Stuart-Rodgers Photography

The Field Museum The Field Museum Exploring goes Hollywood The Earth And Its with the release this People summer of two

movies filmed here.

5-8

A complete schedule of July/August events, including prairie and wetland excursions.

A new book by Field Museum zoologists examines all 4,037 species of Neotropical birds.

SNAILS AS A GUIDE TO OCEANIC MICROORGANISMS

Museum collections of snails help scientists learn about the distribution and ecology of tiny marine creatures that live on or within the shells in the sunless depths of the ocean.

CHANGEABLE WEATHER, CHANGEABLE PRAIRIES

By William Burger Department of Botany

“@@he standard joke in Chicago (and *around the Midwest) is that if you don’t like the weather, wait: it will change. With the possibility of cold fe air masses coming down from Canada, hot dry air out of the southwest, and warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, the Midwest regularly experiences dramatic fluctu- ations in temperature and rainfall.

Not only can the weather change dramati- cally from week to week, but it often deviates strongly from the norm, month by month and year to year. While our forests are subjected to these same fluctuations, it is usually difficult to see their effects on trees and shrubs. Prairies, in contrast, offer us dramatic visual evidence of their responses to local weather patterns. I have made the mistake of inviting a group of friends to see a prairie at its peak flowering time in early August, only to find that it was a particularly bad year for some of the more colorful species. I should have checked first! The exact same spot that was ablaze with hundreds of brilliantly flowering plants the previous year now looked like little more than a weedy field.

Our spectacle of prairie flowering begins in middle May with shooting stars, golden alexan- ders, and Indian paint brushes. In June, pucoons, lupines, wild iris, and prairie roses put on a show. Spiderworts, milkweeds and phlox begin in late June and flower into July. Wild quinine, wild bergamot, black-eyed Susan and other yel- low composites dominate middle and late July. By early August, the prairie should be display- ing its most colorful plumage, with purple blaz- ing stars and swarms of sunflowers the major attractions, followed by the goldenrods. Finally, as the grasses begin to turn a golden brown, white or bluish asters and deep blue gentians decorate the prairie from early September to middle October.

William Burger

The season during which a particular species flowers is fairly consistent from year to year, with some species flowering for only a week or so, and others ablaze for more than a month. Beginning with short little plants in May, the five-month sequence ends with some flowers held six feet high. Though this general pattern recurs each year, unpredictable local weather determines who the major players will

be and how bright their display.

Of the 300 or so species that make their homes on our richest prairies, those with really colorful flowers number fewer than 100. Their flowers may have very different form and struc- ture (members of different families) or be quite similar (members of the same genus), Neverthe- less, each species does tend to respond in its own way to temperature and rainfall. What may be a good year for one species can be an awful year for another. Spring weather may have strong effects much later in the summer. A few years ago, we had virtually no rain in May and early June. The prairie was noticeably shorter that year, and the blazing stars simply didn’t flower. Fields that usually had great swaths of purple were completely devoid of this colorful member of the typical mid-summer panorama.

Gentian populations can be particularly vari- able. They develop small root systems and live for only one year. But it isn’t easy to say whether a good gentian year is based on a large seed-set the year before, or that it was good rainfall and (Continued on page 10)

LETTER FROM MADAGASCAR

Steve Goodman Antananarivo, Madagascar 7 April 1996

ince arriving here in August 1995 I

have been able to spend the majority

of my time in the field. In late August

Olivier Langrand and I went up to the

; high mountain zone of the Andringi-

tra reserve, south-central Madagascar, to com- plete an elevational transect for birds and mammals started in 1993. We had camps at 2,000 and 2,450 meters. The higher camp was just below the summit of Pic Boby (2,550m), the second highest peak on the island. Tree-line on the mountain is about 1,900m. By the time one arrives at 2,000m there is an expansive plateau with open alpine Savanna and occa- sional small clusters of upper montane forest. The 2,550m camp was mostly ina region of exposed rock, although in the

PRINCESS DI AT FIELD MUSEUM

Princess Diana is escorted into the June 5 gala at the Museum by North- western University President Henry S.

Bienen. The event drew 1,300 guests and raised hundreds of thousands of dol- lars for cancer chari- ties. More pictures on page 4.

basin below the sum- mit there is a marsh. During our visit to the area it was the end of the winter and even though we were

within the tropics it was incredibly cold. On several nights at 7:30 the dew had already turned to frost and we experienced temperatures down to -7 °C.

We found numerous interesting animals. Several species of small mammals, particularly a group of endemic insectivores (Microgale and Oryzorictes) occur all the way up to 2,550m. This is the highest elevation they have been recorded on the island, and with their high metabolism and the local extreme temperatures it is amazing that they are able to live in such an inhospitable place. We also found a large popu- lation of Benson’s Rock-Thrush, a species of

(Continued on page 11)

Article, page 10

Left: Phlox and black-eyed Susan in the Illinois Beach State Park.

Wild tris

The summit of Pic Boby (2,550 meters), the second-highest peak on Madagascar. Left to right: Olivier Langrand, a local guide, and Steve Goodman.

William Burger

Olivier Langrand

Phil Lewis / GN87862.13¢

WHEREWITHAL: THE NECESSARY MEANS

By Willard L. Boyd President, The Field Museum

he ends never justify the means.

But without the proper means we

cannot achieve our ends.

In the summer of 1893, Edward

Ayer scurried around Chicago to

find the means to create The Field Museum as

the great legacy of the World Columbian Expo-

sition. In the years since, The Field Museum has

flourished because of the commitment of

Chicagoans who have requested and given the

wherewithal needed for an increasingly vibrant

and significant center of learning about the earth

and its people. Soon we will be seeking your

special help to generate the wherewithal to

achieve the objectives of our strategic plan, The

Field Museum: Connecting in Its Second Centu-

ry. To carry out that plan we are undertaking a $60 million comprehensive campaign seeking:

¢ $13 million — to maintain and build the annual operating support so vital for the Muse- um’s ongoing programs which serve our many publics on a daily basis.

¢ $20 million — to increase our endowment so that it will continue to provide 20 percent of our operating budget as it has over the past 30 years.

* $27 million — for crucial capital projects which involve infrastructure renovations, col- lections care and conservation, research facili- ties and exciting exhibits which will bring new knowledge to the public.

At my age, I consider our 1921 Museum building of nearly one million square feet to be young. The fact remains that it is necessary to

replace the roof, plumbing, and electrical wiring. Our high-pressure boilers are forty years old and our air conditioning chillers are anti- quated.

Collections are the grist for our intellectual mill. To help ensure that these invaluable objects are available to scholars now and far into the future, we must consolidate and improve their storage, especially for our alco- hol-preserved zoological objects and our cultur- ally significant anthropological collections. The Campaign will also benefit the latter by con- structing state-of-the-art conservation laborato- ries that will enable our outstanding staff to perform the crucial work necessary to preserve these fragile collections.

We also want to make the collections more accessible. Our Campaign calls for storing col- lections data on computers so that the informa- tion they contain is “just a modem-away” from scholars and youngsters alike. At present our computer hardware is obsolete and transferring this data is a monumental task. We are encour- aged in this area because The Field Museum’s World Wide Web site is now cited as a national museum leader, and more than a quarter million visitors have come through this “electronic door” this year alone.

It is imperative for us to apply new research techniques to our collections and the Campaign will enable us to do so. Much of The Field Museum’s collection was assembled before DNA was discovered. Nevertheless, we can extract DNA from the environmental collec- tions. Similarly, anthropologists are able to use molecular markers in studying historical patterns of human migrations, and geological dating enables us to study changes in the world’s"geolo-= gy and biology over extraordinary spans of time.

The purpose of our collections-based research is to provide greater public knowledge about environmental and cultural change. Exhibits are our classrooms. With your help, great changes have been made in our permanent exhibits during the past decade. The time has come for us to reenter the special exhibit arena in order to bring new knowledge on a continual basis to our publics. To do so, we need a new exhibition center adjacent to Stanley Field Hall. It will be versatile enough to mount an art exhibit, recreate a rain forest, or install an army of terra cotta soldiers.

We also plan two new permanent exhibits which will focus on present and future Museum- based research. The first is “Living Together: Common Concerns, Different Responses.” It will provide an introduction to the Museum’s cultural exhibits just as “Nature Walk” intro- duces visitors to the environmental exhibits. “Life Underground” will be the largest exhibit we have ever undertaken. It will be an adventure into the biological world beneath our feet. In the next decade, our curators will be unlocking the many secrets of the underground.

This $60 million Campaign will provide the crucial wherewithal necessary for The Field Museum to serve its many publics in the years to come. A campaign committee of 57 outstand- ing volunteers, chaired by Judy Block, will lead us in this Campaign. In my retirement, I will serve as the honorary chairman of the Cam- paign. I am ever grateful to each of you for the steadfast support you have given the Museumin the past, and I look forward to being your part- ner in keeping the Museum at the forefront as a center of learning about the world’s cultures and environments SE ae SL TR nt

LEAKEY RECEIVES AWARD OF MERIT

July/August 1996

John Weinstein / GN87817,12c

July/August 1996 Vol. 67, No. 4

Editor: Ron Dorfman

Art Director: Shi Yung

Editorial Assistant: Rhonda Jones

John Weinstein / GNB7817.12c

In the Field _

ichard Leakey, the Kenyan paleontolo-

gist , conservationist, and politician,

receives the Award of Merit from

Founders’ Council co-chair Pam Wal- ter. At left, Leakey with his former student Cha- purukha Kusimba, who is now a Field Museum curator. Below, the crystal globe from Tiffany that is part of the Award of Merit.

The award is given from time to time to recognize outstanding achievement in bringing to public attention issues in evolutionary and conservation biology.

In a public lecture, Leakey observed that “poaching and agriculture have forced ele- phants into small areas, and they destroy the forest” and threaten people’s livelihoods: “It’s one thing to have a squirrel in your garden,” he said. “It’s quite another to have an elephant in your garden.”

The Field Museum Exploring

The Earth And lta People

In the Field (ISSN #1051-4546) is published bimonthly by The Field Museum, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive,

Chicago IL 60605-2496. Copyright © 1996 The Field Museum. Subscriptions $6.00 annually, $3.00 for schools. Muse- um membership includes In the Field subscription. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and do not neces- sarily reflect policy of The Field Museum. Museum phone (312) 922-9410. Notification of address change should include address label and should be sent to Membership Department. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to In the Field, The Field Museum, Roosevelt Rd. at Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605-2496. Second class postage paid

at Chicago, Illinois.

UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS

Murray Close

ASIAN CERAMICS CONFERENCE

Smiling for the cam- era during a Collec- tions Committee reception at the sec- ond annual Asian Ceramics Conference are, from left, Ben- nett Bronson, curator of Asian anthropolo- gy and co-chair of the conference; Car- olyn Moore, associ- ate in anthropology; Shinichi Fukagawa, president of the Koransha Corp., a ceramics maker in Japan; and Chuimei Ho, adjunct curator of anthropology and co-chair of the con- ference.

At right, Akiko Saito demonstrates the form and func- tion of ceramics in Matcha, a Japanese tea ceremony.

Diane Alexander White / GN87895.9Ac

Diane Alexander White / GN87895,30Ac

SUMMER AT THE MOVIES

Left, Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz on the run in Chain Reaction.

THE FIELD MUSEUM CORDIALLY INVITES MEMBERS AND GUESTS To A BRUNCH LECTURE

THE FIELD MUSEUM

JOIN US FOR A BUFFET BRUNCH AND CURATOR’S LECTURE. THEN DISCOVER THE FASCINATING WORLD OF ONE OF NATURES GREATEST HUNTERS WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE SPIDERS! Dr. JOHN KETHLEY, ASSOCIATE CURATOR OF INSECTS

WILL PRESENT A SLIDE LECTURE INTRODUCING SPIDERS AND RELATED ARTHROPODS INCLUDING AN OVERVIEW OF SPIDER BIOLOGY, ECOLOGY, AND BEHAVIOR.

SUNDAY, JuLy 21, 1996 11:00 a.m. To 1:00 p.m. Rice WILDLIFE RESEARCH STATION

ADMISSION IS $20 FoR Memsers, $25 FOR GUESTS RSVP sy July 18, 1996 (312) 322-8871 SEATING IS LIMITED - ADVANCE PURCHASES ENCOURAGED

PLEASE PARK IN THE NORTH LOT AND ENTER THE NORTH DOOR, BARRIER-FREE PARKING AND ACCESS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE WEST DOOR. PLEASE DIRECT INQUIRIES TO THE MEMBERSHIP OFFICE AT (312) 322-8871.

* he Field Museum stars in two feature ‘films opening this summer: The Relic, starring Penelope Ann Miller, Tom Sizemore, Linda Hunt, and James Whitmore; and Chain Reaction, with Keanu Reeves and Morgan Freeman.

In The Relic, Miller plays an evolutionary biologist using DNA technology to try to iden- tify a mysterious creature that is killing people in her museum in advance of the opening of an exhibit on superstition. Sizemore plays a Chica- go cop helping her out, Hunt is the director of the museum, and Whitmore is a world-famous evolutionary biologist who provides the key to the reptilian creature’s proper classification. The film is directed by Peter Hyams. The cast and crew were on location in the Museum for three weeks last October, and re-created the curators’ offices and laboratories on a Holly- wood sound stage for the remainder of the film.

Chain Reaction is an action-adventure film in which a physicist (Rachel Weisz) and her team’s machinist (Keanu Reeves) go on the run after they are framed for the murder of the team leader and the destruction of their laboratory. The research team had discovered how to pro- duce a cheap, pollution-free form of energy and it appears that somebody out there didn’t want them to succeed. Pursued across the country by half a dozen Federal agencies, Reeves and Weisz try to figure out who the real conspirators are, with assistance from Morgan Freeman as the head of a foundation that has backed the research. Several scenes were shot at the Muse- um and at the University of Chicago. Chain Reaction was directed by Andrew Davis.

In addition, The Ghost and the Darkness, starring Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas, is scheduled to open in October. The film is based on the experiences of Col. John Henry Patter- son, who in 1898 shot two lions in Kenya that had killed 160 members of his railway-building crew. Patterson later sold the pelts and skulls of “the man-eating lions of Tsavo” to Stanley Field, who gave them to the Museum, where they were mounted and are stil] on display, now in the Rice Wildlife Research Station.

Above, Penelope Ann Miller as a museum curator searching for the identity of a mys- terious predatory beast in The Relic.

\ ly/August 1996

Richard Foreman

UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS

THE ROYAL VISIT

Photographs by Diane Alexander White

he Field Museum was the site of a gala dinner-dance on June 5 in honor of Princess Diana. The event raised hundreds of thou- sands of dollars for cancer charities in the United States and Great Britain. The Princess also attended a seminar on cancer research at Northwestern University, visited patients at Cook County Hospital and the Northwestern University Medical Center, and attend- ed a fundraising luncheon at the Drake Hoiel.

Below left, Stanley Field Hall decked out for the gala, which attract- ed 1,300 people, and, right, Princess Diana arriving at the Museum escorted by Northwestern University President Henry S. Bienen. Ticket prices for the gala ranged trom $500 to $50,000 for a full table and admission to other events on the Princess’s schedule. The elaborate decor and set-up took cater- ers days to complete.

Guests included, left, Delores Jor- dan, mother of Michael, who carried gifts of Chicago Bulls paraphernalia for the Princess’s sons; and, above left, the actor Gene Wilder, widower of Gilda Radner and founder of Gilda’s Club for cancer patients and their families and friends, which was one of the benefi- ciaries of the evening’s fundraising. The other beneficiaries were the

GNa7908.36¢

GN87911.29¢

GN87909.33A¢

GN87908.30¢

Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center of Northwestern University and the Royal Marsden Cancer Appeal supporting Royal Marsden Hospital.

Counter-clockwise from above right: Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas (Donahue got the first dance with the Princess); Tony Bennett rehearsing for his performance at the gala; and, rac- — ing up the stairs, madcap Joan Rivers, who later said she was impressed by” the Princess and was “sorry | ever called her a tramp.”

(GNB7908.10¢

GN87910.26¢

he special summer exhibit “Spi- “ders!” will run through August 25. The exhibit examines the lifestyle of one of nature’s most fascinating «@ and feared creatures and traces its role in nature as well as its relationship with humanity. It puts spiders on a level playing field with other organisms, showing how arachnids deal with the universal basics that all living creatures face — finding food, mating, produc- ing offspring, and defending against predators.

Along with the exhibit, the Museum has planned a full summer of programs, including daily spider activities and special weekend pro- grams. The opening days of “Spiders!” featured visits from the Marvel Comics super-hero, Spi- der-Man.

The dinner-plate-size Madagascar orb weaver as well as live poisonous brown recluse and black widow spiders are on display.

The carnivorous creatures that humans love to hate are actually harmless creatures — except, of course, for the infamous black widow spider and the funnel web spider. The black widow is notorious for her deadly way of killing her mate. But, on the whole, spiders are benefi-

cial in that they eat billions of disease-laden insects like flies and cockroaches. Spiders have a unique way of getting around in their world. The hairs on their bodies serve as their primary sensory faculty, helping them to see and to feel. Spiderize!, an element of the exhibit, adds a new perspective on life from a spider’s viewpoint.

Using dioramas, “Spiders!” shows the range of spider sizes and habitats, a spider fam- ily tree, and freezed-dried spider specimens. The Museum worked with Marvel Entertain- ment Group to bring the traveling exhibit to the city.

John Weinstein

FROM THE GOOD EARTH

he Field Museum joins the Council

for Creative Projects in bringing the

photographic exhibit “From the

Good Earth” to the Museum; it

opens July 10 and runs through October 13. The exhibit celebrates food grow- ing through pictures taken by farmer/photogra- pher Michael Ableman during his excursions over five continents. The vivid images offer glimpses of traditional farming cultures and demonstrates the impact of industrialized agri- culture on our own society as well as the cultur- al and ecological issues industrialization has engendered.

The photo documentary covers traditions that are thousands of years old and shows how modern cultures can work with them to restore the earth through growing food. “From the Good Earth” glimpses the agricultural history shared by many cultures and shows how indi- viduals are reclaiming their agricultural roots, using lessons from the past in ingenious and modern ways to produce food for the future. Ableman, through his camera, illustrates our increased isolation from the land and the envi- ronmental problems of large-scale agriculture in the chemical age.

Through poignant fine-art photographs, the exhibit challenges us to rethink our relationship with food, and to see how what we eat is affect- ing us and the environment. Many of the foods we take for granted are produced in ways that seriously affect our world. Ironically, the com- mon potato, strawberry, loaf of bread, or ham- burger can be directly linked to the destruction of the rain forests; nitrate pollution of ground- water; the poisoning of our land, water, and wildlife through the use of pesticides; and, per- haps most urgent of all, the rapid depletion of the earth’s topsoil—upon which all life depends.

Food became tainted as a result of modern-

ization and mechanization. Modern orchards and fields are designed to produce great quanti- ties of inexpensive food. To accomplish this, there must be high levels of industrial efficien- cy. The fields are leveled and rows are spaced with precision to accommodate machinery. The earth is saturated with synthetic fertilizers. Then it is pumped with fumigants and doused with herbicides to inhibit soil-borne disease and retard weed growth. Crops are sprayed and dust- ed with a variety of insecticides in an effort to maintain high yield and guarantee consistency of appearance in the supermarket.

“From the Good Earth” includes 80 color

John Weinstein

Above, Petra Sierwald, the Museum’s expert on spiders, demonstrates for students from Chicago’s Bright Elementary School how brown-widow spi- ders dine on live crickets. Left, Spider-Man showed up for breakfast with Linda Starczyk’s sixth-grade class from Bright. The kids had been working on spiders for months, using Field Museum experience boxes, videos, and other materials.

Spider-Man returns to the Museum July 10-12 and July 19-21; limited numbers of free tickets to see him will be available.

images of agricultural exploration from around the world. The world’s smallest farms and gar- dens, grand agricultural landscapes, and tradi-

tional and modern farmers are among Ableman’s subjects. Settings include lush diver- sified farms in Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, England, and the United States; market and winery gardens in France and Cali- fornia; and ingenious food gardens in yarious settings such as urban lots in Philadelphia and New York, a San Francisco jail, a suburban Lon- don backyard, and other sites. The exhibit was organized by the Council for Creative Projects in New York. — Rhonda Jones

Above, a community garden in Philadel- phia thriving near a decaying elevated railroad track where drugs are openly exchanged. Left, a Peruvian farmer car- ries home mustard weeded from a bar- ley field. It will be feed for his donkeys.

Lynn Terr

Zydeco musician Alphonse Bois-Sec Ardoin will be joined by his son, Morris, and grandsons Gus, Alphonse Paul, and Dexter (above) at the Cajun & Zydeco Music Festival July 20. The Cajun Aces headline the Cajun side of the program.

Lynn Terr

# Saturday Workshop: Buffalos

1-3 p.m. Where would you go to get things like fly swatters, rope, snow sleds, and spoons? Native Americans turned to the buffalo to provide meat, hides for blan- kets, and bone for toys and tools. Come lis- ten to the story of the mud pony and draw a pictograph that tells your own story. Adults and children grades K-3. $10 per participant ($8 per member participant). Call (312) 322-8854 for more information.

7 15 Monday

Worlds Tour Camp

9:30 a.m. — 2:30 p.m. Space may still be available for the collaborative day camp offered by The Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Adler Planetarium. Four-week long Monday-Friday sessions begin today for children age 5-14. Don't miss the fun! $195 ($175 members). Call (312) 322-8854 for futher information.

7/ 1 Siete

Educators’ Overnight

Educators, come stay a night in the Muse- um. Venture into the wild and explore the world of insects. Come learn how to do classroom activities and visit the summer exhibit, “Spiders!” The overnight includes a totebag, handouts, two workshops, class- room activity fair, evening buffet, continen- tal breakfast, storytelling, and more. Registration $55. Reserve your space now; registration deadline is July 12. Call (312) 922-9410 ext. 365 for more details.

Saturday ei & Zydeco Fest

7:30 p.m. — midnight Celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Southern Louisiana with music, fun, and dance at the Cajun and Zydeco Music Festival featuring legendary Creole performers Alphonse Bois-Sec Ardoin and his family and the Chicago Cajun Aces. Ardoin has played in festivals here and abroad while his family accompa- nied him at the Smithsonian and Carnegie Hall. The fest complements the exhibit “Cajun Music and Zydeco,” a photographic exhibition of Philip Gould’s work on dis- play in the Webber Gallery until August 4. $20 ($15 members). Food and beverages available for purchase. Call (312) 922-9410 ext. 861 for more information.

“#4 &# Saturday Mardi Gras in The Field

10 a.m. — noon Fait les bon temps rouler! Let the good times roll! Mardi Gras is a spe- cial time of celebration in New Orleans complete with parades, festivities, and danc- ing. We'll see some of the honored musi- cians who play the Cajun and Zydeco music of Louisiana in a special photo exhibit. Music, face-painting, mask making, and our

own family-style “hurricanes” will complete...

our festivities as we look into the cultures of Louisiana. Adults and children grades K-4. $10 per participant ($8 per member partici- pant). For more information: (312) 322-

8854, 3 Saturday

Wetland Birding

8:30 a.m. —4 p.m. Nature Network’s Paul Baker takes you on a day-long hike, with emphasis on_ bird-watching, through Moraine Hills State Park near McHenry, IIli- nois. More than 100 species of birds have been identified in the park. We'll hike the trails enjoying a diversity of habitats as we look for a number of bird species. Bring a bag lunch, beverage, field guide, and don't forget the binoculars. Departs from the West Door. $40 ($35 members). Call (312) 322- 8854 for further details.

8/10 secs

Navajo Arts Lecture

2 p.m. Pearl Sunrise is a full-blooded Nava- jo and third-generation weaver, singer, pot- ter, and storyteller. She is Professor of Fiber Arts, Fashion Design and Navajo language and culture at the Institute of American Indi- an Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Through slides and personal stories, she will talk about details of her life and work, describing the importance of Navajo traditions to her own artistic expression. $12 ($10 members). Call (312) 322-8854 for more information.

Sunter Prairie Hike

9a.m.—4 p.m. Join the Museum’s Phil Han- son on an excursion that will heighten your awareness of the Illinois landscape and the people who lived in the area over 200 years ago. You'll visit three sites: Lockport Prairie on the edge of the Des Plaines River flood- plain; Vermont Prairie Cemetery, nearby; and the Isle a la Cache Museum where you will learn about this area's cultural heritage. Wear comfortable shoes, bring sun protec- tion, lunch, and beverage. Departs from West Door. $40 ($35 members). For futher information, call (312) 322-8854.

8/10 sani

Spiders Workshop

10 — 11 a.m. Spider fun for adults with a three- or four-year-old. Visit our summertime exhibit “Spiders!” to see through spider eyes, learn how webs are woven, and how spiders benefit people. Later, learn about spider body parts when you make a toy spider. $14 ($12 members) for one adult and oné child. Call (312) 2) 322-8854 for more information.

Was nae Ane Ss: : San © 6

8/24 sn

Amazing Spider Mask

10 a.m. — noon People make and wear masks for many different purposes. Learn how masks are used in different parts of the world from an expert mask maker and watch her special performance, Later, make a spider mask and visit the exhibit “Spi- ders!” Adults and children grades 3-6. $10 per participant ($8 per member participant). Call (312) 322-8854 for more information.

8/24 sei

Botanical Exploration

9 a.m. — 2 p.m. Botanist Thomas Lammers will help you learn the characteristics of the most common plant families during this day-

long workshop. Classroom lectures, live as well as dried specimens, slides, and a visit to the Museum’s extensive herbarium are

included. $40 ($35 members). 322-8854 for more information.

Call (312)

John Weinstein / GN87733.4

John Weinstein / GN87838,36Ac

Diane Alexander White / GN87831,20Ac

inder White / GN87832.29c

John Weinstein / GN87835.25c

he 45th Annual Members’ Night on May 3 drew a crowd

of more than 11,000 Museum members and their families and friends and produced record sales in the Museum store. Members enjoyed live musical performances by the Midway Ramblers Cajun Band and Guy Lawrence & Chideco Zydeco as well as a dance performance by Khalidha’s North African Dance Experience. Khalidha teaches ancient Egyptian dance at the Museum. The annual event gives members of the Museum the opportunity to meet curators, scientists, exhibit develop- ers, and educators, all of whom inspire imagination and teach about the diversity of the earth and the people who inhabit it. Members also get a behind-the-scenes look at how and where exhibits are designed.

Diane Alexander White / GN87832,29c

2 os a 8 z oy = oO = a = = oS 3 eS S S a = Py c Ae a

Clockwise from top left: Volunteer Bill Duvall frightened visitors with a lion skull. Jim Nesci of Orland Park, Illinois, a member of the Chicago Herpetological Society, entertained youngsters of all ages with the help of Bubba, a very much alive alligator. A young visitor took his chances with the Web of Fortune; whether he drew the dreaded Black Widow was not recorded. President Boyd joined members who watched with fascination or revulsion or both as mammal preparators skinned the carcass of a snow leopard.

William Simpson, chief preparator of fossil vertebrates, demonstrated the finer points of extracting specimens from rock. Guy Lawrence & Chideco Zydeco entertained from the main stage, and the members of Khalida’s North African Dance Ensemble posed for their portrait after a performance.

Diane Alexander White / GN87832,29c

Become a Member of The Field Museum

and receive these benefits:

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Use of our 250,000-volume

natural history library

Discount on classes, field trips, and seminars for adults and children

Members-only tour program Opportunity to attend the annual children’s Holiday Tea

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C) Field Explorer — $1,000 - $1,499

All benefits of a family membership

— and more C) Founders’ Council — $1,500

Send form to: The Field Museum, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605

Diane Alexander White / GN87644.20

See spiders using a video microscope. Phil Parillo, collec- tions manager of insects, or another Field Museum scien- tist will be in the Curator’s Office in the “Spiders!” exhib- it every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Friday, July 5

10am - 1pm Native American Tools activity. Enjoy a game of chance or skill as you play tradi- tional Native American Games.

Saturday, July 6

11am & 1pm Highlights of The Field Museum tour.

11:30am & 2:30pm The Aztec Empire and Its Predecessors tour (English.) Find out about the diver- sity of languages and cultures from this region and how these cultures built a mighty empire founded 3,000 years ago.

1pm El Imperio Azteca y Sus Pre- decesores tour (en espafiol). Aprenda sobre la diversiday de lenguas y culturas de esta regidn y cémo estas culturas construyeron un poderoso imperio que se fundé hace 3,000 afios.

Sunday, July 7

l1lam & 1pm Highlights of The Field Museum tour.

11:30am & 2:30 pm The Early Maya Civilization tour. Explore the Maya’s ancestors’ art, architecture, technical innovations, math and writing systems, and find out more about the two million people in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Sal- vador and Honduras who still speak the Mayan language and maintain Mayan traditions.

1pm - 3pm Adinkra activity. Tradi- tional designs from Ghana repre- sent different African proverbs Stamp your favorite!

Thursday, July 11

10am & 12noon Africa Exhibit tour. Learn about the diversity of Africa's people, their history, art, technology, and their contributions to the Americas.

12:45pm The Aztec, The Maya and Their Predecessors tour. Learn about the diverse and complex Pre- Columbian cultures of Mexico and Central America.

Friday, July 12

10am - 1pm Terrific Teeth activity. Can teeth tell you what an animal eats? Take part in this fun activity and find out!

Saturday, July 13

1:30 p.m. Tibet Today and a Faith in Exile slide lecture. Learn about Tibetan refugees in India, Nepal and elsewhere. Witness the dedica- tion ceremony of a Himalayan Buddhist chorten in Indiana by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama

Monday, July 15

1pm Anansi stories told by Shanta. Hear West African tales of the tricky spider named Anansi.

2pm American Indian Spider Sto- ries as told by Florence Dunham of the Mohawk people.

Sunday, July 14

1pm Anansi stories told by Shanta. Hear West African tales of the tricky spider named Anansi.

2pm American Indian Spider Sto- ries as told by Florence Dunham of the Mohawk people.

Thursday, July 18

11am & 2p.m. Web Spinning Tales storytelling. From Arachne to Anansi‘to Sider-Man, people have alkways been fascinated by spiders. Listen to a variety of stories from many parts of the world that describe spiders and their amazing feats and strange ways.

12:45 pm The Aztec, The Maya and Their Predecessors tour.

Saturday, July 20 11am & 2pm Web Spinning Tales storytelling.

Sunday, July 21

11am & 1pm Highlights of The Field Museum tour.

11:30 & 2:30 The Aztec Empire and Its Predecesors tour.

Tpm - 3pm African Metals activity. Learn about the ancient African art of metallurgy.

Monday, July 22 11am & 2pm Web Spinning Tales storytelling.

Thursday, July 25

10am & 12noon Africa Exhibit tour.

11am & 2pm Web Spinning Tales story- telling.

12:45pm The Aztec, The Maya and Their Predecessors tour.

Friday, July 26

10am - 1pm Rocks and Minerals Match activity. Try to match minerals with the familiar products they produce.

Saturday, July 27 llam & 1pm High- lights of The Field Museum tour.

11am and 2pm Web- spinning tales story- telling

11:30 & 2:30 The Early Maya Civi- lization tour (English.)

Tpm La Civilizacion Antigua Maya tour (en espafiol). Explore el arte, la arquitectura, las inovaciones tec- noldégicas, los sistemas de matematicas y escritura de la civi- lizacion antigua maya. Aprenda mas sobre los dos millones de per- sonas que viven en México, Guatemala, Belice y Honduras que todavia hablan el idioma maya y mantienen sus tradiciones.

1:30pm Tibet Today and Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon slide lecture. A slide presentation which takes you to Lhasa and other places now open to tourists in Tibet. Also travel to the small Himalayan country of Bhutan.

Sunday, July 28

llam & 1pm Highlights of The Field Museum tour.

11:30 & 2:30 The Aztec Empire and Its Predecessors tour (English.) 1pm El Imperio Azteca y Sus Pre- cesores tour (en espanol).

Monday, July 29 11am & 2pm Web Spinning Tales storytelling.

Thursday, August 1

10am & 12noon Africa Exhibit tour.

11am & 2pm Web Spinning Tales storytelling.

Friday, August 2

10am - 1pm Pareus activity. Try out a Pacific Island style as you wrap a pareu-style dress.

Saturday, August 3

10am - 1pm Adinkra activity. 11am & 1pm Highlights of The Field Museum tour.

11am & 2pm Web Spinning Tales storytelling.

Sunday, August 4

1lam & 1pm Highlights of The Field Museum tour.

11:30am & 2:30pm The Early Maya Civilization tour.

Monday, August 5 11am & 2pm Web Spinning Tales storytelling.

Thursday, August 8 11am & 2pm Web Spinning Tales storytelling.

Friday, August 9

10am - 1pm Lava activity. Now that they’re cool, touch some of the substances produced by a volcano.

Saturday, August 10

11am Web spinning tales story- telling

11am & 1pm Highlights of The Field Museum tour.

11:30 & 2:30 The Aztec Empire and Its Predecessors tour (English.) 1pm El Imperio Azteca y sus Pre- decesores tour (en espanol).

1pm Native American Spider Sto- ries told by Florence Dunham of the Mohawk people

1:30pm Tibet Today slide lecture and a Field Museum Tibet exhibit tour. A slide presentation which takes you to Lhasa and other places now open to tourists in Tibet. A guided tour of the Tibet exhibit will be offered after the lecture.

Monday, August 12 11am & 2pm Web Spinning Tales storytelling.

Thursday, August 15

10am & 12pm Africa Exhibit tour. 11am & 2pm Web Spinning Tales storytelling.

Friday, August 16 10am - 1pm Native American Tools activity.

Saturday, August 17

llam & 1pm Highlights of The Field Museum

11am & 2pm Web Spinning Tales storytelling.

11:30am & 2:30pm The Aztec, The Maya and Their Predecessors tour.

Sunday, August 18

llam & 1pm Highlights of The Field Museum tour.

1pm - 3pm African Metals activity. 11:30 am & 2:30 p.m.The Aztec Empire and Their Predecessors tour.

Monday, August 19 11am & 2pm Web Spinning Tales storytelling.

Thursday, August 22 11am & 2pm Web spinning tales

Friday, August 23 10am - 1pm Terrific Teeth activity.

Saturday, August 24

1lam & 1pm Highlights of The Field Museum tour.

11am & 2pm Web spinning tales 1:30 p.m. Tibet Today and a Faith in Exile slide lecture.

Sunday, August 25 1lam & 1pm Highlights of The Field Museum tour.

Friday, August 30

10am - 1pm Sea Shells activity. Did you know that shells were “left- handed” or “right-handed”? Dis- cover more about different types of shells in this informative activity.

Saturday, August 31

10am - 1pm Adinkra activity. 11:30 & 2:30 The Aztec, The Maya and Their Predecessors activity.

Daniel F. & Ada L. Rice Wildlife Research Station

Learn more about the animal king- dom through videos, computer pro- grams books and activity boxes. Open daily 10am-4:30pm

Webber Resource Center

Native Cultures of The Americas Use books, videos, tribal newspapers and activity boxes to learn more about native

peoples.

Open daily 10am-4:40pm

Place for Wonder

Touchable objects let you investi- gate fossils, shells, rocks, plants, and items of daily life in Mexico. Open daily 10am - 4:30pm.

Pawnee Earth Lodge

Visit a home of mid-19th century Pawnee people. Learn about these Native Americans and their tradi- tional life on the Plains. Weekdays: Programs at 11am, 11:30am, 1pm and 1:30pm Weekends: 10am-4:30pm

Ruatepupuke, a Maori Meeting House

Discover the world of the Maori people of New Zealand at the treasured Maori Meeting House. Daily 10am-4:30pm

FROM THE FIELD

MASSIVE BIRD SURVEY IS PUBLISHED

orget not the Amazon rain forests, but consider too the much more imminently threatened forested Museum who is slopes of the northern Andes, the now director of ; Atlantic Forest of coastal Brazil, the Cornell and the dry forests and grasslands of central Laboratory of © South America. While these regions are notas Ornmithology; biologically diverse as the rain forest, most of and the late them contain habitat-restricted species that are Theodore A. seriously threatened with extinction as a result Parker III. of human encroachment. By preserving large Parker, one tracts in just 38 of these regional habitats, we of the world’s | could go a long way toward solving the most _ leading ornitholo- urgent problems of conserving tropical diversi- gists, died three ty. By contrast, the Amazon rain forests are still years ago in a relatively intact. plane crash in That is the message of Neotropical Birds: Ecuador while ona — F Ecology and Conservation, just published by reconnaisance mis- the University of Chicago Press. The book ana- sion for Conserva- lyzes the ecological and geographic distribution tion International’s — of all 4,037 species of birds in the Western Rapid Assessment — Hemisphere south of the Rio Grande. Nearly Program. (See In three-fourths of the volume’s 502 oversize the Field, Septem- pages are devoted to databases, also available in ber/October 1993.) searchable and manipulable electronic form, The book is based that report in detail the ranges, habitats, eleva- largely on data col- tional limits, foraging levels, relative abun- lected by Parker, who | dances, breeding and migratory behaviors, and = was legendary in the sensitivity to human disturbance of each field for his ability to recognize the songs of species, assigning priorities for research and = some 4,000 species. conservation. The health of bird communities is Neotropical Birds, seven years in develop- taken to be an indicator of the general health of ment, is a joint project of The Field Museum the local ecosystem. and Conservation International. The authors are Douglas F. Stotz and Debra In essays accessible to lay readers and of K. Moskovits of The Field Museum’s Office of _ particular interest to conservation workers and

DEEP-SEA SNAILS AND THEIR TRAVELING COMPANIONS

dapting paleontological meth- ods to marine biology, Field Museum zoologist Janet R. Voight and her colleague Sally sh E. Walker, a geologist at the University of Georgia, have used museum col- lections of snails to infer biogeographic patterns of tiny deep-water protozoans, barnacles, worms, and other creatures that live on or with- in the snail shells.

Many scientists have suggested that the deep sea has greater biodiversity than any other marine or terrestrial environment, but most of the diversity is due to the presence of very small animals that can be difficult, and very expen- sive, to sample. By examining the frequency and distribution of these animals on the shells of two species of the snail genus Gaza (including G. superba, pictured here), Voight and Walker tested whether the shells offer an easy way to assess deep-sea diversity.

They examined under the microscope 455 snail shells that had been collected at depths of 300 to 1,000 meters on the Gulf Coast, the northern coast of South America, and the Less- er Antilles by the research vessels Oregon and Silver Bay between 1954 and 1970 and deposit- ed in The Field Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. Voight and Walker conclude that the snail shells do indeed permit such assessment, finding that the compo- sition of the sediment in which the snails forage, rather than any characteristic of the shells them- selves, accounts for the uneven distribution of the microorganisms they observed on the shells of the museum specimens.

All of the specimens collected near conti- nents, even at depths of 1,000 meters (about 3,300 feet) carried two or more of the ten pas- senger species, with those found near the

John Weinstein

mouths of rivers carrying the greatest variety. But snails from similar depths off the Lesser Antilles carried no associated animals.

After considering a number of hypotheses to explain the differential, Voight and Walker suggest that the salient factor is the nutrient-rich terrestrial sediments deposited even in deep water near continents. These sediments appar- ently provide food for the snails with enough left over to support a variety of their traveling companions, while the comparatively barren sediments of the open ocean can support only the snails.

The findings have been published in the journal Deep-Sea Research.

Environmental and Conservation Programs; John W. Fitzpatrick, a former curator at the

_ Exhibit gallery next door.

government officials throughout the hemi- sphere, the authors argue that our conservation pri- orities have been mis-

placed — that our emphasis on Amazonia and on _ threatened

charismatic “flagship” species has blinded us to the much greater and more imminent threat to the habitats of thou- sands of species of

birds, other animals, a and plants. Habitats, not individual species, should be the basis for conservation — plan- ning, they say.

The databases, which include minutely detailed listings of the micro- habitats favored by each species, will be

of use to birders as well as to the scien- tific community.

Neotropical Birds is available in paperback for $37.50 and in cloth binding for $100.

INDIAN HALLS ARE REINSTALLED

* orking cooperatively, members of the Museum’s Anthro- pology and Exhibits departments helped bring closure to ' # . several years of “shuffling cases” in the former North American Indians wing. It was in disarray after a 1991 construction project necessitated moving elements to protect them from damage. All of the North American Indian displays are now together, in one location in the northeast wing of Stanley Field Hall near the bookstore. The North American Indians exhibit consists of five halls that give information about Indians from the Plains, Southwest, and Woodland and Prairie as well as ancient Indians. It showcases the cultures and lifestyles of the original inhabitants of the land. From textiles to wea- pons, the exhibit offers a realistic representation of Native American life all over the United States and Canada.

Pieces at a time, the exhibit was slowly interspersed throughout the Museum to accommodate the spacial demands from the construc- tion project. The Plains Indians display, which includes artifacts from the Sioux, Comanche, Cheyenne, Assiniboine, Arapaho, Crow, Cree, and Kiowa tribes, prompted a lot of confusion after being mixed with some prehistoric material.

In order to build the new Special Exhibit galleries, the Southwest Indians display had to be moved. The Museum is moving the galleries, where “Spiders!” is now, from the ground floor to the first floor; the “Life Underground” exhibit, which is still being developed, will be in this space. The Insects exhibit was moved from near the south end of the bookstore to the ground floor to make room for the Plains Indians

_ material. Since the space the exhibit now occupies is somewhat small- er-than before, some material had to be trimmed so that almost all of the items originally displayed could be retained.

In the hall that houses the Pawnee Earth Lodge and the Indians of the Woodlands and Prairies, two display cases were removed and three new ones added to allow visitors to enter and exit the Special

— Rhonda Jones

July/August 1996

Lynn Terr

The Chicago Cajun Aces will perform at the Cajun and Zyde- co Music Festival.

Michigan lily

CAJUN AND ZYDECO MUSIC FEST

*he Cajun and Zydeco Music Festival at

the Museum on July 20 features two of

Zydeco and Cajun’s best performing groups. The party celebrates the rich cultural heritage of southern Louisiana, with regional cuisine, beers, and dancing. The event is from 7:30 p.m. to midnight; admission is $15 for members and $20 for the general public. For tickets call (312) 322-8854.

Alphonse Ardoin, one of the legendary Creole (precursor of Zydeco) performers, earned his nickname “Bois-sec” (dry wood) in his youth because of the great efforts he made to avoid getting wet while working in the fields. When he was seven, he was forbidden to touch his older brother’s recently acquired accordion, but could not resist. By the time he was 15, Bois-sec had begun to play for dance and house parties with fiddler Canray Fontenot. Bois-sec has played in festivals here and abroad; the Smithsonian and Carnegie Hall are among the places he and his family have performed. At the Cajun and Zydeco music fest, his son Morris will join him on fiddle; his grandsons Gus, Dex- ter, and Alphonse Paul (base, drums, and guitar) will play with him as well as perform their own Zydeco music.

The Cajun tradition will be represented by the Chicago Cajun Aces featuring Charlie Terr (accordion), John Terr (guitar), Denise Thomp- son (fiddle) and Bill Sudkamp (triangle and rub- board). Having played with a number of the masters of Cajun music, Charlie Terr was made an honorary Cajun by the Cajun French Music Association in 1989.

The festival complements the continuing exhibit of Philip Gould’s photographs of the southern Louisiana music scene over the years.

Ron Dorfman.

PRAIRIES...

temperatures that caused more seeds to germi- nate. (Many seeds lie dormant in the soil for a number of years and become part of what is called the “seed bank.”) In 1994 there was an interesting switch in gentian flowering at Zan- der Woods. There, on a moist embankment, over a hundred fringed gentians regularly flower each September. In nearby Jurgenson’s Woods Prairie, one can often find a few bottle gentians flowering at about the same time. But in 1994 things went differently. The bottle gen- tians numbered over fifty, while the fringed gentians numbered fewer than fifteen, a dra- matic reversal of the usual situation. Similarly, one usually sees only a few brilliant-orange lilies on the Gensberg-Markham prairie in early July, but in 1995 I counted 50 in one area. Why

these numbers fluctuate so wildly is hard to say, but weather has to be part of the answer.

Desert flowers are famous for their dra- matic response to good rainfall, especially after a series of dry years. Prairie flowering covers many more months, includes more species, and is more subtle in its variations. Even the tropi- cal rain forest responds to weather changes with variations in flowering and fruiting pat- terns from year to year, but it takes many care- ful observations to note such variation. For those of us who regularly visit the prairie, these annual and seasonal variations are clearly apparent. Visit a prairie, expect occasional dis- appointment, but be ready for unpredictable surprises.

NATURE NETWORK VIEWS FOSSILS

Nature Network got a closer look April 20 at recent fossil discoveries from Madagascar. Greg Buckley, research assistant in Geology, who was one of the discoverers, talked about the find, and then Nature Network members got a chance to help extract the fossils from the solid rock.

ANDES SYMPOSIUM DRAWS 200

na breathtaking day of scientific cross-fer-

tilization, the Museum’s 19th annual

Spring Systematics Symposium brought

together botanists, zoologists, geologists, and archaeologists to consider the ways in which physical processes, biological evolution, and human activity have interacted over the mil- lennia to create the varied environments of the Andes mountain chain of South America — environments that are still subject to these dynamic forces and still in the process of change.

The meeting on May 11! included eleven formal presentations and two periods of open discussion, in addition to the buzz of informal exchanges among the 200 attendees. The pro- gram, the first broad contemporary synthesis of Andean research, was organized by John J. Flynn, MacArthur Curator and chair of the

Field Museum botanist Michael Dillon (right) and his Peruvian colleague, Abundio Sagastegui Alva at the reception following the symposium.

Museum’s Department of Geology, and Barry Chernoff, associate curator of fishes and chair of the Department of Zoology.

Flynn said the symposium was designed “to integrate the biological with the physical and with the human element to shed light on the dynamics of the entire system.”

“In order to make any rational decisions about conservation issues in this diverse area,” Flynn said, “we need a better scientific under- standing of what’s there and how it came to be.”

The Andes, stretching 5,500 miles from tropical to sub-arctic latitudes in western South America, have been the locus of important new discoveries in many disciplines in recent years, and the symposium sought to integrate these findings to establish a baseline for further research. The region includes desert to the west and rain forest to the east of the mountains, and a wide range of ecosystems at different eleva- tions and latitudes. These areas harbor large numbers of species of plants and animals found nowhere else in the world, though continental movement links many of them to the flora and fauna of Africa, Australia, and North America.

“The key idea here is that the Andes didn’t come up all at once,” Chernoff said. “As the geology was changing, climates were changing, which affected the distribution of plants and ani- mals. We’re looking at these dynamic changes to see what caused what. Almost everything that’s there is not found on other continents, or anywhere else in the world, because of the iso- lation of the Andes. In a sense, this was a unique experiment in the history of life.”

Last year’s symposium took a similarly expansive look at human, biotic, and geological interrelationships on Madagascar, again with an eye toward developing a scientific understand- ing that could inform conservation strategies.

Paul Baker / GN87819.22

Olivier Langrand

MADAGASCAR .. .

(Continued from page 1)

bird described in 1971 and thought to be restricted to the Isalo Massif towards the west. Perhaps most interesting was the discovery of a high mountain population of the Ring-tailed Lemur. Normally this species inhabits lowland forest areas in the extreme south and southwest. The most remarkable aspect of this high moun- tain population is that the pelage coloration and pattern of rings on the tail are distinctly and con- sistently different than standard ring-tails. We were able to gather some information on what they are eating and Olivier obtained excellent photos.

In mid-September I was in Paris for a week to attend a symposium on the biogeography of Madagascar organized by the Société de Bio- géographie and the Muséum National d’ Histoire Naturelle. It was an interesting meeting and many Malagasy and foreign researchers attend- ed. We also had a chance to compare the photos taken by Olivier of the ring-tails from Andringi- tra with specimens in the Paris museum, and as originally thought in the field, the high moun- tain population is distinctly different.

fter the meeting in Paris I returned to

Madagascar to conduct a reconnais-

sance trip of the Andohahela reserve, a poorly known forested area in the extreme southeast. This is the forest in which Tom Schu- lenberg and I rediscovered in 1989 the Red- tailed Newtonia, a bird species described in 1933 and only known from the type specimen. (See In the Field, July/August 1990.) The main point of this trip was to figure out the trail sys- tem and to provide access to the eastern slopes (400 — 1,980m) for a multidisciplinary group of researchers that was due to assemble in Antana- narivo in a few weeks time.

Once back in Antananarivo from the recon- naisssance trip, all of the material and provi- sions for the Andohahela transect were purchased, packed, and hauled down to the southeast; the expedition group members orga- nized, and off we went. The group consisted of 17 biologists of seven nationalities with special- ties in ferns, higher plants, soil invertebrates, aquatic invertebrates, terrestrial snails, reptiles, amphibians, lemurs, birds, carnivores, and small mammals. The group also included a cook and three local fellows. With all of the food and equipment needed for such a large group, the shifts between camps were a bit complicated. In several cases it took 40 — 45 porters to move everything. The folks in the nearest village were exceptionally helpful in arranging porters and getting us in and out of the forest.

The main purpose of the expedition was to conduct a multi-disciplinary elevational transect

of the eastern slopes of the Andohahela reserve. We had camps at 400, 800, 1,200, 1,600, and 1,925m., The highest point in the reserve is Tra- fonaomby (meaning “cattle hump”) at 1,950m. Our last camp was just below the summit. Above the 400m camp there was pristine forest to the summit. From the nearest road on the eastern side of the reserve to the summit was about a three-day walk. We were in the forest for a little under two months.

Most of the researchers on the trip are still working up their data and it is premature to give a broad overview of the results. However, for small mammals and birds, the groups that I worked with, it is clear that the reserve is extremely rich. On the basis of field identifications it appears that 13 species of shrew-ten- recs, all in the same genus (Microgale) occur on the eastern slopes of the reserve, at least one of which is new to science. Further, we found two new species of rodents that are in two different new genera we are in the process of describ- ing.

In January,. Olivi- er Langrand and I organized a survey of two forested areas in the southwest that are being proposed as part of a new national park. These forests are transitional between the rain forests of the east and the spiny bush of the west. For example, in these forests one can find epiphytic humid forest orchids growing on the branches of a baobab tree. The group was slightly smaller than the Andohahela survey and our sites were accessi- ble by vehicles, which made logistics very sim- ple. Compared to the work in Andohahela, it was much more like a holiday. Some of the interesting results include the discovery of another new Microgale, very mousy in appear- ance, and a large population of Benson’s Rock- Thrush, the same species we found in the Andringitra reserve in September, and which significantly expands the known distribution of this endemic species.

n February, J went up to a high mountain

zone called Ankaratra, not far from Antana-

narivo, with Daniel Rakotondravony, Luci- enne Wilme, and a group of students from the University of Antananarivo. The main point of the trip was to provide training in field tech- niques to young Malagasy scientists about to start graduate school in the zoological sciences. Further, the mountain is the type locality of a new genus and species of rodent that Mike Car- leton and I are describing. The holotype was collected in 1929 by Rand and was the only known specimen from the site. Unfortunately, not much forest remains on Ankaratra, although the course went well and we did find Rand’s mouse.

The first half of March was spent in town working on manuscripts and dealing with vari- ous administrative details. The University of Antananarivo received a grant from the MacArthur Foundation for refurbishing rooms housing specimens in the zoology, paleontol- ogy, botany, archaeology, and geology depart- ments. | was nominated the “manager” of the project. It is now going well and new rooms, walls, cabinets, etc. are currently under con- struction. I have also been named a faculty member at the University of Antananarivo.

Link Olson arrived in mid-March and soon thereafter we headed north to Amber Mountain to complete an elevational transect that I have

been working on for a couple of years. On earli- er surveys we found in this forest two unde- scribed mammals — a rodent in the genus Eliurus and a shrew-tenrec in the genus Micro- gale. On previous surveys considerable num- bers of introduced rats (Rattus) were trapped and we have been monitoring the situation, It appears that as the number of rats increases the number of endemic rodents decreases. Near our camp below the summit of the mountain (1,450m), which was in undisturbed forest and many kilometers from the forest edge, rats were everywhere. We caught literally hundreds of rats and only on the sixth night of trapping at the site did we capture the first and only endemic

rodent. Moreover, on the basis of the food pref- erences of the rats, they are caching and con- suming nuts and fruits that make up a substantial proportion of the diet of the large diurnal lemurs of the area. Thus, there is evi- dence that introduced rats are displacing the endemic rodents of the area and perhaps also lemurs. Link’s main purpose in joining the sur- yey was to karyotype insectivores and gather more tissues for his Ph.D. research. Most of the insectivores were captured with pitfall traps, and at several sites it is not too much of an exag- geration to say our buckets were brimming over.

Tam now in town for a few weeks catching up on various things, filing reports, dealing with permits for exportation of specimens and the next season of work, working with students at the university, and eating well to fatten myself up a bit. Lucien Rakotozafy, who has been to the Field Museum twice, presents his Ph.D. next week. I will leave Madagascar on 5 May and spend about eight days in Paris working in the museum and then head back to the Field Muse- um for the summer. I am due back here in late August to commence another cycle of field research and instruction at the university.

In short, it has been a busy field season with lots of time in the forest. These inventories are critical to document the biological diversity of this island, and this data hopefully will be used for improved management of the few remaining forested areas on the island. Also, the education of young Malagasy scientists during these sur- veys and associated with my role at the World Wildlife Fund and the university is perhaps the most important role we can play in conservation on the island. These students are the next gener- ation of Malagasy professors, researchers, and administrators who will have the knowledge and background to make wise and appropriate deci- sions associated with their natural heritage.

Steve Goodman is a field biologist in birds and mammals at The Field Museum.

July/August 1996

Above, participants in a biological inven- tory of the Vohibasia Forest in southeast- ern Madagascar, organized by WWF- Madagascar. The region is soon to be designated as part of a new national park. The group consisted of researchers from five countries and more than half the participants were Malagasy.

Left, expedition field party on the Cuvette de Pic Boby (2,450 meters) on the Andringitra Reserve. The summit is direct- ly behind and above the group. This is the site at which a bizarre and perhaps new form of lemur was discovered.

FIFLD

SONI

wii iin

MUSEUM TOURS

312/322-8862

Egypt and the Nile By Yacht

- 0 other area of the world possesses such a concentration of truly monumental sights and historic landmarks: the Pyramids, the Sphinx, Abu Simbel, Luxor, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings .. . an endless list of wonders for you to

explore. From the resplendent barges with prows of beaten gold used by the Pharaohs, to the humble, colorful feluccas manned by the populace, the ships of the Nile ply their way through the heartland of Egypt.

You, too, can follow their ancient paths, enjoying the fabled sights and absorbing the atmosphere of the country in unmatched luxury during your 8-day cruise on the M.S. Nile Empress, With a capacity of only fifty passengers, accommodated in spacious cabins, each with its own picture window, it is more like a private yacht than a passenger ship. But the public areas and facilities — including sun deck, pool, bar, lounge, and dining room —

make the yacht the equal of any large luxury liner.

Your Egypt experience will be greatly enhanced by the excellent leadership of Frank Yurco (Field Museum) and Ismail Mohammed Aly (Egypt), your accompanying Egyptologists who will conduct all sightseeing tours and shore excursions. Through their special lectures, travelers gain rare insights into the people and cultures visited, and through visits to exclusive sites not open to the general public, you will experience the Nile as few Americans ever will. You will explore the ancient capital of Memphis, Saqqara, and the 5,000-year-old King Djoser’s Step Pyramid as well as the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities.

Our co-sponsors will be the University of lowa Alumni Association, and the ship is chartered for the two groups. Join us for an exciting adventure on the historic Nile River.

The dates are February 9 — 23, 1997. Price is $4,995 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from Chicago.

e will embark on a 9- day voyage exploring the wildlife-rich waters and islands of the Sea of Cortez and the remote Baja California peninsula. Here witness, first-hand, one of nature’s most fascinating phenomena as we view the California gray whales that come each winter to the bays and lagoons of Baja California's Pacific coast to breed, birth, and nurture their young.

Formerly in danger of extinction, these gentle giants survived poaching and are no longer fearful, but are truly tender, playful and majestic.

Our ship, the Sea Lion, with its unique maneuverablity, can follow the whales or anchor in quiet, isolated bays. Where the Sea Lion can't go, her fleet of Zodiacs, motorized landing crafts, can.

The 70-passenger Sea Lion offers delicious food complemented by a friendly, well-trained American crew.

A dedicated staff of naturalists, including the Field Museum's Dr. Janet Voight, Associate Curator of Invertebrate Zoology, will accompany you throughout the tour.

The spirit of our voyage is an informal one of discovery and adventure. We may stop to explore an interesting arroyo, change our course by 180 degrees to follow a group of blue whales, or linger over a barbecue on an uninhabited island and watch the stars move across the desert sky.

Palace on Wheels e February 1-16, 1997

|| aboard this royal train outfitted for and befitting of kings for a journey through Rajastan, India. Newly assembled, the Palace on Wheels has 14 coaches, each named after a former Rajput state. You will journey through a historic and memorable land where majestic kingdoms once reigned.

Watch For:

Kenya: The Other Africa September 18 - October 2, 1997 ¢ South Africa February 1997