURE  TOURS 

Following  is  the  schedule  of  conducted 
tours  of  the  exhibits  during  November: 

Week  beginning  November  2 — Monday:  11  a.m., 
Eskimo  Life,  3  P.M.,  Animals  of  Plains  and  Deserts; 
Tuesday:  11  a.m..  Physical  Geology,  3  p.m.,  Borneo  and 
Sumatra;  Wednesday:  11  a.m.,  Burial  Customs,  3  P.M., 
Reptiles;  Thursday:  11  a.m.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours; 
Friday :  1 1  A.M.,  Animal  Life  in  the  Chicago  Area,  3  p.m.  , 
Clothing  of  Primitive  Peoples. 

Week  beginning  November  9 — Monday:  11  a.m., 
Giants  of  Long  Ago,  3  P.M.,  Mound  Builders;  Tuesday: 
11  A.M.,  Systematic  Birds,  3  P.M.,  Weavers  in  Many 
Lands;  Wednesday:  11  A.M.,  Chinese  Exhibits,  3  P.M., 
Skeletons;  Thursday:  11  a.m.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours; 
Friday:  11  A.M.,  American  Indians,  3  p.m.,  Gems  and 
Jewelry. 

Week  beginning  November  16 — Monday:  11  A.M., 
Pottery,  3  P.M.,  Fishes,  Past  and  Present;  Tuesday: 
11  A.M.,  Animal  Families,  3  P.M.,  Story  of  Early  Man; 
Wednesday:  11  A.M.,  Egypt,  3  P.M.,  Trees  and  Wood 
Products;  Thursday:  11  A.M.  and  3  p.m.,  General  Tours; 
Friday:  11  A.M.,  Rodents,  3  P.M.,  Wood  and  Stone 
Carvings. 

Week  beginning  November  23 — Monday:  11  A.M., 
The  Panda  and  Its  Relatives,  3  P.M.,  Weapons  and 
Armor;  Tuesday:  11  A.M.,  Game  Birds,  3  P.M.,  The 
Art  of  the  Hopi  and  Navaho  Tribes;  Wednesday: 
11  a.m.,  Roman  Exhibits,  3  P.M.,  Prehistoric  Life; 
Thursday:  Thanksgiving  holiday — no  tours;  Friday: 
11  A.M.,  Marine  Life,  3  P.M.,  Moon  and  Meteorites; 
Monday,  November  30: 11  A.M.,  Homes  in  Many  Lands, 
3  P.M.,  Jade  Exhibits. 

Persons  wishing  to  participate  should 
apply  at  North  Entrance.  Tours  are  free 
and  no  gratuities  are  to  be  proffered.  A  new 
schedule  will  appear  each  month  in  Field 
Museum  News.  Guide-lecturers'  services 
for  special  tours  by  parties  of  ten  or  more 
are  available  free  of  charge  by  arrangement 
with  the  Director  a  week  in  advance. 


NEW  MEMBERS 

The  following  persons  were  elected  to 
membership  in  Field  Museum  during  the 
period  from  September  18  to  October  15: 

Associate  Members 

Mrs.  J.  Ogden  Armour,  Mrs.  James  E.  Baum, 
William  F.  Bode,  Miss  Mary  Brenza,  Mitchell  D. 
Follansbee,  Miss  Anne  C.  Hemple,  Ross  O.  Hinkle, 
L.  T.  McMenemy,  Mrs.  Francis  C.  Sherman,  Sr.,  Mrs. 
Charles  W.  Ware. 

Sustaining  Members 

Harry  F.  Vories,  Jr. 

Annual  Members 

Arch  W.  Anderson,  H.  A.  Baker,  Mrs.  William  F. 
Brown,  Edmund  Burke,  Mrs.  Gerald  M.  Butler,  Mrs. 
Glen  C.  Carnahan,  Dr.  James  T.  Case,  Mrs.  Edward 
S.  Clark,  Eugene  Feuchtinger,  Mrs.  Carl  A.  Hedblom, 
Mrs.  Robert  G.  Hunt,  Mrs.  Grace  L.  Knautz,  Henry 
J.  Lalley,  Mrs.  James  P.  McManus,  Asher  Moment, 
George  S.  Monk,  Clarence  Morgan,  James  F.  Oates, 
F.  J.  Pearson,  Conrad  E.  Ronneberg,  Charles  W. 
Spooner,  Miss  Emily  Staples,  Dr.  Yorke  B.  Sutch, 
Miss  Pearl  Torpe,  William  P.  White,  Mrs.  Morris  K. 
Wilson,  Mrs.  Leander  L.  Winters. 


MEMBERSHIP  IN  FIELD  MUSEUM 

Field  Museum  has  several  classes  of  Members. 
Benefactors  give  or  devise  $100,000  or  more.  Contribu- 
tors give  or  devise  $1,000  to  $100,000.  Life  Members 
give  $500.  Non-Resident  (Life)  and  Associate  Members 
pay  $100.  Non-Resident  Associate  Members  pay  $50. 
All  the  above  classes  are  exempt  from  dues.  Sustaining 
Members  contribute  $25  annually.  After  six  years  they 
become  Associate  Members.  Annual  Members  con- 
tribute $10  annually.  Other  memberships  are  Corpo- 
rate, Honorary,  Patron,  and  Corresponding,  additions 
under  these  classifications  being  made  by  special  action 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

Each  Member,  in  all  classes,  is  entitled  to  free 
admission  to  the  Museum  for  himself,  his  family  and 
house  guests,  and  to  two  reserved  seats  for  Museum 
lectures  provided  for  Members.  Subscription  to  Field 
Museum  News  is  included  with  all  memberships.  The 
courtesies  of  every  museum  of  note  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada  are  extended  to  all  Members  of 
Field  Museum.  A  Member  may  give  his  personal  card 
to  non-residents  of  Chicago,  upon  presentation  of 
which  they  will  be  admitted  to  the  Museum  without 
charge.  Further  information  about  memberships  will 
be  sent  on  request. 

PRINTED  BY   PIELD   MUSEUM   PRESS 


um  News 


Published  Monthly  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Chicago 


Vol.  2 


DECEMBER,   1931 


No.  12 


NEW   HALL   OF    CHINESE   JADES   IS    OPENED;    COLLECTION    OF    1,200    DISPLAYED 


One  of  the  world's  finest  and  most  com- 
prehensive collections  of  Chinese  jades, 
valued  at  several  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
and  comprising  more  than  1,200  objects 
carved  in  a  myriad  variety  of  forms,  was 
placed  on  exhibition  at  Field  Museum  with 
the  opening  last  month  of  a  new  hall  (Hall  30 
on  the  second  floor)  devoted  entirely  to 
jades.  The  jades  range  from  ancient  pieces 
of  the  archaic  period  which  began  at  an 
unknown  time  roughly  estimated  at  2000 
B.C.,  down  to  the  end  of  the  eighteenth 
century — a  span  of  nearly 
4,000  years  in  the  develop- 
ment of  one  of  the  most 
important  of  the  fine  arts 
of  China. 

In  connection  with  the 
wealth  and  treasures  of  the 
Orient  one  naturally  thinks 
first  of  all  of  King  Solomon, 
and  remembers  Christ's 
saying,  "Consider  the  lilies 
of  the  field,  how  they  grow; 
they  toil  not,  neither  do 
they  spin;  yet  I  say  unto 
you,  that  even  Solomon  in 
all  his  glory  was  not  arrayed 
like  one  of  these."  It  may 
now  be  assumed  also  that 
Solomon  never  beheld  and 
never  owned  a  single  piece 
of  jade,  although  he  was  a 
contemporary  of  the  Chou 
dynasty  when  the  carving 
of  jade  was  a  highly  de- 
veloped art  in  China,  and 
when  the  Chinese  sover- 
eigns, as  high  priests  of  the 
nation,  performed  a  func- 
tion strikingly  similar  to 
that  of  the  High  Priest  of 
Jerusalem.  Like  the  latter, 
the  ruler  of  the  old  Chinese 
empire  had  received  his 
sacred  mandate  from  Heaven,  the  supreme 
deity  of  the  universe,  and  by  his  command 
ruled  as  the  Son  of  Heaven. 

The  emperor  was  responsible  to  Heaven 
for  his  conduct  and  actions,  being  the 
mediator  between  Heaven  and  his  nation. 
His  virtues  resulted  in  prosperity,  his  evil 
manners  caused  distress  and  calamities  in 
the  empire.  The  sovereign  was  believed  to 
be  able  to  commune  and  consult  with  Heaven 
through  the  medium  of  a  perforated  disk 
of  jade;  for  this  stone  was  endowed  with 
supernatural  qualities,  supposed  to  be 
engendered  by  solar  light  and  capable  of 
transmitting  messages  to  transcendental 
powers.  When  the  great  Emperor  K'ang-hi 
in  1688  conferred  a  posthumous  honor  on 
his  deceased  grandmother  and  had  a  docu- 
ment to  this  effect  carved  on  slabs  of  jade 
(shown  in  the  Museum's  jade  collection),  he 
was  actuated  by  the  belief  that  his  ancestress 
in  heaven  would  actually  take  notice  of  this 
encomium. 

Jade  was  to  the  Chinese  the  most  precious 
substance  produced  by  nature,  and  the 
favorite  material  for  placing  in  graves.  It 
was  believed  to  preserve  the  body  and 
to  aid  in  its  resurrection.     Many  of   the 


archaic  pieces  (which  are  well  represented  in 
the  Museum  collection)  are  carved  from  a 
kind  of  jade  no  longer  obtainable,  as  the 
supply  was  scarce  and  soon  became  exhausted. 
Owing  to  long  burial  and  chemical  action 
of  the  soil,  most  ancient  jades  have  under- 
gone alterations  in  composition  and  color. 
In  many  instances  these  color  changes  have 
enhanced  the  beauty  of  the  objects. 

The  popular  saying  that  dead  men  tell 
no  tales  is  a  fallacy.  Dead  men  do  tell 
tales.    Every  detective  knows  it,  and  every 


White  Jade  Incense  Burner 

Carved  all  over  In  open  work  comparable  with  most  exquisite  lace. 

(fifteenth-sixteenth  century),  China.    About  one-third  actual  i 

archaeologist  who  has  learned  to  profit  from 
the  detective's  methods  knows  it  as  well. 
The  dead  man  tells  us  a  vivid  tale  through 
the  testimony  of  the  objects  interred  with 
him  in  his  grave.  The  jades  unearthed 
from  Chinese  tombs  are  not  dead  and  dumb 
stones,  but  speak  an  eloquent  language  to 
him  who  is  eager  to  listen  with  sympathy 
to  their  voices.  They  reveal  to  us  amazing 
stories,  the  earliest  mythological  concepts, 
man's  intimate  associations  with  the  great 
cosmic  powers,  his  love  of  nature,  the  content 
and  meaning  of  his  worship,  his  family 
bonds,  his  joys  and  sorrows,  his  yearning  for 
immortal  life,  his  constant  solicitude  about 
the  hereafter.  They  are  hymns  to  nature 
and  the  creator.  The  interpretation  of  the 
significance  of  all  the  manifold  symbolism 
connected  with  these  jades,  their  peculiar 
forms,  and  colors,  is  the  result  of  many  years 
of  hard  study  and  research,  and  the  2,000 
labels  of  the  eight  cases  in  the  Museum's 
jade  hall  offer  a  liberal  education  in  Chinese 
art,  religious  thought,  and  symbolism. 

Jade  implements  were  fashioned  as  early 
as  the  neolithic  age  of  China,  and  at  first 
were  on  a  par  with  common  stone  imple- 
ments.   When  the  belief  gained  ground  that 


jade  was  a  material  of  particular  and  superior 
virtues,  however,  it  was  set  apart  in  a 
category  of  its  own  and  was  used  exclusively 
for  ceremonial  and  religious  purposes.  A 
stone  chisel  served  for  daily  use,  while  a 
jade  chisel  was  endowed  with  magical  prop- 
erties that  would  bring  luck  to  its  owner, 
who  carefully  kept  it  during  his  lifetime 
and  had  it  buried  with  him.  Axes,  hammers, 
knives,  daggers,  and  swords  were  likewise 
reproduced  in  the  precious  material  and 
functioned  in  the  grave  as  dispensers  of 
light,  demon-killers  and 
dispellers  of  nefarious  in- 
fluences. Large  swords  and 
knives  were  emblems  of 
sovereign  power  and  also 
played  a  part  in  religious 
rites.  Examples  of  all  these 
types  of  jade  objects  are 
included  in  the  collection 
at  Field  Museum. 

In  ancient  times  it  was 
customary  to  send  to  the 
funeral  of  a  deceased  rela- 
tive or  friend  an  ornament 
of  jade  which  was  placed 
on  the  tongue  of  the  corpse. 
This  was  the  last  tribute 
paid  by  the  mourner  to  his 
departed  friend.  These 
ornaments  were  usually 
carved  in  the  shape  of  a 
cicada.  In  the  same 
manner  as  the  larva  creeps 
into  the  ground  and  rises 
again  in  the  state  of  the 
pupa,  until  finally  the 
cicada  emerges,  so  the  dead 
were  believed  to  awaken  to 
a  new  life.  The  cicada 
amulet  therefore  was  an 
emblem  of  resurrection,  an 
expression  of  faith  and 
hope.  The  mourner's  last 
gift  signified  that  he  desired  to  hear  again 
some  day  the  voice  of  his  dear  one.  Many 
such  amulets  are  exhibited  in  the  jade  hall. 
Various  novel  uses  of  jade  are  illustrated 
in  the  Museum  collection.  The  ancient 
Chinese  notion  of  the  shape  of  the  earth, 
flat  and  square  outside,  and  rounded  in  the 
interior,  is  illustrated  by  many  emblems  of 
the  earth  deity  carved  from  jade  in  that 
shape.  Of  interest  is  a  pair  of  sandals  made 
of  jade,  and  worn  by  ancient  sovereigns 
during  the  imperial  sacrifice  to  the  deity  of 
heaven.  Jade  handles  for  walking  sticks, 
in  the  shape  of  pigeons,  are  included  in  the 
collection.  The  pigeon  was  believed  to  have 
special  powers  for  digesting  food,  and  gifts 
of  these  sticks  to  old  men  implied  wishes  of 
continued  good  health. 

Many  objects  have  historic  interest.  There 
is  an  imperial  seal  of  jade,  weighing  six 
pounds,  which  was  conferred  upon  the  Em- 
press Jui,  consort  of  Emperor  Kia-k'ing  of 
the  Manchu  dynasty  on  February  12,  1796, 
when  she  received  her  first  official  appoint- 
ment as  empress  of  China. 

Among  pieces  outstanding  in  novelty  are 
jade  chopsticks  to  please  the  vanity  of  an 

{Continued  on  page  U) 


Ming  period 


Page  2 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


December,  19S1 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Founded  by  Marshall  Field,  1893 
Roosevelt  Road  and  Lake  Michigan,  Chicago 


THE  BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES 


John  Borden 
William  J.  Chalmers 
*R.  T.  Crane,  Jr. 
Marshall  Field 
Stanley  Field 
Ernest  R.  Graham 
Albert  W.  Harris 
Samuel  Insull,  Jr. 
William  V.  Kelley 
Cyrus  H.  McCormick 


*  Deceased 


William  Wrigley,  Jr. 
OFFICERS 


William  H.  Mitchell 
Frederick  H.  Haw  son" 
George  A.  Richardson 
Martin  A.  Ryerson 
Fred  W.  Sargent 
Stephen  C.  Simms 
Jambs  Simpson 
Solomon  A.  Smith 
Albert  A.  Sprague 
Silas  H.  Straws 


Stanley  Field President 

Martin  A.  Ryerson First  Vice-President 

Albert  A.  Sprague Second  Vice-President 

James  Simpson Third  Vice-President 

Stephen  C.  Simms Director  and  Secretary 

Solomon  A.  Smith  . . .  Treasurer  and  Assistant  Secretary 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 

Stephen  C.  Simms,  Director  of  the  Museum Editor 

CONTRIBUTING  EDITORS 

Berthold  Laufer Curator  of  Anthropology 

B.  E.  Dahlgren Acting  Curator  of  Botany 

O.  C.  Farrington Curator  of  Geology 

Wilfred  H.  Osgood Curator  of  Zoology 

H.  B.  Harte Managing  Editor 

Field  Museum  is  open  every  day  of  the  year  during 
the  hours  indicated  below: 

November,  December,  January  9  a.m.  to  4:30  P.M. 

February,  March,  April,  October  9  A.M.  to  6:00  P.M. 

May,  June,  July,  August,  September    9  a.m.  to  6 :00  p.m. 

Admission  is  free  to  Members  on  all  days.  Other 
adults  are  admitted  free  on  Thursdays,  Saturdays  and 
Sundays;  non-members  pay  25  cents  on  other  days. 
Children  are  admitted  free  on  all  days.  Students  and 
faculty  members  of  educational  institutions  are  admit- 
ted free  any  day  upon  presentation  of  credentials. 

The  Library  of  the  Museum,  containing  some  92,000 
volumes  on  natural  history  subjects,  is  open  for  refer- 
ence daily  except  Sunday. 

Traveling  exhibits  are  circulated  in  the  schools  of 
Chicago  by  the  Museum's  Department  of  the  N.  W. 
Harris  Public  School  Extension. 

Lectures  for  school  classrooms  and  assemblies,  and 
special  entertainments  and  lecture  tours  for  children  at 
the  Museum,  are  provided  by  the  James  Nelson  and 
Anna  Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for  Public  School 
and  Children's  Lectures. 

Announcements  of  courses  of  free  illustrated  lectures 
on  science  and  travel  for  the  public,  and  special  lectures 
for  Members  of  the  Museum,  will  appear  in  Field 
Museum  News. 

There  is  a  cafeteria  in  the  Museum  where  luncheon 
is  served  for  visitors.  Other  rooms  are  provided  for 
those  bringing  their  lunches. 

Members  are  requested  to  inform  the  Museum 
promptly  of  changes  of  address. 


FIELD  MUSEUM  MEMBERSHIPS 
AS  CHRISTMAS  GIFTS 

Probably  every  Member  of  Field  Museum 
has  a  friend  who  is  the  type  of  person  who 
ought  to  be  a  fellow  Member.  The  oppor- 
tunity is  now  presented  to  bring  these 
people  into  the  membership,  and  at  the 
same  time  solve  a  number  of  Christmas 
gift  problems. 

Give  your  friends  Field  Museum  Member- 
ships as  Christmas  gifts. 

Enclosed  with  this  issue  of  Field  Museum 
News  will  be  found  a  folder  describing  the 
Museum's  Christmas  gift  membership  plan, 
a  handy  application  form  for  your  conven- 
ience, and  a  postage-prepaid  envelope  for 
mailing  application  to  the  Museum.  All 
you  have  to  do  is  write  the  name  and  address 
of  a  friend,  your  own  name  and  address, 
and  a  small  check,  and  your  Christmas 
shopping  list  is  shortened  by  one  item.  All 
other  details  will  be  taken  care  of  for  you 
by  the  Museum,  which  will  send  an  attrac- 
tive Christmas  card  notifying  any  friends 
you  thus  favor  that,  through  your  generosity, 
they  have  been  elected  to  membership  in 


this  institution.  It  will  also  inform  them 
as  to  what  their  privileges  are  as  Members. 
Additional  Christmas  Membership  appli- 
cation forms  may  be  obtained  by  telephoning 
or  writing  the  Museum.  In  order  that  the 
Museum  may  have  ample  time  to  deliver 
notification  cards  to  the  recipients  of  your 
gifts  by  Christmas  Day,  it  is  advisable  to 
send  in  applications  before  December  18. 

Museum  Memberships  as  Christmas  gifts 
have  the  following  advantages: 

They  save  you  thought  and  physical  effort 
required  in  making  selections  of  gifts,  hunting 
for  them  in  the  shops,  and  preparing  packages. 

They  are  exceptionally  appropriate  gifts  for 
men  or  women  of  culture. 

Through  the  monthly  issues  of  Field 
Museum  News,  invitations  to  special  lectures, 
and  other  features  of  Museum  membership, 
they  serve  to  remind  the  recipient  of  your 
thoughtfulness  many  times  throughout  the  year, 
instead  of  only  during  the  Christmas  holidays. 

Both  giver  and  receiver  will  derive  satisfac- 
tion from  being  thus  identified  with  the  body 
of  citizens  who  are  supporting  an  important 
institution  performing  great  public  educational 
services,  and  promoting  scientific  advancement. 

The  cost  is  reasonable,  various  classes  of 
membership  being  available,  beginning  with 
the  $10  Annual  Membership. 


DEATH  OF  RICHARD  T.  CRANE,  JR. 
MOURNED  AT  MUSEUM 

Field  Museum  suffered  a  great  loss  in  the 
recent  death  of  Richard  T.  Crane,  Jr.,  one 
of  its  Trustees.  Mr.  Crane  had  rendered  the 
institution  incalculable  services  both  as  a 
Trustee  and  as  a  Benefactor.  He  was  the 
donor  of  munificent  gifts  totaling  more  than 
$100,000  in  value. 

What  Mr.  Crane  stood  for,  and  what  he 
represented  to  the  Museum,  is  perhaps  best 
told  in  the  follow- 
ing appreciative 
resolution  adopted 
by  his  fellow 
Trustees  following 
his   sudden   death: 

"With  profound 
sorrow  and  a  keenly 
felt  sense  of  great 
loss,  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  Field 
Museum  of  Natural 
History  records  the 
death,  on  Novem- 
ber 7,  1931,  of 
Richard  T.  Crane, 
Jr.,  long  one  of  the 
most  active  of  its 
members.  Great 
homage  is  due  this 
man  who  in  the 
fifty-eight  years  of 
his  life  had  become  an  outstanding  leader  in 
both  industrial  and  civic  affairs.  Endowed 
with  capacities  which  made  him  a  brilliant 
success,  he  was  well-known  also  for  his 
sympathetic  interest  in  the  welfare  of  all 
who  were  engaged  in  the  enterprises  he 
directed,  and  for  his  contributions  to  the 
welfare  of  the  community  as  a  whole.  There 
was  a  charm,  a  gentleness,  and  simplicity 
about  him,  and  a  complete  lack  of  affectation, 
which  endeared  him  to  all  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact.  The  deepest  loyalty  was 
another  quality  with  which  he  was  imbued, 
and  this  was  constantly  manifest  in  his 
services  to  Field  Museum,  as  in  his  other 
activities. 

"Mr.  Crane  served  as  a  Trustee  of  Field 
Museum  during  two  periods:  from  1908  to 
1912,  and  again  from  1921  until  his  death. 


Richard  T.  Crane,  Jr. 


His  fellow  members  of  the  Board  had  a  high 
regard  for  his  counsel,  and  he  was  ever 
ready  to  give  freely  of  his  time  and  energy 
to  assist  in  the  best  solution  of  all  problems 
presented  before  the  Board.  That  the 
Museum  was  at  all  times  close  to  his  heart 
is  evidenced  not  only  by  his  labors  for  it, 
but  by  his  many  generous  gifts  to  the  insti- 
tution, in  consequence  of  which  his  name 
will  be  perpetuated  among  the  Benefactors 
of  the  Museum.  He  had  also  been  elected 
an  Honorary  Member  of  the  Museum,  in 
recognition  of  other  eminent  services. 

"Therefore,  be  it  resolved  that  this  expres- 
sion of  our  admiration  and  esteem  for  Mr. 
Crane,  and  our  grief  at  his  passing  from  our 
midst,  be  permanently  preserved  on  the 
records  of  the  Board. 

"And  be  it  further  resolved  that  our  deep 
sympathy  be  conveyed  to  the  members  of 
his  family  in  their  bereavement,  and  that  a 
copy  of  this  resolution  be  sent  to  his  widow." 


Collection  from  C.  Suydam  Cutting 

Approximately  350  birds  and  80  mammal 
specimens,  collected  in  Sikkim,  India,  on 
the  Tibetan  border,  have  arrived  at  Field 
Museum,  representing  the  final  results  of 
the  expedition  conducted  there  for  the 
Museum  by  C.  Suydam  Cutting  of  New 
York.  From  a  scientist's  standpoint  this 
shipment  contains  the  choicest  material 
received  because  it  includes  numerous  birds 
and  animals  either  previously  unknown  or 
very  rare,  according  to  Dr.  Wilfred  H. 
Osgood,  Curator  of  Zoology.  Many  of  the 
animals  were  collected  in  the  upper  heights 
of  the  Himalayas,  at  altitudes  exceeding 
16,000  feet.       

Bronzes  Presented  by  President  Field 

Twenty-three  bronze  figures,  busts,  and 
heads  of  peoples  of  various  races,  most  of 
them  reduced  from  life-size,  valued  at  more 
than  $12,000,  were  presented  to  the  Museum 
last  month  by  Stanley  Field,  President  of 
the  institution.  The  sculptures  were  made 
by  Miss  Malvina  Hoffman  in  connection 
with  her  work  of  preparing  exhibits  for 
Chauncey  Keep  Memorial  Hall  (the  hall  of 
the  races  of  mankind),  which  is  now  under 
way.  

Harris  Extension  Cases  Displayed 
Twenty  traveling  exhibition  cases  of  the 
type  circulated  in  the  schools  of  Chicago 
by  the  N.  W.  Harris  Public  School  Extension 
of  Field  Museum  are  on  display  in  a  special 
booth  at  the  International  Live  Stock 
Exposition  held  in  the  Union  Stock  Yards 
(November  28-December  5).  Thousands  of 
out-of-town  people  here  for  the  exposition 
are  expected  to  visit  the  Museum  during 
their  stay  in  Chicago. 

BEQUESTS  AND  ENDOWMENTS 

Bequests  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  may 
be  made  in  securities,  money,  books  or  collections. 
They  may,  if  desired,  take  the  form  of  a  memorial  to 
a  person  or  cause,  named  by  the  giver.  For  those  desiring 
to  make  bequests,  the  following  form  is  suggested: 

FORM  OF  BEQUEST 

/  do  hereby  give  and  bequeath  to  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History  of  the  City  of  Chicago,  State  of  Illinois, 


Cash  contributions  made  within  the  taxable  year  to 
Field  Museum  not  exceeding  15  per  cent  of  the  tax- 
payer's net  income  are  allowable  as  deductions  in  com- 
puting net  income  under  Article  251  of  Regulation  69 
relating  to  the  income  tax  under  the  Revenue  Act  of 
1926. 

Endowments  may  be  made  to  the  Museum  with  the 
provision  that  an  annuity  be  paid  to  the  patron  for  life. 
These  annuities  are  tax-free  and  are  guaranteed  against 
fluctuation  in  amount. 


December,  19S1 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


Page  S 


THE  PROJECTED  HALL  OF  THE  RACES  OF  MANKIND  (CHAUNCEY  KEEP  MEMORIAL  HALL) 


By  Hkkthui.h  Laufbr 
Curator,  Department  of  Anthropology 

In  1935  or  thereabout  a  convention  of 
impressive  magnitude  is  to  take  place  in 
Field  Museum.  On  this  occasion  the  most 
perfect  representatives  of  all  living  races  will 
be  assembled  here.  In  order  to  facilitate 
study  of  their  characteristic  features  and 
preserve  them  permanently,  they  will  have 
been  transformed  from  life  into  bronze,  and 
will  thus  be  presented  to  the  public  as 
durable  monuments. 

The  hall  selected  for  this  unique  conven- 
tion is  named  Chauncey  Keep  Memorial 
Hall  in  honor  of  the  late  Chauncey  Keep, 
a  highly  esteemed  member  of  the  Museum's 
Board  of  Trustees  from  1915  until  his  death 
on  August  12,  1929.  A  legacy  of  $50,000 
left  to  the  Museum  by  Mr.  Keep  will  be 
applied  to  the  cost  of  the  exhibits  in  this 
hall.  Added  to  this  is  a  gift  of  $18,000 
from  Mrs.  Charles  Schweppe  for  the  creation 
of  a  large  central  group  in  the  hall.  The 
balance  of  the  cost  of  this  hall,  exceeding 
$100,000,  is  generously  contributed  by 
Marshall  Field,  whose  continued  interest  in 
the  work  of  the  institution  has  been  mani- 
fested in  so  many  ways.  Mr.  Field's  gift 
for  this  project  is  made  in  token  of  his 
affection  and  esteem  for  his  friend,  Mr.  Keep. 

The  center  of  Chauncey  Keep  Memorial 
Hall  will  be  occupied  by  a  monumental 
bronze  group — a  triad  representing  in  life 
size  a  white,  a  yellow,  and  a  black  man 
grouped  in  a  circle.  The  group  is  surmounted 
by  a  globe,  upon  which  are  outlined  the 
five  continents  as  the  habitat  of  the  human 
species.  The  object  of  this  monument  is  to 
emphasize  the  unity  of  mankind — man  as  a 
well-defined,  fundamentally  uniform  species, 
which  has  spread  all  over  the  surface  of  the 
earth  and  conquered  almost  every  habitable 
spot.  While  to  some  degree  this  triumvirate 
is  symbolic,  each  figure  in  it  is  an  outstand- 
ing type  embodying  the  highest  qualities  of 
his  race  and  worthy  of  minute  study.  This 
is  the  group  presented  by  Mrs.  Schweppe. 


Radiating  from  this  imposing  central 
monument  will  be  an  avenue  of  primitive 
man,  lined  with  twenty-seven  life-size  bronze 
figures  of  American  Indians,  Eskimos, 
Malayans,  Africans,  and  Asiatics.  These 
will  not  be  standing  at  attention,  but  each 
will  appear  in  lively  action  befitting  the 
behavior  of  his  particular  group.  To  cite  a 
few  examples:  the  primitive  Vedda  of  Ceylon 
is  to  be  equipped  with  a  bow,  the  native  of 
Australia  will  be  shown  in  the  act  of  throwing 
a  spear,  the  Bushman  of  the  Kalahari  steppe 
will  display  his  prowess  in  archery  while  his 
spouse  and  offspring  admiringly  look  on.  A 
Solomon  Islander  will  be  seen  about  to 
climb  a  coconut  palm,  while  natives  of  Java 
will  be  setting  cocks  to  fight.  Daboa  of  the 
African  Sara  tribe,  in  graceful  movements  of 
her  slender  body,  will  perform  a  coquettish 
dance,  while  an  old  Negro  pounds  an  accom- 
paniment on  a  drum.  All  these  figures  and 
groups,  modeled  from  live  subjects  after 
years  of  painstaking  study,  will  be  absolutely 
correct  in  every  detail  of  their  anatomical 
structure  and  their  accoutrements.  Besides 
the  life-size  figures  there  will  be  numerous 
bronze  busts  and  heads  to  illustrate  the 
numerous  variations  of  human  types  within 
the  principal  races. 

The  creator  of  all  these  bronzes  is  Miss 
Malvina  Hoffman,  an  artist  and  sculptor 
of  extraordinary  ability  and  international 
reputation.  Miss  Hoffman  studied  painting 
under  John  Alexander,  and  sculpture  under 
Herbert  Adams  and  Gutzon  Borglum  of  New 
York,  as  well  as  under  the  great  master, 
Auguste  Rodin  of  Paris.  She  has  received 
numerous  prizes  and  gold  medals  at  exhibi- 
tions in  Paris,  New  York,  Philadelphia,  and 
San  Francisco,  and  many  of  her  sculptures 
are  on  permanent  exhibition  in  the  Metro- 
politan Museum  of  Art  in  New  York, 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History  in 
New  York,  Academy  of  Rome,  Art  Museum 
of  Stockholm,  and  Luxembourg  Musee  of 
Paris.  Field  Museum,  however,  will  be  the 
repository  not  merely  of  the  largest  number 


of  her  works,  but  of  her  finest  and  maturest 
creations.  All  her  statuary  is  dramatically 
conceived  and  intense  with  life  and  motion. 
It  is  far  removed  from  the  ordinary  plaster 
busts  of  racial  types.  Miss  Hoffman  is  at 
present  journeying  in  the  Far  East,  stopping 
in  Hawaii,  Japan,  China,  Indo-China,  Java, 
and  India,  to  complete  her  task  for  the 
Museum. 

The  contents  of  Chauncey  Keep  Memorial 
Hall  will  include  other  material  in  addition 
to  the  work  of  Miss  Hoffman.  While  her 
sculptures  will  dominate  the  hall,  giving  a 
clear  and  vivid  impression  of  the  appearance 
of  man,  special  exhibits  are  required  to 
illustrate  many  physical  characteristics  of 
mankind  in  greater  detail.  Exhibits  of  this 
class  will  include  complete  normal  human 
skeletons,  both  male  and  female;  a  compara- 
tive series  of  skeletons  of  the  principal 
races;  and  a  human  skeleton  in  comparison 
with  the  anthropoid  apes,  man's  closest 
relatives  in  the  animal  world.  Another 
exhibit  will  illustrate  the  capacity  of  the 
cranium,  the  size  and  characteristics  of  the 
brain,  and  its  variations  in  apes  and  humans. 
Instructive  charts  will  give  information  on 
the  extensive  variation  of  skin  and  eye  color, 
and  hair  samples  will  demonstrate  the  struc- 
ture, color,  and  differentiation  of  hair  in 
the  various  races.  Bodily  proportions,  as 
exemplified  by  the  two  extremes  of  giants 
and  dwarfs,  will  receive  due  attention,  as 
will  bodily  disfigurations  such  as  artificial 
deformation  and  molding  of  the  head. 

Another  section  of  this  hall  will  be  devoted 
to  demography — charts  and  tables  of  vital 
statistics  conveying  information  on  birth 
and  death  rates,  frequency  of  plural  births, 
infant  mortality,  relative  fertility  of  races, 
effects  of  disease  and  epidemics  on  the 
population,  growth  of  population,  longevity, 
effects  of  intermarriage  and  heredity,  and 
other  problems  of  general  interest.  A  special 
feature  will  be  made  of  the  racial  problems 
of  the  United  States,  with  particular  refer- 
ence to  our  Negro  population. 


EXPEDITION  AT  KISH   RESUMES 
OPERATIONS 

The  ninth  season  of  excavations  on  the 
site  of  the  ancient  city  of  Kish  by  the  Field 
Museum-Oxford  University  Joint  Expedi- 
tion to  Mesopotamia  has  begun.  Professor 
Stephen  Langdon  of  Oxford  continues  as 
director  of  the  expedition,  but  he  will  remain 
in  England  where  he  will  conduct  research 
upon  the  antiquities  unearthed  at  Kish,  as 
they  are  shipped  to  him.  L.  C.  Watelin, 
in  charge  of  operations  in  the  field  for  several 
years  past,  will  again  head  the  party  at  work 
on  the  excavations. 

Kish  is  believed  to  be  the  seat  of  the 
world's  earliest  civilization.  To  date  the 
expedition  has  uncovered  temples  and 
palaces  identified  with  Sargon  I  and  Nebu- 
chadnezzar; has  found  traces  of  the  great 
flood  recorded  in  the  Bible;  and  has  collected 
a  vast  amount  of  pottery,  inscribed  tablets, 
gold,  silver  and  jewelry,  remains  of  ancient 
chariots,  and  skeletal  remains  of  human 
beings  and  domestic  animals.  As  a  result 
of  studies  of  these  things  made  by  Professor 
Langdon  much  has  been  learned  of  the 
history  and  cultures  of  Babylonia  back  to 
about  5,500  years  ago.  Further  revelations, 
as  well  as  additional  treasures  for  the 
Museum,  are  expected  to  result  from  the 
continuance  of  this  work. 

The  expedition  is  financed  on  behalf  of 
Field  Museum  by  Marshall  Field,  and  on 
behalf  of  Oxford  by  Herbert  Weld  and  other 
British  philanthropists. 


Museum  Luncheon  for  600  Children 

Six  hundred  children,  members  of  the 
Four-H  Clubs,  an  organization  for  farm 
youth,  will  attend  a  luncheon  in  the  children's 
dining  room  at  Field  Museum  on  December 
3,  following  a  tour  of  the  Museum's  exhibi- 
tion halls.  The  tour  and  luncheon  have 
been  arranged  by  G.  H.  Noble,  Chairman 
of  the  National  Committee  for  Boys'  and 
Girls'  Club  Work.  The  children  will  be 
conducted  on  the  tour  by  guide-lecturers 
of  the  staff  of  the  James  Nelson  and  Anna 
Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for  Public 
School  and  Children's  Lectures.  They  are 
coming  to  Chicago  to  attend  the  Inter- 
national Live  Stock  Exposition  (November  28 
-December  5),  and  several  other  groups  of 
children  are  also  expected  at  the  Museum 
during  the  exposition  week. 


New  Exhibit  of  Geese 

An  exhibit  of  representative  North  Ameri- 
can geese  and  swans  has  been  installed  in 
one  of  the  bird  halls  at  Field  Museum. 
Fourteen  species  of  geese  and  two  of  swans 
are  shown.  Those  which  have  at  any  time 
been  recorded  in  Illinois  are  marked  with 
red  stars,  and  of  these  there  are  nine. 

Among  the  species  shown  are  Canada  goose, 
Richardson's  goose,  brant,  black  brant,  Ross's 
goose,  greater  snow  goose,  blue  goose,  white 
fronted  goose,  pink  footed  goose,  emperor 
goose,  trumpeter  swan,  and  whistling  swan. 
The  birds  were  mounted  by  Taxidermist 
Ashley  Hine  of  the  Museum  staff. 


CAREY-RYAN  EXPEDITION 
SENDS  SPECIMENS 

Excellent  specimens  of  the  seladang  (gaur 
ox  or  Indian  bison)  and  of  Indian  water 
buffalo  have  been  received  at  Field  Museum, 
as  a  result  of  the  Carey-Ryan  Expedition  to 
Indo-China,  which  recently  returned.  This 
expedition  was  financed  by  G.  F.  Ryan  of 
Lutherville,  Maryland,  and  was  led  by 
George  E.  Carey,  Jr.,  of  Baltimore,  jointly 
with  Mr.  Ryan. 

The  Museum  has  received  also  collections 
of  tree  trunks,  bark,  leaves  and  other  such 
materials  from  the  forests  in  which  these 
animals  live,  which  will  be  used  to  construct 
scenic  reproductions  of  natural  backgrounds 
for  the  groups  of  animals  when  they  are 
mounted.  The  exhibits  will  form  part  of 
the  series  of  Asiatic  mammal  habitat  groups 
in  William  V.  Kelley  Hall. 

Messrs.  Ryan  and  Carey  had  many  adven- 
tures, the  most  thrilling  of  which  was  when 
a  man-eating  tiger  attacked  their  hunting 
camp  one  night.  The  tiger  dragged  a  coolie 
who  belonged  to  the  hunters'  caravan  from 
the  camp,  and  later  the  unfortunate  native's 
dead  body  was  found.  During  the  night 
the  tiger  revisited  the  camp  several  times, 
and,  although  the  hunters  opened  fire  with 
their  rifles  each  time,  the  animal  escaped. 


A  400-pound  lodestone,  with  unusually 
strong  magnetism,  is  exhibited  in  the  Depart- 
ment of  Geology. 


Page  U 


FIELD  MUSEUM  NEWS 


December,  1931 


TWO  PROGRAMS  FOR  CHILDREN 
—RAYMOND  FOUNDATION 

A  special  additional  program,  as  well  as 
the  final  entertainment  of  the  regular  autumn 
series  for  children,  will  be  given  at  the 
Museum  during  December.  Both  programs 
are  provided  by  the  James  Nelson  and  Anna 
Louise  Raymond  Foundation  for  Public 
School  and  Children's  Lectures. 

The  final  program  in  the  autumn  series  will 
be  given  on  Saturday  morning,  December  5. 
Four  films  will  be  shown:  "Winter  Birds," 
"Snowflakes,"  "Mr.  Groundhog  Wakes  Up," 
and  "Skating  in  the  Spreewald." 

The  special  program  will  be  given  on 
Saturday  morning,  December  19.  Two 
films  chosen  for  their  extraordinary  interest 
and  appeal  have  been  chosen:  "I  Am  from 
Siam,"  and  "The  Beaver  People." 

Both  programs  will  be  given  twice,  at 
10  a.m.  and  11  a.m.,  in  the  James  Simpson 
Theatre  of  the  Museum.  Children  from  all 
parts  of  Chicago  and  suburbs  are  invited  to 
attend.  

17,000  PLANTS  PHOTOGRAPHED 

The  joint  project  of  the  Rockefeller 
Foundation  and  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History  to  provide  for  botanists  of  the 
United  States  a  complete  reference  collec- 
tion of  photographs  of  historic  specimens  of 
tropical  plants  of  the  western  hemisphere 
has  resulted  to  date  in  an  assemblage  of 
more  than  17,000  such  photographs. 

J.  Francis  Macbride,  Assistant  Curator  of 
Taxonomy,  is  still  in  Europe,  where  he  has 
been  since  1929,  supervising  the  work  of 
making  these  pictures.  The  original  type 
specimens  of  famous  botanists  sent  from 
Europe  in  America's  early  days,  whose  col- 
lections are  now  in  European  museums  and 
herbaria,  are  being  photographed.  These 
include  the  first  collections  of  plants  made 
in  America,  chiefly  by  botanists  sent  by 
Spanish  kings  to  investigate  the  resources 
of  their  then  new  territories.  This  work 
reached  its  climax  about  1785  when  Charles 
III  of  Spain  ordered  a  scientific  survey  of  all 
Spanish  dominions  in  America. 

The  specimens  being  photographed  include 
those  from  which  scientists  obtained  their 
earliest  accurate  knowledge  of  the  important 
plants  which  yield  quinine,  cocaine,  rubber 
and  other  valuable  products  of  commerce. 
Many  of  the  plants  photographed  have  never 
before  been  represented  in  botanical  collec- 
tions in  the  United  States.  The  present 
project  will  give  American  botanists  and 
students  access  to  these  without  the  former 
necessity  of  a  trip  to  Europe.  Copies  of  the 
photographs  made  by  Field  Museum  and 
the  Rockefeller  Foundation  will  be  available 
at  cost  to  institutions  and  individuals  all 
over  the  world. 


HALL  OF  JADES  OPENED 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

epicure,  several  sets  of  chimes  made  from 
jade,  a  pair  of  jade  flutes  of  full  size  carved 
in  imitation  of  bamboo,  and  intricately 
designed  jade  trees  of  chrysanthemums  and 
pomegranates.  There  is  a  "longevity  moun- 
tain," a  landscape  carved  from  a  solid  block 
of  jade,  with  clusters  of  fungi  representing 
immortality,  and  two  cranes  which  were 
symbols  of  longevity.  Large  pieces  in  the 
collection  include  a  jade  incense  burner 
delicately  carved  in  an  open  work  floral 
design  as  intricate  and  exquisite  as  fine  lace; 
a  bell  of  jade;  a  square  green  jade  box 
used  by  officials  of  the  Manchu  dynasty 
for  keeping  seals;  and   "scepters  of  good 


augury"  which  were  considered  to  be  magical 
wands. 

Scores  of  figures  of  animals  and  birds 
carved  from  jade  are  shown,  some  in  con- 
ventionalized and  some  in  naturalistic  art 
forms.  Many  kinds  of  jewelry,  and  many 
charms  are  included.  Two  lizards  carved  on 
a  loving  cup  are  emblematic  of  marital  love. 

In  addition  to  jade,  one  case  in  the  new 
hall  contains  Chinese  art  objects  of  rock- 
crystal,  quartz,  agate,  tourmaline,  turquois, 
amber  and  ancient  glass. 


Green  Jade  Monster 

Used  as  an  offering  in  a  grave.  Han  period  (about 
first  century  A.D.J,  China.    About  one-third  actual  size. 

The  foundation  of  the  collection  displayed 
in  this  hall  was  laid  by  the  Blackstone 
Expedition  to  China,  1908-10,  under  the 
leadership  of  the  Curator  of  Anthropology. 
Many  additions  were  made  during  a  subse- 
quent expedition  in  1923,  known  as  the 
Marshall  Field  Expedition  to  China,  also 
led  by  the  Curator.  In  1927  the  Bahr 
collection  of  Chinese  jades  was  acquired 
by  the  Museum  with  a  fund  contributed 
jointly  by  Mrs.  George  T.  Smith,  Mrs.  John 
J.  Borland,  Miss  Kate  S.  Buckingham, 
Martin  A.  Ryerson,  Julius  Rosenwald,  Otto 
C.  Doering,  and  Martin  C.  Schwab.  Other 
objects  were  presented  by  individuals,  chiefly 
John  J.  Abbott,  American  Friends  of  China, 
R.  Bensabott,  Inc.,  the  late  Richard  T. 
Crane,  Jr.,  Dr.  I.  W.  Drummond,  Fritz  von 
Frantzius  (deceased),  Charles  B.  Goodspeed, 
H.  N.  Higinbotham  (deceased),  Linus  Long, 
J.  A.  L.  Moeller,  Mrs.  William  H.  Moore 
and  Mrs.  George  T.  Smith. 

— Berthold  Laufer 


Many  metals  known  to  few  people,  with 
collections  of  objects  illustrating  their  uses, 
are  on  exhibition  in  the  Department  of 
Geology. 

Gifts  to  the  Museum 

Following  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  principal 
gifts  received  during  the  last  month: 

From  Abbe  Henri  Breuil — 41  prehistoric  flint  imple- 
ments, France;  from  Stanley  Field — 23  figures,  busts 
and  heads  of  types  of  various  races;  from 
Harper  Kelley — parts  of  a  Magdalenian  skeleton, 
France;  from  Dr.  G.  von  Bonin — an  ink  stone,  China; 
from  Edmond  I.  Woodbury — 10  woolen  articles,  Peru 
Indians;  from  Professor  L.  H.  Bailey — 250  herbarium 
specimens.  Canal  Zone;  from  C.  H.  Lankester — 81 
herbarium  specimens,  Costa  Rica;  from  T.  R.  Williams 
— 8  mahogany  panels,  Africa,  Cuba,  India  and  Mexico; 
from  James  Zetek— -317  herbarium  specimens,  Barro 
Colorado  Island  and  Canal  Zone;  from  John  Bigane 
and  Sons — 3  specimens  fossil  plants,  Pennsylvania; 
from  Walter  Anthony  Ranezeel — 4  photographs  of 
pillars  produced  by  erosion,  California;  from  S.  R. 
Sweet — 7  specimens  skulls  and  jaws  of  fossil  vertebrates, 
Nebraska;  from  E.  A.  Mueller — 127  specimens  fulgu- 
rites, Michigan;  from  Frank  von  Drasek — 13  specimens 
acicular  apatite  and  brookite,  Arkansas;  from  Mrs. 
William  H.  Hess — weaver-bird's  nest,  India;  from  D.  C. 
Lowrie — 345  salamanders,  Tennessee;  from  Count 
Degenhard  Wurmbrand — a  mounted  birdskin.  Austria; 
from  C.  Irving  Wright — a  large  tarpon,  Florida;  from 
Thomas  Abbott — 35  crickets,  China. 


DECEMBER  GUIDE-LECTURE  TOURS 

Following  is  the  schedule  of  conducted 
tours  of  the  exhibits  during  December: 

Week  beginning  November  30 — Monday:  11  AJI., 
Homes  in  Many  Lands,  3  p.m.,  Jade  Exhibits;  Tuesday: 
11  a.m.,  Archaeology  of  South  America,  3  p.m..  Interest- 
ing Sea  Life;  Wednesday:  11  a.m.,  Fibers  and  Their 
Uses,  3  P.M.,  Man  Through  the  Ages;  Thursday: 
11  A.M.  and  3  p.m.,  General  Tours;  Friday:  11  A.M., 
Uses  of  Bark,  Sap  and  Resin,  3  P.M.,  Life  in  the  Far 
North. 

Week  beginning  December  7 — Monday:  11  AJI., 
Fishes,  Past  and  Present,  3  p.m.,  Egypt  and  Kish; 
Tuesday:  11  A.M.,  Birds  at  Home,  3  p.m.,  Mexico; 
Wednesday:  11  A.M.,  Mummies,  3  p.m.,  Beads  and  Their 
Uses;  Thursday:  11  A.M.  and  3  p.m.,  General  Tours; 
Friday:  11  a.m.,  Animal  Habitat  Groups,  3  p.m.,  Primi- 
tive Musical  Instruments. 

Week  beginning  December  14 — Monday:  11  A.M., 
Roman  Home  Life,  3  p.m.,  The  Horse  Family;  Tuesday: 
11  A.M.,  Ivory  and  Its  Uses,  3  P.M.,  Industrial  Models; 
Wednesday:  11  A.M.,  Fire-making  and  Household 
Utensils,  3  P.M.,  Chinese  Exhibits;  Thursday:  11  AJI. 
and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Friday:  11  A.M.,  Minerals 
of  Economic  Value,  3  p.m..  Rare  and  Unusual  Plants. 

Week  beginning  December  21 — Monday:  11  A.M., 
North  American  Archaeology,  3  P.M.,  Osteology;  Tues- 
day: 11  A.M.,  Snakes  and  Their  Relatives,  3  P.M., 
Philippine  Exhibits;  Wednesday:  11  A.M.,  The  Art  of 
Madagascar,  3  P.M.,  Looms  and  Textiles;  Thursday: 
11  a.m.  and  3  P.M.,  General  Tours;  Friday:  Christmas 
Holiday — no  tours. 

Week  beginning  December  28 — Monday:  11  AJI., 
African  Animals,  3  P.M.,  Crystals  and  Gems;  Tuesday: 
11  AJI.,  Winter  Birds,  3  P.M.,  Animal  Life  of  the  Past; 
Wednesday:  11  a.m.,  Jade  Collections,  3  P.M.,  Wood- 
land Indians;  Thursday:  11  a.m.  and  3  P.M.,  General 
Tours;  Friday:  New  Year's  Holiday — no  fours. 

Persons  wishing  to  participate  should 
apply  at  North  Entrance.  Tours  are  free 
and  no  gratuities  are  to  be  proffered.  A  new 
schedule  will  appear  each  month  in  Field 
Museum  News.  Guide-lecturers'  services 
for  special  tours  by  parties  of  ten  or  more 
are  available  free  of  charge  by  arrangement 
with  the  Director  a  week  in  advance. 


NEW  MEMBERS 

The  following  persons  were  elected  to 
membership  in  Field  Museum  during  the 
period  from  October  16  to  November  15: 

Associate  Members 
Mrs.  Enos  M.  Barton,  Beryl  B.  Collins,  Mrs.  Josiah 
Cratty,  C.  Colton  Daughaday,  Mrs.  Rowland  T.  Goode, 
Charles  E.  Herrick,  Mrs.  Rosa  V.  Jennings,  Mrs.  Karl 
S.  Lashley,  Mrs.  Frank  W.  Manegold,  Rev.  Herbert 
W.  Prince,  George  A.  Richardson. 

Annual  Members 

Mrs.  Otto  C.  Braese,  Charles  E.  Carey,  Professor 
Charles  Joseph  Chamberlain,  Mrs.  Frank  P.  Collins, 
John  A.  Ek,  Davis  Ewing,  Joseph  Godfrey,  Jr.,  C. 
Groot,  A.  S.  Hansen,  Mrs.  Charles  J.  Harpel,  Mrs. 
John  J.  Hattstaedt,  Mrs.  Caroline  H.  Kohn,  Florian 
Eugene  Laramore,  Mrs.  Alex  C.  Lindgren,  Harry  H. 
Lobdell,  Mrs.  Leslie  E.  Lowry,  Mrs.  Isabel  Mackworth, 
H.  I.  Markham,  H.  B.  Mead,  Miss  Frances  A.  Mellon, 
Leonard  E.  Murphy,  Mrs.  Joseph  K.  Nelson,  Miss 
Louise  M.  Purrucker,  James  T.  Quinlan,  Edward  N. 
Roth,  Mason  Slade,  Mrs.  Olaf  N.  Tevander,  Mrs. 
Slason  Thompson,  H.  J.  Wurzburg. 


MEMBERSHIP  IN  FIELD  MUSEUM 

Field  Museum  has  several  classes  of  Members. 
Benefactors  give  or  devise  $100,000  or  more.  Contribu- 
tors give  or  devise  $1,000  to  $100,000.  Life  Members 
give  $500.  N on-Resident  (Life)  and  Associate  Members 
pay  $100.  Non-Resident  Associate  Members  pay  $50. 
All  the  above  classes  are  exempt  from  dues.  Sustaining 
Members  contribute  $25  annually.  After  six  years  they 
become  Associate  Members.  Annual  Members  con- 
tribute $10  annually.  Other  memberships  are  Corpo- 
rate, Honorary,  Patron,  and  Corresponding,  additions 
under  these  classifications  being  made  by  special  action 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

Each  Member,  in  all  classes,  is  entitled  to  free 
admission  to  the  Museum  for  himself,  his  family  and 
house  guests,  and  to  two  reserved  seats  for  Museum 
lectures  provided  for  Members.  Subscription  to  Field 
Museum  News  is  included  with  all  memberships.  The 
courtesies  of  every  museum  of  note  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada  are  extended  to  all  Members  of 
Field  Museum.  A  Member  may  give  his  personal  card 
to  non-residents  of  Chicago,  upon  presentation  of 
which  they  will  be  admitted  to  the  Museum  without 
charge.  Further  information  about  memberships  will 
be  sent  on  request. 

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