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Volume  45  Number  1 
January  1974 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  Bulletin 


;#*'' 


Field  Museum 
of  Natural  History 
Bulletin 

Volume  45,  Number  1 
January  1974 


Managing  Editor  G.  Henry  Ottery 
Editor  David  M.  Walsten 
Staff  Writer  Madge  Jacobs 
Production  Russ  Becker 


contents 


ILLINOIS'  QUIET  CONSERVATIONISTS 

The  Nature  Conservancy 
By  Joyce  M.  Brul<off 


EIGHT  STALWART  MAIDENS 

A  brief  history  of  Field  Museum's  stony  guardians 
By  Christopher  Legge 

DARWIN'S  BACKWOODS  CORRESPONDENT 

Letters  between  Charles  Darwin  and  Illinois 
naturalist  Benjamin  D.  Walsh 


8 


A  CHRISTMAS  AFTERNOON  AT  FIELD  MUSEUM 


10 


FIELD   BRIEFS 


16 


LETTERS 


18 


CALENDAR 


19 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Director  E.  Leiand  Webber 


COVER 


Board  of  Trustees 

Rernick  McDowell, 

President 
Mrs-  B,  Edward  Bensinger 
Gordon  Bent 
Harry  O,  Bercher 
Bowen  Blair 
Stanton  R.  Cook 
Williann  R.  Dickinson,  Jr, 
Ttiomas  E.  Donnelley  II 
Marshall  Field 
Nictiolas  Galitzine 
Paul  W   Goodrich 
Hugo  J.  Melvoin 
J.  Roscoe  Miller 
William  H.  Mitchell 
Charles  F.  Murphy,  Jr. 
Harry  M,  Oliver.  Jr. 
John  T.  Pirie,  Jr. 
John  S,  Runnells 
William  L.  Searle 
John  M.  Simpson 
Edward  Byron  Smith 


Mrs,  Hermon  Dunlap 

Smith 
John  W,  Sullivan 
William  G,  Swartchild.  Jr. 
E,  Leiand  Webber 
Julian  B,  Wilkins 
Blaine  J.  Yarrington 


Life  Trustees 

William  McCormick  Blair 
Joseph  N.  Field 
Clitford  0.  Gregg 
Samuel  Insull,  Jr, 
William  V.  Kahler 
Hughston  M.  McBain 
James  L.  Palmer 
John  G.  Searle 
Louis  Ware 
J.  Howard  Wood 


Benjamin  D.  Walsh  (1808-69).  Illinois'  first  state 
entomologist  and  a  resident  of  Rocl<  Island,  corresponded 
with  English  biologist  Charles  Danwin  from  1864  until 
the  year  of  his  death.  The  21  letters  of  this  unpublished 
correspondence  are  in  the  Rare  Book  Room  of  the  Field 
Museum  Library   Several  of  these  letters  are 
published  here  for  the  first  lime;  see  page  8. 


The  Field  Museum  ol  Natural  History  Bulletin  is  published  monthly, 
except  combined  July/August  issue,  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History.  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  Illinois  60605. 
Subscriptions:  $6  a  year;  $3  a  year  for  schools.  Members  of  the 
Museum  subscribe  through  Museum  membership.  Opinions  expressed 
by  authors  are  their  own  and  do  not  necessarily  reflect  the  policy  of 
Field  Museum.  Unsolicited  manuscripts  are  welcome.  Second-class 
postage  paid  at  Chicago,  Illinois.  Postmaster:  Please  send  form  3579 
to  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore 
Drive,  Chicago,  Illinois  60605,  ISSN    0015-0703 


January  1974 


ILLINOIS' 

QUIET 

CONSERVATION  I STS 


by  Joyce  Marshall  Brukoff 

Almost  completely  unknown  to  the  man 
on  the  street,  yet  as  powerful  a  force 
for  the  preservation  of  natural  areas  as 
the  mighty  Sierra  Club,  the  Nature 
Conservancy  moves  in  quiet  ways.  The 
primary  purpose  of  this  group  is  to  save 
endangered  wilderness  areas,  which 
they  do  quite  effectively — slipping  in  to 
obtain  threatened  lands  from  under  the 
crush  of  a  bulldozer  or  the  teeth  of  a 
chain  saw. 

The  Nature  Conservancy  is  a  national, 
nonprofit,  member-governed 
organization,  dedicated  to  the 
preservation  of  vanishing  natural  lands. 
Some  400,000  acres  of  forests,  swamps, 
marshes,  prairies,  seashores,  and 
islands  throughout  the  United  States 
have  been  saved  from  destruction 
through  Conservancy  action. 

The  Illinois  Chapter  of  the  Nature 
Conservancy  has  acquired  25  separate 
preserves  which  display  a  wide  variety 
of  geographic  forms  and  ecosystems. 
Together  they  total  more  than  5,200 
acres.  Caves  and  prairies,  woodlands 
and  bogs,  and  wetlands  and  sanctuary 
areas  for  endangered  species  such  as 
the  prairie  chicken  and  the  bald  eagle 
have  been  protected  under  the  secure 
umbrella  of  the  Conservancy's  action. 


Joyce  Marshall  Brukoff  is  a 
Chicago  writer. 


Here's  how  it  works.  In  the  beginning,  a 
land  is  thoroughly  inspected  to 
determine  its  intrinsic  value  as  a  natural 
area.  This  land  is  often  acquired  through 
purchase  with  funds  raised  locally  and 
nationally.  Land  acquisition  is  also 
repeatedly  accomplished  through  the 
welcome  donations  of  concerned 
individuals  and  organizations.  A  good 
example  of  this  on  a  national  level  is  the 
recent  gift  to  the  Conservancy  of  the 
Great  Dismal  Swamp  in  Virginia,  a 
50,000-acre  donation  by  the  Union 
Camp  Corporation.  This  unique  swamp 
is  a  land  of  great  complexity,  with  an 
astounding  mixture  of  cypress  swamps, 
brier  thickets,  loblolly  pine  barrens, 
evergreen  shrub  bogs,  and  mixed 
swamp  forests  of  red  maple,  pond  pine, 
Atlantic  white  cedar,  and  other  plant 
species.  Placed  at  the  ecological 
crossroads  of  northern  and  southern 
species,  the  swamp  combines  in  one 
contiguous  area  a  fascinating  number 
of  varied  ecosystems.  To  acquire  this 
land,  the  Conservancy  needed,  in 
addition  to  the  generous  gift  from  Union 
Camp,  a  squadron  of  negotiators,  staff 
attorneys,  and  public  relations  and 
regional  staff  officers. 

In  Illinois,  an  impressive  assortment  of 
land  acquisitions  have  been  noted  as 
"successful"  in  the  Illinois  chapter 
logbook.  One  such  acquisition  is  the 
Cedar  Glen  Preserve  in  Hancock  County 


across  the  Mississippi  River  from 
Keokuk,  Iowa.  Cedar  Glen  is  the  second 
largest  winter  roosting  site  in  the  United 
States  for  our  vanishing  national 
emblem,  the  bald  eagle. 

Eagles  flock  to  the  natural  bowl  of  Cedar 
Glen  every  December  and  stay  until 
early  March,  roosting  each  night  in  the 
sycamore  trees.  In. mid-March  they 
migrate  north.  The  eagles  have  come  to 
the  glen  for  hundreds  of  years;  Frank 
Bellrose,  of  the  Illinois  Natural  History 
Survey,  has  observed  them  there  for 
some  25  years.  As  many  as  98  birds 
have  been  sighted  at  the  glen  in  a 
single  afternoon.  The  importance  of  this 
preserve  may  be  understood  when  it  is 
considered  that  the  total  number  of  bald 
eagles  within  the  contiguous  48  states  is 
no  more  than  500  to  700  breeding  pairs, 
a  figure  which  has  alarmingly  declined 
in  recent  years. 

What  makes  Cedar  Glen  such  a  choice 
habitat  for  the  bald  eagle?  Its  410  acres 
are  heavily  forested,  with  gently  rolling 
hillsides  dropping  into  rocky  ravines. 
Several  bluffs  vary  in  height  from  50  to 
100  feet.  The  forest  is  composed  of 
maple,  basswood,  oak,  hickory,  and 
sycamore.  All  of  this  lies  in  a  protected 
valley,  and  it  obviously  satisfies  the  bald 
eagle's  requirements  for  sheltered  night 
roosting. 

Field  Museum  Bulletin  3 


Prof.  Thomas  C.  Dunsian,  Western  iiiinuii,  umvaibiiy  biologist,  bands  an  immature  bald  eagle  at  Cedar 
Glen  Preserve. 


One-quarter  mile  away  from  the  glen 
are  the  sunny  day  roosts  and  favorite 
fishing  places  to  which  the  birds  set  out 
at  the  first  light  of  day.  Here,  they  keep 
a  watchful  eye  for  dead  and  injured  fish, 
chiefly  gizzard  shad,  which  are  believed 
to  be  victims  of  shifting  water 
temperatures  below  the  Keokuk  Dam 
.two  miles  upstream.  How  the  eagles 
catch  their  fish  depends  on  prevailing 
wind  conditions.  On  calm  mornings  the 
birds  sit  and  preen  themselves,  awaiting 
mid-day  thermal  winds  on  which  to  soar 
and  search  for  floating  fish.  On  windless 
days  more  energy  is  required  to  keep 
their  9-  to  12-pound  bodies  aloft.  When 
winter  skies  are  blustery  however,  the 
birds  return  to  the  roost  to  sit  it  out  and 
do  their  fishing  on  a  better  day. 

In  1971  a  plan  was  announced  to  sell 
the  eagle  roost  for  timber.  This  threat 
prompted  members  of  the  Illinois 
chapter  to  take  immediate  action.  After 
consulting  with  scientists  from  Western 
Illinois  University,  the  Nature 
Conservancy  signed  a  purchase 
contract  for  $34,000.  Money  was  raised 
to  keep  the  sanctuary  intact  and  the 
eagles  protected.  Since  the  original 


purchase  the  Conservancy  has 
expanded  the  preserve  with  three  new 
additions. 

The  area  is  now  leased  to  Western 
Illinois  University  as  part  of  the  Kibbe 
Research  Station.  Dr.  John  E.  Warnock 
acts  as  preserve  manager,  and  Dr. 
Thomas  C.  Dunstan  continues  the  bald 
eagle  studies  he  has  carried  on  for 
years.  Both  Warnock  and  Dunstan  are 
faculty  members  of  Western  Illinois 
University. 

Other  preserves  have  captured  the 
public  interest  from  time  to  time, 
including  Volo  Bog,  a  47-acre  preserve 
in  northern  Lake  County  which  is  a 
classic  example  of  a  northern  tamarack 
bog.  It  is  now  designated  a  National 
Natural  Landmark  by  the  U.S. 
Department  of  the  Interior.  The  system 
of  prairie  grouse  sanctuaries  scattered 
throughout  Illinois  provides  a  good 
example  of  a  long-term  program  in 
which  the  Conservancy  worked  with 
other  organizations  to  accomplish  a 
common  purpose. 

In  1966  the  continued  survival  of  prairie 


chickens  in  Illinois  was  questionable. 
But  the  subsequent  acquisition  by  the 
Illinois  chapter  of  the  Bogota  Preserve 
(Jasper  County) — an  area  favored  by 
these  birds — has  done  much  to  insure 
their  survival. 

Each  year  since  1963,  the  acreages  of 
potential  nest  cover  for  prairie  chickens 
have  been  recorded  on  the 
16-square-mile  Bogota  study  area.  The 
total  declined  from  837  acres  in  1963  to 
a  low  of  376  acres  in  1966.  Since  1966 
the  total  acres  of  potential  nest  cover 
has  steadily  increased  to  1 ,000  acres  in 
1973,  71  percent  of  which  was  due  to 
the  establishment  of  nest  cover  on 
sanctuaries. 

In  1963  the  837  acres  of  available  nest 
cover  m  Jasper  County  produced  a 
population  containing  65  cocks.  By 
contrast,  in  1973  the  850  acres  of 
available  nest  cover  supported  a 
population  that  contained  203  cocks.  It 
is  becoming  clear  that  the  present 
sanctuary  grasslands  are  capable  of 
producing  a  much  higher  population 
level  than  those  that  occurred  on  a 
similar  acreage  of  private  farmland. 

The  increase  in  the  prairie  chicken 
population  since  the  acquisition  and 
development  of  a  sanctuary  system  at 
Bogota  has  indeed  been  encouraging. 
This  native  grouse  will  continue  to 
respond  just  as  far  as  habitat 
management  will  permit.  Because  of  the 
responsiveness  and  tenacity  of  this  bird, 
the  opportunity  to  preserve  a  second 
flock  also  appears  to  exist  on  the 
Conservancy's  460  acres  in  Marion 
County  near  Farina  and  Kinmundy. 

Closer  to  Chicago,  the  Illinois  Chapter 
of  the  Nature  Conservancy  has  saved  a 
virgin  prairie  in  the  shadow  of  the  city. 
Gensburg-Markham  Prairie,  20  miles 
from  Chicago's  Loop  in  the  town  of 
Markham,  is  a  120-acre  grassland  which 
has  some  16  inches  of  topsoil.  It  has 
never  been  plowed.  Here  are  300 
species  of  wild  grasses  and  flowers — 
the  bright  blue  spikes  of  the  prairie 
gay-feathers,  the  blazing  star,  and  the 
white  heads  of  Indian  quinine.  Here 


January  1974 


are  birds  and  animals  that  many  ttiought 
had  disappeared  from  the  state,  let 
alone  the  environs  of  a  city — the  lovely 
regal  fritillary  butterfly,  the  red  fox,  and 
the  yellow-throated  warbler. 

Since  1968  the  Illinois  Chapter  of  the 
Nature  Conservancy  and  Northeastern 
Illinois  University  have  been  working 
together  to  ensure  the  preservation  of 
this  remarkable  parcel  of  land.  With  the 
generous  gift  of  Louis,  David,  and  Meyer 
Gensburg  and  a  $200,000  grant  from 
the  U.S.  Department  of  Interior,  the  first 
phase  of  the  acquisition  has  been 
accomplished.  In  the  second  phase  a 
sum  of  $90,000  must  be  raised  to  cover 
the  total  cost  of  management,  fencing, 
and  final  acquisition.  The  prairie  is 
irreplaceable  and,  when  fully  acquired, 
will  be  dedicated  as  a  nature  preserve 
by  the  Illinois  Nature  Preserve 
Commission,  ensuring  permanent 
preservation  status. 

Elsewhere  in  our  state,  the  chapter  has 
saved  a  few  unique  caves:  Burton  Cave 
near  Quincy  and  Rock  Cave  near 
Effingham.  Twin  Culvert  Cave,  planned 
for  acquisition  in  the  near  future,  is  a 
migratory  haven  for  the  uncommon 
gray  bat. 

Another  fine  preserve  is  Hart  Woods 
near  Champaign.  With  four  Indian  burial 
mounds,  the  area  is  used  extensively  by 
the  University  of  Illinois  Department  of 
Anthropology.  Close  to  home  is  Berkeley 
Prairie  in  Highland  Park,  where  on 
occasion  a  passerby  may  see 
Conservancy  people  "burning"  the 
prairie  to  preserve  natural  grasses  and 
discourage  invading  non-native  plants. 
The  burning  is  a  function  taken  on  by 
management  in  place  of  natural  prairie 
fires  which  man  has  eliminated. 

An  area  now  under  consideration  for 
action  by  the  Illinois  Chapter  is  Little 
Black  Slough,  a  diverse  2.500-acre  area 
near  Vienna.  Within  it.  Goose  Pond — 
consisting  of  98  percent  bald  cypress — 
is  probably  the  last,  certainly  the  largest, 
bald  cypress  swamp  in  Illinois.  The 
slough  also  contains  a  five-mile-long 
tupelo  swamp  and  Boss  Island,  a  piece 


of  land  which  has  some  of  the  finest 
stands  of  timber  in  the  Shawnee  Hill 
division  of  the  state. 

Meredosia  Island,  south  of  Beardstown 
— a  recent  acquisition  for  the 
Conservancy — is  a  good  example  of  an 
outright  gift.  To  quote  from  a  recent 
article  in  the  Chicago  Sun-Times  by 
environmental  editor  Bruce  Ingersoll: 

The  will  of  the  late  James  R.  Anderson, 
industrialist  and  outdoorsman,  is  done: 
An  unpeopled,  unspoiled  stretch  of 
Illinois  River  bottomland  has  been  set 
aside  for  the  waterfowl  he  wanted  to  see 
protected,  A  1,850-acre  tract  of  swampy 
wilderness  which  he  owned  on  Meredosia 
Island,  south  of  Beardstown,  Illinois,  has 
been  given  to  The  Nature  Conservancy, 
just  as  he  directed  before  he  died.  The 
land  IS  valued  at  $672,000  making  it  the 
largest  gift  the  environmental  group  has 
ever  received  in  the  Midwest. 

Frank  Bellrose,  wildlife  specialist  for  the 
Illinois  Natural  History  Survey,  rates 
Meredosia,  200  miles  southwest  of 
Chicago,  as  one  of  the  finest  waterfowl 
areas  in  the  state.  Hundreds  of  wood 
ducks  nest  In  the  heavily  timbered 
bottoms.  He  estimates  86,000  mallards 
and  American  widgeons,  17,000 
canvasbacks  and  bluebills  and  thousands 


of  geese  stop  off  during  the  spring  and 
autumn  migrations. 

Regardless  of  Its  name,  Meredosia  is  a 
peninsula,  not  an  island,  according  to 
Daniel  Pike,  director  of  the  Conservancy's 
Illinois  chapter.  It  is  flanked  on  the  west 
by  the  river  and  on  the  east  by  Meredosia 
Lake,  a  backwater  of  the  river.  On  the 
northern  neck  of  the  peninsula.  Pike  said, 
there  is  a  large  heron  rookery.  Some  100 
pairs  have  their  nests,  as  big  as  bushel 
baskets,  in  the  treetops.  In  the 
neighborhood  during  summer  are  several 
American  egrets. 

Prothonotary  warblers  nest  in  the  swamp 
willows,  and  deep  in  the  virgin  forest  of 
arching  sycamores  and  silver  maples  live 
some  very  shy  plleated  woodpeckers.  The 
size  of  a  crow,  the  plleated  lives  In  tree 
cavities,  as  do  the  raccoon  and  opossum. 
And  nowadays  beaver  and  mink  are 
making  a  comeback  in  the  tangled 
swamps. 

So,  the  Nature  Conservancy,  America's 
least  known  but  extremely  effective 
conservation  group,  is  quietly  very 
active,  frequently  earning  the  wrath  of 
the  opposition.  It  has  often  blocked  the 
"get  rich  quick"  efforts  and  ambitions  of 
land  holders  and  developers.  The 
Conservancy  puts  its  money  where  lis 


Burton  Cave,  located  in  Adams  County,  is  in  a  78-acre  tract  donated  to  the  Nature  Conservancy  by 
the  Ouincy  Foundation. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin  5 


Natural  Area  Projects  of  the  Illinois  Chapter  of  the  Nature 
Conservancy 

Lake  County:  ( ; )  Volo  Bog.  47  acres  ol  open  tamarack  bog:  (2)  Carpenter  Woods, 
9  acres  of  flood  plain  forest:  (3)  Lake  Forest  Preserve,  75  acres  of  forest  and  prairie 
remnants.  (4)  Wauconda  Bog.  67  acres  ol  mature  tamarack  bog:  (5)  Sarati  Fenton 
Hinde  Preserve,  10  acres  ol  torest  and  wildllower  area:  (6)  Berkeley  Prairie.  18  acres 
ol  mesic  prairie. 

Ogle  County:  (7)  Pine  Rock.  58  acres  ol  mesic  and  dry  prairie  and  sandstone  outcrop. 

Lee  County:  (8)  Bartlett  Woods,  22  acres  of  upland  hardwood  forest  and  wildllower  area. 

Cook  County:  (9)  Gensburg-Markham  Prairie.  120  acres  ol  virgin  prairie  containing 
more  than  300  plant  species. 

LaSalle  County:  (10)  Big  Bend  ol  the  Vermilion  River,  two  tracts  of  oak-hickory  forest 
and  wildllower  area  covering  178  acres. 

Fountain  County,  Indiana:  (11)  Portland  Arch.  147  acres  ol  mature  hardwood  forest. 

Cliampaign  County:  (12)  Nettie  Hart  Memorial  Woods.  40  acres  ol  flood  plain  and 

upland  forest. 

Hancock  County:  (13)  Cedar  Glen  Eagle  Roosl.  408  acres,  providing  winter  roosts  for 
bald  eagles. 

Adams  County:  (14)  Burton  Cave,  78  acres  ol  upland  forest  and  prairie  remnants,  with 
cave  used  as  hibernacula  by  bats. 

Cass  County:  (15)  Meredosia  Island.  1.850-acre  Illinois  River  lloodplain  with  marshes 

and  woodland. 

Edgar  County:  (16)  Baber  Woods.  59  acres  ol  virgin  oak-hickory  lorest. 

Clark  County:  (17)  Rocky  Branch.  183  acres  ol  forest  and  wildllower  area  in  a 
sandstone  canyon. 

Pike  County:  (18)  Twin  Culvert  Cave.  5  acres  with  cave  and  outstanding  biological 
and  geological  leatures. 

Effingham  County:  (19)  Rock  Cave.  75  acres  0/  hardwood  forest- 
Jasper  and  Marion  Counties:  (20)  fourteen  prairie  chicken  sanctuaries  totalling 
1.304  acres- 

Richland  County:  (21)  Big  Creek  Woods  Memorial.  40  acres  ol  flood  plain  and 
upland  lorest. 

Edwards  County:  (22)  lea  Marks  Natural  Science  Preserve.  40  acres,  old  held 
succession  research  area. 

Wabash  County:  (23)  Beall  Woods.  624  acres  ol  virgin  bottomland  lorest 

Jefferson  County:  (24)  Devil's  Prop.  40  acres  ol  wooded  ravine  with  sandstone  outcrops. 


mouth  is  instead  of  belaboring  an 
over-saturated  public  with  more 
environmental  outcry.  It  vi^orks  behind 
the  scenes,  utilizing  the  skills  of 
seasoned  lawyers,  realtors,  and 
professional  conservationists. 
Once  acquired,  maintaining  the  natural 
quality  and  integrity  of  the  land  is  of 
primary  importance.  Scientific  research, 
outdoor  education,  and  other 
nondestructive  public  uses  may  be 
permitted.  A  management  committee  of 
local  volunteers,  donors,  or  Conservancy 
representatives  remains  alert  to  protect 
the  area  from  abuse. 


The  Conservancy  retains  ownership  of 
the  majority  of  its  preserves.  In  some 
cases,  however,  lands  are  conveyed 
with  special  restrictive  or  reverter 
clauses  to  educational  institutions  or  to 
other  private  or  public  conservation 
groups.  The  Conservancy  is  supported 
financially  by  direct  support  from  the 
public  and  grants  from  foundations.  A 
$3.5  million-dollar  revolving  fund  is 
maintained  by  the  national  organization. 
By  borrowing  money  from  this  fund, 
local  chapters  and  project  committees 
are  able  to  act  quickly  to  purchase 
threatened  land.  Fund-raising  is  then 


initiated  to  repay  the  revolving  fund. 
Careful  and  intelligent  financial 
management  has  produced  extremely 
effective  results  from  a  relatively  small 
amount  of  private  support. 

Many  of  us  have  taken  a  stroll  through 
some  natural  area  and  thought,  "Such  a 
nice  place  .  ,  .  if  only  it  could  stay  that 
way."  That  is  what  the  Nature 
Conservancy  is  all  about. 


The  Illinois  Chapter  of  the  Nature 
Conservancy  is  located  at  708  Church 
Street.  Evanslon.  III.  60201. 


January  1974 


Stalivart 
J\faidens 

By  Christopher  Legge 


Among  Field  Museums  most  stalwart 
supporters  are  eighit  women  wtio  have 
been  with  the  institution  since  the 
present  building  was  opened  more  than 
half  a  century  ago.  They  guard  the 
north  and  south  entrances  and, 
judging  by  their  expression,  they  are 
little  impressed  by  the  coming  and 
going  of  dignitaries,  by  changes  of 
weather,  or  even  by  strains  of  music 
that  drift  over  from  Grant  Park  on 
warm  summer  evenings.  It  should  be 
evident  at  this  point  that  these 
stony-visaged  ladies  are  of  no  common 
breed.  They  are  in  fact  a  svelte  eleven 
feet  tall  and  tip  the  scales  at  five  tons 
each.  Their  name:  Caryatids. 

Caryatids  are  columns  fashioned  in  the 
shape  of  draped  women  supporting 
a  roof  or  crossbeam.  Field  (Vluseum's 
caryatids  are  arranged  in  pairs  io 
support  gabled  pediments  above 
windows.  There  are  two  kinds,  differing 
slightly  in  hair  arrangement  and  attire. 
One  kind  has  a  brooch  on  her  bosom. 
These  maidens  are  the  work  of  Henry 
Hering  (1874-1949),  a  New  York 
sculptor  who  had  been  a  pupil  of 
famed  Augustus  Saint-Gaudens. 
Vitruvius,  a  Roman  architect  and 
contemporary  of  Julius  Caesar,  wrote 
a  much-studied  treatise  on  architecture 
in  which  he  explains  the  origin  of  the 

Christopher  Leqge  is  custodian  ol 
coilections  of  the  Department 
ct  Anthropology. 


caryatids  by  an  episode  m  the  Persian 
wars  when  the  city  of  Carae  supported 
the  Persians.  After  the  Persian  defeat, 
the  Greeks  slew  the  men  of  Carae  and 
enslaved  the  women.  Architects  of  the 
time  used  statues  of  these  women 
carrying  heavy  burdens  as  punishment 
for  the  nefarious  conduct  of  their 
menfolk.  This  is  the  traditional  story, 
but  the  view  now  more  widely  held 
is  that  the  sacrificial  dance  called 
caryatis  gave  rise  to  the  architectural 
device.  This  dance  was  performed  in 
honor  of  Artemis,  the  goddess  of  the 
hunt,  by  women  of  Carae  who 
balanced  flat  baskets  containing  sacred 
cake,  frankincense,  and  the  knife  with 
which  to  slay  the  victim  of  the  sacrifice. 
Hering's  caryatids  are  free  adaptations 
of  the  best  known  ones  which  support 
a  porch  of  the  Erechtheum,  an  Ionic 
temple  on  the  Athenian  Acropolis 
which  was  completed  in  410  B.C. 
These  stalwart  women,  subtly  varied 
in  pose  and  in  the  folds  of  their 
garments,  bear  their  weight  with  serene 
dignity.  All  have  lost  their  noses  and 
most  of  their  arms — victims  of  religious 
iconoclasm.  There  were  originally  six, 
but  in  1804  Lord  Elgin  removed  one 
which  now  resides  in  the  British 
Museum.  This  action  caused  more 
anger  than  his  acquisition  of  all  the 
other  "Elgin  marbles."  The  name  of 
the  sculptor  is  unknown,  but  a  wit 
scrawled  "opus  Phidias"  on  the  five 
remaining  figures  and  "opus  Elgin" 
on  the  brick  pillar  which  had  been 
substituted  for  the  sixth. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  Museum  visitors 
view  them  whilst  having  to  negotiate 
the  38  steps  of  each  entrance;  and 
such  fine  points  as  the  delicate 
manner  in  which  the  peplos.  or  gown, 
hangs  close  to  the  body,  and  the  way 
in  which  the  leg  is  braced  to  take  the 
weight  of  the  body  may  therefore 
escape  their  notice. 

In  Chicago,  besides  the  eight  at  the 
Fie'd  Museum  there  are  twenty-four 
on  the  outside  of  the  Museum  of 
Science  and  Industry.  It  may  well  be 
that  the  city  could  proclaim  itself 
"caryatid  capital  of  the  world"! 


The  "Elgin"  caryatid  now  in  British  Museum 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


■>'-';^-- 


-,V:x: 


;->5' 


t. 


Frdm  British  aristocrat  to  faackwoods 
lllpois  pioneer  is  tlie  story  of  Benjamiri 
D/  Walsh  (1808-69)— a  brilliant,  self- 
tgught  scientist  who  maintained  durirtg 
his  last  five  years  of  (ife  a  lively 
Correspondence  with  Charles  Darwin 
((1809-82),  In  1864  Walsh  had  sent  a 
•'fan  letter"  along  with  some  of  his 
bwn  published  papers  to  the  celebrated 
Pntish  biologist  whose  Origin  of 
ppecies,  published  five  years  earlier, 
bontinued  to  be  the  subject  of  raging 
controversy.  Recognizing  his  Nevv 
World  correspondent  as  more  than  just 
another  admirer,  Darwin  responded 
quickly,  and  commended  Walsh  (later 
to  be  named  Illinois'  first  state         ■- 
entomologist)  on  the  latter's  published 
work.  From  this  exchange  developed 
a  W&rrt'  correspondence.  '< 

In  1948  Field  Museum  received  a 
bequest  of  Walsh's  entomology  library — ■ 
several  hundred  books,  pamphlets,  and 
periodicals — from  the  widow  of  Charles 
V.  Riley  (1843-95)  who,  with  Walsh,  had 
founded  the  journal  American 
Entomologist;  eighteen  original  letters 
(one  incomplete)  from  Walsh  to  Darwin 
were  added  to  the  collection  by  Thora  M. 
Riley,  daughter  of  Charles. 

The  scion  of  a  respected,  well-to-do 
Worcestershire  family,  Walsh  took  his 
master's  degree  in  divinity  at  Trinity 
College,  Cambridge  University.  Being 
of  an  independent,  self-assertive  mien, 
Walsh  discontinued  his  preparation 

Graphics  by  Dick  Roesener 


--iGf  the  ministry  and  spent  the  next      .'^ 
leW  years,-' apparently,  in"'^^^pQf,.  .,  ■, 
indecision.  In  1837  his  mette';- 
translatipn. of  three  plays,  lA/a/s/7's 

-    Gomed/es-'o/  Ar/s/ophaftes/'-wss-'-  - 
published.  Married,  he  emigrated  the 
following  year  to  the  United'  States, 
intending  to  settle  in  Chicago.  But  that 
already  thriving  village  failed  to       V-'- 
measure  up  to  his  expectations,  and  '*;•  "^ 
Walsh  with  his  young  bfide  Continued.' 
westward  by  ox  cart  to  Henry  Coanty-'.j 
in  western  IJIinois..  Here  he  built  a  .■■-■' 
mud-plastered  log  cabin  and,  for 
twelve  years,  worked  a  300-acre  .faxjTi|, 
Free  of  the  class-consciousness  that.;:, 
generally  afflicted  Victorian  aristocracy, 
Walsh  labored  as  commonly  as  his 
Illinois  farm  neighbors,  occasionally  .  , 
making  his  own  shoes- as  welfas       '■■; 

"h^hesses  for  hi's.horses.  In  1850  he    ' 
moved  to  the  nearby  towh  of  Rock 
Island,  operating  a,  prosperous  lumber 
yard  there  and  erecting  a  number  of    ■ 
brick  houses,  which  he  rented. 

By  the  late  1850's  Walsh  had 
developed  a  deep  interest  in 
entomology — a  study  that  had  attracted 
him  since  his  youth.  During  the 
1868-69  biennial  session,  of  the  Illinois 
legislature  he  was  appointed  state 
entomologist.  This  occurred  just 
months  before  his  accidental  death — a 
tragic,  nearly  incredible  demonstration 
of  Walsh's  total  involvement  in  his 
scientific  work.  On  a  November  morning 
in  1869  Walsh  picked  up  his  mail  at  the 
post  office  and  was  headed  homeward 
along  the  railroad  tracks,  examining 


^-'-  arv.ihsect  specimen  he  had  receivediV 
^  in;"a  letter.  Totally  absorbed,  he  didri:;| 
:-   notice  an  approaching  tocomotive   ffJ 
until  it  was  too  late.  He  jumped  cieaM 
"  but  not  soon  enough  to  suffer  Internal': 
injuries  and  a  horribly  mangled  foot    ^ 
■  that  had  to  be  amputated,  ,.',-"• 

'%Walsh  lived  for  a  week  after  the       ;;#j 
»-  accident,  and  joked  about  his  new  '-'Sjii 
:  cork  leg:  "Why,  don't  you  see  what  ^0^ 
an  advantage  a  cork  teg  will  be  to  m^'_' 
When  I  am  hunting  bugs  I  can  make 
''^, an  excellent  pincushion  of  it,  and  if 
I  lose  a  cork  from  a  bottle,  I  can  carve 
one  out  of  my  foot."  As  a  testimony    ; 
to  his  character,  he  wrote  to  local 
newspapers,  exonerating  the  train 
.-   crew  from  any  blame  in  the  mishap 

;  At  the  time  of  his  death,  Benjamin  / 
Walsh  had  amassed  30,000  carefully 
classified  and  mounted  insect  :  K;7' 
specimens — the  largest  private  .^' 
collection  in  the  country.  Later  stored 
at  the  Chicago  Academy  of  Sciences, 
the  entire  collection  went  up  ,fpr  smoke 
during  the  Chicago  fire  of  1871.  He 
had  also  published  a  large  number  of 
scientific  papers,  particularly  on  insects 
of  economic  importance. 

The  following  letters  (some  of  which 
have  been  substantially  abbreviated 
here)  are  a  sampling  of  the  Walsh- 
Darwin  correspondence  now  in  the 
Rare  Book  Room  of  Field  Museum 
Library. 

. — David  M.  Walsten 


January  1974 


uarwin  to  Walsh: 


Darwin  to  Walsh: 


/f; , 


Down     '':'''-:^,, ;;;;,,, 
Bromley     upi;^?''" 
Kent.  s:E:    ' ' 
OGtobej:  21  1864 


My  Dear  Sir:  ^,. 


Ill  health  has'-prevented^me' from- sooner  thankjng  you  for 
your  very-Sipd  tetter,  &  several  nierooirs.;      , '; 


I  have  ^'epri  very  much  pteased  to  see  how-'fooid^af 
clearly'ji^Ulsp.eak^  out  on  the  modifieation  of  ^p^SSts: 
thank;;you'for'-5iving  ■methe  pages  :df'  reieretice]:put  they  • 
were'.superfluoys,:fo-r  t  found-so  n>afiyofi:ginal;;and 
profound:  femarkSj  that!  have-  clearly  bolted  tljiVough  all; 
the/papers.  .1  hope  that  your  discovery  ^iMut'tti^.Qi^ig^^ 
wi(5;:h0l<3.:Qdod  tor  if  is  a  .remarkap}^  ohe.  and:-l'Tor-'b'ne 
ha■ve:^oWef^  nrarvelled  what  could  "be  the  nreaningof  tine 
c,^e,;t  wilt  i'end  your  papers  to;  my' neighbdtJr  Mr.  Lubbock 
vjihP  [  know  is  much  interested  in  tile  subject,  incidentally  I 
^fralt  protrt  by  your  remarkg  on  galts'^  if  ybu  have  time  I 

hink  a  rather  hopeless  e>;perim6nl  wdiild  be  worth  trying; 

,ny  bow  I  stiould  have  tried  it  had  my.ftealth  permitted — it 
}s  to  insert  a  minute  grain  of  some  drg'anic  substance 
together  with  the  poison  from  bees,  sand  wasps, 
fchneumons.  adders,  and  even  alkaloid  poison  into  the 
tissues  of  fitiing  plants,  for  the  chance  of  monstrous 
grcHvtbs  being  produr-eri. 


y  health  has  long  been  poor  and  f  hiaye  lately  suffered 
f^orh  a  long  ilfness,  which  lias  interrupted  all  work,  but  1  am. 
r\ovy  re'COmmencing  a  volume  in  connection  .witl;\' the-' 
"Pr.igin"  with  sincere  thanks  for  your  letter' and. .-Kind 'presgrs 


Prfey /believe  me 
m^.-'dear  sir  your 


incereiv 


^ 


<s>^- 


'.■:::;■--  -  <i^  .    $ 

--..■■■:   --■-     -■-    -    ,-  y-       .    .  ■•'.■ry  .     .*1;- 

■-::  :?^■'-':'-'^  '^         n0 

P.S,  If  you  write, -again  f  should  very  much  like  to,jfi$^ 
what  your  life  in.ybiir  n^w  country  is ■  .■^■"■^ 


\ 


December  4  [1864] 


I  have  been  greatly  Trtterested  in  youf- account  of  your 
American  life.  What  an:  extraordinary 'and_  self-contained  life 
you  have  led!  And  what  vigour  of  mind  you  must  possess 
to  follow  science  with  so  much  ardour  after  all  that  you 
have  undergone.  I  am  very  rriuch' obliged  for  your  pamphlets 
on  geograph.  distrib.,  on  Agassiz,'  etc,  t  am  delighted  at 
the  manner  in  which  you  have  bearded  this  lion  .in  his  den. 
I  agree  most  entirely  with  all  that  you  have  written.'  What 
I  meant,  when  I  wrote  to  Agassiz  to  thant^  him  for  a  pundle 
of  his  publications,  was  exactly -wfiat  you  suppese/l  \ 
confess,  however,  I  did  not  fully  perceive  how  he-had.k 
mistaken  my  views;. -'but  I  only  ^Kimmed  through  his   ' ' ' 
"Methods  of  Study"-'  ahd  thoufjht  it  a  very  poor. book- -I  am 
so  much  accustomed  to  him  it, hardly. excites  my: 
attention.  ...  '-■>''■',' 


■'"'% 


I  am  glad  that  you  have  attabked  Dana's'  wild  notions 
have  a  great  respect  for,,.f3arta.  bul  I  declare- f  fear  that  hr-S;^ 
illness  has  [illegible]  ehfe^Hed  his  brain.  If  you  have 
opportunity  read  in  JPansatJi-r'.Batfes'''  on  mimetic 
Lepidoptera.of  Ama'z'ons; 'i-was'-.delighted  with  his  paper.    '?'^a 

I  have  got  a  noti€;e  of  your  ,vt|!ws  aBsyt  the  female  Cynips 
inserted  in  N.  Kist.  Review;.^ether  th^'nolTce  will  be 
favourable  I  dC>'.riot  know  }^;  but  anyhow  it  will  call 
attention  to  ..your  views 


r  enclose''a  photogi:aB^|hade  of  me  by  one  of  my  sons,  " 
and  I  pias/e  no  ottje^M'I'rote  to  Westwood''  for  a  [illegible]- 
for  )^a,  but '!■  h^^^^^i^'ed  no  answer.  I  have  been  told 
thatthe  is  mu'ch'MltM:^bout  Species,^  and  perhaps  wishes 
show  his  feelings  of  this  want  of  common  courtesy  to 
g  both.  ...     ', 


^ffWalsh  to  Darwin: 


Rock  Island,  Illinois,  U.S. 
March  1,  1865 


My  dear  Mr.  Darwin: 


Your  letter  of  Dec.  4  enclosing  your  photograph  came 
duly  to  hand  &  by  the  same  mail  your  second  letter 
enclosing  Westwood's  photograph,  I  am  under  great 
obligations  to  you  for  both.  Westwood  I  never  saw,  but  I 
have  a  very  distinct  recollection  of  your  countenance  when 

(Continued  on  page  12) 


Genus  ot  gall  wasps 

Galls  on  plants  are  swellings  commonly  caused  by  certain  parasitic 

insects,  including  Cynips 

Jean  Louis  Agassiz  (1807-73).  Swiss-American  naturalist 

Methods  of  Study  in  Natural  History  (-1863) 


5.  Probably  James  Dwight  Dana  (1813-95),  U.S.  geologist  and 
zoologist 

6.  Henry  Walter  Bates  (1825-1892),  English  naturalist 

7.  John  0.  Westwood  (1805-93)  English  entomologist 

8.  Darwin's  Origin  of  Species 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


(■:».lta^lAl1 


»[ 


HB9 

IFH 

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1 

£- '  ■  ■  T^v^^^H 

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^^^ 

Friday  afternoon,  December  14,  was  a  time  for  holiday  mirth  at  Field  Museum.  Stanley)  Field 
Hall,  festooned  with  holly,  echoed  with  the  merry  tunes  of  Leo  Henning's  Orchestra,  with 

Christmas  carols,  folk  songs,  and  dance  music  as  Members  and  guests  joined  in  the  fcstwittes. 
Clowns,  sugar  plum  fairies,  and  a  grand  march  rounded  out  the  occasion,  sponsored  by  the 
Women's  Board  of  Field  Museum.  Phoios  courtesy  w.  b.  Nickerson 


10  January  1974 


ill 


^  M 

^^^  \ '  ^"^  ^ 

r^^-^ 

Pv,^,    ■> 

-fjA 

1 

1 

1 

few 


Field  Museum  Bulletin  11 


DARWIN-WALSH  (from  p.  9) 

you  were  at  Christ's, »  &  if  you  were  to  shave  clean  &  put 
on  a  wig,  I  should  say  you  are  but  very  little  changed 
since  then.  Immediately  on  the  receipt  of  your  letters,  I 
wrote  to  several  of  my  Eastern  Correspondents  on 
Westwood's  affair  of  the  Portraits,  &  as  soon  as  I  received 
answers,  I  took  occasion  to  write  to  him  &  communicate 
the  results.  I  suppose  it  will  probably  be  some  little  time  yet 
before  I  receive  a  reply.  There  is  a  good  portrait  of  Jay'° 
in  existence,  of  which  he  can  have  a  copy  taken,  if  he 
desires  it.  Of  Harris"  there  is  nothing  but  a  photograph 
extant,  which  I  rather  wonder  at,  considering  that  the 
New-England  naturalists  set  great  store  by  him  and  are  apt 
to  get  wrathy  if  one  picks  any  holes  in  his  jacket.  .  .  . 

I  sent  you  a  month  or  two  ago  a  Paper  of  mine  on 
"Phytophagic  Species",  &  by  this  mail  I  send  you  another 
on  "Willow-galls".  You  will  begin  to  think  that  I  spawn  a 
pamphlet  bi-monthly.  But  for  me  the  winter  is  the  time  for 
writing  &  in  the  summer  I  am  out  in  the  woods  reading 
the  great  Book  of  Nature.  There  is  one  matter  in  this  last 
pamphlet  that  I  would  like  your  opinion  on,  i.e.,  Wagner's 
procreative  larva.  The  more  I  turn  the  thing  over  in  my 
mind,  the  more  I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it.  And  yet  I  find 
that  Siebold'2  has  to  a  certain  extent  endorsed  the  Theory, 
by  translating  from  the  Danish  a  Paper  on  the  subject. 
All  these  men  seem  to  me  to  have  confounded  two  very 
different  things,  1st  the  case  of  alternate  generation  when  A 
produces  B,  &  B  produces  A.  And  so  on  ad  infinitum.  & 
2nd  the  (supposed)  case  of  Cecidomyia,  where,  in  the  same 
species  A  (the  larva)  sometimes  produces  A  (the  larva) 
and  then  dies,  and  sometimes  produces  nothing  at  all 
but  becomes  gradually  developed  into  the  imago  B,  which 
reproduces  A  &  so  on.  Is  there  anything  analogous  to 
this  in  the  known  metagenetic  transformations?  It  strikes 
me  like  the  theory  of  the  schoolboy,  that  sometimes  the 
earth  travelled  around  the  sun  &  sometimes  the  sun 
travelled  around  the  earth.  But  out  here  in  the  backwoods 
we  know  but  very  little  on  these  great  modern  discoveries.  I 
wish  you  would  enlighten  me. 

I  am  delighted  to  find  that  you  approve  of  the  way  in 
which  I  handled  Aggasiz.  I  am  told  there  is  a  notice  of  that 
Chapter  in  the  London  "Reader"  of  December  31,  but 
have  not  seen  the  article.  Thank  you  for  getting  my 
Cynipidous  theory  noticed  in  the  Nat.  Hist.  Review.  There 
has  also  appeared  a  short  notice  of  that  Paper  in  the 
Stettin  "Zeitung"  or  whatever  the  German  title  of  their 
Natural  History  Journal  may  be;  so  it  will  get  tolerably  well 


'■^'t.«.'i«»f./' ;,' 


i^m 


.5.;?'^: 


Jim  £^>  •  :v.--'^:4vH    '    ..m 

.,,«)»■•■  -■<^\^^,. .'/  > :,,  -f^,  '■/.,  ^  ^  "^"'njflT  ■ "  'I: 

,;i^y^f-'r j:^.^  -if    .r'"'fr  'ii,«:;' 

m 


,0'- 


Drawing  by  Dick  Roesener 


ventilated,  at  all  events,  which  is  all  I  wish  or  expect. 
Magna  est  Veritas  et  pravalebit,^^  as  you  by  this  time  see 
with  your  great  theory.  I  told  young  Aggasiz, '■*  who  argued 
against  your  theory  because  so  many  naturalists  disbelieved 
it,  that  the  wonder  was  not  so  many  disbelieved,  but  that 
in  several  years  from  the  date  of  its  promulgation  so  many 
believed;  &  asked  him  how  many  Naturalists  believed  in 
Cuvier's  great  theory  several  years  after  that  was 
promulgated? 

Since  I  last  wrote,  I  have  read  carefully  through  Aggasiz's 
"Classification'''^  which  one  of  the  New  England  Naturalists 
told  me  contained  a  most  unanswerable  refutation  of 
Darwinism,  though  he  allowed  that  the  argument  in  the 
"Methods  of  Study"  was  a  complete  failure.  The  book 
bears  neither  title-page  nor  date,  and  so  far  from  finding 
any  refutation  of  your  theory  in  it,  I  actually  feel  uncertain 
whether  it  was  written  and  printed  before  or  after  your  book 
was  published.  The  line  of  argument  is  precisely  the  same 
as  that  in  the  "Methods  of  Study",  and  one  book  is  nothing 
but  an  abridged  rehash  of  the  other.  I  was  astonished 
to  find  that  he  believes  that  the  same  identical  species  can 
be  and  has  been  created  twice  over  in  two  separate 
localities  and  in  two  separate  geological  epochs.  Does  any 
other  naturalist  believe  this  absurdity?  I  should  have  thought 
that  in  that  case  the  theory  of  Chances  might  have  taught 
him  that  we  should  be  as  likely  to  find  recent  species  in  the 
Devonian  as  in  the  Pliocene  strata,  &  that  we  might 


9.  Christ's  College.  Cambridge  Universily 

10.  Thomas  Jay 

11.  Thaddeus  VI.  Harris  (1795-1856)  U.S.  entomologist 

12.  Karl  Theodor  Ernst  von  Siebold  (1804-85),  German  zoologist 


13.  "Great  is  the  truth  and  it  shall  prevail." 

14.  Alexander  Agassiz  (1835-1910),  U.S.  zoologist:  son  ol  Jean  Louis 
Agassiz 

15.  Essay  on  Classification  (1857) 


January  1974 


expect  to  meet  with  as  many  European  species  in  Australia 
as  in  North  America.  He  gives  me  the  impression  all  the 
time  of  a  dishonest  lawyer  pettifogging  a  hard  case. 
Sometimes  he  won't  have  it  that  there  are  any  identical 
species  in  successive  geologic  epochs — this  was  what  he 
asserted  roundly  in  a  lecture  which  he  delivered  last  year 
in  Rock  Island  &  what  he  asserts  by  implication  in  the 
"Methods  of  Study" — &  sometimes  he  says  that  there  are 
identical  species  in  two  distinct  geological  epochs,  but  that 
there  was  a  separate  creation  for  each  batch.  This  reminds 
one  of  the  Western  lawyer,  whose  client  was  sued  for  a 
kettle  which  he  had  borrowed  and  with  a  large  crack  in  it, 
and  who  put  in  three  pleas:  1st  that  his  client  had  never 
borrowed  the  kettle,  2nd  that  it  was  already  cracked  when 
he  borrowed  it,  &  3rd  that  it  was  perfectly  sound  when 
he  returned  it. 

I  was  also  much  amused  to  find  how  he  and  I,  from 
exactly  the  same  premises,  arrive  at  very  opposite 
conclusions.  Because  animals  have  every  mental  faculty 
that  Man  has,  only  developed  to  a  less  degree,  /  draw  the 
conclusion  that  neither  men  &  animals  have  any  souls,  and 
he  draws  the  conclusion  that  both  men  and  animals  have 
got  souls,  which  can  and  will  exist  in  a  future  elysium 
independently  of  their  bodies.  In  that  case,  if  we  calculate 
up  all  the  animals  that  have  ever  existed  since  Paleozoic 
times,  the  Agassizian  elysium  would  have  to  be  a  pretty 
large  one  to  hold  all  their  souls.  His  idea  of  the  soul  of 
a  Naturalist  studying  the  souls  of  his  favorite  groups 
of  animals — I  suppose  Aggasiz  will  devote  himself  to  the 
souls  of  Turtles  and  Fish — reminded  me  of  a  French  parody 
of  Virgil,  which  represented  the  soul  of  a  Coachman  in 
the  Elysian  shades  busily  cleaning  the  soul  of  a  Coach  with 
the  Soul  of  a  brush.  I  have  no  possible  chance  out  in 
this  uncivilized  region  to  get  a  sight  of  Bate's  Paper  in 
Mimetic  Lepidoptera:  when  you  see  him,  I  wish  you  would 
tell  him  from  me  that  I  would  be  much  obliged  by  anything 
from  his  pen.  I  have  seen  a  review  of  his  Book  on  the 
Amazonian  insects'^  in  Silliman's  Journal  a  year  or  two 
ago,  and  was  much  interested  in  it.  .  .  . 


Darwin  to  Walsh: 


March  27  118651 


I  have  been  much  interested  by  your  letter.  1  received  your 
former  paper  on  Phytophagic  unity,  most  of  which  was  new 
to  me.  I  have  since  received  your  paper  on  willow-galls: 
this  has  been  very  opportune  as  I  wanted  to  learn  a  little 
about  galls.  There  was  much  in  this  paper  which  has 
interested  me  extremely,  on  gradations  and  so  forth  and 
"your"  unity  of  correlation  [illegible).    This  latter  subject  is 
nearly  new  to  me,  though  I  collected  many  years  ago  some 
such  case  with  birds;  but  what  struck  me  most  was  when  a 
bird-genus  inhabits  two  continents  the  two  sections 
sometimes  display  a  somewhat  different  type  of  colouring,  i 
should  like  to  hear  whether  this  does  not  occur  with  widely 
ranging  insect  genera.  .  .  . 

With  respect  to  Dimorphism  you  may  like  to  hear  that  Dr. 
Hooker's  tells  me  that  a  dioicous  parasitic  plant  allied  to 
Rafflesia  has  its  2  sexes  parasitic  on  2  distinct  species  of 
the  same  genus  of  plants;  so  look  out  for  some  such  case 
In  the  2  forms  of  Cynips.  I  have  posted  to  you  copies  of 
my  papers  on  Dimorphism.  .  .  . 

With  respect  to  Aggasiz  the  views  there  were  many,  and 
there  are  still  not  a  few,  who  believe  that  the  same  species 
is  created  on  many  spots.  I  wrote  to  Bates  and  he  will  send 
you  his  mimetic  paper,  and  I  dare  say  others:  he  is  a  first 
rate  man. 

Your  case  of  the  wingless  insects  near  the  Rocky  Mountains 
is  extremely  curious:  I  am  sure  I  have  heard  of  some  such 
case  in  the  Old  World,  I  think  in  the  Caucasus.  Would  not 
my  argument  about  wingless  insular  insects  perhaps  apply 
to  truly  Alpine  insects;  for  would  it  not  be  destruction  to 
them  to  be  blown  from  their  proper  home?  I  should  like  to 
write  on  many  points  at  greater  length  to  you,  but  I  have  no 
strength  to  spare.  .  .  . 


Ever  yours  very  truly 


'  A^^x^t^iC^ 


Darwin  to  Walsh: 


July  9  [1865] 


1  must  send  you  a  line  to  thank  you  for  your  interesting 
letter  of  May  29th. 


P.  S.  I  was  glad  to  see  the  other  day  that  you  have  the 
R,S.  medal." 


I  have  been  ill  during  the  last  two  months  and  have  done 
no  scientific  work. 


76.    The  Naturalist  on  the  River  Amazons  {1B&3) 
17.    The  Royal  Society  medal 


18.    Sir  Joseph  Dalian  Hooker  (1817-1911).  English  botanist 


Field  Museum  Bulletin  13 


Many  thanks  for  the  case  of  Panagaeus;  this  genus  is 
almost  sacred  to  me  from  old  Cambridge  recollections-  . 

I  sent  you  a  few  weeks  ago  a  paper  by  me  on  Climbing 
Plants;  but  I  doubt  whether  you  will  find  it  worth  reading. 

I  am  very  much  pleased  that  you  like  Bates'  paper.  Pray 
read  his  Travels. '^  .  .  . 


I  have  done  no  work  since  April  owing  to  my  health,  but  I 
have  |ust  begun  some  easy  jobs,  such  as  counting  seeds 
of  experimental  Primulas, 2'  and  these  afford  widely  different 
results  from  what  he  gives.  I  mention  this  because  I  see 
that  you  quote  him.  .  .  , 


Walsh  to  Darwin: 


March  13,  1866 


Darwin  to  Walsfi: 

December  19  [1865] 

I  am  much  obliged  for  your  interesting  letter  of  Nov.  12 — I 
hope  you  meet  with  the  success  which  you  well  deserve  in 
solving  the  very  curious  problem  of  the  Cynips. 

1  presume  that  you  expect  that  the  sexual  brood,  whenever 
it  appears,  would  be  more  locomotive,  and  thus  spread  the 
species.  On  the  other  hand,  the  new  gall  which  has 
appeared  in  England  recently  has  spread  very  rapidly,  & 
yet  only  females  have  been  found.  I  received  your  paper  on 
the  potatoe  bug  and  it  seems  to  me  uncommonly  well  done. 
Sir  I.  Lubbock  and  Mr.  Busk  called  here  the  other  day  and 
neither  knew  or  believed  in  the  male  Daphnia'"  laying  eggs. 
The  former  would  be  almost  sure  to  have  heard  of  it.  He 
believes  in  Wagner's  case  of  the  breeding  larva  of  the  fly. 
I  should  not  be  very  much  astonished  at  the  Daphnia  case, 
for  certain  male  and  female  Medusae  whilst  sexually 
mature  throw  off  reproductive  buds  and  if  these  buds  were 
encased  in  a  shell,  they  might  be  as  indistinguishable  from 
true  eggs  as  the  ovules  and  buds  in  Aphis. 

It  is  curious  about  the  post  office  that  I  some  months  ago 
was  expressing  much  indignation  at  your  government  being 
so  particular  about  writing  in,  and  sending,  single 
pamphlets.  There  are  no  such  rules  within  England  and  it 
seems  that  they  apply  only  to  the  transit  from  one  country 
to  the  other. 


I  send  you  herewith  a  copy  of  a  recent  Paper  for  yourself, 
&  another  for  Mr,  Wallace, 22  which  I  must  beg  you  to 
forward  to  him.  I  do  not  know  &  cannot  find  out  his 
address,  or  I  would  not  put  you  to  this  trouble.  He  was 
kind  enough  to  send  me  a  copy  of  his  Memoir  on  the 
Malayan  PapilionidaeP  which  I  am  highly  delighted 
with.  .  .  . 

P.  S.  Do  you  know  anything  of  a  Quaker  gentleman,  "Mr. 
Wilson  Armistead,  Virginia  House,  Leeds?"  He  sent  me  a 
circular  and  a  letter,  stating  that  he  was  about  to  publish  an 
illustrated  Book  on  the  Galls  of  the  whole  world  & 
soliciting  assistance.  I  answered  him  by  Mail  last  autumn,  & 
afterwards  on  Oct.  13,  1865  sent  him  through  the 
Smithsonian  Institution  a  large  Box  containing  specimens  of 
Galls.  Since  then  I  have  not  heard  a  word  from  him  which 
does  not  strike  me  as  particularly  polite.  But  perhaps  he  is 
sick  or  dead.  He  stated  that  he  was  recommended  by  Prof. 
Westwood  to  apply  to  me.  .  .  . 


Walsh  to  Darwin: 


July  17,  1866 


I  sent  you  by  mail  last  week  a  short  paper  of  mine  exposing 
some  misquotations  of  Prof.  Dana's,  which  I  hope  you  have 
received. 

I  received  in  due  course  your  welcome  letter  of  April  20,  & 
was  rejoiced  to  find  that  you  were  preparing  a  new  Edition 
of  the  Origin.  As  you  are  kind  enough  to  promise  me  a 
copy,  please  forward  it  to  me  through  .  .  .  Baillien  Bros, 
of  New  York,  with  whom  I  deal,  to  be  sent  thence  to  me 
Express.  The  Smithsonian  Institution  is  so  awfully  slow  in 
their  operations,  that  they  quite  put  me  out  of  patience. 
Curiously  enough,  the  same  mail  that  brought  me  your  last 
letter  brought  me  also  one  from  Wilson  Armistead,  saying 
that  he  had  only  just  received  my  box  of  galls,  though  I 
sent  it  to  the  Smithsonian  the  preceding  autumn.  He  was 
delighted  with  what  I  sent,  &  like  Oliver  Twist  calls  out  for 
more.  I  am  gathering  together  another  lot  for  him.  1  had 
sent  him  two  bottles  of  galls  packed  in  common  salt  brine. 


79.    The  Naturalist  on  ttie  River  Amazons 

20.  Genus  of  freshwater  water  fleas 

21.  Ttie  primrose  genus 


22.  Alfred  Bussel  Wallace  (1823-1913),  English  naturalist  who. 
independent  of  Darwin,  proposed  a  theory  of  natural  select  on 
much  like  that  of  Darwin 

23.  Papilionidae  is  a  family  ol  butterflies 


January  1974 


by  way  of  experiment,  and  he  says  it  is  a  complete  success 
&  far  superior  to  alcohol — the  chief  disadvantage  being  that 
it  is  so  vulgarly  cheap. 

I  had  a  copy  sent  to  me  the  other  day  of  an  "Analysis  of 
Darwin  Huxley  &  Lyell,  by  Henry  A.  Dubois,  M.D.,  LL.D.  of 
New  Yorl<"  being  a  reprint  in  pamphlet  form  from  the 
"American  Quarterly  Church  Review",  1865  which  by  the 
way  I  never  heard  of  before.  The  writer  is  a  beautiful 
compound  of  fool  &  knave  &  makes  some  most  ludicrous 
blunders  in  Natural  History,  besides  accusing  you  of  setting 
up  a  new  God — yes,  a  real,  personal,  omniscient, 
omnipotent,  omnipresent  God — called  Natural  Selection  . 
Hence,  one  would  infer  that  you  must  be  a  Deist.  But  when 
he  comes  to  attack  Huxley,  he  tells  of  "the  atheistical  view 
embraced  in  Darwin's  hypothesis";  so  that  you  must  be 
Deist  and  Atheist  both  at  the  same  time.  "Throw  plenty  of 
mud.  &  some  of  it  is  sure  to  stick."  My  correspondent  (Wm. 
Edwards  of  N.Y.)  wanted  me  to  review  the  review;  but  I 
thought  It  answered  itself  sufficiently,  &  that  anyhow  "the 
game  would  not  pay  for  the  candle." 

I  believe  that  I  have  done  some  little  good,  at  all  events 
among  N.A.  entomologists,  in  the  way  of  converting  them 
to  the  true  philosophical  faith  in  the  origin  of  the  species. 
For  I  find  a  great  many  of  them  now  who  take  much  the 
same  ground  as  Rev.  Herbert,  but  cannot  as  yet  "go  the 
whole  hog,"  as  we  say  out  West. 

Have  you  read  Prf.  Henry  James  Clark's^-*  book  on  "M\n6 
in  Nature"?'-*^  He  strikes  me  as  having  almost  as  illogical 
mind  as  Prof.  Aggasiz.  From  one  end  to  the  other  of  the 
Book  1  don't  see  a  single  new  fact  or  argument  to  carry  out 
his  thesis,  namely  that  "Mind"  exists  in  nature.  But,  so  far 
as  I  am  a  judge,  his  original  investigations  seem  very 
valuable.  I  never  knew  before  the  history  of  Agassiz's 
treatment  of  him.  It  always  puzzled  me  why  there  was  no 
titlepage  to  the  first  two  parts  of  the  "Contributions, "^e  but 
now  I  fully  understand  the  why  of  the  wherefore. 

You  mentioned  some  time  ago  the  case  of  a  foreign 
gall-fly  having  suddenly  spread  over  England.  Was  it  not  a 
species  that  made  its  gall  on  the  leaf,  so  that  the  leaf  and 
gall  together  might  be  blown  great  distances  by  the  wind?  I 
have  often  remarked  that  our  "oak-apples"  are  carried  by 
the  wind  hundreds  of  yards  with  the  living  insect  in  them; 
but  the  species  that  make  their  gall  in  the  twig,  so  that 
they  are  part  and  parcel  of  the  twig  itself,  infest  the  same 
tree  year  after  year,  without  spreading,  except  very  slowly 
indeed  to  adjoining  trees.  .  .  . 


24^    U.S.  zoologist  and  botanist  (1826-73) 

25.  Published  1865 

26.  Contributions  to  the  Natural  History  of  the  United  States 
(1857-63) 

27.  John  Murray,  London  publisher 


Darwirn  to  Walsh: 


August  20  [1866] 


I  am  sorry  to  say  that  before  receiving  your  letter  of  July 
17th  the  new  edt.  of  the  Origin  had  been  dispatched  by 
Murray'''  for  you,  I  received  safely  your  paper  exposing 
Dana's  mis-quotation.  I  never  could  persuade  myself  that 
there  was  much  or  anything  in  Dana's  paper,  but  I  see  it  is 
taking  effect  in  the  United  States. 

I  have  read  Prof.  Clark's  book  and  was  interested  by  it  on 
psychological  principles  as  shewing  how  differently  two 
men  viz.  the  writer  and  the  reader  can  view  the  same 
subject.  I  am  heartily  glad  that  you  are  making  progress 
with  your  Cynips  experiment.  The  new  gall  which  has 
spread  so  wonderfully  in  England  (and  about  which  by  the 
way  there  was  a  letter  2  days  ago  in  the  Times)  is  attached 
not  to  the  leaf  but  to  twigs;  so  that  the  bushes  are  rendered 
conspicuous  in  the  winter  by  their  numbers.  I  do  not  think 
anyone  can  define  an  ovule  from  a  bud;  the  only  difference 
being,  as  many  now  view  the  case,  the  former  must  be 
fertilized.  .  .  . 

Some  of  the  Germans,  as  Prof.  Claus,  have  been  taking  up 
a  subject  which  I  am  glad  of,  namely  to  ascertain  the 
amount  in  order  to  test  my  views,  of  the  individual  variability 
of  some  of  the  commoner  lower  animals;  and  that  they  find 
It  very  great.  .  .  . 


Darwin's  study  at  Down  House 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


Museum  Veterans  Retire 

Three  veteran  members  of  the  Museum 
staff — Dr.  Emmet  R.  Blake,  Dr.  Hoshien 
Tchen,  and  Harry  E.  Changnon — retired 
from  their  full-time  positions  at  Field 
[Museum  on  December  1,  Together,  they 
have  been  at  Field  IVIuseum  for  a  total  of 
ninety  years.  Dr.  Blake,  curator  of  birds 
since  1955,  joined  Field  IVIuseum  in  1935. 
In  1931-32,  however,  he  had  served  on  the 
Mandel-Field  Museum  zoological  expedition 
to  Venezuela.  Dr.  Tchen,  consultant  in  the 
East  Asian  collection,  has  been  with  the 
staff  since  1954.  Harry  Changnon  came  to 
the  Museum  in  1940.  A  reception  in  honor 
of  the  three  was  held  in  the  President's 
Room  on  November  13. 


70  Tribune 


Above:  A  lire  education  and  training  program  was  recently  completed  uy  dpuiuMn^dieiy  .ui./  neld 
Museum  employees,  under  the  guidance  ot  ttie  Chicago  Fire  Department's  Fire  Prevention  Bureau- 
The  ten-week  course  included  lire  prevention  techniques,  evaluation  and  procedures,  and  tamiliarily 
with  lire  lighting  equipment.  Extinguishing  a  rubbish  lire  are  Sam  Grove  (Department  ol  Exhibition) 
and  Dianne  Maurer  (Division  ot  Birds). 

Lower  left:  ''Man  in  His  Environment"  is  the  broad  title  ot  a  workshop  series  conducted  usually  tour 
times  weekly  in  Chicago  schools  lor  6th,  7th,  and  8th  grade  pupils — and  some  high  school  classes — 
by  Raymond  Foundation  lecturers.  Here,  lecturer  James  Bland  (lower  right)  and  students  ol  Mozart 
School  prepare  to  measure  lung  capacities  in  a  demonstration  ot  the  ellects  ot  air  pollution  on  lung 
function.  The  programs  are  partially  lunded  by  the  National  Endowment  lor  the  Humanities. 

Lower  right:  Thomas  E.  Donnelley,  II.  (letl).  Field  Museum  trustee,  accepts  a  "Have  a  Great  Chicago" 
button  from  Frank  C.  Sain,  president  ol  the  Chicago  Convention  and  Tourism  Bureau.  Inc. 
Donnelley  was  one  ol  ten  Chicago  museum  ollicials  to  pledge  his  support  to  the  bureau's  new 
hospitality  program. 


16  January  1974 


Photo  by  John  Bayalis 


Bob  Martin,  Field  Museum  exhibit  designer,  explains  an  exhibition  hall  model  to  three  members  ol 
the  advisory  committee.  Contemporary  African  Arts  Festival:  Mrs.  Charles  Benton  (2nd  left). 
committee  co-chairman:  Mrs.  Hazel  Rentroe  Muggins  (2nd  right):  and  Mrs.  Claude  A.  Barnett,  who  is 
also  a  member  ol  the  Women's  Board  ol  Field  Museum.  The  exhibition  hall  will  feature  the 
Contemporary  African  Arts  Festival,  scheduled  to  open  this  spring. 


..  .Where  Credit  Is  Due 

"Who  took  those  marvelous  pictures  for 
the  Bulletin's  calendar  Issue?"  is  a  question 
the  editors  have  been  answering  since  the 
December  issue  came  off  the  press.  Their 
appreciation  and  thanl^s  go  to  Maude 
Wahlman,  Museum  consultant  in  African 
ethnology,  for  the  January,  April,  May, 
August,  October,  November,  and  December 
photos:  to  Herta  Newton,  professional 
photographer  and  Museum  volunteer,  for 
February  and  June;  to  Museum  photographer 
John  Bayalis  for  March  and  September; 
and  to  Dave  Berglund,  also  a  professional 
photographer  and  Museum  volunteer,  for 
July.  Their  combined  talent  helped  make  the 
1974  calendar  issue  the  best  one  yet. 


Associate  Curators  Promoted 

Three  slatt  appointments  to  curator,  effective 
January  1.  1974.  have  been  announced  by 
Dr.  Robert  F.  Inger,  assistant  director, 
science  and  education.  Dr.  John  Clark,  with 
Field  Museum  since  1963,  has  been 
promoted  to  curator  of  sedimentary 
petrology.  Dr.  Glen  H.  Cole,  who  joined  the 
Museum  in  1965,  has  been  promoted  to 
curator  of  prehistory.  Dr.  William  D.  Turnbull, 
a  Museum  staff  member  since  1946,  has 
been  named  curator  of  fossil  mammals. 


New  Faces  in  Exhibition 

Recent  appointments  to  Field  Museums 
Department  of  Exhibition  include  Victor  M. 
Banks,  senior  script  writer  and  script 
supervisor;  and  William  G.  Pasek, 
production  supervisor  and  administrative 
assistant  to  department  chairman  Lothar 
Witteborg.  Mr.  Banks  is  a  native  of  Chicago 
and  holds  a  B.S.  degree  in  English  and 
natural  sciences  from  the  University  of 
Wisconsin,  Madison.  Mr.  Pasek,  a  native  of 
St.  Louis,  holds  a  B.F.A.  in  advertising 
design  and  art  history  from  Washington 
University,  St.  Louis.  Barbara  J.  Bryant, 
technical  assistant;  Kathleen  L.  Sorokin, 
secretary;  and  Susan  N.  Breck,  clerk  typist, 
have  also  recently  joined  the  department. 

Richard  W.  Roesener,  with  the  department 
since  1969,  was  recently  promoted  to  chief 
scientific  illustrator.  Patricia  J.  Brew,  who 
lOined  the  staff  in  1972,  has  been  named 
junior  graphic  designer.  Richard  Pearson, 
with  the  department  since  1971,  has  moved 
up  to  chief  preparator. 


At  a  recent  Capitaf  Campaign  luncheon  hosted  by  Marshall  Field,  Museum  Women's  Board  members 
(from  left)  Mrs.  Vernon  Armour  and  Mrs.  Samuef  R.  Rosenlhaf  view  a  drawing  of  the  Museum's 
north  entrance  with  Museum  Director  E.  Leiand  Webber.  More  than  two  miffion  doffars  must  stilf  be 
raised  by  the  Museum  before  the  $25  million  campaign  is  scheduled  to  end  in  September.  Meanwhile, 
several  renovation  projects  are  underway  or  have  been  completed. 


Photo  by  John  Bayalis 
Field  Museum  Bullelm  17 


ETTERS 


Why  museums  collect  specimens 

Dear  Mr.  Traylor; 

I  have  noted  what  I  would  consider  an 
omission  in  the  November,  1973,  issue  of 
the  Bulletin.  In  his  article  "Can  These  Birds 
Survive,"  David  Walsten  describes  birds 
currently  listed  as  "endangered"  by  the  U.S. 
Fish  and  Wildlife  Service  or  by  the 
International  Union  for  Conservation  of 
Nature  and  Natural  Resources.  He  cites 
mainly  human  agency-related  causes  such 
as  DDT,  over-hunting,  and  the  destruction 
of  natural  habitat  as  the  causes  of  species 
demise.  Perhaps  one  cause  not  mentioned 
by  Walsten  is  "collecting." 

In  the  "Field  Briefs"  section  of  the 
aforementioned  Bulletin  you  are  shown 
examining  birds  recently  received  from 
Bolivia.  To  quote  the  article.  "The  birds  in 
the  shipment  represented  about  35  families 
and  more  than  100  species  including  some 
that  are  new  to  the  Museum's  collection." 
It  occurred  to  me  that  one  of  the  reasons 
some  of  the  birds  were  not  previously 
found  in  the  Museum  collection  might  be 
that  the  species  is  quite  rare.  If  this  were 
the  case,  the  depredation  of  an  overzealous 
collector  could  diminish  a  species  by 
destroying  several  pairs  for  the  Museum 
collection.  True,  we  now  have  a  valuable 
addition  to  our  Museum  but  in  my  opinion, 
a  bird  in  the  bush  is  worth  two  in  the  hand. 
It  would  be  better  to  ensnare  a  bird  for  a 
zoological  collection,  let  it  live  its  normal 
life  span,  and  perhaps  reproduce  before 
it  is  "collected"  for  the  museum.  I 
understand  that  museum  expeditions  are 
not  authorized  to  slaughter  the  fauna  of 
a  given  area,  but  what  controls  are  placed 
on  expedition  members?  How  does  one 
determine  in  the  field  that  his  collecting  is 
not  hastening  the  destruction  of  a  species? 


Perhaps  you  could  advise  me  how  collecting 
is  done  with  discretion  to  avoid  overkill 
of  a  rare  or  unknown  species. 

James  M.  Martens 
Chicago.  Illinois 


Dear  Mr.  Martens: 

Thank  you  for  your  interest  in  our  Bulletin 
and  in  the  problem  of  rare  or  endangered 
species  of  birds.  The  question  of  the  role  of 
collecting  in  the  decimation  of  species 
has  been  raised  before,  and  it  certainly 
deserves  consideration. 

To  look  first  at  the  overall  picture,  the 
impact  of  scientific  collecting  on  the  total 
numbers  of  birds  is  essentially  zero.  The 
total  number  of  specimens  in  collections  in 
the  United  States,  amassed  over  a  period 
of  150  years,  is  accurately  estimated  at 
4,000,000;  this  seems  a  large  figure  until 
one  realizes  that  an  equal  number  of 
mallards — a  single  species — are  killed 
annually  by  hunters,  and  that  an  estimated 
1,600  million  birds  migrate  from  Europe 
to  Africa  every  fall  (comparable  estimates 
for  North  America  would  be  about  the 
same).  Another  way  of  looking  at  it  is  that 
every  pair  of  birds  that  nests  in  the  spring 
produces  an  average  of  two  young,  so  that 
to  maintain  a  constant  population,  50 
percent  of  all  birds  must  die  each  year,  by 
starvation,  old  age,  accident, or  are  eaten 
by  predators. 

This,  of  course,  does  not  answer  your 
question  about  the  impact  of  collecting  on 
rare  tropical  birds.  First,  we  do  not  send 
irresponsible  collectors  into  the  field.  All  of 
them  are  trained  biologists  with  an  interest 
in  conserving  species.  Roy  Steinbach 
is  the  third  generation  of  a  family  that  has 
added  enormously  to  our  knowledge  of  the 
avifauna  of  Bolivia.  He  is  under  strict  orders 
not  to  collect  any  species  that  is  known 
to  be  endangered,  and  there  is  a  limit  of 
six  pairs  placed  upon  his  collections  of 
other  species.  Since  the  population  of  any 
species  that  is  naturally  rare,  such  as  the 
Kirtland's  warbler,  numbers  1,000  or  more, 
this  is  still  a  modest  figure. 

While  the  collection  of  live  specimens  for 
breeding  in  zoos  is  being  tried  for  a  few 
spectacular  species  such  as  the  whooping 
crane,  it  is  a  terribly  wasteful  procedure 
for  small  insectivorous  birds.  Attempts  to 
find  the  right  diet  to  maintain  them  in  the 
field,  and  the  trauma  of  transporting  them  to 
a  different  environment  results  in  a  high 
rate  of  loss. 

Probably  the  best  protection  for  the  birds 
in  this  or  any  other  country  is  the  realization 


by  both  scientists  and  laymen  that  it  is  in 
everyone's  interest  to  maintain  the  natural 
environment  in  an  undisturbed  state  so 
that  we  can  understand  how  the  ecology 
really  works.  We  must  collect  in  order  to 
know  what  constitutes  the  fauna,  and 
selective  collecting  will  not  disturb  it. 

Melvin  A.  Traylor 
Head,  Bird  Division 


Mr.  Traylor  lurther  discusses  the  need  tor 
collecting  specimens: 

First  and  foremost,  we  need  collections 
in  order  to  know  what  kinds  of  animals  (and 
plants)  exist.  Until  the  animals  have  been 
classified,  described  and  named,  the 
ecologist  has  no  basis  for  his  study  of  the 
interrelationships  of  various  organisms  or  of 
the  effects  of  pesticides  or  other  pollutants, 
the  parasitologist  can  not  determine  the 
hosts  of  his  various  parasites:  nor  can  the 
epidemiologist  describe  the  carriers  of 
various  dieseas.  All  such  scientists  need  the 
names  and  identifications  of  the  taxonomists 
in  order  to  communicate  the  results  of  their 
own  studies.  Secondly,  we  need  extensive 
collections  from  all  regions  so  that  we  can 
know  the  ranges  of  each  species  and  the 
composition  of  the  animal  life  in  different 
habitats  and  major  geographical  areas.  The 
knowledge,  in  con|unction  with  the 
classification  based  on  these  same 
specimens,  should  enable  us  eventually  to 
reconstruct  the  evolution  of  our  modern 
species.  And  not  unimportant,  collections 
help  us  to  answer  that  inquiry.  "What  is  the 
bird  in  my  back  yard?" 


Melvin  A.  Traylor 


Commendations  and  fond  memories 

Dear  Field  Museum  Staff: 

May  I  send  my  personal  commendations 
and  thanks  for  the  splendid  issues  of 
the  Bulletin  and  your  daily  efforts  in  behalf 
of  the  Museum — Happy  Thanksgiving! 

I  regret  that  the  memorable  "Members' 
Night"  will  not  be  a  part  of  this  year's 
memories;  nevertheless,  I  shall  treasure 
those  of  years  past.  Thank  you  for  those! 

Now  I  am  a  resident  of  Oklahoma,  and  the 
monthly  Bulletin  is  very  eagerly  anticipated! 
.  .  .  Thank  you  again  for  all  the  marvelous 
hours  through  almost  fifty  years  that  I  have 
shared  in  the  Museum  with  my  very  dear 
family,  and  my  friends — which  includes  you! 

Ruth  M.  McReynolds 
Bartlesville,  Oklahoma 


January  1974 


CALENDAR 


Exhibits 

Continuing 

Field  Museum's  Anniversary  Exhibit 

continues  indefinitely.  "A  Sense  of  Wonder" 
offers  thougfit-provoking  prose  and  poetry 
associated  with  thie  pfiysical,  biological,  and 
cultural  aspects  of  nature;  "A  Sense  of 
History"  presents  a  graphic  portrayal  of  the 
Museum's  past;  and  "A  Sense  of  Discovery" 
shows  examples  of  research  conducted  by 
Museum  scientists.  Hall  3. 

Children's  Program 

Continuing 

Winter  Journey  for  Children,  "Desert 
People  of  the  Southwest,  "  focuses  on  the 
cultures  of  the  Native  Americans.  The  free 
self-guided  tour  provides  youngsters  with  a 
unique  learning  experience  as  they  become 
acquainted  with  Museum  exhibits.  All  boys 
and  girls  who  can  read  and  write  may  join 
in  the  activity.  Journey  sheets  available  at 
entrances.  Through  February  28. 


IVIeetings 

January  7,  2:00  p.m.,  Chicago  Shell  Club. 

January  8,  8:00  p.m.,  Chicagoland  Glider 

Council. 

January  9,  7:00  p.m.,  Chicago  Ornithological 
Society. 

January  18,  7:30  p.m.,  Chicago 
Anthropological  Society. 


Coming  in  February 

Sunday.  February  3 

"The  Living  Jungle,"  free  wildlife 
film  narrated  by  Greg  McMillan, 
presented  by  the  Illinois  Audubon  Society 
at  2:30  p.m.  in  the  James  Simpson  Theatre. 

Opens  February  14 

"Janss  Underwater  Photography," 

an  exhibit  of  exciting  color  prints 
and  marine  specimens.  Hall  9. 


Sunday,  February  10  and  17 

The  29th  Chicago  International 
Exhibition  of  Nature  Photography, 

a  slide  show  featuring  winning  and 

accepted  color  transparencies,  at 

2:30  p.m.  in  the  James  Simpson  Theatre. 

Sunday,  February  24 

"Small  World,"  free  wildlife  film 
narrated  by  Fran  William  Hall,  presented 
by  the  Illinois  Audubon  Society  at 
2:30  p.m.  in  the  James  Simpson  Theatre. 


Hours 


9  00  a.m   to  4:00  p.m.  Monday  through  Thursday; 
9  00  a.m   to  9  00  p.m.  Friday,  and  9.00  a.m. 
to  5:00  p  m.  Saturday  and  Sunday 

Closed  New  Year's  Day 

The  Museum  Library  is  open  9.00  am.  to  4:00  p.m., 
Monday  through  Friday.  Please  obtain  pass  at 
reception  desk,  main  floor  north. 

Museum  telephone:  922-9410 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


■ary  1974 


Field  Museum 
of  Natural  History 
Bulletin 

Volume  45.  Number  2 
February  1974 


contents 


CARBON  MONOXIDE 

The  bright  side  to  the  pollution  coin 
By  Edward  J.  Olsen 


BLAINE  J.  YARRINGTON   ELECTED 
7TH  MUSEUM  PRESIDENT 


7 


Managing  Editor  G.  Henry  Ottery 
Editor  David  M.  Walsten 
Staff  Writer  Madge  Jacobs 
Production  Russ  Becker 


WiLDLIFE  PARKS   IN   EMERGENT  AFRICA 

The  Outlook  for  their  Survival 
By  Norman  Myers 

FIELD  MUSEUM'S  MEMBERS'  TOURS 
TO   GRAND   CANYON  AND   THE  OZARKS 


8 


15 


FIELD   BRIEFS 


16 


CAPITAL  CAMPAIGN 


18 


CALENDAR 


19 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Director  E.  Leiand  Webber 


Board  of  Truslees 

Blame  J    Yarrington. 

President 
Mrs.  8.  Edward  Bensinger 
Gordon  Bent 
Harry  0.  Bercher 
Bowen  Blair 
Stanton  R.  Cook 
William  R.  Dickinson,  Jr. 
Thomas  E.  Donnelley  II 
Marshall  Field 
Nicholas  Galitzine 
Paul  W.  Goodrich 
Remick  McDowell 
Hugo  J.  Melvotn 
J.  Roscoe  Miller 
William  H.  Mitchell 
Charles  F.  Murphy.  Jr. 
Harry  M.  Oliver,  Jr. 
John  T.  Pirie.  Jr. 
John  S    Runnells 
Wiiham  L    Searle 


Edward  Byron  Smith 
John  M.  Simpson 
Mrs.  Hermon  Dunlap 

Smith 
John  W.  Sullivan 
William  G.  Swarlchild.  Jr. 
E.  Leiand  Webber 
Julian  B.  Witkms 

Life  Trustees 

William  McCormick  Blair 
Joseph  N.  Field 
Clifford  C-  Gregg 
Samuel  Insull.  Jr. 
William  V.  Kahler 
Hughston  M.  McBain 
James  L,  Palmer 
John  G.  Searle 
Louis  Ware 
J.  Howard  Wood 


COVER 

Wildebeeste  and  zebra  in  Tanzania's  Serengeli  National  Park; 
photo  by  Norman  Myers.  Cover  design  by  Patricia  J.  Brew. 


r/ie  Fie!d  Museum  ol  Natural  History  Bulletin  is  published  monthly, 
except  combined  July/ August  issue,  by  F:eld  l\/1useum  of  Natural 
History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive.  Chicago,  Illinois  60605. 
Subscrptons:  $6  a  year;  $3  a  year  for  schools.  Members  of  the 
Museum  subscribe  through  Museum  membership.  Opinions  expressed 
by  authors  are  their  ov«n  and  do  not  necessarily  reflect  the  policy  ol 
Field  Museum.  Unsolicited  manuscripts  are  welcome. 
PoGt.master;  Piease  send  form  3579  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
H.Story,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  Illinois  60605. 
ISSN:  0015-0703 


Februa'y  1974 


r 


Four-year-old  Kathy  SchnelOer 
of  New  York  CHy  wears  an  air 
pollution  mask  io  dramatize 
the  need  tor  cleaner  air. 
The  mask  does  nothing,  however, 
to  filter  out  carbon  monoxide. 
The  earth's  total  vegetation, 
represented  by  Kathy's  peony, 
releases  tar  more  of  this  gas 
— during  growth  and  decay — 
than  all  man-made  machines. 
(United  Press  Photo) 

^ll       '•'  "l     "     ''     '•  '•         '  •       111     I         K-»» 


CARBON 
MONOXIDE 

the  bright  side 
to  the  pollution  coin 

by  Edward  J.  Olsen 


From  the  outset  of  the  environmental 
preservation  movement  in  the  United 
States  we  have  been  repeatedly 
badgered  by  statements  and  statistics 
that  worry  and  frighten  us  over  the 
current  quality  of  our  lives — with 
gloomy  prognoses  unless  decisive 
action  is  taken.  Most  people  feel 
helpless  in  the  face  of  statements  in 
the  media  that  warn  of  noxious 
chemical  compounds,  about  which  they 
know  little  or  nothing  and  over  which 
they  can  exercise  practically  no 
personal  control.  On  the  face  of  it,  it 
seems  as  if  there  is  nothing  but 
horrendous  statistics  and  "bad  guys." 

Environmentalism  was,  a  few  years 
ago,  an  "in"  thing,  especially  popular 
among  the  young,  who  formed 
hundreds  of  chapters  of  "Earth  Clubs" 
nationwide.  Most  of  this  youthful 
enthusiasm  has  of  course  drained  away 
leaving,  as  usual,  a  hard  nucleus  of 
individuals  in  universities,  government, 
and  private  sectors  who  have  continued 
in  methodical  fashion  to  tackle  the 
difficult  problems  and  gradually  effect 
changes  where  necessary.  One  of  the 
results  of  the  research  of  such  groups 
has  been  the  measurement  and 
accurate  assessment  of  pollutants, 
replacing  the  often  inaccurate  "guess- 
timates" of  earlier  environmentalists. 


Dr.  Edward  J.  Olsen  is  curator  ol  mineralogy 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


Some  years  ago  we  were  horrified  to 
hear  the  more  vocal  (and  emotional) 
environmental  advocates  tell  us  that  we 
were  releasing,  annually,  270  million 
tons  of  the  gas  carbon  monoxide 
(CO)  into  our  atmosphere.  The 
atmosphere  was  carrying  an  amount 
of  some  530  million  tons.  Thus,  man 
was  creating  an  annual  input  of  about 
51  percent  of  the  amount  the 
atmosphere  was  holding — a  truly 
frightening  figure!  iVIost  of  this  gas  can 
be  directly  attributed  to  automotive 
exhausts,  for  CO  is  produced  by  the 
incomplete  combustion  of  gasoline  in 
auto  engines.  It  is  also  produced  in 
most  industrial  fuel  burning  and  from 
home  heating  plants.  CO  is,  as  we  all 
know,  a  highly  poisonous  gas.  Thus,  it 
appeared  we  were  pumping  the  major 
percentage  of  a  highly  toxic  gas  into 
the  atmosphere;  the  implied  result 
was  clear. 


Beyond  these  few  superficialities  we 
l<new  little.  We  did  not  have  records  of 
the  CO  content  of  the  atmosphere 
over  long  spans  of  time,  especially 
from  pre-automotive  and  pre-industrial 
times.  We  did  not  know  of  any  major 
producers  of  this  gas  on  earth  other 
than  ourselves.  The  first  major  effort 
was  an  attempt  to  reduce  CO 
emissions  from  auto  engines,  as  well 
as  other  auto  exhaust  gases.  The 
result  has  been,  as  we  all  know, 
several  yards  of  tubes  and  pipes,  plus 
other  makeshift  gadgetry  on  newer 
auto  engines,  that  cause  them  to  balk 
and  lurch,  and  to  reduce  mileage  by 
two  or  three  miles  per  gallon.  The 
new  equipment  has,  however,  reduced 
CO  emissions  along  with  a  large 
variety  of  other  noxious  gases.  These 
measures  have  turned  a  basically 
polluting  engine  into  a  less  polluting 
one,  at  the  price  of  poorer  efficiency 


Japanese  policemen 
measure  CO  content 
ot  auto  exhaust  in 
downtown  Tol^yo. 
Emissions  from  autos 
and  other  man-made 
sources  account  tor 
only  about  6.5%  ot 
the  CO  produced  on 
earth. 

(United  Press 
International  Photo) 


and  operation.  The  point  was  to  buy 
time  until  a  clean  and  efficient  engine 
could  be  developed. 

Several  years  ago  it  became  obvious 
that  good  quantitative  values  for 
sources  of  CO  were  needed.  Two 
research  groups  at  Argonne  National 
Laboratory,  headed  by  Drs.  Charles  M. 
Stevens  and  Henry  L.  Crespi,  began 
the  difficult  task.  The  compound  CO 
consists  of  one  carbon  atom  attached 
to  one  oxygen  atom.  It  has  been 
known  for  a  long  time  that  a  small 
percentage  of  natural  carbon  atoms 
weigh  slightly  more  than  others:  most 
weigh  12  units  of  weight,  but  some 
weigh  13  units.  These  are  called 
'carbon-12"  and  "carbon-13," 
respectively.  Similarly,  oxygen  comes 
in  several  natural  weights  of  which 
oxygen-16  and  oxygen-18  are  the 
most  important.  Thus,  it  is  possible 
for  CO  to  have  four  different  molecular 
weights— 28,  29,  30,  31— depending 
on  whether  the  carbon  atom  weighs 
12  or  13  and  the  associated  oxygen 
atom  weighs  16  or  18,  A  given  source 
of  CO  can  produce  different 
combinations,  or  mixtures,  of  these 
four  weights  and  the  research  teams 
hoped  to  be  able  to  associate  specific 
sources  with  measured  mixtures. 

Air  samples  were  collected  in  a  wide 
variety  of  places:  swamps,  farmlands, 
air-collecting  bags  clamped  over  living 
tree  branches,  within  cities,  in  forests, 
etc.,  and  at  different  times  of  the  year. 
Although  the  air  analysis  procedure 
was  fairly  straightforward  it  was 
extremely  tedious,  whioh  is  certainly 
one  of  the  reasons  it  had  never  been 
accomplished  before  the  environmental 
hue-and-cry  began. 

The  results  were  rather  startling.  It 
turned  out  that  five  mixtures  were 
identifiable  with  distinctly  characterized 
CO.  Two  of  the  mixtures  are  found 
everywhere  in  the  world  and  may  be 
attributed  to  the  formation  of  CO  from 
methane  (CH4),  popularly  known  as 
"swamp  gas."  Ivlethane  is  produced  by 
vegetation  not  only  in  swamps  but 


February  1974 


Above,  swamps,  nee  paddies,  and  oihoi  places  vjtioro  vcgelalion  decomposes  in 
wet  or  moist  conditions  produce  methane  which,  in  turn,  reacts  with  air  to  yield 

ibout  3  billion  tons  ot  CO  each  year — about  73%  ot  the  total  put  into  the 

arth's  atmosphere.  (United  Press  Photo) 

Left,  the  living  leaves  ot  green  plants  produce  about  200  million  tons  ot  CO 
annually — about  4.9%  ol  the  total  put  into  the  earth's  atmosphere.  (United  Press 
International  Photo) 


also  In  damp  forests,  wet  fields,  and 
wherever  plant  matter  decomposes 
under  still  water  or  liigfily  moist 
conditions.  One  acre  of  rice  paddy,  for 
example,  produces  about  3,000  pounds 
of  methane  each  year,  and  this  will 
react  with  air  to  produce  over  5,000 
pounds  of  CO.  On  a  worldwide  basis 
over  3  billion  tons  of  GO  are  produced 
in  this  way. 

A  third  mixture  appears  to  result  from 
the  living  leaves  of  green  plants.  This 
accounts  for  about  200  million  tons 
of  CO  each  year,  all  of  which  is 
generated  during  the  summer  months. 

A  fourth  mixture  occurs  as  a  burst  of 
CO  during  the  autumn  months, 
producing  up  to  500  million  tons  in  a 
six-week  period.  This  mixture  is 
identified  as  the  CO  produced  by  the 
decay  of  chlorophyll  when  the  autumn 
leaves  turn  brown  and  fall. 


A  fifth  mixture  can  be  definitely  related 
to  the  CO  produced  by  automotive 
gases  and  other  man-made  sources. 
This  mixture  accounts  for  about  270 
million  tons  each  year,  and  is 
especially  enhanced  during  the  winter 
months  by  the  burning  of  oil,  gas,  and 
coal  in  the  heating  of  homes  and 
larger  buildings. 

If  you  have  been  keeping  score  you 
will  have  already  come  to  an 
unexpected  conclusion.  From  the  five 
mixtures  we  can  account  for  the 
production  of  about  3.9  billion  tons 
of  CO  annually.  This  is  certainly  an 
underestimate  because  the  study  did 
not  include  sampling  of  production  by 
the  myriad  microorganisms  that 
populate  the  waters  of  the  open 
oceans.  The  Naval  Research  Laboratory 
of  Washington,  D.C.  estimates  the 
annual  production  from  this  source  at 
150  million  tons.  Thus,  the  grand  total 


is  close  to  4.1  billion  tons,  of  which 
human  sources  account  for  only  270 
million  tons  or  only  6.5  percent! 
Therefore,  man's  production  of  this  gas 
has  only  a  small  effect  on  the  total 
CO  balance  of  the  earth's  atmosphere. 

The  balance  is  clearly  related  to  larger 
natural  forces.  The  atmospheric  load 
of  CO  is,  as  stated  earlier,  about 
530  million  tons.  This  balance  is  called 
the  "steady  state"  of  CO.  The  steady 
state  can  perhaps  best  be  explained 
by  comparing  it  to  a  normal  five-gallon 
bucket,  with  a  hole  in  the  bottom.  If 
you  let  water  trickle  into  the  bucket 
it  will  trickle  out  the  hole  just  as  fast, 
and  the  actual  wafer  content  of  the 
bucket  will  be  zero.  If,  however,  you  let 
the  water  pour  in  at  a  higher  rate,  the 
rate  at  which  it  pours  out  the  hole 
will  keep  increasing  until  the  outflow 
rate  exactly  equals  the  inflow  rate.  The 
bucket  will  then  have  a  constant  depth 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


of  water.  This  is  called  the  steady 
state  amount. 

Let  us  suppose,  for  example,  this 
amount  is  four  gallons.  Let's  further 
suppose  the  inflow  rate  (=  outflow  rate) 
is  three  gallons  per  minute.  The  inflow 
rate  is  equal  to  75  percent  of  the 
steady  state  amount  each  minute. 
Thus,  the  inflow  can  be  a  large 
percentage  of  the  content  of  the 
bucket.  It  can  even  be  many  times 
greater  than  100  percent  depending 
on  the  Inflow  rate  and  the  size  of  the 
hole  out  of  which  the  water  is  pouring. 
This  is  analogous  to  the  annual 
man-made  production  of  about  51 
percent  of  the  steady  state  content 
of  CO  in  the  atmosphere.  The 
percentages  appear  impressive,  but 
they  do  not  tell  the  whole  story. 

It  is  clear  that  if  4.1  billion  tons  of 
CO  are  being  put  into  the  atmosphere 
each  year,  and  the  steady  state 
amount  is  only  530  million  tons,  then 
around  3,6  billion  tons  of  it  are  being 
broken  down  each  year.  The  fate  of 
the  CO  molecule  is  its  conversion  to 
carbon  dioxide  (CO?),  which  is  a 


nontoxic  gas.  The  chemical  processes 
in  the  atmosphere  that  convert  CO  to 
CO2  are  extremely  fast — faster  than 
imagined  heretofore.  The  life 
expectancy  of  an  average  CO  molecule 
depends  on  the  season,  about  40 
days  in  the  winter  and  only  10  days 
in  the  summer. 

The  man-made  production  of  CO,  then, 
is  an  insignificant  factor  in  the  amount 
of  this  toxic  gas  in  the  atmosphere. 
It  is  controlled  primarily  by  the  natural 
biological  environment,  and  the  steady 
state  amount  in  the  atmosphere  would 
be  little  different  if  mankind  ceased 
to  exist.  It  is  clear  now  that  man 
himself  evolved  in  an  environment  that 
contained  about  the  same  steady  state 
amount  of  CO,  and  his  tolerance  for 
it  in  that  amount  and  its  seasonal 
variations  must  necessarily  be  a  part 
of  his  evolutionary  heritage. 

This  is  not  to  say  that  CO  is  not  a 
hazard  under  many  circumstances. 
Before  it  disperses  and  decomposes  it 
can  be  concentrated  in  toxic  or  near 
toxic  amounts.  Certainly  during  rush 
hours  at  street  level  on  major  avenues 


Sources  of  Carbon  Monoxide  in  the  Earth's  Atmosphere 


methane  reacting  with  air  73%  100% 

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllli 


chlorophyll  decomposition  12% 
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIU 


man-made  6.5% 


respiration  from  living  leaves  4.9% 
■lllllll 


ocean  microorganisms  3.7% 

iiiiiiin 


in  the  "canyons  "  of  Chicago,  New 
York,  and  other  large  cities  CO  can 
temporarily  rise  to  serious  levels. 
Weather  conditions  can  occasionally 
retard  the  dispersal  of  auto  exhaust 
for  several  days.  These  are  the  smog 
alert  periods  cities  experience  so  often, 
especially  in  the  summer  months.  For 
this  reason  the  emission  controls  on 
automobiles  are  desirable. 

It  should  also  be  mentioned  that  the 
conversion  of  toxic  CO  to  nontoxic 
CO;  is  only  a  mixed  blessing.  Man,  as 
we  have  seen,  is  putting  very  little  of 
the  total  CO  into  the  atmosphere, 
and  the  conversion  of  this  small  input 
to  CO2  is  correspondingly  small;  270 
million  tons  of  CO  will  ultimately 
produce  only  about  420  million  tons  of 
CO;,  Natural  biological  sources  are 
producing  over  6  billion  tons  of  CO2 
from  CO  each  year. 

The  problem  arises,  however,  that  man 
is  directly  adding  major  amounts  of 
CO;  to  the  atmosphere,  not  by  the  CO 
route.  The  same  fuels  that  produce 
CO  also  produce  many,  many  times 
more  CO2;  it  is  a  product  of  complete 
combustion  of  fuels.  Consequently, 
the  CO2  content  of  the  atmosphere 
has  shown  a  continuous  rise  of  about 
0.2  percent  per  year  for  almost  two 
decades.  Clearly,  the  input  rate  is 
exceeding  the  rate  at  which  CO2  can 
be  itself  removed,  mainly  by  plants, 
absorption  into  soil,  and  absorption 
into  oceans  and  lakes.  A  steady  state 
amount  has  not  been  attainable.  This  is 
analogous  to  pouring  water  into  our 
leaky  bucket  at  a  rate  faster  than  the 
leak  can  possibly  let  it  out — it  turns 
into  a  runaway  state  in  which  the 
bucket  overflows.  CO2  is  not  toxic; 
however,  it  has  other  effects. 

CO:  acts  to  retard  the  radiation  of 
heat  from  the  sun's  rays  back  into 
space.  This  could  mean  a  gradual 
build-up  in  heat  in  the  atmosphere,  the 
so-called  "greenhouse  effect."  The 
ultimate  result  could  be  a  gradual 
worldwide  climatic  change  that  would 

(Concluded  on  page  14) 


6  March  1974 


Yarriniton  Elected  7th  Museum  President 


Blaine  J.  Yarrington,  Field  Museum  trustee  since 
1970  and  ctiairman  of  the  Corporate  and  Foun- 
dation Division  of  ttie  Museum's  $25-million 
Capital  Campaign,  was  elected  president  of  the 
Museum  by  the  Board  of  Trustees  at  its  meeting 
January  21,  He  succeeds  Remick  McDowell, 
who  is  retiring. 

Yarrington,  president  of  Amoco  Oil  Company,  a 
subsidiary  of  Standard  Oil  Company  (Indiana), 
is  a  native  of  Albany,  Missouri.  Just  before  his 
20th  birthday,  in  1938,  he  joined  Standard  at 
St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  After  advancing  through  a 
series  of  positions,  he  was  named  district  man- 
ager at  Joliet,  Illinois,  in  1960. 

In  1961,  Yarrington  became  New  Yorl<  Regional 
Manager  for  American  Oil  Company  (now 
Amoco).  Three  years  later  he  returned  to  the 
General  Office  in  Chicago  and  in  1965  was 
elected  a  vice  president  of  Standard,  responsi- 
ble for  world-wide  coordination  of  marketing, 
distribution,  transportation,  crude  oil  and  product 
supply,  and  purchasing. 

Elected  executive  vice  president  of  American 
Oil  in  1967,  Yarrington  was  responsible  for 
marketing,  manufacturing,  transportation,  pur- 
chasing, and  traffic.  After  becoming  president 
of  American  Oil  in  1970,  he  was  elected  a 
director  of  Standard  Oil  Company  (Indiana). 
In  addition  to  serving  as  president  of  the 
National  4-H  Service  Committee,  Inc.,  Yarrington 


McDowell 


Yarrington 


is  a  member  of  the  boards  of  Continental  Illinois 
National  Bank  and  the  Continental  Illinois  Cor- 
poration, the  Bank  and  Trust  Company  of 
Arlington  Heights,  the  Chicago  Association  of 
Commerce  and  Industry,  Illinois  Manufacturers 
Association,  Chicago  Metropolitan  Area  of  the 
National  Alliance  of  Businessmen,  and  the 
Community  Fund  of  Chicago.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Business  Advisory  Council  of 
the  Chicago  Urban  League,  among  his  other 
associations. 

McDowell,  who  has  served  as  president  of  the 
Museum  since  1969  and  trustee  since  1966. 
also  retired  last  month  from  his  position  as 
chairman  of  the  executive  committee  of  Peoples 
Gas  Company.  He  will  continue  as  a  trustee  of 
Field  Museum. 

Other  officers  elected  at  the  Museum's  annual 
meeting  include  the  following  vice  presidents: 
William  G.  Swartchild  Jr.,  for  program  planning 
and  evaluation:  Bowen  Blair,  resource  planning 
and  development:  Thomas  E.  Donnelley  II, 
public  affairs;  Julian  B.  Wilkins,  facilities  plan- 
ning; and  William  L.  Searle,  internal  affairs. 
Also  elected  were  Edward  Byron  Smith,  trea- 
surer, and  John  S.  Runnells,  secretary. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


Wildlife  Parks 
in  Emergent  Atnca 

The  Outlook  for  their  Survival 


"1^ 


Photographs  by  the  author 


Naturalists  have  for  years  attempted  to  preserve  samples 
of  natural  ecologies  in  order  that  man  in  his  eagerness  to 
"develop"  our  planet  would  not,  in  the  process,  destroy 
all  natural  systems.  In  the  developed  countries  such  de- 
struction has  proceeded  almost  unabated.  Usually  this 
process  has  occurred  without  our  having  any  understand- 
ing of  what  was  being  destroyed — let  alone  whether  it 
might  be  to  man's  advantage  lor  It  to  be  lelt  alone.  We 
have  come  to  realize  that  most  of  the  world's  ecological 
systems  are  so  intricate  and  extensive  in  their  inter- 
relationships, and  in  such  delicate  balance,  that  merely 
isolating  relatively  small  segments  of  the  earth's  surface 
and  thus  attempting  to  preserve  them  will  not  alone 
suffice.  Furthermore,  those  few  areas  that  have  been  in 
all  good  conscience  set  aside  are  forever  subject  to 
man's  unique  penchant  for  "devefopment." 

Dr.  Norman  Myers,  an  ecologist  and  a  consultant  in  con- 


servation biology  in  Kenya,  is  eminently  aware  ot  these 
problems.  He  proposes  some  unusual  solutions.  While 
unconventional  and  contrary  in  some  respects  to  tradi- 
tional approaches,  his  proposals  are  worthy  of  considera- 
tion. He  has  expounded  his  ideas  at  length  in  an  essay  In 
Science  (Dec.  22,  1972).  This  article  so  intrigued  me  that 
I  sought  out  Dr.  Myers  while  in  Kenya  last  year  to  see  il 
he  might  provide  Museum  members  with  some  further 
perspective  on  wildlife  conservation  via  the  Museum 
Bulletin.  His  thought-provoking  essay  which  appears  here 
IS  necessarily  lengthy,  lor  the  subject  is  complex  and  the 
attendant  problems  awesome.  But  nature  lovers  must 
have  an  intelligent  awareness  of  all  sides  ot  these  prob- 
lems if  sofutions  compatible  with  their  interests  are  to  be 
found.  Those  who  wish  to  pursue  Dr.  Myers'  ideas  further 
will  find  his  The  Long  African  Day  (Macmillan,  1972)  ot 
Interest. 

— Dr.  William  D.  Turnbull,  curator  of  fossil  mammals 


February  1974 


by  Norman  Myers 

Yellowstone  National  Park  was  founded 
just  over  one  hundred  years  ago,  and 
together  with  most  other  parks  of  North 
America  it  stands  a  good  chance  of 
lasting  another  hundred  years.  But  the 
outlook  for  parks  and  reserves  in  the 
savannah  areas  of  Africa  can  scarcely 
be  so  hopeful.  Indeed,  one  must  ask 
whether  they  will  survive  this  century. 

Nowhere  outside  Africa  is  there  such  a 
large  remnant  of  the  tremendous 
panoply  of  mammals  that  roamed  during 
the  Pleistocene  (1,000,000  to  10,000 
years  ago),  which  in  turn  comprised  the 
most  spectacular  array  of  mammal  life 
the  planet  has  known.  The  new  nations 
of  Africa  have  been  working  hard  to 
protect  their  wildlife  heritage.  Tanzania, 
for  example,  expanded  during  its  first 
decade  of  independence  (acquired  in 
1 961 )  its  network  of  parks  from  one  to 
eight;  another  three  are  on  the  drawing 
boards.  It  has  been  spending  a  greater 
slice  of  its  national  income  on  parks 
than  does  the  United  States,  and  does  it 
with  a  total  annual  budget  of  less  than 
what  Californians  spend  each  year 
when  they  go  sport  fishing. 

The  parks  of  savannah  Africa  cover 
some  extensive  tracts.  In  eastern  Africa 
(Kenya,  Tanzania,  Uganda,  and  Zambia) 
the  parks  total  38,000  square  miles — an 
area  the  size  of  New  England.  Outside 
this  main  region,  other  parks  comprise 
an  additional  40,000  square  miles. 
Similar  parks  have  been  set  up  in 
western  Africa,  but  they  are  not  as 
significant  for  conserving  wildlife  as  the 
great  chain  of  parks  along  the  eastern 
side.  IVlost  African  parks  are  in 
savannah  zones,  though  other  parks 
protect  mountain  and  marine  biotopes. 
Tsavo  Park  in  Kenya  and  Kafue  Park  in 
Zambia  are  both  over  8,000  square 
miles  in  area,  Kruger  is  over  7,000, 
Serengeti  5,000,  Wankie  5,600, 


"Wildlife  Parks  in  Emergent  Africa"  is  in  part 
adapted  from  Dr.  Myers'  "National  Parks  in 
Savannah  Africa/'  which  appeared  in 
Science,  Vol.  178.  pp.  1.255-63,  Dec.  22, 
1972. 


Luangwa  Valley  5,000,  Ruaha  5,000, 
Kalahari-Gemsbok  8,030,  and  Virunga 
(formerly  known  as  Albert  or  Kivu) 
3,000.  For  comparison,  Yellowstone — 
the  largest  park  in  the  United  States — 
is  3,400  square  miles  in  area.  A  number 
of  game  reserves  in  eastern  Africa 
afford  adequate  protection  to  wildlife, 
the  most  notable  being  Selous  in 
Tanzania  with  15,000  square  miles. 

Parks  not  large  enough 

But  these  parks  and  reserves  for  the 
most  part  are  still  too  small.  Their 
borders  were  generally  established  in 
response  to  political  expediency  rather 
than  ecological  requirements,  with  scant 
regard  for  the  year-round  needs  of  wild 
herbivores.  The  huge  throngs  of 
wildebeest,  zebra,  gazelle,  and  other 
large  mammals  now  total  almost  two 
million  in  Serengeti  Park  alone,  and  the 
park  should  be  enlarged  by  one-third 
or  two-thirds  in  order  to  meet  the 
long-term  needs  of  its  ecosystem. 
During  a  recent  drought,  for  instance, 
the  wildebeest  migrated  25  miles 
beyond  the  park's  perimeter  in  search 
of  fresh  grazing  and  water. 

In  October,  1973,  Nairobi  National  Park 
totaled  26,000  herbivores  for  its  44 
square  miles,  in  contrast  to  its  usual 
population  of  only  4,000  herbivores. 
The  massive  influx  came  from  the 
hinterland  territories,  ten  times  larger 
than  the  park  itself.  Thus,  Nairobi 
Park's  ecounit  totals  almost  450  square 
miles,  and  without  protection  for  this 
wide  stretch  of  the  life-support  system, 
the  park  will  not  be  permanently  viable. 
Nairobi  Park,  in  common  with  Tsavo, 
Wankie,  Kruger,  and  a  number  of  other 
parks,  has  constructed  dams  and 
pumping  stations  to  provide  water  for 
wild  herbivores  during  the  dry  season, 
hence  the  seasonal  fluctuations  in 
numbers. 

In  the  past,  these  variations  have  not 
mattered  much  because  adequate 
lebensraum  was  present  in  the  support 
zone  of  the  environs  of  the  parks.  But 
now  savannah  Africa  is  experiencing 
the  biological  and  economic  pressures 


of  its  human  population,  and  the 
response  of  the  two  processes  in 
combination  is  much  greater  than  the 
arithmetic  sum  of  the  two  if  they 
worked  in  isolation.  The  most  fertile 
areas  of  Africa  now  frequently  support 
ai  least  500  human  cultivators  per 
square  mile,  and  in  some  areas  1 ,500  to 
2,000.  In  spite  of  high  mortality  rates, 
population  growth  rates  in  black  Africa 
are  among  the  highest  in  the  world. 
This  means  a  human  spillover  from  the 
fertile  territories  into  less  suitable  but 
more  spacious  biomes,  notably  the 
savannah  grasslands.  The  process  is 
taking  place  at  extraordinary — and 
accelerating — rates.  Uganda  has  seen 
the  amount  of  land  available  to 
elephants  decline  from  70  percent  of 


Drought  in  the 
Serengeti:  Gazelles 
strip  leaves  from  low 
branches. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin  9 


AFRICA 


National  parks  and  reserves 
discussed  in  the  text 

Kenya 

Tsavo   8,024  Sq.  m 

Nairobi   44 

Tanzania 

Ngofongofo  Crfiler  4,000 

Ruaha 5  000 

Selous    ,..,  11,  dpi 

Serengeli.  jOui; 

Zambia 

Katue  Park  8,650 

Luangwa  Valley fj,00o 

Rhodesia 

Wankie  5,600 

Botswana 

Gemsbok   4,300 

South  Africa 

Kalahari  3,730 


the  country  in  1929,  to  17  percent  in 
1959,  to  less  ttian  10  percent  by  1974. 
While  the  overall  number  of  elephants 
in  Uganda  is  diminishing,  the  number 
of  elephants  in  the  parks  is  increasing 
through  immigration. 

Complexity  of  African  parks 

Moreover,  there  is  some  justification  for 
saying  that  a  park  in  savannah  Africa 
could  hardly  ever  be  large  enough.  In 
North  America  and  elsewhere  in  the 
temperate  zones,  a  wildland  ecosystem 
is  generally  not  so  complex  or  so 
integrated  as  those  in  tropical  Africa. 
A  disruption  of  the  w/orkings  of 
Yellowstone  or  Yosemite,  whether 


within  the  protected  zone  or  outside, 
does  not  set  off  such  significant 
repercussions  throughout  the  system. 
An  African  park,  by  contrast,  features 
an  extreme  diversity  of  animal  and 
plant  life;  this  is  what  makes  it  unique. 
Precisely  because  of  these  dynamic 
aspects,  parks  in  Africa  lend 
themselves  much  less  readily  to  being 
put  behind  "fences,"  whether  on  the 
ground  or  on  a  park  warden's  maps  or 
in  the  minds  of  international 
connoisseurs  of  parks.  An  African  park 
ecosystem  is  more  open-ended  than 
the  relatively  "static"  parks  in  the 
temperate  zones.  In  addition,  North 
American  parks  are  frequently 


established  to  protect  wild  landscapes 
as  much  as  to  protect  wild  animals. 
Not  that  these  factors  should  be 
considered  merely  as  limitations  on 
functional  management;  they  can  also 
serve  as  constraints  on  creative  policy. 

In  the  medium-term,  let  alone  the 
long-run  prospects  for  parks  in  Africa, 
the  survival  parameters  will  depend  on 
the  extent  to  which  ecological 
determinants  are  balanced  with 
socioeconomic  factors.  This  equilibrium 
must  be  established  and  maintained  at 
the  interface  between  "nature's  world  " 
and  "man's  world"  (to  use  two  rather 
imprecise  and  disputable  terms — man 
is,  after  all,  of  "nature,"  and  "nature" 
is  a  human  concept — but  these  terms 
nonetheless  serve  to  point  up  the  two 
sides  of  the  argument  as  frequently 
perceived).  In  Africa,  a  reconciliation 
between  ecologic  and  economic 
factors  must  recognize  that  tropical 
environments  feature  great  productivity 
and  great  vulnerability.  In  addition  to 
these  two  aspects  to  be  safeguarded, 
there  are  often  a  dozen  additional 
interests  arising  from  man's  immediate 
and  future  needs:  the  needs  of  human 
communities  in  emergent  Africa,  the 
needs  of  conservationists  outside 
Africa,  the  needs  of  tourists,  of  the 
biotic  associations,  of  the  physiographic 
background,  and  so  forth.  When  once 
the  conflict  is  recognized  as  comprising 
not  merely  two  sides  in  direct 
opposition,  but  as  constituting  a 
spectrum  of  activities  to  be 
accommodated  in  common  accord, 
then  conflict  could  give  way  to 
coordination,  allowing  the  exceptional 
potential  of  savannah  ecosystems — for 
meat  and  money  as  well  as  spectacle 
and  science — to  be  mobilized  for 
man's  benefit. 


Issues  affecting  park  survival 

To  tackle  this  situation,  a  prerequisite 
contribution  rests  in  park  policy:  what 
IS  a  park  supposed  to  be?  what 
purposes  should  it  serve?  One  central 
issue  concerns  the  extent  to  which 
park  policy  at  the  national  level  should 


10 


February  1974 


be  permitted  to  conflict  with  what  is 
unique  to  a  particular  area.  Tsavo  Parl< 
affords  a  refuge  for  one  of  the  last 
great  aggregations  of  elephants  and 
the  only  great  aggregation  of  black 
rhinoceros  left  on  earth.  Should  it  not 
therefore  be  managed  as  a  park  for 
these  two  species,  instead  of  as  a 
duplicate  of  the  spectrum  of  plains 
herbivores  to  be  seen  in  a  dozen  other 
parts  of  Kenya  alone?  Not,  of  course, 
that  Tsavo  should  protect  the  elephants 
whatever  the  cost  to  other  creatures; 
the  first  to  suffer  would  probably  be 
the  rhinoceros,  since  it  is  the  only 
other  large  browser  without  a 
regurgitatory  digestive  system  for 
extracting  as  much  protein  as  possible 
from  the  plants  that  it  eats.  Perhaps 
the  objective  should  be  to  aim  at  as 
large  a  number  of  elephants  and 
rhinoceros  as  possible,  in  conjunction 
with  protecting  the  park's  ability  to 
support  a  variety  of  "high  interest" 
species  and  communities. 

A  second  issue  deals  with  the  notion 
that  wilderness  is  to  be  protected  from 
the  interfering  hand  of  man,  especially 
modern  man.  According  to  this 
approach,  African  parks  should 
constitute  areas  of  the  earth  on  which 
man  can  look  without  seeing  the 
reflection  of  his  own  image.  But  in 
many  instances,  a  policy  of  excluding 
man  would  imply  that  this  should  be 
the  first  occasion  in  a  very  long  time 
that  an  area  has  been  freed  of  man's 
influence.  Man  is  a  component,  if  not 
the  dominant  component,  of  most 
ecosystems  in  Africa.  The  Uganda 
parks  were  the  scene  of  human 
habitations  for  centuries  (if  not  millenia) 
until  the  early  part  of  this  century.  The 
site  of  Nairobi  Park  was  used  as  a 
military  training  ground,  for  growing 
wheat,  and  for  leisure  riding,  until  its 
designation  as  a  park  only  25  years 
ago.  Potsherds  dating  from  the  time  of 
Christ  have  been  found  in  Serengeti 
Park.  Indeed,  some  of  the  grassland 
areas  with  their  tremendous  throngs  of 
herbivores  may  have  arisen  as  a  result 
of  the  extensive  practices  of  pastoralist 
man,  burning  away  bush  to  increase 


Serengeli  leopard  with  ils  kill 


forage  areas  for  his  livestock,  during 
only  the  past  5,000  years.  The 
immense  concourse  of  Serengeti 
animals,  two  million  strong,  is  a 
spectacle  that  was  probably  afforded  to 
very  few  of  our  primitive  ancestors  of 
Africa, 

To  this  extent,  then,  parks  should  be 
established  not  merely  to  guard  against 
something,  namely  man  and  his 
unwanted  works.  More  positive 
justifications  for  parks  include  the 
values  to  science.  Ecologists  and 
ethologists  can  investigate  them  as 
"reference  points"  against  which  man 
can  measure  the  effects  of  his  activities 
in  other  parts  of  his  living  space.  All  the 
more  is  this  pertinent  when  the  wildland 
phenomena  to  be  protected  constitute 
exceptional  instances  of  nature's  works. 


Supporting  parks  through  tourism 

Serengeti  Park  illustrates  the  conflicts 
facing  those  who  frame  policies  for 
parks.  The  park  serves  a  range  of  overt 
and  covert  purposes:  encouraging 
tourism,  stimulating  the  regional 
economy,  serving  science,  reflecting 
the  national  need  for  revenue  or 
prestige  or  both,  matching  the  local 
need  for  meat  and  money,  serving  the 
worlds  needs  for  irreplaceable 
spectacles,  among  others — not  all  of 
which  purposes  are  compatible. 
Throughout  the  1960s,  Tanzania  was 
fortunate  in  having  its  network  of  parks 
extended,  with  great  energy  and 
foresight,  while  there  was  still  time  and 
space  to  do  so.  But  during  the  1970s, 
significant  socioeconomic  changes  are 
overtaking  the  country,  changes  as 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


"/( is  not  only  the  Alrican  lion  that  is  a  marvel 
ot  nature  in  Alrica,  it  Is  the  Alrican  ecosystem 
within  which  the  lion  exists  In  Its  own 
distinctive  manner. " 


far-reaching  for  Serengeti  in  five  years 
as  those  that  tool<  fifty  years  in  times 
before  the  parl<  was  established.  By 
the  1980s,  there  could  well  be  ten 
times  as  many  visitors  to  Serengeti  as 
the  present  70,000.  They  would  be 
bringing  enough  foreign  exchange  into 
the  country  so  there  would  be  little 
doubt  as  to  the  most  profitable  use  for 
Serengeti,  provided  of  course  that 
tourist  revenues  could  be  more 
equitably  distributed  around  the  region. 

Yet,  in  the  interim,  some  arrangement 
is  needed  to  bridge  the  critical  period 
of  the  next  ten  years.  As  with  many 
other  aspects  of  contemporary  life, 
society  Dadly  needs  broad-scalo 


schemes  to  Induce  people  to  regard 
parks  as  long-term  investments:  pay 
now,  benefit  later.  Areas  such  as 
Serengeti  might  well  qualify  for  what 
the  rest  of  the  world  could  contribute 
In  the  way  of  "cost  difference 
compensation,"  especially  when  the 
rest  of  the  world  is  insistent  that  what 
is  at  stake  is  not  the  Africans'  heritage 
alone.  Compensation  along  these  lines 
might  eventually  be  available  under  the 
World  Heritage  Trust  system  of  parks, 
protected  areas  being  formulated  by 
the  United  Nations  Educational, 
Scientific,  and  Cultural  Organization 
(UNESCO). 

Furthermore,  tourism  as  a  support  for 
parks  Is  subject  to  serious  criticisms, 
by  the  man  living  in  the  park  hinterlands 
or  within  a  game  reserve  itself.  With  a 
monthly  Income  perhaps  totalling  what 
a  single  busload  of  tourists  pays  at  the 
park  entrance  and  with  a  waistline  that 
reveals  different  nutritional  problems 
from  those  of  the  visiting  foreigners,  he 
Is  little  interested  in  foreign  exchange. 
He  Is  little  likely  to  be  any  more 
impressed  by  tourism's  impact  on  the 
economy  than  is  the  American  rancher 
who  sees  his  rangeland  disrupted  by 
the  Yellowstone  elk  herds.  The  African 
peasant  knows  a  leopard  not  as  a 
splendid  subject  for  the  camera 
viewfinder  but  as  a  beast  that  may 
ravage  his  livestock. 

The  gate  fees  of  most  parks  go  to  the 
national  exchequer,  although  a  portion 
is  sometimes  diverted  to  the  district 
treasury.  Game  reserves  are  usually 
run  by  the  local  council,  which  gets 
most,  If  not  all,  of  the  revenues.  Safari 
lodge  owners  and  other  concessionaires 
in  parks  and  reserves  generally  pay  a 
bed  levy  and  various  other  taxes,  some 
of  which  go  to  augment  local  funds. 
But  these  allocations  of  revenue  are 
rarely  what  the  local  man  thinks  of  as 
local.  Amboseli's  central  sanctuary  of 
30  square  miles  has  been  producing 
well  over  half  the  total  income  for  the 
8,000-square-mile  district.  These  profits 
should  allow  for  dispensaries,  schools, 
and  cattle  dips  all  across  the 


landscape  for  those  Ivlasai  who  have 
been  particularly  deprived  by  tourists' 
needs;  hitherto  they  have  benefited  but 
little  from  tourist  contributions  to  the 
district  treasury. 

Support  through  game  cropping 

A  more  favorable  prospect  for  the  local 
man,  as  well  as  for  park  administrators 
with  an  excess  wildlife  population,  is 
game  cropping.  The  ecological  merits 
of  cropping  have  been  documented  in 
detail,  and  the  economic  potential  of 
turning  wild  creatures  Into  meat  and 
trophies  is  considerable.  Cropping,  like 
tourism,  need  not  be  an  exclusive 
activity,  since  it  can  prove 
complementary  to  subsistence  or 
commercial  livestock  ranching.  It  can 
also  support  rather  than  conflict  with 
park  policies,  even  if  these  policies  are 
seen  as  protecting  wilderness  for  its 
aesthetic,  cultural,  and  scientific  values 
alone,  while  on  the  other  hand, 
cropping  is  a  purely  commercial 
activity.  During  the  1960s,  20  million 
pounds  of  elephant  and  hippopotamus 
meat  from  park  cropping  projects  were 
put  on  the  market  in  Uganda.  Butchers 
came  from  100  miles  away  for  a 
product  which  they  knew  had  a  ready 
market.  Presumably  the  customers  with 
protein-poor  diets  had  few  qualms 
about  whether  the  meat  was  poached 
or  legally  shot,  whether  it  derived  from 
conservation  management  or  from 
commercial  exploitation;  they  gladly 
left  such  deliberations  to  wilderness 
moralists. 

Cropping  can  also  be  highly  profitable. 
An  elephant — the  most  frequent 
candidate  for  projects  aimed  at 
reducing  excess  park  populations — is 
worth  at  least  $250.  A  reduction 
campaign  of  10  percent  for  the  surplus 
elephants  in  Tsavo  Park  would  double 
the  present  financial  allocation  for  all 
of  Kenya's  parks,  while  a 
substained-yleld  harvest  of  5  percent 
per  year  would  triple  the  total  wildlife 
research  budget.  (Natural  mortality 
accounts  for  7  percent  in  a  stable 
population.) 


February  1974 


These  possibilities  emphasize  the  need 
to  view  parl<s  as  no  more  than 
heartlands  within  broad  ranges  of 
supporting  territory  to  permit  genetic 
exchange;  to  provide  protection  against 
disease,  and  to  allow  scope  for  the 
various  dynamic  and  compensatory 
factors  which  constitute  what  is 
ultimately  unique  about  African  parks. 
It  is  not  only  the  African  lion  that  Is  a 
marvel  of  nature  in  Africa,  it  is  the 
African  ecosystem  within  which  the  lion 
exists  in  its  own  unique  manner. 

The  strategy  of  multiple  use  of  land, 
as  implied  by  these  policy 
perspectives,  is  being  attempted  at  the 
3,200-square-mile  Ngorongoro 
Conservation  Unit  in  northern  Tanzania. 
Here,  a  broad  range  of  resources  and 
an  integrated  strategy  attempt  to  ca'er 
not  only  to  wildlife-based  activities  but 
to  cultivation,  pastoralism,  and  forestry 
as  well.  The  framework  allows  for 
several  purely  protective  practices, 
such  as  watershed  management.  Major 
objectives  are  directed  at  tourism  and 
game  cropping,  as  well  as  protecting 
the  supreme  spectacle  of  Ngorongoro 


Crater.  The  water  tables  of  the 
100-square-mile  crater  are  dependent 
on  catchment  areas  20  miles  beyond 
its  rim,  hence  the  forest  resources  are 
exploited  in  a  manner  compatible  with 
the  crater's  interests.  This  conse.vation 
unit  thus  allows  man  to  manage 
ecosystems  for  the  two  returns  he 
needs  from  his  environments,  namely 
simplicity  of  food  production  and 
enough  variety  in  land  forms  to  protect 
his  own  living  space.  The  largest  share 
of  the  unit's  revenues  comes  from 
tourism,  and  that  resource  base  in  turn 
is  protected  to  ensure  tourism  s 
continued  contributions  to  the  local 
economy.  If  the  crater  were  declared  a 
national  park,  the  income  would  mostly 
go  to  the  national  exchequer  in  Dar  es 
Salaam.  400  miles  away.  The 
conservation  unit  enjoys  virtually  all  the 
advantages  it  did  when  it  was  part  of 
Serengeti  Park,  and  seems  better  fitted 
to  meeting  the  pressures  of  the  future 
by  being  integrated  with  surrounding 
land  uses.  However  revolutionary  the 
Ngorongoro  strategy  may  seem  to 
conservationists  who  like  their 
sanctuaries  in  neat  packages,  it  is  not 


so  very  extraordinary  to  local  people 
who  have  long  combined  various  forms 
of  land  use.  What  seems  revolutionary 
to  them,  if  not  regrettable,  is  the  idea 
of  parks  in  segregated  segments. 

For  single  park  authority 

Those  wildlife  tracts  which  are  already 
designated  as  parks  could  receive 
better  protection  if  the  park  were 
integrated  with  a  regional  management 
plan,  operating  under  a  single 
conservation  authority.  The  hinterland 
would  constitute  a  buffer  zone  where 
game  cropping  and  sport  hunting  could 
take  place.  The  environs  would  thus 
afford  the  park  a  breathing  space, 
instead  of  a  no-man's  land  "noose" 
constricting  the  park's  life-support 
systems.  Radiating  from  the  park  at  the 
center,  with  its  policy  of  minimal 
interference  by  man,  would  be  zones 
of  increasingly  intensive  subsistence 
and  commercial  activities,  such  as 
those  now  threatening  the  ultimate 
survival  of  the  parks.  The  park  itself 
would  continue,  with  little  modification 
of  its  basic  purpose  other  than 


Elephants  and  a  water  buflalo  share  a  water  hole. 


Viewing  parks  as  natural  resource 
ecosystems,  rather  than  as  places  of 
refuge,  would  allow  a  start  on  the 
mobilization  of  all  exploitable  resources 
for  local  human  communities  of 
emergent  Africa.  This  measure  would 
anticipate  the  times  when  such  huge 
tracts  of  land  as  parks  and  reserves  in 
savannah  Africa  will  have  to  justify 
their  existence  by  meeting  local  needs. 
This  stage  will  arrive  soon  enough,  and 
parks  must  accept  the  new  situation,  if 
they  are  not  to  vanish  altogether  within 
a  few  decades.  Multiple-purpose  units, 
such  as  are  proposed  in  this  article, 
would  still  leave  scope  for  the  purist 
spectator  to  experience  wild  nature, 
undefiled  by  man's  hand. 

In  the  main,  the  institutional  framework 
known  as  "national  park"  does  not 
allow  park  managers  to  deploy  the  full 
range  of  conservationist  techniques  for 
protecting  wildland  resources.  But  a 
park  must  be  considered  a  regional  as 
well  as  a  national  entity.  In  Africa  a 
park  could  never  have  perfect 
boundaries,  since  the  ecosystems  show 


too  much  flux  in  their  workings  from 
one  season  to  the  next.  Human 
institutions,  by  contrast,  tend  to  be 
inflexible,  to  emphasize  boundaries  of 
local  authority  and  to  encourage 
administrative  autonomy.  Man  must 
strive  to  interfere  as  little  as  possible 
with  "given"  ecological  factors  such  as 
the  locality  of  the  Serengeti  migration. 
But  wildlife  parks  are,  like  any 
institution  contrived  by  man,  subject  to 
changes  dictated  by  his  biological  and 
economic  requirements.  All  the  more, 
then,  should  park  boundaries  be 
flexible  in  concept  in  order  to  match 
the  dynamics  of  park  ecosystems. 


CARBON   MONOXIDE   (from  p.  6) 

result  in  the  atmosphere  becoming 
intolerably  hot.  There  would  be  many 
associated  repercussions — for  example, 
the  surface  would  be  drier  with  much 
water  held  in  permanent  clouds, 
creating  worldwide  drought. 

Since  CO:  is  considered  today  to  be 


a  "clean"  product  of  fossil  fuel 
burning,  the  development  of  engines 
that  more  completely  burn  fuels  and 
generate  more  and  more  of  it,  though 
nontoxic  in  itself,  will  not  be  a  blessing 
in  the  long  run.  Use  of  fossil  fuels 
must  reach  a  plateau,  preferably  a 
lower  one  than  at  present,  and  other 
energy  sources  that  produce  no 
carbon-bearing  compounds  must  be 
developed. 

The  facts  about  CO  are,  nevertheless, 
of  immediate  interest.  The  earlier 
environmentalists  were  wrong  in  their 
estimates  of  the  importance  of  the 
man-made  input  of  it  into  the 
atmosphere.  They  served,  however, 
a  useful  function  in  raising  the  cry 
against  it.  The  research  that  followed 
has  laid  to  rest  the  large-scale  and 
long-term  effects  of  CO  as  a  pollutant 
(except  on  a  local  scale  for  short 
periods,  as  mentioned  above).  Were  it 
not  for  the  environmental  concerns  of 
the  few,  specific  figures  on  the  various 
sources  of  CO  might  never  have 
been  forthcoming. 


RECENT  FIELDIANA  PUBLICATIONS 

Fieldiana  publications  may  be  ordered 
directly  Horn  ttie  Field  Museum  Division 
ot  Publications. 


Anthropology  Fieldiana 

"V.  S.  Khromchenko's  Coastal  Explorations 
in  Southwestern  Alaska.  1822";  James  W. 
VanStone  editor:  translated  by  David  H, 
Kraus.  Vol.  64.  $4.25. 


Botany  Fieldiana 

"Revision  of  the  Genus  Baltimora 
(Compositae,  Heliantheae),"  by  Tod  F. 
Stuessy.  Vol.  36,  no.  5.  $0.75. 

"Hoffmannias  from  tvlexico  and  Central 
America,"  by  Louis  O.  Williams.  Vol.  36, 
no.  6.  $0.75. 


Geology  Fieldiana 

"Large  Upper  Devonian  Arthrodires  from 
Iran,"  by  Hans-Peter  Schultze.  Vol  23, 
no.  5.  $1.50. 

"Catalogue  of  Type  and  Referred  Specimens 
of  Fossil  Corals  in  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History,"  by  P.  N.  Windle, 
R,  M.  Augustynek,  and  tvl.  H.  Nitecl<i. 
Vol.  32.  $5.00. 

"New  Archaeoscyphia  (Porifera)  from  the 
Ordovician  of  Anticosti  Island,  Quebec,"  by 
J.  K.  Rigby  and  M.  H.  Nitecki.  Vol.  33, 
no.  1.  $0.75. 

"Osteology,  Function  and  Evolution  of  the 
Trematopsid  (Amphibia:  Labyrinthodontia) 
Nasal  Region,"  by  John  R.  Bolt.  Vol.  33, 
no.  2.  Price  to  be  announced 


Zoology  Fieldiana 

"Cave  Beetles  of  the  Genus 
Pseudanophthalmus  (Coleoptera,  Carabidae) 
from  the  Kentucky  Bluegrass  and  Vicinity," 
by  Carl  H.  Krekeler.  Vol.  62,  no.  4.  $2.75. 


"Notes  on  Bats  (Chiroptera:  Vespertillonidae) 
New  to  the  Fauna!  Lists  of  Afghanistan  and 
Iran,"  by  Hans  N.  Neuhauser  and  Anthony 
F.  DeBlase.  Vol.  62,  no.  5.  Pnce  to  be 

announced. 


"A  New  Genus  and  Species  of  Quill  Mites 
(Acarina:  Syrlngophilidae)  from  Colinus 
virginianus  (Galliformes:  Phaslanldae)  with 
Notes  on  Developmental  Chaetotaxy,"  by 
John  B.  Kethley.  Vol.  65.  no.  1.  $0.75. 


February  1974 


field  Museum's  Members'  Tours 
to  Grand  Canyon  and  the  Ozarks 


Grand  Canyon  Geology  Field  Trip 

August  16-24,  1974 

A  nine-day  course  on  the  geology  of  the  Grand  Canyon  region 
will  be  conducted  by  Dr.  Matthew  H.  Niteckl.  associate  curator, 
Department  of  Geology,  while  traveling  down  the  Colorado  River  on 
rubber  rafts. 

This  exciting  study  will  be  concerned  with  all  aspects  of  geology, 
but  will  stress  the  geological  history  of  the  area,  which  encompasses 
almost  one-third  of  the  earth's  history,  volcanics,  sedimentation, 
paleontology,  metamorphism,  and  erosion.  The  trip  will  be  very 
rigorous  and  no  luxuries  will  be  provided.  Half-day  geological 
inner-canyon  hikes  up  to  four  miles  are  also  planned.  Camping  out 
will  be  without  tents  and  under  the  stars.  Excellent  meals  will  be 
prepared  by  the  boat  crew. 


A  pre-trip  evening  meeting  at  Field  Museum  wil 
participants. 


be  scheduled  for 


Cost  of  the  course  is  $700.00,  which  Includes  all  expenses  (air  fare, 
boat  fare,  meals,  and  one  night's  lodging  (double  occupancy). 
Camping  supplies  (sleeping  bags,  blankets,  etc.)  will  not  be 
furnished;  these  may  be  rented  at  destination  for  an  additional  $20. 

For  further  information,  please  write  or  phone  Mrs.  Madge  Jacobs, 
922-9410,  or  use  the  coupon. 


Please  reserve        .    . 

place(s)  on 

Field  Museum's 

Grand 

Canyon  Trip. 

Enclosed  is  check  for 

$200  deposit 

per  person, 

or  $            .    . 

1  would  also  like  to  reserve  camping  equipment 

for               person(s). 

Ozarks  of  Missouri   Geology  Field  Trip 

April  7-13,  1974 

This  IS  a  geological  field  trip  led  by  Dr.  Matthew  H.  Nitecki.  associate 
curator.  Department  of  Geology,  with  hiking  in  the  countryside  and 
over  the  hills.  It  is  also  an  excursion,  with  transportation, 
accommodations,  and  good  food.  The  trip  will  include  four  long 
hikes,  for  which  appropriate  clothing  is  required. 

The  beautiful  Ozarks  region  is  a  diversified  geological  area  that 
consists  of  igneous  and  sedimentary  rocks.  The  oldest  igneous  rocks 
and  granites  were  once  molten,  and  are  at  least  one  billion  years 
old.  The  region  was  often  covered  by  a  sea,  into  which  sediments 
were  deposited,  which  later  became  rocks.  Other  geological 
processes  produced  deposits  of  minable  ores,  particularly 
lead  and  iron.  A  wide  variety  of  geological  phenomena  will  be 
studied  in  the  field,  and  fossils  and  minerals  will  be  collected  in 
mines  and  quarries. 

Headquarters  will  be  in  picturesque  Ste.  Genevieve,  Missouri,  a 
two-century-old  French  river  town,  unique  for  its  historic  and 
architectural  interest. 

Details  of  the  trip  will  be  discussed  during  a  preliminary  meeting 
for  participants  at  11:00  a.m.  on  March  16  at  Field  Museum. 
Tuition,  which  covers  all  expenses,  including  air  transportation  to 
St.  Louis,  chartered  bus  in  the  field,  hotel  (double  occupancy),  and 
meals,  is  $250.00.  For  further  information,  please  write  or  phone 
Mrs   Madge  Jacobs,  922-9410.  or  use  the  coupon. 


Please  reserve    .        .   place(s)  on  Field  Museum's  Ozarks 

Field  Trip. 

Enclosed  is  check  for  $100  deposit  per  person, 

or  $ 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


15 


Carnes  New  Education  Chairman 


Dr.  Alice  Carnes,  who  loined  the  Museum's 
Department  of  Education  in  1972  as 
coordinator  of  teacher  training,  has  been 
appointed  chairman  of  the  department,  for 
which  she  was  serving  as  acting  chairman 
for  the  past  several  months.  Before  coming 
to  the  Museum.  Dr.  Carnes  was  acting 
director  for  the  Master  of  Arts  in  Teaching 
program  of  the  University  of  Chicago,  where 
she  obtained  her  PhD.  She  received  a  BA 
degree  in  foreign  and  comparative  literature 
from  the  University  of  Rochester  In  1964, 
and  her  Master  of  Arts  in  Teaching  from 
Harvard  University  the  following  year.  Dr. 
Carnes.  with  her  husband  and  daughter, 
lives  on  Chicago's  north  side.  (Photo: 
John  Bayalis) 


The  skin  of  a  choelah 

is  sewn  around  an 

artificial  body  (lormed 

around  the  animal's 

real  bones)  by 

taxidermist  Ernst 

GramatziKi,  whose 

tinished  protect. 

shown  with  its  model. 

is  a  stunning  example 

ol  the  art  of 

taxidermy.  Gramatzki 

who  recently  resigned 

his  Museum  position 

tor  personal 

considerations,  has 

posed  the  cheetah 

in  pursuit  0/  its  prey. 

giving  it  much  more 

Interest  and 

educational  value 

than  it  would  have 

if  in  just  a  sitting  or 

standing  position. 

(Photos: 

Louva  Calhoun) 


Change  African  Arts  Festival  Date 

The  Museum's  "Contemporary  African  Arts 
Festival" — including  a  major  exhibit,  a  film 
series,  demonstrations,  and  performances — 
has  been  rescheduled  to  begin  Saturday, 
April  20,  instead  of  March  30.  You  may  wish 
to  make  a  note  of  the  new  date  on  your 
calendar  included  with  the  December 
Bulletin. 


Canon  City  Meteorite 

It  is  remarkable  that  of  approximately  nine 
meteorites  that  land  In  the  United  States 
each  year.  In  most  years  none  of  these  Is 
ever  recovered.  Even  more  remarkable  Is 
the  fact  that  so  few  objects  are  ever  struck 
by  them,  although  It  does  happen 
occasionally,  A  few  examples  would  be: 


Horse  killed.  New  Concord.  Ohio.  1860. 

Barn  roof  hit.  Forest  City.  Iowa,  1890, 

Roof  of  house  penetrated,  Baxter. 

Missouri.  1916. 

Auto  struck  inside  shed.  Benld.  Illinois. 

1938. 

Rain  gutter  torn  off  house.  Hamlet. 

Indiana.  1959. 

Warehouse  roof  penetrated,  Denver. 

Colorado.  1968. 

To  this  list  we  can  now  add  the  meteorite 
that  landed  during  the  evening  of  October 
27.  1973  in  Canon  City.  Colorado,  about  30 
miles  west  of  Pueblo.  Narrowly  missing  a 
house,  it  crashed  through  a  garage  roof  and 
smashed  onto  the  concrete  floor,  breaking 
into  more  than  fifty  pieces.  Its  total  weight 
was  1380  grams  (about  3  pounds). 

According  to  Ed  Olsen,  Field  Museum 
curator  of  mineralogy.  It  Is  a  stone  meteorite, 
very  similar  to  others  already  known. 


March  1974 


However,  he  says,  it  has  the  peculiarity  that 
most  of  the  mineral  grains  are  very  coarsely 
crystallized  rather  than  being  of  microscopic 
sizes,  as  is  the  case  with  most  others  of  its 
kind.  Olsen  says  the  meteorite  is  of 
considerable  research  interest  because  it 
was  recovered  immediately  after  its  fall  onto 
a  clean  floor,  so  there  is  little  chance  for 
contamination  by  soils  and  industrial  dusts. 

The  main  pieces  of  the  Canon  City  meteorite 
are  currently  being  subjected  to  elaborate 
radiochemical  studies  at  the  University  of 
California  (La  Jolla)  and  NASA  laboratories 


at  the  Johnson  Space  Center  in  Houston. 
Field  Museum  has  acquired  a  small  piece  of 
the  meteorite  for  mineralogical  examination. 


Underwater  Photo  Display  To  Open 

The  fascinating  and  often  dramatic  world  of 
marme  life  has  been  captured  in  full  color 
by  the  camera  of  Edwin  Janss  Jr.,  whose 
large  photographs  have  been  handsomely 
mounted  in  an  exhibit  opening  February  14 
in  Hall  9  for  a  six-month  showing.  Entitled 


"Janss  Underwater  Photography,"  the 
display,  with  label  material,  will  identify  and 
explain  unique  behavioral  patterns  of  many 
species  of  fish.  Also  shown  will  be  brilliantly 
colored  coral,  eel,  and  nudibranchs 
(mollusks  without  shells  and  true  gills). 
Janss,  whose  firm  developed  the  model 
community  of  Westwood,  California,  became 
interested  in  underwater  photography  as  an 
extension  of  his  scuba  diving  interest.  Many 
of  the  pictures  appearing  in  this  exhibit  were 
taken  in  the  Gulf  of  California,  Socorro 
Islands,  Channel  Islands,  Micronesia,  and 
the  Galapagos  Islands. 


Right:  During  a  Museum  lour  with  their  McCleary  School  (Aurora) 
tilth-grade  classmates.  Lorrie  Bishop  and  Gary  Foster  stumbled  upon 
Eddie  Alvarado  giving  a  beauty  vacuuming  to  the  lamed  African  elephants. 
(Photo:  John  Bayalis,  Jr.) 

Below:  One  of  the  Museum's  timber  pile  supports  was  blocking  the  shall 
being  drilled  to  install  hydraulic  equipment  lor  the  new  freight  elevator, 
so  one  workman,  with  rubber  suit  and  air  tank,  was  lowered  35  leet  into 
the  narrow  shall  to  saw  through  the  obstruction.  (Photo:  Kent  Buell) 


Field  Museum  Bulletin  17 


£ 


Within  $2  Million  of  Goal 
As  Final  Phase  Begins 

Now  that  the  Museum's  Capital  Campaign  is 
within  $2  million  of  its  $12.5  million  private 
gifts  goal,  enthusiastic  support  of  the  drive 
by  as  many  Museum  members  as  possible 
IS  most  necessary. 

Several  large  gifts  within  the  past  few 
months  have  brought  gifts  and  pledges  tor 
the  campaign  to  more  than  $10.5  million. 
Among  these  was  a  $100,000  gift  from  the 
Robert  R.  McCormick  Charitable  Trust,  Inc., 
Chicago. 


According  to  Nicholas  Galitzine,  Museum 
trustee  and  campaign  general  chairman,  the 
drive  has  been  "outstandingly  successful" 
so  far.  "Now  we  must  look  principally  to  the 
Museum  membership  for  several  additional 
large  gifts  and  a  great  number  of  pledges 
for  gifts  of  one  thousand  dollars  and  more," 
he  states. 

Since  September  of  1 971 ,  scores  of 
business  and  individual  volunteers  have 
been  helping  Museum  trustees,  and  more 
recently  Women's  Board  members,  in 
soliciting  capital  gifts  from  foundations, 
corporations,  and  individuals.  Private  gifts 
for  this  funding  effort  to  renovate  the 
Museum's  physical  plant  are  being  matched 
by  another  $12.5  million  in  public  funds. 

This  past  fall,  when  gifts  and  pledges  for  the 
campaign  hit  the  $10  million  mark,  an 
intensified  effort  was  launched  to  reach 
many  more  key  members  of  the  Chicagoland 
community  for  leadership  gifts.  Museum 
trustees  Marshall  Field  and  William  H. 
Mitchell  are  co-chairmen  of  the  Capital 
Campaign's  Individual  Gifts  Division.  More 
than  20  volunteer  business  leaders  sen/e  on 
the  division's  solicitation  committee.  Also  on 
the  committee  is  Mrs.  Corwith  Hamill, 
Museum  Women's  Board  liaison  chairman 
for  the  Capital  Campaign. 

Campaign  volunteers  have  been  hosting 
other  community  leaders  at  luncheons  in 
the  Museum  that  are  followed  by  a  slide-film 
program  and  a  special  tour  of  the  Museum's 
half-century-old  facilities. 

This  is  the  first  capital  campaign  in  the 
Museum's  81 -year  history.  Its  success  to 
date,  says  Galitzine,  demonstrates  that 
individuals,  business  firms,  and  foundations 
recognize  the  need  for  improved  facilities  to 
provide  expanded  programs  and  to 
encourage  greater  community  participation 
in  Museum  activities. 


The  $100,000  Capital  Campaign  gift  of  the 
Robert  R.  McCormick  Charitable  Trust,  Inc.  will 
be  used  m  the  construction  of  new,  consolidated 
administrative  offices  under  the  north  entrance 
stairs.  Viewing  the  construction  site  are  (from 
left)  the  McCormick  Trust's  executive  director, 
Thomas  R.  Furlong;  l\licholas  Galitzine,  general 
chairman  of  the  Museum's  capital  campaign; 
Museum  Director  E.  Leiand  Webber;  and 
Museum  Trustee  Stanton  R.  Cook. 


13  February  1974 


CALENDAR 


Exhibits 

Opens  February  14 

"Janss  Underwater  Photography," 

an  exhibit  of  exciting  color  prints  and 
marine  specimens.  Through  September  8. 
Hall  9. 

Continuing 

Field  Museum's  Anniversary  Exhibit 

continues  indefinitely.    A  Sense  of  Wonder" 
offers  thought-provoking  prose  and  poetry 
associated  with  the  physical,  biological,  and 
cultural  aspects  of  nature;  "A  Sense  of 
History"  presents  a  graphic  portrayal  of  the 
Museum's  past;  and  "A  Sense  of  Discovery" 
shows  examples  of  research  conducted  by 
tvluseum  scientists.  Hall  3. 


Film  Program 

Sunday,  February  3 

"The  Living  Jungle,"  free  wildlife 
film  narrated  by  Greg  Mclvlillan, 
presented  by  the  Illinois  Audubon  Society 
at  2:30  p.m.  in  the  James  Simpson  Theatre. 

Sunday,  February  10  and  17 

The  29th  Chicago  International 
Exhibition  of  Nature  Photography, 

a  slide  show  featuring  winning  and 

accepted  color  transparencies,  at 

2:30  p.m.  in  the  James  Simpson  Theatre. 

Sunday.  February  24 

"Small  World,"  free  wildlife  film 
narrated  by  Fran  William  Hall,  presented 
by  the  Illinois  Audubon  Society  at 
2:30  p.m.  in  the  James  Simpson  Theatre. 


Children's  Programs 

Through  February  28 

Winter  Journey  for  Children,  "Desert 
People  of  the  Southwest,"  focuses  on  the 
cultures  of  the  Native  Americans.  The  free 
self-guided  tour  provides  youngsters  with  a 
unique  learning  experience  as  they  become 
acquainted  with  Museum  exhibits.  All  boys 
and  girls  who  can  read  and  write  may  join 
in  the  activity.  Journey  sheets  available  at 
entrances. 

Saturday,  March  16 

Field  Museum's  Wolf  Workshop  for  ages 

12  through  18,  from  9:30  a.m.  to  12  noon  in 
the  Lecture  Hall.  Conservationist  John  Harris 
will  present  a  two-hour  program  on  wolves. 
Rocky,  the  timber  wolf,  will  accompany  Mr. 
Harris.  A  film,  "Death  of  a  Legend,"  will  also 
be  shown.  For  reservations  phone  922-9410. 
Ext.  351. 

Meetings 

February  8,  7:30  p.m.,  Chicago 
Anthropological  Society, 

February  10,  2:00  p.m.,  Chicago  Shell  Club, 

February  12,  8:00  p.m.,  Chicagoland  Glider 
Council, 

February  13,  7:00  p.m.,  Chicago 
Ornithological  Society, 

Hours 

9:00  a.m    to  4:00  p.m.  Monday  through  Thursday: 
9:00  a.m.  to  9:00  p.m.  Friday,  and  9:00  a.m.  to 
5:00  p.m.  Saturday  and  Sunday. 

The  Museum  Library  is  open  9:00  a.m.  to  4:00  p.m., 
Monday  through  Friday.  Please  obtain  pass  at 
reception  desk,  main  floor  north. 

Museum  telephone:  922-9410. 


Coming  in  March 

Begins  March  1 

Spring  Journey  for  Children,  "City 
Creatures." 

Ayer  Adult  Spring  Film  Lecture  Series,  at 

2:30  p.m.  Saturdays  in  the  James  Simpson 
Theatre.  The  March  23  program  will  also  be 
presented  at  7:30  p.m.  Friday,  March  22. 

March  2:  "Hong  Kong  and  Macao," 

narrated  by  Kenneth  Armstrong. 
The  bustling  British  crown  colony  and  more 
leisurely-paced  Portuguese  territory,  located 
40  miles  apart  on  the  fringe  of  Southeast 
China,  offer  a  study  in  contrasts. 

March  9:  "Holland,"  narrated  by  John 

Roberts. 

A  look  at  the  picturesque  country  of 

windmills,  dikes,  and  Rembrandt,  its  ancient 

and  modern  cities,  and  its  people, 

March  16:  "Canada's  Western  Frontier," 

narrated  by  Dr.  Arthur  C.  Twomey. 
Scenes  of  the  great  outdoors  feature  famous 
national  parks,  spectacular  mountains,  a 
glacier,  wildlife,  and  unusual  sports. 

Sunday,  March  17 

"Upcountry  Uganda,"  free  wildlife  film 
narrated  by  Jeanne  and  John  Goodman, 
presented  by  the  Illinois  Audubon  Society 
at  2:30  p.m.  in  the  James  Simpson  Theatre, 

March  22  and  March  23:  "John  Muir's 

High  Sierra,"  narrated  by  Dewitt  Jones. 
Follow  the  trail  of  the  famed  U.S.  naturalist, 
writer,  and  explorer  during  the  four  seasons 
to  Yosemite  Valley,  the  country  of  the  giant 
sequoias,  and  Mt.  Whitney. 


Join  us  for  coffee  after  the  Friday 
evening,  March  22,  film  lecture 
presentation  and  meet  speaker 
Dewitt  Jones. 


March  30:  "Wildlife  By  Day  and  By  Night," 

narrated  by  Karl  H.  Maslowski. 
Birds,  animals,  and  insects  of  the  American 
Midwest  are  shown  in  their  natural  habitats, 
around  the  clock,  and  at  various  times  of 
the  year. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


19 


vo,ujn,«.  Number 3  pjg|jj  MuseutTi  of  Natursl  History  Bulletin 


Field  Museum 
of  Natural  History 
Bulletin 

Volume  45,  Number  3 
March  1974 


contents 


AKIN  EUBA 

An  interview  with  Nigeria's  distinguished  composer 
by  Robert  Plant  Armstrong 


Managing  Editor  G.  Henry  Ottery 
Editor  David  M.  Walsten 
Staff  Writer  Madge  Jacobs 
Production  Russ  Becker 


WHAT  GOOD  IS  ECOLOGY? 

by  Robert  F.  Inger 


8 


THE  291h  CHICAGO  INTERNATIONAL  EXHIBITION 
OF  NATURE   PHOTOGRAPHY 

by  William  F.  Burger 

RAY  A.  KROC  ENVIRONMENTAL 
EDUCATION   PROGRAM 


9 


14 


CAPITAL  CAMPAIGN 


17 


FIELD  BRIEFS 


18 


MARCH  AT  FIELD  MUSEUM: 
CALENDAR  OF  COMING  EVENTS 


back  cover 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Director  E,  Leiand  Webber 


Board  of  Trustees 

Blainf^  J.  Yarrington. 

President 
Mrs.  B.  Edward  Bensinger 
Gordon  Bent 
Harry  O.  Bercher 
Bowen  Blair 
Stanton  R.  Cool< 
William  R.  Dickinson,  Jr. 
Thomas  E.  Donnelley  11 
Marstiall  Field 
Nicholas  Galitzine 
Paul  W.  Goodrich 
Remick  McDowell 
Hugo  J.  Melvoin 
J.  Roscoe  Miller 
William  H.  Mitchell 
Charles  F.  Murphy,  Jr. 
Harry  M.  Oliver,  Jr. 
John  T.  Pirie,  Jr. 
John  S.  Runnells 
William  L.  Searle 


Edward  Byron  Smith 
John  M.  Simpson 
Mrs.  Harmon  Dunlap 

Smith 
John  W.  Sullivan 
William  G.  Swartchild, 
E.  Leiand  Webber 
Julian  B.  Wilkins 


Lite  Trustees 

Wiliiam  McCormick  Blair 
Joseph  N.  Field 
Clifford  C.  Gregg 
Samuel  Insull,  Jr. 
William  V.  Kahler 
Hughston  M.  McBain 
James  L.  Palmer 
John  G.  Searle 
Louis  Ware 
J.  Howard  Wood 


COVER 

Cover  design  rendered  from  "Pitcfiers  in  tfie  Pine  Barrens" — 
pfiotograpfi  by  Audrey  Braun,  of  Clifton,  New  Jersey.  Ttie  pfioto 
received  an  honorable  mention  in  ttie  29th  International  Exfiibition 
of  Nature  Pfiotograpfiy,  sponsored  by  Field  Museum  and  the  Nature 
Camera  Club  of  Cfiicago.  See  pages  9-11.  The  pitcher  plant 
(genus  Sarracenia).  common  in  eastern  North  America,  is  one  of  the 
so-called  carnivorous  plants.  The  pitcher,  or  trap,  shown  here,  is  a 
modified  leaf  which  contains  nectar-secreting  glands  for  attracting 
insects,  downward-pointing  hairs  which  hinder  their  escape,  and 
digestive  enzymes.  Digestion  is  accomplished  by  the  enzymes  and 
bacteria,  and  the  products  are  absorbed  by  the  plant.  Indigestible 
parts  accumulate  in  the  pitcher  where  they  remain  until  the 
leaf  dies. 


Field  Museum  ot  Natural  History  Bulletin  is  published  monthly, 
except  combined  July/ August  issue,  by  Field  Ivluseum  of  Natural 
History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  Illinois  60605. 
Subscriptions:  $6  a  year;  $3  a  year  for  schools.  Members  of  the 
Museum  subscribe  through  Museum  membership.  Opinions  expressed 
by  authors  are  their  own  and  do  not  necessarily  reflect  the  policy  of 
Field  Museum.  Unsolicited  manuscripts  are  welcome. 
Postmaster;  Please  send  form  3579  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  Illinois  60605. 
ISSN:  0015-0703 


March  1974 


^Akin 
Euba 


an  interview 
with  Nigeria's 
distinguished 
composer 

Music  and  poetry  are  traditionally 
linked  in  Africa,  and  both  are  a  part  0/ 
dally  life.  State  ceremonies,  religious 
rites,  work  in  tfie  fields,  selling  in  the 
market  place,  the  arrival  of  guests,  the 
departure  of  friends,  marriages, 
funerals,  puberty  ceremonies,  sickness, 
are  occasions  lor  music.  The  itinerant 
praise-singer  is  a  familiar  sight  even 
today  in  West  Africa.  Through  him 
history  and  local  legends  are  kept  alive. 

This  bonding  ol  poetry  and  music  is 
not  always  maintained  by  contemporary 
artists.  The  composer  of  music  is 
involved  in  a  transition  from  performing 
to  writing  a  score  to  be  played  by 
others.  The  poet  now  shapes  a  written 
language,  rather  than  a  common  oral 
tradition. 

But  the  links  between  poetry  and  music 
have  not  been  broken  entirely.  As 
Leopold  Sedar  Senghor,  the 
poet-statesman  ol  Senegal,  says:  "The 
poem  is  not  complete  until  it  is  sung, 
words  and  music  together."  Many  of 
his  poems  are  published  with  notations: 
"For  two  flutes  and  a  distant  drum"  or 
"tor  balafong  (xyfophone)." 


to  by  Maude  Wahlman 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


The  relationships  between  traditional  and  contemporary 
Atrican  music  and  between  music  and  poetry  has  been 
explained  by  the  Yoruba  composer,  Akin  Euba  ot  Nigeria. 
Akin  Euba's  first  exposure  to  music  was  through  a  European 
instrument,  the  piano.  He  studied  with  his  father,  then  later 
at  the  Trinity  College  ot  Music  in  London  and  at  the  University 
of  California  in  Los  Angeles,  where  he  learned  to  compose 
string  quartets  and  symphonic  pieces. 

The  direction  his  musical  career  has  taken  in  recent  years 
has  In  many  ways  been  a  return  to  his  Atrican  heritage.  Yet 
at  the  same  time,  he  says,  to  deny  Western  inlluence  is  to 
deny  a  part  ot  himself 

Mr.  Euba  has  published  many  articles  on  African  music 
and  completed  over  twenty  compositions  which 
have  been  performed  In  Africa,  Europe,  and  the  United 
States.  A  recent  composition.  Dirges,  was  first  performed  In 
1972  at  the  Cultural  Olympics  In  Munich,  Germany.  In  it 
Akin  Euba  makes  use  ol  the  traditional  linkage  ot  music  and 
poetry,  tor  he  sets  to  music  the  poems  ot  ten  modern 
African  authors  who  write  in  English  or  French.  To  overcome 
the  dual  difficulty  ol  having  to  write  a  score  lor  Atrican 
musicians  who  cannot  read  Western  musical  notation, 
and  tor  Western  musicians  who  cannot  play  Atrican 
Instruments.  Akin  Euba  "assembled"  the  music,  hie  combined 
the  narration  with  music  performed  to  his  direction  and 
with  tapes  ot  traditional  music  trom  various  African  traditions. 
Excerpts  trom  Dirges  will  be  played  continually,  on  tape,  in 
the  poetry  and  music  "enclosure"  at  Field  Museum's 
forthcoming  Contemporary  African  Arts  Festival,  opening 
April  20. 

The  lollowing  discussion  Is  taken  Irom  a  1973  interview 
conducted  by  Dr.  Robert  Plant  Armstrong  with  Akin  Euba  at 
Mr.  Euba's  home  in  He,  Nigeria.  Dr.  Armstrong,  former 
director  of  Northwestern  University  Press,  was  serving  as 
visiting  director  ol  the  University  of  Ibadan  Press, 
Ibadan.  Nigeria,  at  the  time  ot  this  interview. 

Armstrong:  In  the  United  States,  indeed  in  much  of  the 
world,  people  think  of  African  music  in  very  limited  terms. 
I  think  those  terms  may  be  somewhat  fair  toward  African 
music,  but  at  the  same  time  may  enforce  in  the  public  mind, 
a  kind  of  limitation.  I  know  that  you  have  done  a  good  deal 
of  experimentation  with  the  traditional  forms  and  I  would  like 
you  to  tell  us  something  about  the  traditional  musical  forms 
and  instruments  and  how  you  have  used  these  in  your 
own  music. 

Euba:  Many  people  view  African  traditional  music  as 
something  that  doesn't  change.  They  want  to  see  the  pure 
forms,  the  pure  idioms,  and  they  forget  that,  in  fact, 
traditional  music  has  always  changed:  that  traditional  music 
today  is  not  what  it  was  200  years  ago,  or  500  years  ago. 
For  though  the  rate  of  change  may  not  be  as  radical  as  that 


which  goes  on  in  European  music,  there  is  in  fact  a  lot  of 
change.  If  one  were  to  draw  some  kind  of  broad 
generalization  between  the  music  of  the  Oriental  cultures  and 
the  music  of  the  Western  world,  one  might  say  that  in  the 
West  there  is  a  lot  of  experimentation  going  on.  Composers 
are  so  curious,  they  want  to  change  their  form;  once 
somebody  else  has  done  something  before,  they  want  to  do 
something  new,  whereas  in  the  Oriental  cultures  and  in 
Africa,  change  is  not  so  important.  There  is  a  substantial 
amount  of  tradition  that  is  retained;  but  in  fact,  people  are 
not  necessarily  antagonistic  towards  change.  If  there  is 
something  that  appeals  to  them  that  is  new,  they  will  take  it. 
But  they  are  not  preoccupied  with  change.  As  a  result  of 
this,  I  think  that  the  traditional  music  that  we  have  today 
probably  retains  many  features  that  existed  in  the  past.  But 
secondly,  certain  aspects  of  it  also  are  new.  But  many  people 
forget  this  and,  when  they  see  somebody  like  myself — now 
I  am  a  product  of  two  cultures.  I  am  a  Nigerian  and  an 
African  by  birth,  but  I  have  also  been  exposed  to  Western 
culture.  And  when  they  see  a  person  like  myself  who  seeks 
to  cause  the  kind  of  radical  change  that  goes  on  in 
Western  music,  they  think  we  are  doing  something  bad  to 
African  music.  They  forget  that  change  as  such  is  not 
something  that  is  abhorrent  to  the  traditional  musician.  But 
when  they  see  us  trying  to  introduce  new  elements  into 
traditional  music  or  trying  to  use  traditional  music  in  a  new 
way,  they  think  that  we  are  bastardizing  traditional  music. 
There  are  some  Europeans  who  are  inclined  to  be  more 
conservative  than  we  are  in  Africa.  For  instance,  when  we 
produced  a  work  of  mine,  Chaka.  this  poem  by  Leopold 
Senghor  which  I  set  to  music — when  we  produced  this,  in 
1970,  and  we  used  a  combination  of  European  and  African 
instruments — there  was  a  European  critic  who  wrote  in 
very,  very  unsympathetic  terms  about  this,  who  said  we  had 
no  right,  no  business,  to  be  introducing  European  elements 
into  African  music,  and  he  was  talking  about  Akin  Euba 
and  all  these  second-rate  Europeans  who  support  the  music. 
But  in  the  same  article  this  man  was  praising  a  colleague 
of  mine  from  England  who  is  not  an  African  but  who  uses 
African  elements.  Now  it's  all  right  for  her  to  use  African 
elements,  although  she  is  European,  but  it  is  bad  for  me,  as 
an  African,  to  use  European  elements. 

And  then  last  year  we  went  to  Munich  to  present  a  work, 
which  in  fact  had  nothing  to  do  with  Europe,  because  the 
instruments  that  we  used  were  all  African,  the  forms 
were  all  African.  But  this  man  who  was  reviewing  for  some 
paper  in  Munich  also  had  this  to  say:  that  he  felt  we  were 
Europeanized  and  we  were  not  African  enough.  My  first 
question — the  question  that  I  would  have  loved  to  have  asked 
this  man  if  we  were  sitting  together — was  whether  he  had 
ever  been  to  Africa.  Because  if  he  has  been  to  Africa  he 
would  know  that  in  at  least  my  part  of  Africa — Nigeria — there 
is  hardly  any  corner  that  is  not  Europeanized  in  some  form 
or  other.  People  in  small  villages  in  the  western  state  of 
Nigeria  today  eat  bread  for  breakfast.  They  wouldn't  think  of 


Match  1974 


eating  anything  else.  In  any  case,  I  don't  see  any  reason 
why  African  composers  should  not  seek  to  try  new  things  and 
I  feel  that  if  you  are  an  artist — if  you  are  a  true  artist,  and 
you  have  been  exposed  to  something,  this  will  not  but 
influeince  you  in  one  way  or  another. 

.  .  .  For  the  past  five  years  or  so  I  have  been  very 
interested  In  the  question  of  setting  poems  by  African 
composers.  Because  I  think  a  composer — when  he  seeks  to 
work  with  a  text — the  most  immediate  area  for  him  to  look 
is  among  the  poets  of  his  own  culture.  Most  of  us  try  to  set 
music  to  literature  in  Africa.  Most  of  my  colleagues  either 
write  very  bad  poetry  for  themselves  or  take  something  from 
the  Bible.  It  doesn't  occur  to  them  that  there  is  a  good 
deal  of  good  poetry  being  produced  here  that  could  be 
set.  In  any  case,  I  was  interested  in  the  problem  of  setting, 
to  music,  poetry  in  non-African  language — in  the  English 
language  for  instance — because  our  poets  are  producing 
work  in  the  English  language.  How  does  a  composer 
approach  this?  When  you  set  a  work  in  the  English  language, 
are  you  going  to  set  it  in  the  Western  idiom?  Are  you  going 
to  try  and  use  some  kind  of  idiom  that  you  are  interested 
in  if  it  is  African?  t  became  interested  in  this  problem,  and 
I  have  found,  in  fact,  that  there  is  quite  a  lot  of  poetry 
that  has  been  written  by  African  authors  that  could  be  very, 
very  useful  as  material  for  composition.  And  secondly,  I 
was  interested  in  this  from  another  point  of  view  that 
traditional  poetry  in  Africa  is  so  much  integrated  with  music 
anyhow,  and  modern  poetry  tends  to  become  isolated 
from  music — at  least  there  are  some  poets  who  indicate 


that  their  poetry  should  be  performed  with  music.  Senghor 
is  one  of  these.  There  are  several  poems  by  Senghor 
which  are  meant  to  be  performed  with  music.  But  basically, 
I  think  that  African  poetry,  contemporary  African  poetry  in 
non-African  languages,  has  tended  to  become  isolated  from 
the  natural  context  of  poetry  in  Africa,  and  this  is  poetry 
with  music.  And  I  also  am  interested  in  trying  to  work  out 
some  kind  of  medium  whereby  one  could  use  African  poetry 
in  composition. 

And  so  I  attempted  one  or  two  things  in  the  past:  short 
poems.  And  then  a  friend  of  mine  introduced  me  to  Chaka 
by  Senghor  and  I  decided  to  try  and  set  this  and  this  was  my 
longest  work  yet  in  this  medium.  This  was  produced  in 
1970.  But  since  then,  I  have  also  written  a  work  which  I  feel 
is  probably  on  an  even  larger  scale  than  Chaka  and 
this  was  a  work  which  I  call  Dirges  and  which  we  took  to 
Munich — in  fact,  the  subject  of  this  critic's  review  in  Munich. 
Now  this  work  Dirges  consists  of  poems  by  several  authors: 
Senghor,  J.  P.  Clark,  Soyinka,  Achebe,  and  others;  in  fact, 
there  are  at  least  ten  different  poets  represented.  This 
work,  when  we  performed  it  in  its  original  form,  was  for 
speakers,  singers,  instrumentalists,  light  instrumentalists,  as 
well  as  traditional  music  on  tape  from  various  parts  of  Africa. 
This  was  dramatized  in  the  original  production.  I  feel  that 
This  extended  my  views,  the  views  that  I  had  while  I  was 
composing  Chaka.  Chaka,  incidentally,  was  set  for  soloists, 
solo  speakers,  a  chorus  and  an  orchestra  consisting  of 
European  and  African  instruments.  In  any  case,  quite  apart 
from  my  own  musical  sensibilities,  I  feel  that  the  use  of 


Alrican  musical  instruments:  left,  rattle  (Nigeria):  center,  stringed  instrument  with  resonator  made  ot  calabash  covered  with  python  sl<in  (Kenya);  right, 
^orn  made  of  gourds,  beeswax,  and  horn  ot  the  sable  antelope  (Kenya) 


'^•J^ 


Catalogue  No.  221395 


Catalogue  No.  187998 


Catalogue  No,  300258 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


European  instruments  in  conjunction  with  African  instruments, 
in  this  context,  is  justified,  because  in  any  case,  there  is  a 
white  voice  in  Chaka  and  how  do  you  create  the  opposition 
between  white  and  black?  It  is  by  using — juxtaposing — 
European  and  African  music. 

Armstrong:  Surely,  that  is  a  good  dramatic  touch,  I  think  we 
ought  to  say  right  here  for  the  benefit  of  the  people  who 
are  perhaps  not  so  familiar  with  African  history,  that  Chaka 
was  the  distinguished  Zulu.  .  . 

Euba:  The  distinguished  Zulu  warrior  of  the  last  century  who 
organized  great  armies:  in  the  end  he  was  betrayed  by  his 
own  people  and  killed  by  them. 

Armstrong:  Wherein  comes  the  element  of  drama  that 
greatly  appeals  to  you. 


Yoniba  nnisici.ins  in  Oshoabo.  Nioeiia 


Euba:  Quite.  The  text — Senghor's  poem — concerns  the  time 
after  Chaka's  death,  and  then  this  white  voice  seemingly 
brought  Chaka  back  to  life  to  cross-examine  him  on  the  bad 
things  he  had  done,  and  Chaka  tried  to  defend  himself. 

.  .  .  One  can  be  guilty  of  making  generalizations  about 
African  music.  I  think  however,  that  one  or  two  generalizations 
may  be  justified  and  this  is  that  African  music,  as  it  has 
been  traditionally  practiced,  tends  to  be  integrated  with  other 
arts.  It  is  not  an  isolated  thing.  We  don't  have  such  a  thing 
as  absolute  music.  At  least  not  commonly.  There  are  some 
forms  of  music  in  Africa  that  are  designed  purely  for  listening. 
But,  by  and  large,  we  would  find  that  music  is  practiced  in 
the  context  of  other  arts  such  as  dance,  poetry,  and  even 
non-performing  arts — visual  arts,  sculpture,  and  masks 
integrated  into  the  same  context  with  music.  And  secondly,  all 
these  arts,  taken  as  a  complex,  are  most  often  integrated  into 
some  kind  of  event.  They  are  not  usually  performed  for  their 
own  sake  but  more  often  than  not,  you  will  find  that  music  is 
performed  to  celebrate  an  event.  I  am  not  of  course  saying 
that  music  is  never  performed  for  its  own  sake,  it  is  done. 
But,  quite  often  you  will  find  that  music  is  integrated  with  an 
event.  Now,  on  the  other  hand,  European  music  has  tended  to 
become  more  and  more  obsolete,  at  least  the  so-called 
classical,  serious  music. 

As  a  serious  composer  am  I  going  to  try  to  go  the  European 
way  and  write  European  classical  music?  Or  am  I  going  to 
write  music  that  mirrors  elements  of  my  own  culture?  Now  my 
training  was  such  that  for  the  first  several  years  of  my  career 
I  was  brought  up  in  Western  music.  When  I  was  taught  music 
as  a  child  I  started  to  play  the  piano  and  nobody  thought  of 
teaching  me  drums.  Because  I  lived  in  Lagos  and  there  were 
several  pianos — my  father  had  studied  piano — he  was  my 
first  teacher.  So  my  first  exposure  to  music  was  through 
European  music.  And  then,  of  course,  I  went  to  London  to 
study  some  more  European  music.  And  so  when  I  started  to 
compose  in  England,  it  was  quite  natural  that  I  was  producing 
European  music.  I  was  composing  sonatas  and  string  quartets 
and  things  like  that.  But  sooner  or  later  I  had  to  start  asking 
myself  whether  in  fact,  this  was  the  most  exciting  thing  I  as  a 
composer  could  be  doing. 

And  then  when  I  got  back  from  my  studies  in  England,  I  began 
to  become  more  and  more  interested  in  traditional  music.  It 
wasn't  an  interest  that  arose  out  of  a  mere  duty.  I  began  to 
feel,  I  began  to  react,  emotionally,  to  traditional  music  as  I 
normally  reacted  to  European  music.  And  at  this  point  I  began 
to  see  the  possibility  of  myself  developing  into  a  composer 
who  seeks  to  experiment  with  the  use  of  traditional  African  as 
well  as  European  elements.  Since  then  I  have  been  through 
several  stages;  there  was  a  time  when  I  felt  I  should  reject 
my  European  background  completely  and  write  totally  African 
music.  But  I  have  found  also  that,  in  fact,  as  I  was  saying  a 
moment  ago.  a  true  artist  cannot  reject  any  experiences.  You 
have  been  exposed  to  something.  There  are  good  and  bad 


Photo  by  Maude  Wahlman 
6  March  1974 


things  in  every  form  of  art.  In  fact,  I  feel  thiat  you  cannot  say 
there  is  bad  music,  as  such.  There  are  bad  musicians,  there 
are  bad  elements  in  the  works  of  specific  composers,  but  to 
reject  any  experience  totally,  I  think  is  wrong.  I  might  do  this 
for  nationalistic  reasons,  but  I  wouldn't  be  doing  it  for  truly 
artistic  reasons.  So  I  felt  that  I  would  just  create  music  in 
terms  of  my  total  experience  of  music.  So  that  what  this 
means  nowadays,  is  that  I  write  in  various  mediums;  sometimes 
I  produce  works  which  are  essentially  European,  sometimes  I 
produce  works  which  are  a  marriage  of  the  African  and  the 
European. 

Armstrong:  Yes,  I  see.  I  was  very  interested  in  the  comment 
that  you  made  about  the  concept  of  the  contextuality  of  the 
music,  as  indeed  of  the  other  arts  in  Africa.  Which  leads  us 
to  the  observation,  of  course,  that  the  arts  in  general  in 
Europe  tend  to  be  more  a  witnessed  kind  of  event,  a  kind  of 
realm  of  experience  which  is  set  apart  as  a  special  means  of 
enjoyment.  This,  I  believe,  is  not  the  case  so  much  in  Africa. 

Euba:  No,  not  the  case,  because  in  Africa,  you  know,  there  is 
a  good  deal  of  participation.  It  is  very  difficult  in  traditional 
culture  to  separate  the  audience  group  from  the  performing 
group,  you  see;  because  usually,  members  of  the  so-called 
audience  are  encouraged  to  join  in  the  performance  in  any 
way  that  they  can.  Even  if  they  cannot  play  instruments,  they 
are  encouraged  to  sing  if  they  can,  or  to  dance.  So  there  are 
no  clear  lines  between  the  audience  and  the  performers.  But 
in  contemporary  African  cultures,  some  of  us  who  have  been 
exposed  to  this  form  of  absolute  music,  we  have  now,  at  least 
— whatever  else  we  may  try  to  reject,  whatever  else  we  think 
is  not  worthy  of  copying  in  Western  culture — this  element  we 
have  retained.  That  is,  whereby  we  perform  to  an  audience — 
the  audience  is  now  more  separated.  A  friend  of  mine  took 
me  up  on  this  at  one  point.  He  said,  "Look,  why  are  you,  a 
modern  African  composer,  trying  to  do  something  which  the 
Europeans  are  trying  to  get  away  from?"  Meaning  that  in 
Europe  today  the  composers  are  seeking  to  develop  a 
kind  of  audience  participation  that  we  in  Africa  have  always 
had.  And  I  said,  "Well  why  not,  we  have  always  had 
participation,  why  can't  we  experiment  in  another  area?"  Good 
music  has  been  written  where  people  participate.  There  are 
also  good  music,  musical  pieces,  that  have  been  written  from 
the  point  of  view  of  non-participation  from  the  audience.  It 
goes  down  again  to  the  same  point  I  was  making:  you  really 
cannot  reject  anything,  you've  got  to  leave  yourself  free  to  try 
to  develop  your  art  in  any  way  that  you  feel  is  artistic. 

Armstrong:  Good,  this  spoken  like  a  true  artist,  and  in  the 
fashion  familiar  to  most  Americans  who  are  familiar  with  the 
stories  of  artists  in  the  world.  Artists  the  world  over,  it  seems, 
face  the  problem  of  expression  in  whatever  terms  it  is  posed 
to  them  in  terms  of  their  traditional  culture.  I'm  interested  in 
another  aspect  of  your  work,  namely,  the  question  of 
musicianship  as  it  applies  to  the  instrumentalists  in  your 
ensemble,  your  symphonic  groups.  Insofar  as  you  use 


traditional  African  instruments,  for  example,  to  what  extent  do 
you  expect  European  players  and  orchestras  to  perform? 

Euba:  This  is  a  problem  again,  because  when  you  use 
traditional  instruments  and  then  you  write  your  score,  now, 
how  do  you  expect  people  outside  your  culture  to  play  this? 
This  is  the  major  problem.  And  really  what  I  say  is  that 
perhaps  some  of  the  music  that  we  write,  until  it  is  possible 
for  one  to  communicate  on  paper  with  musicians  of  other 
cultures,  can  only  be  presented  in  recording.  Maybe  we  could 
also  make  scores,  whereby  people  can  study  a  score  and  see 
what  you're  doing  while  they  listen  to  a  tape.  But  I  think  our 
main  medium  of  presentation  today  will  have  to  be  the  medium 
that  the  jazz  musician  relies  on,  you  see,  because  a  jazz  work 
lives  in  the  performance  of  the  composer.  The  composer 
doesn't  write  for  somebody  else  to  perform.  In  any  case,  this 
IS  typical  of  African  music.  Composers  in  Africa  are  also 
performers.  You  have  to  write  your  own  work  and  then  perform 
It.  In  fact,  the  process  of  composition  is  realized  only  when 
you  perform  it.  So  I  see  this  as  a  problem,  but  not  an 
overwhelming  problem  because  it  is  a  good  thing  that  the 
sound  media  have  become  so  sophisticated  that  I  could  make 
tapes  of  records  and  things  like  that.  So  to  be  able  to  have 
a  score  which  somebody  else  can  play;  this  is  an  ideal  thing. 
But  to  have  a  score  which  somebody  else  can  play  maybe 
today  is  not  really  that  difficult. 

In  fact,  we  have  other  problems  as  well.  How  do  I  communicate 
my  ideas  to  people  who  are  excellent  on  traditional  instruments 
but  cannot  read  a  notation?  This  is  a  composition  problem 
that  we  have.  What  this  means  is  that  most  of  my  new  work 
doesn't  exist  on  paper — at  least  most  of  my  work  that  uses 
traditional  instruments.  Most  of  the  time  you  have  to  give  your 
musicians  verbal  directions.  Dirges  was  composed  really  not 
by  sitting  down  with  pen  and  paper  and  writing  notes.  It  was 
composed  by  asking  my  musicians  to  play  a  specific  piece 
taken  from  the  traditional  context  that  I  felt  would  fit  a 
particular  situation.  It's  more  or  less  like  selecting  prefabricated 
elements  to  use.  I  try  to  marshal,  I  try  to  direct  the  creative 
potential  of  my  performers  and  get  them  to  do  what  I  myself 
cannot  do. 

Armstrong:  Mr.  Euba,  you  have  already  introduced  the  idea 
of  American  jazz  and  I  think  in  a  very  useful  and  evocative 
kind  of  way.  Many  of  the  people  who  will  be  at  the  Field 
Museum  and  Indeed  the  other  museums  in  the  United  States, 
at  which  this  most  important  show  of  Contemporary  African 
Arts  is  to  be  held,  will  be  of  Afro-American  descent  and  will 
be  very  familiar  with  the  traditions  of  American  jazz.  Now 
American  jazz  as  invented  by  the  Afro-Americans  and 
contributed  to  American  civilization,  represents  one  acculturated 
stream  of  music.  On  the  other  hand,  yours  is  a  very  similarly 
acculturated  stream  of  music,  some  significant  time  later. 
How  do  you  compare  the  music  which  is  your  acculturated 
African  and  European  music  with  their  acculturated  African 


and  European  music? 


(Concluded  on  page  16f 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


WUatQoJod 
9 I  Ccol 


OXlHi 


9 


by  Robert  F.  Inger 

Persons  like  myself  who  have  been 
doing  research  m  ecology  for  years  are 
often  frightened,  as  mennbers  of  the 
human  race,  and  disappointed,  as 
professionals,  that  society  is  not  using 
what  is  now  known  of  that  branch  of 
science.  Few  of  us  think  it  appropriate 
or  desirable  that  ecologists  alone  make 
decisions  about  matters  in  which  all 
citizens  should  share  some 
responsibility.  But  society  ought  to  use 
and  apply  ecology  in  appropriate 
situations,  just  as  it  applies  the 
knowledge  of  other  sciences  in  various 
technologies.  The  following  examples 
may  serve  to  illustrate  what  I  mean 
by  "using"  ecology: 

Pesticides 

Since  the  appearance  of  Rachel 
Carson's  Silent  Spring  in  1962,  the  use 
of  pesticides  to  control  harmful  or 
nuisance  insects  has  probably 
generated  more  heated  public  debate 
between  ecologists  and  government 
agencies  than  any  other 
"environmental"  problem.  Ecologists 
have  regarded  the  advocates  of 
broadcast  use  of  nonspecific  pesticides 
as  just  plain  ignorant.  When  a 
particular  insect  begins  to  inflict 
measurable  damage  on  a  crop,  we 
have  usually  initiated  an  ambitious 
program  of  spraying  a  general 
pesticide  over  a  large  area.  Such 
programs  almost  always  fail  and  almost 


Dr.  Robert  F.  Inger  is  assistant  director, 
science  and  education 


March  1974 


always  create  new  problems;  and  these 
negative  results  usually  develop  rather 
rapidly. 

What  makes  ecologists  hopping  mad  is 
that  we  (the  technologically  advanced 
societies)  have  known  enough  about 
ecology  to  predict  these  failures  in 
advance.  Specifically,  the  relationships 
that  have  been  understood  for  years 
are: 

•  General  pesticides  affect  a  large 
array  of  species,  even  an  entire  animal 
community. 

•  Smaller  living  things,  such  as 
insects,  are  affected  more  radically  and 
more  rapidly  by  pesticides  than  are 
larger  animals. 


c      The  reproductive  rate  of  herbivores, 
or  plant-feeders  (whether  leaf-eating 
insects  or  grass-eating  mammals),  is 
greater  than  that  of  their  predators. 

•  Populations  of  herbivorous  animals 
are  kept  in  check  by  predators. 

•  The  principal  predators  of  insects 
are  other  insects. 

•  The  most  important  herbivores  in 
the  world,  in  terms  of  total  vegetation 
consumed,  are  insects. 

o      Most  herbivorous  insects  are  not 
pests,  partly  because  they  are  kept  in 
check  by  other  insects  that  prey  on 
them. 

So  we  spray  a  general  poison  over  a 
large  area,  thus  killing  large  numbers 
of  insects,  many  of  them  members  of 
the  target  species  (the  pest),  many  of 
them  the  normal  predators  of  the  pest, 
and  many  of  them  non-pests,  though 
herbivorous.  All  of  these  populations 
are  depressed,  but  none  are 
exterminated. 

If  we  now  reduce  the  level  of  spraying, 
all  these  populations  begin  to  rebound, 
but  not  at  the  same  rate.  The 
herbivorous  insects  rebound  faster  than 
their  normal  predators  because  of  their 
higher  reproductive  rates.  Not  only  is 
this  true  of  our  target  pest;  it  is  equally 
true  of  the  non-pest  herbivorous 


Spraying  crops  with  DDT  in  this  manner  was  a  common  sigfit  until  it  was  recognized  that  the 
insecticide  posed  a  threat  to  wildlite  and,  ultimately,  to  man. 


Photo  by  UP!  Compix 


In  three  years  a  population  of  the  highly  destructive  western  corn  rootworm  that  was  resistant  to 
dieldrin  and  related  insecticides  spread  Irom  a  tew  counties  in  western  Nebraska  to  an  area  that 
included  sections  ol  seven  midwestern  states.  The  extent  to  which  the  population  spread  at  one-year 
intervals  is  shown  above. 


insects,  some  of  which  may  develop 
such  large  populations  under  these 
circumstances  that  they  become  pests^ 

So  instead  of  having  just  one  pest  to 
contend  with,  we  now  have  many, 
because  inadvertently,  but  predictably. 
we  have  disturbed  the  populations  that 
had  formerly  kept  some  of  these 
plant-eaters  under  control. 

Or  we  could  continue  spraying 
indefinitely.   But  not  only  is  such  a 
procedure  costly  and  perhaps  directly 
dangerous  to  human  health;  in  the  end 
it  is  doomed  because  continued  mass 
spraying  almost  invariably  is  followed 
by  insect  pests  developing  immunity  to 
the  poison.  This  has  occurred  with  129 
important  agricultural  pests,  including 
the  western  corn  rootworm.  Resistance 
has  also  developed  in  medically 
important  insects,  such  as  21  species 


of  Anopheles,  the  malaria-transmitting 
mosquitoes. 

The  failure  of  mass  spraying  of 
pesticides  to  control  agricultural  pests 
does  not  mean  we  should  discontinue 
the  fight  and  let  these  pests  take  over. 
There  are  many  examples  of  successful 
programs  that  are  ecologically  safe  and 
sound  and  economically  practical.  They 
include  the  use  of  natural  predators 
and  parasites,  chemical  lures  (mainly 
sex  attractants  affecting  single 
species),  mass  release  of  sterilized 
males,  and  the  spot  application  of 
poison  at  critical  points  in  the  life  cycle 
of  the  pests. 

Wonder  crops  and  the  green  revolution 

"Wonder  crops,"  like  pesticides,  have 
not  lived  up  to  all  expectations.  And 

(Continued  on  p.  12) 


29th  Chicago 
International 
Exhibition 
of  Nature 
Photography 

This  year's  Chicago  International  Exhibition 
of  Nature  Photography,  sponsored  jointly  by 
Field  tvluseum  and  the  Nature  Camera  Club 
of  Chicago,  was  truly  an  international  affair. 
More  than  700  amateur  photographers  from 
all  over  the  world  entered  the  competition; 
each  of  the  continents  and  many  foreign 
countries  were  represented. 

In  excess  of  3,000  color  slides  were  entered; 
700  were  selected  by  the  judges  for  public 
showing  in  February  at  the  Museum.  These 
photos  represent  some  of  the  best  nature 
photography  being  done  in  the  world  today 
— largely  by  amateurs  who  pursue  this 
interest  only  as  a  hobby. 

During  the  nearly  three  decades  that  these 
exhibitions  have  been  held,  two  distinct 
trends  have  occurred:  The  first  is  in  an 
improved  image  quality  made  possible  by 
better  film,  cameras,  optics,  and  flash 
equipment.  The  second  change  is  that  of  an 
expanding  geographic  scope.  This  year 
more  photos  of  the  Antarctic  region  were 
entered  than  ever  before.  There  was  also 
more  underwater  camera  work  done  in 
tropical  seas.  These  photographers  have  not 
only  been  stimulated  to  examine  the  world 
about  them  more  thoroughly,  their  interest 
has  led  them  to  the  far  corners  of  the  earth. 

— William  Burger 

President,  Nature  Camera  Club  of  Chicago 


The  six  photos  on  pages  8-9  (as  well  as  the 
cover  photo)  were  among  those  awarded 
"Honorable  Mention"  by  the  exhibition 
judges.  Top  lett:  "Ice-clad  Teasel."  by 
Thomas  Yoshida.  Hamilton.  Ontario.  Canada: 
top  center:  "Survival  ol  the  Fittest."  by  Don 
Wollander.  Cedar  Springs,  Mich.:  top  right: 
"Fox  Number  Three."  by  Lawrence  J.  Smith. 
Santa  Barbara.  Call!.:  bottom  lett:  "Haleakala 
Crater."  by  Hank  Greenhood,  San  Jose. 
Calil.:  bottom  center:  "Patient  Fisherman," 
by  Marie  R.  Kirkland.  Bountilul,  Utah:  bottom 
lelt:  "Drenched  Anemones,"  by  Eva  C. 
Keller.  Colorado  Springs,  Colo. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


For  captions  see  p.  5 


10  March  1974 


Field  Museum  Bulletin  11 


ECOLOGY  (trom  p.  9) 
that  failure  is  the  result  of  having 
expectations  divorced  from 
ecological  reality. 

Application  of  the  science  of  genetics 
to  the  growing  of  food  plants  has  been 
gradual.  Suddenly  we  realized  that  the 
green  revolution  was  upon  us:  miracle 
wheat,  hybrid  corn,  wonder  rice.  The 
food  problems  of  the  world  could  be 
solved  through  plant  genetics  and 
massive  use  of  chemical  fertilizers. 
Maybe.  But  there  are  these  ecological 
phenomena  to  be  considered: 

o      Species  and  varieties  of  plants 
vary  in  their  rates  of  production. 

•  The  productivity  of  a  given  species 
or  variety  of  plant  is  not  constant  but 
varies  depending  upon  environmental 
factors  such  as  rainfall,  temperature, 
etc. 

•  Most  plant  species,  including  all 
major  food  crops,  are  subject  to  a 
number  of  diseases,  mainly  caused  by 
viruses  and  fungi  that  are  highly 
specific  in  terms  of  the  plants  they 
attack. 

•  Simple  ecosystems — those 
composed  of  one  or  very  few  species 
or  varieties  are  less  stable  than 
diverse  ones. 

Another  kind  of  biology — evolutionary 
biology — which  is  difficult  to  separate 
from  ecology,  has  an  important 
concept  to  contribute  here:  All  species 
of  plants  and  animals  mutate;  all  are 
subject  to  spontaneous  genetic 
changes  whose  occurrence  and  effects 
are  unpredictable. 

So  we  develop  a  highly  productive, 
genetically  homogeneous  strain  of  corn 
or  rice  and  cultivate  it  over  vast  areas 
in  order  to  satisfy  the  nutritional  needs 
of  man's  increasing  population.  All  will 
go  well,  assuming  we  can  produce  and 
distribute  enough  fertilizer,  unless  or 
until  a  drought  occurs.   But  since  all 
the  wonder  grains  require  large 
amounts  of  water  compared  to  their 
less  productive  relatives,  they  are  more 
seriously  affected  by  drought. 
The  regions  where  most  grains  grow — 


the  temperate  and  subtropical  areas — 
are  subject  to  drought.  We  can  safely 
predict  that  any  large  gram-growing 
area  will  experience  a  severe  drought, 
though  we  cannot  with  our  present 
technology  predict  when  it  will  occur. 
And  if  that  area  has  been  planted  to  a 
wonder  grain,  its  harvest  is  almost  sure 
to  be  smaller  than  if  it  had  been 
planted  with  the  old,  genetically 
heterogeneous  varieties. 

The  other  hazard  to  which  the  green 
revolution  is  exposed  is  plant  disease. 
When  a  large  area  is  sown  in  a  single 
crop — particularly  a  genetically  pure 
strain  such  as  a  wonder  grain — a  virus 
or  fungus  disease  can  spread  with 
great  speed  and  cause  extensive  loss. 
In  a  recent  growing  season,  corn  leaf 
blight  spread  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
to  the  Great  Lakes  and  reduced  the 
corn  crop  of  that  region  about  25 
percent.  Plant  geneticists  respond  to 
such  a  situation  by  developing  a 
variety  with  resistance  to  the  particular 
disease.  They  succeed,  but  only  for  a 
while.  For  here's  where  evolution  steps 
in:  Plant  viruses  and  fungi  mutate  and 
in  time  a  new  strain  of  fungus  or  virus 
will  develop  the  capacity  to  overcome 
the  supposed  genetic  resistance  of  the 
crop.  We  can't  say  when  this  will 
happen,  we  only  know  that  ultimately 
it  will. 

Should  we  then  abandon  all  hope  of 
increasing  food  production  by  this 
means?  My  answer  as  a  citizen,  not  as 
an  ecologist,  is  no.  But  as  an 
ecologist,  1  feel  constrained  to  say  that 
there  is  nothing  magical  about  the 
green  revolution.  It  offers  no  hope  of 
avoiding  periodic,  severe  hunger.  There 
are  ways,  however,  to  minimize  some 
of  the  hazards,  the  main  one  being  to 
avoid  planting  large  areas  with  a  single 
strain  or  species  of  food  crop.  Diversity 
of  planting  can  buffer  the  total  crop 
against  loss  by  either  drought  or 
disease. 

Mining  and  biological  succession 

Now  for  an  example  in  which 
ecological  concepts  are  important  but 


Photo  by  UPI  Compix 

In  North  Dakota  a  huge  stripping  shovel 
removes  rich  lopsoil  in  order  to  reach  low-grade 
coal  40  teet  below  the  surtace. 


not  dominant.  Our  search  for  fuel 
sources  has  pushed  us  in  the 
direction  of  extracting  oil  shales  and 
s'rip-mining  coal  in  the  West.  Because 
much  of  the  oil  shales  are  on  public 
lands,  the  federal  government  has 
developed  conditions  for  leases  by 
private  industry.  So  far  only  six 
prototype  leases,  each  covering  about 
5,000  acres,  are  at  issue. 

The  oil-extraction  process  will  disturb 
the  land  severely  and  inevitably  destroy 
existing  vegetation  cover.  To  cope  with 
this  environmental  destruction,  the 
federal  leases  call  for  restoration  of 
the  vegetation  so  that  the  same 
number  and  the  same  species  of 
animals  will  occur  following  the  mining 
and  processing  of  the  oil  shale  as  did 


12 


March   1974 


before.  This  is  a  noble  objective,  but 
unfortunately  it  is  ecological  tiogwasfi. 

There  is  an  ecological  phenomenon 
called  succession,  a  process  that  can 
be  observed  everywhere  in  the  world. 
Abandon  a  cornfield  in  Illinois  and 
what  happens?  Annual  weeds  nnove  in 
first,  are  gradually  displaced  by 
perennials  and  shrubs  and  small  trees 
(hawthorn  and  crab  apple),  and  in  turn 
are  displaced  by  larger,  longer-lived 
trees  until  the  climax,  or  steady-state 
assemblage,  is  reached.  Barring 
disturbance,  this  steady-state  will  last 
for  thousands  of  years.  Disturb  the  soil 
severely  at  any  point  in  this  process 
of  succession  and  the  system  reverts 
to  annual  weeds. 

The  animals,  being  completely 
dependent  on  the  plants,  pass  through 
succession  stages  in  parallel  with  the 
plants.  Disturb  the  soil,  and  the 
animals  as  well  as  the  plants  revert  to 
an  early  stage  of  succession. 

[Hardly  any  action  by  man  disturbs 
vegetation  more  profoundly  than  what 
will  occur  as  the  result  of  extracting  oil 
shale.  To  believe  we  can  wave  a 
federal  lease  in  the  air  and  command 
plants  and  their  associated  animals  to 
forego  the  responses  they  have 
evolved  over  millions  of  years — that 


strikes  me  as  helplessly  ignorant  or 
arrogant. 

Processing  oil  shales  requires  large 
amounts  of  water,  produces  large 
amounts  of  saline  waste  water,  and 
seriously  affects  air  quality.  All  of  these 
are  environmental  problems  every 
citizen  should  consider.  But  these 
problems  are  not  in  the  province  of 
ecology.  Rather,  they  are  the 
professional  concerns  of  other 
environmental  scientists — geologists, 
hydrologists,  and  atmospheric 
scientists.  I  do  not  know  what  scientists 
in  those  fields  think  about  the 
environmental  problems  associated 
with  processing  oil  shale.  From  the 
ecological  point  of  view,  however,  the 
terms  of  the  leases  cannot  be  carried 
out. 

Solar  radiant  energy 

One  final  example — conversion  of  solar 
radiant  energy  into  other  forms  of 
energy.  Somewhere — an  unkown 
distance  into  the  future — lies  the 
application  of  this  only  real  "income" 
the  earth  has. 

One  of  the  major  advantages  of 
converting  solar  energy  for  human  use 
is  that  there  are  none  of  the  pollutants 
such  as  sulfur  dioxide,  nitrogen  oxides, 
particulates,  or  radioactive  wastes  that 
result  from  the  use  of  fossil  or  nuclear 


fuels.  The  major  possible  hazards 
associated  with  solar  energy 
conversion  is  the  buildup  of  waste  heat 
and  warming  of  the  earth's  atmosphere. 
(These  same  hazards  are  also 
consequences  of  our  present  energy 
technologies.)  A  highly  significant 
environmental  issue,  though  one  that 
will  not  affect  us  for  some  time  to 
come,  IS  posed  here.  But  we  will  get 
no  help  from  ecology,  because  the 
major  questions  involve  rates  of  heat 
dissipation  of  various  wavelengths — a 
problem  that  is  mainly  the  province  of 
atmospheric  physics. 

Finally,  let  me  answer  the  question 
posed  by  the  title  of  this  article. 
Ecology  does  not  differ  from  any  other 
science  in  terms  of  its  value  to 
mankind.  Ecology,  as  any  science,  is  a 
body  of  knowledge,  a  mass  of  data 
and  concepts,  even  a  set  of  natural 
laws;  and  it  is  only  one  of  the 
environmental  sciences.  But  it  is  not  a 
complete  body  of  knowledge — there  is 
much  we  still  do  not  understand. 
Ecology  is  not  magic;  it  is  not  the  key 
to  a  rosy,  untroubled  future.  On  the 
other  hand,  unless  we  use  this  body  of 
information  and  those  of  other 
environmental  sciences,  we  will  find 
ourselves  as  impotent  as  old  King 
Canute  commanding  the  tide  not  to 
come  in. 


The  use  0/  solar  ladianl 
energy  lor  healing  the  home 
is  nothing  new.  In  1949  this 
experimental  "solar"  house 
was  built  by  Massachusetts 
Institute  0/  Technology 
engineers  in  Cambridge. 
Mass.  Solar  energy  is 
collected  by  panels  on  the 
root. 


Photo  by  UPI  Compix 
Field  Museum  Bulletin  13 


Ray  A.  Kroc 
Environmental 
Education 
Program 


The  Ray  A.  Kroc  Environmental 
Education  Program,  Spring  1974,  will 
focus  on  human  impact  on  the 
environment.  Topics  include  land, 
populations,  pollutants,  ecological 
research,  energy,  and  the  future. 
Program  elements  consist  of  field 
trips,  lectures,  films,  workshops,  and 
courses  designed  to  inform  citizens 
about  important  environmental 
questions  facing  them  now  and  in  the 
future.  This  program  is  being  made 
possible  by  the  Ray  A.  Kroc 
Environmental  Fund,  which  recently 
was  established  at  Field  Museum  by 
his  friends  to  honor  Uf.  Kroc,  chairman 
of  McDonald's  Corporation,  on  his 
70th  birthday.  Other  events  of  this  new 
program  will  be  presented  in  coming 
months  and  years. 

To  encourage  participants  to  translate 
concern  and  knowledge  into  action, 
follow-up  reading  information  and  lists 
of  environmental  organizations  will  be 
provided.  All  programs  take  place  at 
or  originate  from  Field  Museum. 


Saturday,  March  9 

Film  seminar:  "Tragedy  of  the  Commons." 

Based  on  an  essay  by  ecologist  Garrelt 
Hardin,  the  film  explores  the  effects  of 
overpopulation  on  individuals,  the  finite 
resources  in  the  world,  and  possible  solutions 
to  the  problem.  The  audience  will  have  the 
opportunity  to  discuss  its  reactions  to 
questions  posed  during  the  screening. 


James  Bland  of  Field  Museum's  Department 
of  Education  will  be  moderator.  Place  and 
time:  Lecture  Hall,  10:30  a.m.  and  1:00  p.m. 


Sunday,  March  10 

Film  seminar:  "Tragedy  of  tfie  Commons," 

repeat.  Place  and  time:  Lecture  Hall, 
11:00  a.m. 

Lecture:  "Ecology,  the  Tragic  Insight," 

by  Garrett  A.  Hardin,  ecologist  at  University 
of  California,  Santa  Barbara,  Place  and  time: 
James  Simpson  Theatre,  2:00  p.m. 


Saturday,  March  16 

Workshop  for  young  people:  "Nature 
Photography  without  a  Camera."  Limited  to 
20  students,  ages  8-12:  by  advance 
registration  only.  James  Bland,  instructor. 
Place  and  time:  North  Meeting  Room,  2nd 
floor,  1:00-3:00  p.m. 


Saturday,  March  23 

Adult  field  trip:  "Meeting  Human  Needs." 

A  tour  of  the  Bethlehem  Steel  plant  in  Burns 
Harbor,  Ind.;  followed  by  lunch  and 
discussion  and  exploration  of  the  Dunes 
Lakeshore  Area.  Limited  to  40  adults*. 
Matthew  H.  Nitecki,  Field  Museum  geologist, 
leader.  Meeting  place  and  time:  North 
Parking  Lot,  9:00  a.m. 

Film:  "Pollution  is  a  Matter  of  Choice." 

A  focus  on  economics  and  its  impact  on  the 
environment.  People  living  near  the  Florida 


Everglades  and  residents  of  a  potential  Maine 
seaport  must  decide  what  is  important  to 
their  environment.  Place  and  time:  Lecture 
Hall,  10:30  a.m.  and  1:00  p.m. 

Sunday,  March  24 

Film:  "Pollution  is  a  Matter  of  Choice" 

(repeat).  Place  and  time    Lecture  Hall. 
11:00  a  m. 

Lecture:  "Changing  Climate,  Changing 
Times."  Reid  A.  Bryson,  director,  Institute 
for  Environmental  Studies,  University  ot 
Wisconsin.  Place  and  time:  James  Simpson 
Theater,  2:00  p.m. 


Saturday,  March  30 

Film:  "Survival  on  the  Prairie."  The  prairie 
stands  as  a  vast,  seemingly  empty  space,  but 
it  is  teeming  with  life.  An  in-depth  look  at  the 
dangerous  game  man  plays  with  the  land. 
Place  and  time:  Lecture  Hall.  10:30  a.m.  and 
1:00  p.m. 

Workshop  for  young  people:  "Nature 
Photography  without  a  Camera."  limited  to 
20  students,  ages  8-12;  by  advance 
registration  only.  James  Bland,  instructor. 
Place:  North  Meeting  Room,  2nd  floor;  two 
sessions  offered — 10:00  a.m.  to  12  noon 
and  1:00-3:00  p.m. 

Sunday,  March  31 

Film:  "Survival  on  the  Prairie."  (Repeat). 
Place  and  time:  Lecture  Hall,  1 1 :00  a.m. 


Garrett  Hardin,  distinguislied  ecologist, 
lectures  on  Marcli  10  on  "Ecology,  the 
Tragic  lnsigl^t." 


March  1974 


Symposium:  "Chicago  Scientists  Review 
the  Changing  Chicago  Environment." 

Participants;  Matthew  H.  Nitecki,  Field 
Museum,  "Geology  of  the  Region";  Floyd  A. 
Swink,  Morton  Arboretum,  "Impacts  on  Flora 
of  the  Region";  Loren  P.  Woods,  Field 
Museum,  "The  Lake  and  its  Inhabitants"; 
Gunnar  Peterson,  Open  Lands  Project, 
"Preserving  the  Land." 

Saturday.  April  6 

Course:  "Nature  Photography."  The  first 
session  in  a  series  of  6,  to  be  held  on 
successive  Saturdays.  April  13,  20,  27, 
May  4,  1 1 .  The  course  w\\\  cover  basic 
problems  of  nature  photography,  exposure, 
focus,  film  lighting,  close-ups,  composition, 
and  trouble  shooting.  Designed  for  amateur 
photographers  with  some  knowledge  of 
photography  and  who  have  access  to  a 
single  lens  reflex  camera.  Course  includes  4 
lectures  and  2  field  trips.  Limited  to  40 
persons.  A  $10.00  fee  holds  advance 
registration  for  the  course,  and  covers  all 
expenses  other  than  students'  film.  William 
Burger,  Field  Museum,  project  director. 
Place  and  time:  North  Meeting  Room,  2nd 
floor,  9:30  A.M. 

Film:  "Multiply  and  Subdue  the  Earth." 

A  provocative  study  of  land  usage  and 
planning;  film  narration  by  Ian  McHarg, 
author  of  the  best-selling  book  Design  with 
Nature;  produced  by  NBC-TV.  Place  and 
time:  Lecture  Hall,  10:30  a.m.  and  1:00  p.m. 

Adult  field  trip:  "Planned  Communities." 

Tour  of  2  Chicago-area  planned 
communities:  Four  Lakes  and  Park  Forest 
South.  Limited  to  40*.  Gunnar  Peterson  and 
Wayne  Schimpff,  Open  Lands  Project, 
leaders.  Place  and  time:  North  Parking  Lot, 
9:00  am. 

Saturday,  April  20 

Field  Trip  for  High   School   Students: 
"Indiana  Dunes."  Introduction  to  the  skills 
of  backpacking,  survival,  reading  the 
landscape,  and  ecological  relationships. 
Limited  to  30  students,  ages  15-18*.  James 
Bland,  leader.  Place  and  time:  North  Parking 
Lot,  9:30  a.m. 

Sunday,  April  21 

Lecture:  "Alternative  Paths  to  the  Future." 

Willis  H.  Harman,  Stanford  Research 
Institute,  director.  Center  for  the  Study  of 
Social  Policy.  Place  and  time:  James 
Simpson  Theatre,  2  p.m. 


Saturday.  April  27 

Course:  "Urban  Streams."  First  session  in 
a  series  of  6,  to  be  held  on  successive 
Saturdays,  May  4,  11,  18,  25,  and  June  1 . 
Course  will  include  seminars,  field  trips,  and 
research  to  investigate  problems  of  water 
flow,  resilience  of  biological  populations  in 
water,  and  research  techniques  in  the  urban 
environment.  Limited  to  40  persons,  15  years 
or  older.  A  $15.00  fee  holds  your  advance 
reservation  and  covers  all  expenses. 
Donald  Myers.  Gary  Milburn,  biologists. 
Environmental  Protection  Agency:  project 
directors.  Place  and  time:  Ground  Floor 
Classroom,  9:00  a.m. -12:30  p.m. 


Film:  "Insect  War."  An  exploration  of 
research  tcehniques  and  findings  in  man's 
battle  with  insects  for  possession  of  food 


♦Reservations  will  be  confirmed  in  order  of 
receipt  and  payment,  A  $4.00  fee  to  cover 
lunch  and  transportation  also  holds  your 
advance  reservation. 


crops.  Filmed  by  BBC.  Place  and  time: 
Lecture  Hall,  10:30  a.m.  and  1:00  p.m. 

Sunday,  April  28 

Film:  "Insect  War"  (Repeat).  Place  and 
time:  Lecture  Hall,  1 1 :00  am 

Symposium:  "Ecological  Research  at  Field 
Museum."  Participants:  Henry  Dybas,  Field 
Museum  entomologist,  "Cicada:  Strategy  for 
Survival";  Lorin  Nevling,  Field  Museum 
botanist,  "Implications  for  Change  in  the 
American  Tropics";  Robert  Johnson,  Field 
Museum  ichthyologist,  "Aspects  of  Oceanic 
Ecology";  Robert  Inger,  Field  Museum 
assistant  director,  science  and  education: 
moderator.  James  Simpson  Theatre,  2:00  p.m. 

Subsequent  programs,  extending  through 
June,  will  be  announced  in  the  April,  May, 
and  June  Bulletins. 


For  further  information  call  Carolyn 
Blackmon,  Field  Museum,  922-9410,  ext. 
361  or  363. 


RAY  A.  KROC  ENVIRONMENTAL  EDUCATION  PROGRAMS 

Field  Museum — Environmental  Program 
Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive 
Chicago,  Illinois  60605 

Please  enroll  me  in  the  following  program(s)  at  Field  Museum: 


Program 


Date 


time 


Program 

Enclosed  is  my  check  for  $^ 
Name  


Date 


time 


payable  to  Field  Museum. 


Address_ 

City 


Phone:  Daytime 


State                                   Zip  Code 
Evening 


Field  Museum  Bulletin  15 


f^ 


Drum  used  by  Baoule  People.  Ivory  Coast 


Catalogue  No   210059 
Photo  by  Dave  Berglund 


(Continued  from  page  7) 

Euba:  When  I  have  tried  to  resolve  for  myself  what  I  felt  I  was 
trying  to  do,  in  my  compositions,  at  the  point  where  I  began 
to  be  interested  in  using  African  traditional  materials  in  my 
composition,  I  found  myself  increasingly  comparing  what  I  was 
trying  to  do  with  the  evolution  of  jazz.  I  felt  that  in  fact,  you 
see  the  kind  of  music  that  I  was  groping  towards,  was  a  l<ind 
of  music  that  is  parallel  with  jazz,  something  that  made  use  of 
African  traditional  music.  Something  that  is  a  sort  of 
metamorphosis  of  elements  taken  from  African  traditional 
music.  And  in  fact,  as  a  pianist  I  began  at  some  state  to 
become  interested  in  creating  what  I  called  an  African  pianism, 
because  I  started  musical  life  as  a  pianist  and  I  was  interested 
in  creating  an  African  pianism.  And  I  began  to  reason  in  these 
terms:  If  it  is  possible  to  have  a  "Chopinesque  pianism,"  or 
a  "Bartokian  pianism,"  or  a  "jazz  pianism,"  surely  it  is  also 
possible  to  have  an  "African  pianism."  And  in  fact,  from  that 
point  I  began  to  then  see  very  close  similarities  between 


what  I  was  trying  to  do  and  jazz.  Because  when  I  tried  to 
rationalize  my  concept  of  an  African  pianism,  1  began  to  think 
not  only  of  the  pianistic  style  itself,  but  of  the  instruments  that 
would  surround  the  piano.  I  began  to  think  in  terms  of  the 
piano  with  African  percussion  instruments  and  then  I  began 
to  see  a  Imk-up,  because  around  that  time  people  in  Africa 
or  some  people  in  Nigeria,  at  least — some  of  the  people  in 
jazz  in  Nigeria — were  beginning  to  talk  about  an  Afro-jazz  and 
I  felt  that  they  were  not  doing  what  in  fact  Afro-jazz  to  my 
mind  is.  Because  Afro-jazz  is  like  a  re-Africanization  of  jazz, 
but  I  felt  that  they  were  not  doing  this.  All  they  were  doing 
really,  was  to  copy  American  jazz  and  I  felt  that  an  Afro-jazz, 
in  fact,  would  need  to  bring  in  more  concrete  elements  of 
African  music  than  just  using  African  melodies  or  African 
rhythms.  I  began  to  see  the  possibility  of  experimenting  with 
piano  and  African  drums  to  create  something  which  maybe, 
in  fact,  will  run  even  more  closely  along  the  lines  that  jazz  is 
following  today;  because  nowadays  there  is  also  a  lot  of 
experimenting  in  bringing  in  other  cultures  in  jazz.  Jazz  has 
so  far  been  an  integration  of  European  and  African  elements, 
although  some  people  would  dispute  the  presence  of  either  of 
these  elements.  But  there  have  also  been  other  cultures,  as 
they  are  bringing  Indian  elements  and  other  cultural  elements 
to  jazz.  I  feel  that  there  is  a  lot  of  fruitful  experimentation  that 
could  go  on  in  jazz,  purely  because  there  is  already  this  basic 
African  background.  And  even  outside  of  jazz,  there  are  other 
composers — black  composers  in  America  who  are  trying  to 
write  in  the  so-called  serious  idioms.  Mind  you,  I  think  nothing 
is  more  serious  than  jazz;  it  Is  an  academic  discipline  for  me. 
But  there  are  people  who  are  trying  to  work  in  other  serious 
idioms,  and  most  of  them,  I  feel,  have  not  yet  found  their  feet. 
They  are  more  or  less  doing  the  same  things  that  European 
composers  are  doing,  and  I  feel  that  there  is  a  field  of  black 
music,  a  potential  field  of  black  music  that  could  be  just  as 
fruitful  as  jazz  which  some  of  the  black  composers  in  my  field 
in  America  could  be  working  in;  and  I  think  we  are  going  to 
see  an  emergence  of  this  very  soon,  because  more  and  more 
black  musicians  are  coming  to  Africa  to  become  properly 
acquainted  with  African  music. 

Armstrong:  Profoundly  learning  the  African  mediums, 

Euba:  Yes.  There  are  many  problems  that  we  African 
composers  have  that  they  also  have.  Problems  of  trying  to 
interest  the  members  of  our  culture  in  the  new  developments 
that  are  taking  place.  And  I  see  that  there  are  many  ways  in 
which  we  could  collaborate  in  the  future.  It  is  important,  first 
of  all,  to  get  to  know  one  another  in  music.  There  is  one 
common  thing  in  Africa  today  and  this  is  that  even  some  of 
us  in  Africa,  the  contemporary  composers — we  don't  know 
one  another.  I  work  in  my  own  little  world  and  I  don't  know 
what  somebody  else  is  doing  somewhere  else,  and  I  feel  that 
before  we  can  have  a  proper  school — and  I  see  a  kind  of 
school  of  thought  developing — we  must  have  a  lot  of  dialogue, 
not  only  between  ourselves  in  Africa,  but  with  experimental 
composers  in  Europe  and  America, 


tvlarcti  1974 


^^ui% 


WaW^ 


Youngsters'  Popcorn  Sale 
Nets  $30  for  Capital  Campaign 

A  School  children's  popcorn  sale  has 
brought  the  Museum  closer  to  its  $25-milllon 
fund  raising  goal. 

"Our  classrooms  heard  about  your  80th 
anniversary  and  why  you  needed  to  raise 
money,"  Anne  Nordstrom,  9,  wrote  to  the 
Museum.  "So  we  had  a  vote  about  how  to 
raise  money  for  you.  And  we  decided  to 
pop  corn.  All  together  we  raised  $30  to 
help  you." 


Anne  and  74  other  middle  school  pupils  at 
Elm  School,  60th  and  Elm  Sts  ,  Hinsdale, 
had  learned  about  the  Museum's  efforts  to 
raise  S25  million  for  rehabilitation  of  its 
53-year-old  building. 

Principal  R,  J,  Michaiek  explained,  "Most 
of  the  children  have  visited  the  Museum 
and  enjoyed  it  so  much  that  their  desire  to 
help  in  this  way  seemed  perfectly  natural 
to  them." 

"It  was  amazing  how  enthusiastic  the 
children  were  in  planning  and  carrying  out 
their  project,"  added  teacher  Janice 
Machado. 

The  corn  and  boxes  were  provided  by  the 
students,  and  the  popcorn  was  made  in 
the  classrooms  and  sold  to  pupils. 

"Everybody  ate  the  popcorn  while  we  were 
making  it,"  confessed  Paul  Schacht,  9.  "It 
was  15  cents  a  box.  We  sold  200  boxes 
and  got  $30.  (That's  pretty  good,  isn't  if)" 


"We  hope  this  is  enough  money,' 
Peter  Colella,  10. 


said 


Some  of  the  pupils  made  specific 
suggestions  regarding  the  Museum's  use 
of  their  contribution. 


Jeff  Gjersoe,  9,  thought  it  could  be  used  to 
start  a  new  exhibit.  An  unsigned  letter 
added,  "We  were  wondering  if  it  could  be 
dinosaurs  because  your  other  one  is  so 
good!" 

Museum  director  E.  Leiand  Webber 
expressed  surprise  and  gratitude  for  the 
children's  gift  and  letters.  He  said,  "We 
have  received  many  gifts  during  this 
campaign — large  and  small — but  this  one 
is  unique!  It  is  particularly  gratifying  since 
the  children  must  feel  that  the  Museum  is 
important  to  them,  and  they  must  feel 
comfortable  here  or  they  would  not  have 
gone  to  this  effort.  And  children  are  one  of 
the  reasons  for  which  we  exist." 

Half  of  the  $25  million  is  being  raised  by 
the  Museum  from  private  sources;  the  other 
half  is  being  generated  through  the  bonding 
authority  of  the  Chicago  Park  District. 

The  museum  must  still  raise  nearly  $2 
million  before  the  scheduled  conclusion  of 
the  capital  campaign  in  September. 

Meanwhile,  the  Elm  School  students  are 
already  looking  forward  to  their  next  visit 
to  the  Museum,  possibly  this  spring. 


Scott  Schroeder  (left).  Sue  Marcheschi,  and  Paul  Athens  learn  that  raising  money  by  selling  popcorn  to  their  lellow  Elm  School  students  can  be  tun. 


Photo  by  G.  Henry  Ottery 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


17 


Sign  up  now  for  Field  Trips! 

Be  sure  to  send  in  your  reservations  soon 

for  the  two  exciting  members'  geological 

field  trips  announced  recently. 

The  Ozarks  of  Missouri  tour  (April  7-13)  is 

$250  per  person,  with  a  deposit  of  $100 

each.  The  Grand  Canyon  tour  (August 

16-24)  is  $700  per  person,  with  a  deposit  of 

$200  each.  The  costs  of  the  trips  are 

all-inclusive. 

Dr.  Matthew  H.  Nitecki.  associate  curator. 

Department  of  Geology,  will  lead  both 

groups. 

For  further  information,  please  write  or 

phone  Mrs.  Madge  Jacobs,  922-9410. 

New  Handbool<  on  African  Art 

Contemporary  Atrican  Arts  by  Maude 
Wahlman.  Field  Museum  consultant  in 
African  Ethnology,  is  being  published  in 
conjunction  with  the  exhibit  of  the  same 
name  opening  April  20.  The  text  of  this  soft 
cover  book  is  composed  of  essays  on  the 
various  African  art  forms  and  art  media. 
Twelve  color  plates  and  120  black  and  white 
illustrations  supplement  the  text.  Scheduled 
for  publication  April  20,  the  book  will  be  on 
sale  for  $5.00  at  the  Museum's  Book  Shop 
and  in  a  special  shop  in  the  exhibit  area. 
Museum  members  are  eligible  for  a  special 
pre-publication  price  of  $4.00  until  April  1. 
Orders  should  be  addressed  to  the  Field 
Museum  Book  Shop. 

African  Arts  Preview  and  Dinner 

The  Women's  Board  of  Field  Museum  is 
hosting  a  dinner  and  preview  of  the 
forthcoming  Contemporary  African  Arts 
Festival  in  Stanley  Field  [Hall  on  Thursday, 
April  18,  at  6:00  p.m.  Music  and 
entertainment  will  be  provided.  Attire  is 
informal.  $30.00  per  person  (includes  food 
and  beverage).  For  information  and 
reservations  call  Mrs.  Straub  at  922-9410  or 
922-9419. 


New  Coordinator 
of  Teacher  Training 

Barbara  Regue  has  been  named  coordinator 
of  teacher  training  in  the  Museum's 
Department  of  Education,  where  she  will 
conduct  workshops  and  develop  materials  to 
help  teachers  and  other  adult  leaders  make 
better  use  of  the  Museum  as  an  educational 
resource.  With  a  master's  degree  in  early 
childhood  education  from  the  University  of 
Chicago,  she  taught  at  Howland  Elementary 
School,  Chicago,  where  for  the  past  two 
years  she  was  curriculum  assistant  for  the 
Follow-Through  program  and  developed  and 
supervised  an  open  classroom  program 
involving  200  primary  school  children. 

Install  Parl<ing  Lot  Lights 

Persons  planning  visits  to  the  Museum  after 
sundown,  such  as  on  Members'  Nights  May 
2  and  3,  or  on  Friday  evenings,  will 
appreciate  the  newly  installed  parking  lot 
lights  in  the  north  parking  area.  The  bright 
illumination  should  help  eliminate  stumbling 
and  make  it  easier  for  visitors  to  locate 
their  automobiles.  It's  just  one  of  many  ways 
the  Chicago  Park  District  is  working  to 
ensure  pleasant  visits  to  Chicago  institutions 

Volunteers  Honored 

Field  Museum  honored  its  143  volunteers, 
who  collectively  logged  nearly  30,000  hours 
of  service  to  the  Museum  during  1973.  at  a 
reception  held  in  Stanley  Field  Hall  on 
February  14.  Hosts  for  the  party  were  Blame 
J.  Yarrington,  Field  Museum's  newly-elected 
president,  and  Dr.  Robert  F.  Inger,  assistant 
director,  science  and  education.  The 
volunteers  each  received  a  small  memento 
as  a  token  of  appreciation  for  their  efforts. 


Weaving 
Demonstrations 
on  Mexican  Loom 


l^rs.  Eugene  Kosfcy  and 
other  members  ol  tlie 
Nortti  Shore  Weavers' 
Guild  are  demonstrating 
the  use  ol  a  two- 
harness  handcrafted 
Mexican  floor  loom  12 
hours  weekly  in  the 
Ivluseum's  South 
Lounge.  The  loom  is  a 
descendant  of  a 
medieval  loom  brought 
to  the  New  World  from 
Europe  by  the  Spanish 
during  the  16th  century. 


The  1973  hourly  total  of  volunteer  work  was 
an  increase  of  almost  50  percent  over  the 
1972  figure.  The  number  of  volunteers  active 
in  1973  was  also  up  about  40  percent 
over  1972. 

The  volunteers  who  contributed  the  greatest 
number  of  hours  were:  Mrs.  Alice  Schneider. 
1,218  hours;  Mr.  John  O'Brien,  975  hours: 
and  Mrs.  Anthony  DeBlase,  865  hours. 
Those  who  gave  more  than  600  hours  were: 
Mrs.  Rudolph  Wolfson.  Mr.  Charles  P.  Henry, 
Mr.  Walter  Mackler,  and  Mr.  Sol  Gurewitz. 
'^/olunteers  in  the  500-hour  category  were: 
Miss  Alison  Gail  Hoppe,  Mrs.  David  Calhoun, 
and  Miss  Ann  Lippl. 

Other  top  ranking  volunteers  were:  Mrs 
Gibson  Winter,  Mr.  Mark  Hershkovitz.  Mr. 
Robert  Hicks,  and  Col.  M.  E.  Rada. 

The  departments  of  anthropology,  botany, 
geology,  zoology,  education  and  exhibition, 
and  the  library,  all  benefited  from  the 
services  of  1 13  volunteers.  Their  duties 
covered  a  wide  range  of  tasks,  including 
cataloging,  fossil  preparation,  research 
assistance,  and  photography. 

In  addition,  22  volunteer  women  instructors 
supplemented  the  work  of  staff  members  in 
the  Raymond  Foundation  division  of  the 
Department  of  Education.  At  the  present  time 
eight  additional  volunteers  are  completing 
the  volunteer  instructor  training  program. 
Cuirently  there  are  a  number  of  openings  at 
the  Museum  for  gualified  volunteers.  Further 
information  may  be  obtained  by  calling  or 
writing  Carolyn  Blackmon  of  the  Museum's 
Department  of  Education  (922-9410, 
ext.  361). 

For  complete  list  of  volunteers  see  p.  19. 


Pnoto  by  G.  Henry  Ottery 


March  1974 


Mrs.  E.  Leiand  Webber,  1919-1974 

With  deep  regret  we  report  the  death 
February  15,  following  a  long  illness,  of 
Ellen  Duer  Webber,  wife  of  Museum  Director 
E.  Leiand  Webber.    A  native  of  Baltimore, 
Mrs.  Webber  became  a  Chicago-area 
resident  upon  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Webber 
in  1946.  There  are  three  children:  Leiand, 
James,  and  Ellen  R.  Webber.  Also  surviving 
is  Mrs.  Webber's  mother,  Mrs.  A.  Adgate 
Duer,  and  a  brother,  A.  Adgate  Duer  Jr., 
both  of  Baltimore. 


Paul  S.  Martin,  1899-1974 

Dr.  Paul  S.  Martin,  chairman  emeritus  of 
Field  Museum's  Department  of  Anthropology, 
died  in  Tucson,  Arizona,  on  January  20  at 
the  age  of  74,  after  a  short  illness.  He  was 
chairman  of  the  department  from  1935  to 
1964,  its  acting  chairman  from  1934  to  1935, 
and  assistant  curator  of  North  American 
archaeology  from  1929  to  1934. 

For  the  past  nine  years  Dr.  Martin  had 
conducted  the  museum's  summer  training 
program  for  high-ability  college  sophomores 
and  juniors,  "New  Perspectives  in 
Archaeology,"  at  its  field  station  in  Vernon, 
Arizona.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was 
serving  as  research  associate  in  the 


department  of  anthropology  at  the  University 
of  Arizona  and  at  the  Arizona  State  Museum. 

For  more  than  40  years.  Dr.  Martin's  primary 
field  of  study  was  the  American  Southwest, 
especially  Anasazi  and  Mogollon  prehistory. 
His  published  reports  on  archaeological  sites 
in  New  Mexico,  Colorado,  and  eastern 
Arizona  have  filled  a  dozen  volumes  of  the 
Museum's  scientific  series,  Fieldiana: 
Anthropology. 

In  1929,  as  a  graduate  student  under  the 
guidance  of  American  archeologist  Dr. 
Alfred  Vincent  Kidder,  Dr.  Martin  discovered 
the  Temple  of  the  Three  Lintels  at  Chichen 
Itza  in  Yucatan,  Mexico,  and  was  responsible 
for  its  excavation  and  reconstruction.  He 
was  the  recipient  of  the  Alfred  Vincent  Kidder 
Award  in  1968,  given  every  three  years  by 
the  American  Archaeology  Association  in 
recognition  of  leadership  and  outstanding 
contributions  to  the  field  of  New  World 
prehistory  and  archaeology. 

During  his  almost  45  years  at  Field  Museum 
Dr.  Martin  made  thousands  of  friends.  No 
one  who  ever  met  him  failed  to  be  impressed 
by  his  warmth  and  sincerity.  Because  of  his 
great  interest  in  young  people  Dr.  Martin 
came  to  personally  know  many  of  the 
students  who  worked  with  him  over  the 
years,  many  of  whom  have  become 
prominent  in  their  chosen  areas  of  endeavor, 
anthropology  and  archaeology. 


Dr.  Paul  S.  Martin  1899-1974 


These  dedicated  volunteers  served  Field  Museum  in  1973: 


IVIrs.  Peter  Anderson 
IVlrs.  T.  Stanton  Armour 
Mrs.  Richard  Bentley 
Ivlr.  David  Berglund 
Mrs.  Michael  Birnkrant 
Mrs.  Earl  Bolton 
Miss  Idessie  Bowens 
Mrs.  Roger  Brown 
Mr.  John  Clay  Bruner 
Mrs.  Thomas  Burke 
Mrs.  William  Buscombe 
Mrs.  Onno  Buss 
Mrs.  David  Calhoun 
Mrs.  John  Cameron 
Mrs.  William  Carson 
Mrs.  Robert  W.  Carton 
Mrs.  Warren  Cozzens 
Mr.  Robert  Curtis 
Mrs,  Dmo  D'Angelo 
Mrs.  Britton  Davis 
Mrs.  Alonzo  Davis 
Miss  Sharon  De  Berry 
Mrs.  Anthony  DeBlase 
Mrs.  Arthur  Donovan 
Mrs.  J.  W.  Dugdale 
Mr.  Stanley  Dvorak 
Mrs.  Henry  Dybas 
Mrs.  John  Engel 
Mrs.  Richard  Frank 


Mrs.  Joan  Franzel 
Miss  Lena  Franzen 
Mis.  John  Freels 
Mrs,  William  W.  Friedman 
Mrs.  Charles  Fuller,  III 
Mrs.  Isak  V.  Gerson 
Mrs.  Joseph  Girardi 
Mrs.  Lee  Gladstone 
Mrs.  Arthur  Gold 
Mrs.  H.  C.  Gornstein 
Mrs.  Mark  Greenberg 
Mrs,  Carroll  C.  Grmnell 
Mr.  Richard  F.  Guetzlalf 
Mrs.  Sol  Gurewitz 
Miss  Gertrude  M.  Hannen 
Mrs.  Phillip  Mauser 
Mr.  Neil  D.  Healey 
Mr.  Charles  P.  Henry 
Mr.  Mark  Hershkovitz 
Mr.  Michael  Hershkovitz 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Peter  Hewitt 
Mr.  Robert  Hicks 
Mrs.  William  Hoff 
Mr.  Ralph  M.  Hogan 
Miss  Alison  Gail  Hoppe 
Mr.  Claxton  E.  Howard 
Mrs.  Robert  Hyndman 
Mrs.  Yuichi  Idaka 
Miss  Janet  Irons 


Mrs.  Jay  Irvin 

Mr.  Michael  Jacker 

Mrs.  Zofia  Maria  Jastrzebska 

Miss  Catherine  Jones 

Mrs.  Rudolph  Karall 

Mrs.  Stanley  Kalz 

Mrs.  Joseph  C.  Kelley 

Mrs.  Robert  David  Keppler 

Mr,  John  Kolar 

Mrs,  Seymour  Kroll 

Mr.  William  Krueger 

Mrs.  Zivojin  Lakic 

Mr.  William  Lange 

Dr.  Dennis  Lehman 

Miss  Elizabeth  Liebman 

Miss  Jane  Lilienteld 

Mr.  John  Lind 

Miss  Anne  LippI 

Mrs.  Franklin  Loucks 

Mrs.  F.  J.  Lynch 

Mrs.  Arthur  Macquilkin 

Mr.  Walter  Mackler 

Mrs.  H.  F.  Matthies 

Mrs.  Samuel  T.  Mayo 

Mrs.  Richard  L.  Merrick 

Mr.  Robert  E,  Middleton 

Mrs.  Arthur  Morr 

Mrs.  Stuart  Moss 


Mrs.  Shel  Newberger 

Mrs.  Ernest  Newton 

Mrs.  Seymour  Nordenberg 

Mr.  John  O'Brien 

Miss  Joan  D.  Ott 

Mrs,  Richard  Oughlon 

Mrs,  Donald  Peters 

Mrs,  Herman  J.  Pfeifer 

Mrs,  Clara  J.  Piper 

Ms.  Dorene  Porter 

Mrs.  Kenneth  Prewitt 

Ms.  Eleanor  Quackenbush 

Col.  M.  E.  Rada 

Mrs.  Ronney  Ramsden 

Mrs.  William  Robins 

Mrs.  Vincent  Rodman 

Mrs,  Samuel  Rosenthal 

Mrs,  Harold  M.  Ross,  Jr. 

Mr,  Adam  Rudolph 

Mrs,  A.  R.  Sarabia 

Mr.  Teruo  Sasaki 

Mrs.  Alice  Schneider 

Mr,  Paul  Schustek 

Mr.  Christopher  R.  Scotese 

Mr  Jose  Segura 

Ms.  Laura  Seidman 

Mr.  Albert  Shatzel 

Mrs.  G.  H.  Shott 


Mrs.  C.  William  Sidwell 

Mrs.  Nathan  Silberman 

Miss  Jean  Marie  Silberman 

Ms.  Joanne  Silver 

Mr.  Samuel  Silverstein 

Mrs.  Hermon  Dunlap  Smith 

Dr.  Margo  Smith 

Mrs.  George  T,  Spensley 

Mrs.  Adrienne  Stephens 

Miss  Kathy  Stephens 

Mrs.  John  Stephens 

Mrs.  Frank  Stephens 

Mr  Andy  Strang 

Mrs,  S,  Talbot 

Miss  Joyce  S.  Tani 

Mrs.  Vladimir  Vincenty 

Mrs,  Henry  Von  Blohn 

Mr.  Iver  Walkoe 

Mrs.  Nancy  Wallace 

Mr.  David  Wend 

Mrs    Richard  White 

Mr,  Robert  Stephen  Wideman 

Mrs.  Roy  R.  Wiley 

Mrs.  Gibson  Winter 

Ms.  Jan  Wisseman 

Mrs.  Marvin  Wolfson 

Mrs.  Rudolph  Wolfson 

Mrs.  Theodore  Wroblicky 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


MARCH  at  Field  M 


useum 


Exhibits 


Janss  Underwater  Photography,  an  exhibit  of  exciting  color 
iinnls  and  marine  specimens.  Througti  September  8.  Hall  9. 

Field  Museum's  Anniversary  Exhibit  continues  indefinitely. 
A  Sense  of  Wonder"  offers  ttiougtit-provoking  prose  and  poetry 
associated  witti  tfie  ptiysical,  biological,  and  cultural  aspects  of 
nature;  "A  Sense  of  History"  presents  a  graphic  portrayal  of  the 
Ivluseum's  past:  and  "A  Sense  of  Discovery"  shows  examples  of 
research  conducted  bv  Museum  scientists.  Hall  3. 


Children's  Programs 

Begins  March   1 

Spring  Journey  for  Children,  "City  Creatures,"  combines 
museum  exploration  with  outside  activities.  The  free  do-it-yourself 
project  is  designed  to  acquaint  youngsters  with  animals  that  have 
made  their  homes  in  the  concrete  "wilderness"  of  the  city.  All 
boys  and  girls  who  can  read  and  write  may  participate.  Journey 
sheets  available  at  entrances.  Through  May  31. 

Saturday,   March  16 

Field  Museum's  Wolf  Workshop  for  ages  12  through  18,  from 
930  a.m.  to  12  noon  in  the  Lecture  Hall.  Conservationist  John 
Harris  will  present  a  two-hour  program  on  wolves.  Rocky,  the 
timber  wolf,  will  accompany  Mr.  Harris.  A  film,  "Death  of  a 
Legend,"  will  also  be  shown.  For  reservations  phone  922-9410, 
Ext.  351. 


Special  Events 


Ray  A.  Kroc  Environmental  Education  Program  activities  listed 
on  pp.  14-15. 

Weaving  Demonstration  by  members  of  the  North  Shore 
Weavers'  Guild  at  1000  a.m.  to  12:00  noon,  and  from  1:00  to 
3:00  p.m.  on  Mondays,  Tuesdays,  and  Fridays  in  the  South 
Lounge. 

Film  Program 

Ayer  Adult  Spring  Film  Lecture  Series,  at  2:30  p.m.  Saturdays 
in  the  James  Simpson  Theatre.  The  March  23  program  will  also 
be  presented  at  7:30  p.m.  Friday,  March  22. 

March  2:  "Hong  Kong  and  Macao,"  narrated  by  Kenneth 
Armstrong.  The  bustling  British  crown  colony  and  more 
leisurely-paced  Portuguese  territory,  located  40  miles  apart  on 
the  fringe  of  Southeast  China,  offer  a  study  in  contrasts. 

March  9:  "Holland,"  narrated  by  John  Roberts.   A  look  at  the 
picturesque  country  of  windmills,  dikes,  and  Rembrandt,  its 
ancient  and  modern  cities,  and  its  people. 

March  16:  "Canada's  Western  Frontier,"  narrated  by  Dr.  Arthur 
C.  Twomey.  Scenes  of  the  great  outdoors  feature  famous  national 
parks,  spectacular  mountains,  a  glacier,  wildlife,  and  unusual 
sports. 

March  22  and  March  23:  "John  Muir's  High  Sierra,"  narrated 
by  Dewitt  Jones.   Follow  the  trail  of  the  famed  U.S.  naturalist, 
writer,  and  explorer  during  the  four  seasons  to  Yosemite  Valley, 
the  country  of  the  giant  sequoias,  and  Ml.  Whitney. 

Join  us  for  coffee  after  the  Friday  evening.  March  22, 
film  lecture  presentation  and  meet  speaker  Dewitt  Jones. 


March  30:  "Wildlife  By  Day  and  By  Night,"  narrated  by  Karl 
H.  Maslowski.  Birds,  animals,  and  insects  of  the  American 
Midwest  are  shown  in  their  natural  habitats,  around  the  clock 
and  at  various  times  of  the  year. 

Sunday.  March  17 

"Upcountry  Uganda,"  free  wildlife  film  narrated  by  Jeanne  and 
John  Goodman,  presented  by  the  Illinois  Audubon  Society 
at  2:30  p.m.  in  the  James  Simpson  Theatre. 

iVIeetlngs 

March  1,  7:30  pm  ,  Chicago  Astronomical  Society. 
March  8,  7:30  p.m.,  Chicago  Anthropological  Society. 
March  10,  2:00  p.m.,  Chicago  Shell  Club. 
March  12,  8:00  p.m.,  Chicagoland  Glider  Council. 
March  12,  7:30  p.m..  Nature  Camera  Club  of  Chicago. 
March  13,  7:00  p.m.,  Chicago  Ornithological  Society. 


Coming  in  April 


Contemporary  African  Arts  Festival,  opening  April  20,  features 
a  major  exhibit  of  the  work  of  artists,  including  painters, 
printmakers,  sculptors,  and  fabric  designers,  as  well  as  music, 
films,  lectures,  dances,  and  other  events.  Special  April 
programs  are: 

Films  in  exhibit  area: 

1:30  p.m.  April  20  through  26-  "The  Hazda" 
and  "Bitter  Melons." 

7:30  p.m.  April  26:  "Borom  Sarret"  and  "Tauw." 

1:30  p.m.  April  27  through  30:  "The  Tuareg,"  "NavKi,"  and 
"Masai  Warrior." 

4:00  p  m.  April  28:  "The  Lion  Hunters." 

Royal  African  Puppet  Theatre 

10:30  and  11:30  a.m.  Saturday,  April  20  and  27,  in  the 
James  Simpson  Theatre. 

Ayer  Adult  Spring  Film  Lecture  Series,  at  2:30  p.m.  Saturdays 
in  the  James  Simpson  Theatre,  The  April  13  program  will  also 
be  presented  at  7:30  p.m.  Friday,  April  12. 

April  6:  "Vanishing  Africa,"  narrated  by  Lewis  Cotlow.     ' 

April  12  and  13:  "Aldabra — Island  In  Peril,"  narrated  by 
Ley  Kenyon. 

April  20:  "Alaska  Wilderness  Lake,"  narrated  by 
Dr.  Theodore  J    Walker. 

April  27:  "Scotland,"  narrated  by  Bill  Madsen. 


Hours 

9:00  a.m.  to  5:00  p.m.  Saturday  through  Thursday;  9:00  am.  to 
9:00  p.m.  Friday. 

The  Museum  Library  is  open  9:00  a.m.  to  4:00  p.m.  Monday  through 
Friday.  Please  obtain  pass  at  reception  d3sk,  main  floor  north 

Museum  telephone:  922-9410. 


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Field  Museum 
of  Natural  History 
Bulletin 


Volume 45,  Number4 
April  1974 


CONTENTS 


THE  CONTEMPORARY  AFRICAN  ARTS  FESTIVAL 

by  Maude  Wahlman 


CHINESE  CAT  PAINTING 

by  Berthold  Laufer 


Managing  Editor  G    Henry  Ottery 
Editor  David  M    Walsten 
Staff  Writer  Madge  Jacobs 
Production  Russ  Becker 

Color  separations  by  Mueller  Color  Plate  Co^ 


RAY  A.  KROC  ENVIRONMENTAL 
EDUCATION  PROGRAM 


FIELD  BRIEFS 


LETTERS 


CAPITAL  CAMPAIGN 


15 


16 


18 


19 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Director  E   Leiand  Webber 


Board  of  Trustees 


APRIL  AT  FIELD  MUSEUM: 
CALENDAR  OF  COMING  EVENTS 


back  cover 


COVER 


Detail  of  wool  and  hemp  tapestry  from  Ramses  Wissa  Wassef  Weaving 
Worl<shop,  Harrania.  Egypt  Collection  of  John  Anthony  Ward 

Photo  by  Herta  Newton. 


BlaineJ    Yarrington, 

President 
Mrs    B    Edward  Bensinger 
Gordon  Bent 
Harry  0   Bercher 
Bowen  Blair 
Stanton  R   Cook 
William  R    Dickinson.  Jr 
Thomas  E    Donnelley  II 
Marshall  Field 
Nicholas  Galitzine 
Paul  W   Goodrich 
Remick  McDowell 
Hugo  J    filelvoin 
J    Roscoe  Miller 
William  H    Mitchell 
Charles  F    Murphy,  Jr 
Harry  M    Oliver,  Jr 
John  T    Pirie,Jr 
John  S    Runnells 
William  L   Searle 


Edward  Byron  Smith 
John  M    Simpson 
Mrs    Hermon  Dunlap 

Smith 
JohnW    Sullivan 
William  G    Swartchild,  Jr. 
E    Leiand  Webber 
Julian  B    Wilkins 

Life  Trustees 

William  McCormick  Blair 
Joseph  N    Field 
Clifford  C   Gregg 
Samuel  Insull,  Jr 
William  V    Kahler 
Hughston  M    McBain 
James  L    Palmer 
John  G   Searle 
Louis  Ware 
J    Howard  Wood 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  Bulletin  is  published  monthly, 
except  combined  July/August  issue,  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive.  Chicago,  Illinois  60605. 
Subscriptions   $6  a  year.  $3  a  year  lor  schools    Members  of  the 
Museum  subscribe  through  Museum  membership   Opinions 
expressed  by  authors  are  their  own  and  do  not  necessarily  reflect  the 
policy  of  Field  Museum    Unsolicited  manuscripts  are  welcome 
Postmaster   Please  send  form  3579  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History.  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive.  Chicago.  Illinois  60605. 
ISSN    0015-0703 


The 

Contemporary 

African 

Arts 

Festival 

By  Maude  Wahlman 


Many  people  find  African  art  in  its 
various  forms  startling  and  think  of  it 
as  mystical,  old,  and  anonymous.  But 
visitors  to  the  Museum's 
"Contemporary  African  Arts 
Festival,"  opening  April  20  for  six 
months,  vj\\\  see  African  art  that  is 
startling,  mystical,  innovative  —  and 
signed.  The  festival  will  include  a 
major  exhibit  at  the  Museum,  a  series 
of  educational  programs,  and  a  shop 
offering  contemporary  African  art. 

The  art  exhibit 

The  exhibit  element  of  the  festival 
presents  an  anthropological  study  of 
change  in  Africa  as  interpreted  by 
thirteen  artists  or  groups  of  artists, 
each  working  in  a  different  medium. 
The  study  is  selective:  it  does  not 
attempt  to  include  every 
contemporary  African  artist.  Instead, 


Lett   Wall  hanging,  starch  resist  design  on 
cotton,  by  Senabu  Oloyede.  Nigeria, 
All  photos  by  Herta  Newton 


Maude  Wahlman  is  consultant  in 
African  ethnology  at  Field  Museum. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


it  examines  the  work  ot  a  few 
individuals,  chosen  because  each 
plays  a  different  role  in  a  different 
culture. 

However,  as  many  arts  as  possible 
are  included:  graphics,  painting, 
pottery,  sculpture,  carved  calabash, 
weaving,  resist  dyeing,  leatherwork, 
architecture,  music,  dance,       ^ 
literature,  and  counter-repousse.  The 
emphasis  is  primarily  on  the  role  of 
the  artist  in  contemporary  African 
life. 

One  aim  of  the  festival  is  to 
demonstrate  how  the  arts  of  a  people 
change  as  other  aspects  of  their 
culture  change.  Africa  is  undergoing 
rapid  social  and  technological 
change.  Until  relatively  recent  times, 
many  areas  of  the  continent  were 
virtually  inaccessible  to  Africans  and 
foreigners  alike — the  term  "dark 
continent"  was  aptly  applied.  Today 
almost  any  village  can  be  reached  by 
road.  Television,  radio,  the  airplane, 
and  modern  automobiles  link  tribal 
societies  to  each  other  and  to  the  rest 
of  the  world.  The  influences  of  Islam 
from  the  East  and  of  Christianity, 
colonialism,  and  tourism  from  the 
West  are  now  a  part  of  daily  reality. 

When  cultures  are  in  transition  and 
change  is  rapid,  it  is  important  to 
document  each  phase  in  its  own  time, 
before  the  opportunity  is  lost.  One 
means  of  studying  change  is  through 
artists,  their  arts,  and  their  role  in 
society.  Since  art  is  an  expression  of 
society,  contemporary  African  art 
reflects  both  tradition  and  the 
changes  taking  place  in  Africa. 

And  it  is  the  artist  who  most  keenly 
feels  the  tensions  between  the  old 
and  the  new,  between  tradition  and 
innovation.  An  important  aspect  of  his 
role  is  the  pulling  together  of  those 
experiences  that  seem  most  jarring 
emotionally,  bringing  pieces  of  the 
past  and  present  together  in  a 
manner  that  makes  sense  to  the  rest 
of  his  culture  and  perhaps  to  those 


beyond  his  culture.  And  his  influence 
is  widely  felt  because  he  and  his 
works  remain  a  central  facet  of  daily 
life  in  Africa.  Daily  life  continues  to 
include  the  need  of  the  artists' 
hand-made  products:  pottery, 
pattern-dyed  cloth,  woven  textiles, 
carved  calabashes,  leatherwork,  and 
sculpture.  Even  pottery,  music,  and 
dance  are  a  part  of  everyday  life.  The 
artist,  therefore,  is  very  much  in  the 
mainstream  of  life,  and  he  influences 
its  course. 

Another  goal  of  the  exhibition  is  the 
identification  of  artists  by  name 
whenever  possible.  Artists  are 
referred  to  by  the  names  by  which 
they  are  known  in  their  cultures:  for 
example,  Yoruba  artists  are  often 
known  by  their  first  names. 
Traditional  African  art  has  so  often 
been  presented  as  anonymous  —  a 
false  impression  perpetuated  by 
scholars  and  dealers  alike.  Artists 
were  known  in  the  past,  in  their  own 
communities,  for  most  art  was 
commissioned  from  them  by  priests. 


J   L    Williams,  leader  ot  African  dance 
workshops  lo  beheld  at  Field  Museum,  wearing 
dress  ot  African  wax  resist  cloth 


kings,  and  wealthy  merchants. 
Today's  artists  are  as  well  known  as 
those  of  the  past,  despite  the  fact  that 
the  old  patrons  of  the  arts  can  no 
longer  afford  to  support  artists  to  the 
extent  they  once  did.  Art  is  now  also 
commissioned  by  local  and  national 
governments,  by  the  growing  middle 
class,  and  by  foreigners.  Other  art  is 
produced  for  sale  in  galleries  and  at 
airport  shops.  However,  this  festival 
emphasizes  those  artists  who  create 
for  both  Africans  and  foreigners. 

The  processes  of  change  are  not  the 
same  throughout  Africa,  nor  is  every 
artist  equally  successful  in  meeting 
the  challenge  of  new  media,  new 
patrons,  and  new  ideas.  Some 
artists,  such  as  the  Tuareg 
leatherworkers  of  Niger,  continue 
traditional  forms  with  little  innovation. 
Other  artists  express  themselves  in 
borrowed  mediums.  Bruce 
Onobrakpeya  of  Nigeria  has  adapted 
Western  printmaking  techniques  to 
convey  African  ideas.  He 
communicates  through  book 
illustrations  and  through  color  prints 
that  comment  on  Nigerian  society. 
Skunder  Boghossian  communicates 
his  Ethiopian  heritage  through  his 
paintings  and  as  a  teacher  at  Howard 
University,  Washington,  D.C. 

Asiru  Olatunde  of  Nigeria  uses  a  new 
material  —  aluminum  —  to  continue 
an  older  art  form,  that  of  story-telling 
on  panels.  The  potter,  Ladi  Kwali  of 
Nigeria,  continues  to  produce  high 
quality  traditional  pottery  shapes  and 
designs,  but  she  uses  a  nontraditional 
stoneware  clay  that  enables  her  pots 
to  be  glazed  and  used  for  tableware. 
They  can  also  be  exported.  Ladi  Kwali 
is  both  preserving  a  valuable  heritage 
and  publicizing  it.  In  Sierra  Leone, 
Kadiato  Kamara  provides 
style-conscious  Africans  with  new 
textile  designs  worn  to  express 
national  pride  and  a  highly  individual 
sense  of  fashion. 

In  Kenya,  Peter  Nzuki  is  reviving  a 
fine  old  Kamba  art  form  —  the 


April  1974 


carving  of  calabashes,  or  gourds.  He 
carves  traditional  and  new  designs  on 
calabashes  that  are  sold  in  Nairobi.  In 
Rhodesia,  Thomas  Mukarobgwa 
carves  stone  into  innovative  shapes, 
some  inspired  by  local  mythology.  In 
Egypt,  children  at  the  Harrania 
weaving  workshop  weave  designs 
and  scenes  of  daily  life  as  a  part  of 
their  schooling.  This  workshop  may 
provide  a  viable  educational  model 
for  other  cultures.  The  Egyptian 
architect  Hassan  Fathy  departs 
radically  from  other  contemporary 
African  architects  in  his  plea  for 
architecture  for  the  poor. 

An  artist's  right  to  receive  inspiration 
from  any  sources  has  been 
successfully  defended  by  Nigerian 
composer  Akin  Euba.  (See  Field 
Museum  of  Natural  History  Bulletin, 
March  1974.)  He  combines  African 
musical  elements  with  his 
experiences  as  an  artist  who  has  lived 
and  studied  all  over  the  world.  The 
Dogon  dancers  of  f\/lali  have  found  a 
moderate  position  between  the  two 
extremes  presented  to  many  African 
dance  groups  —  the  traditional 
versus  the  theatrical. 

These  artists  fill  different  roles  in  their 
respective  cultures.  Most  are  social 
commentators,  such  as  the  Harrania 
weavers,  Asiru  Olatunde,  Bruce 
Onobrakpeya,  and  Skunder 
Boghossian.  None  is  subsidized 
solely  by  governments,  tourists, 
kings,  or  priests.  Few  artists  have  a 
religious  role  today,  although  all  have 
an  economic  role.  In  many  cases 
patronage  comes  from  foreigners  in 
Africa.  However,  in  the  long  run,  the 
quality  of  contemporary  African  arts 
will  reflect  the  standards  Africans  set 
for  them.  To  produce  art  valued  by 
Africans  is  the  most  difficult 
challenge  faced  by  the  artists,  and 
the  most  significant. 

The  exhibit  was  planned  by  a 
committee  composed  of  scriptwriter 
Helen  Chandra,  designer  Robert 
Martin,  and  graphic  designer  Clifford 


Tie-dyed  cotton  cloth,  designed  by  Mrs   Kadiato 
Kamara.  Freetown.  Sierra  Leone 


Abrams  of  the  Department  of 
Exhibition;  David  Pressler, 
representing  the  Department  of 
Education;  and  the  author. 

Educational  programs 

The  many  educational  programs  to  be 
presented  in  conjunction  with  the 
exhibit  are  under  the  direction  of  Dr. 
Alice  Carnes,  chairman  of  the 
Museum's  Department  of  Education. 
They  include  performances, 
demonstrations,  three  film  series, 
dance  workshops,  arts  workshops, 
and  exhibit/kits  for  Chicago  area 
schools  and  community 
organizations.  (A  partial  schedule  of 
activities  may  be  found  following  this 
article.) 

Some  arts,  such  as  dance,  music, 
drama,  and  poetry,  can  be  fully 
appreciated  only  through  live 


performances.  Therefore, 
performances  by  Africans  in  the 
United  States  and  by  Afro-American 
groups  that  have  studied  African  arts 
have  been  scheduled.  There  are  also 
artistic  techniques  that  can  be  best 
appreciated  by  seeing  the  process  as 
well  as  the  product;  thus,  a  series  of 
demonstrations  by  Africans  in  the 
United  States  has  been  arranged. 
Carolyn  Blackmon,  the  Museum's 
coordinator  of  special  educational 
services,  has  organized  these 
activities. 

The  three  film  series  of  the  festival 
will  be  comprised  of  a  group  of  short 
films  shown  repeatedly  during 
weekdays;  a  Friday  evening  series  of 
films  by  African  film  maker  Ousmane 
Sembene;  and  a  Sunday  afternoon 
showing  of  major  feature-length 
films.  The  films  depict  many  aspects 
of  African  cultural  life  in  addition  to 
art,  and  they  document  arts  in  their 
natural  contexts.  In  charge  of  the  film 
series  is  Ann  Prewitt,  Department  of 
Education  volunteer. 

J.  L.  Williams,  Outreach  Program 
instructor,  will  offer  an  African  dance 
workshop  for  thirty  teenagers  from 
high  schools  and  community 
organizations  in  the  Chicago  area. 
Students  who  play  musical 
instruments  will  also  be  welcomed  to 
participate  in  the  four  six-week 
workshops.  Through  the  use  of 
ethnographic  accounts,  films,  and 
music,  students  will  examine  the  form 
and  content  of  "coming  of  age" 
ceremonies  in  Africa.  Utilizing 
cross-cultural  perspectives, 
participants  will  then  consider  the 
phenomena  in  the  urban 
environment.  How  does  a  person 
pass  from  one  age  to  another?  What 
are  the  cultural  cues  that  tell  us  when 
we  pass  from  one  stage  of  growth  to 
another''  Using  information  derived 
from  African  sources,  and  with  the 
thoughts  and  reflections  of  the 
participants,  students  will  develop 
their  own  "coming  of  age" 
ceremonies,  and  perform  them. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


;< 


Woven  tapestry  by  Fatima  from 

the  workshop  of  Ramses  Wissa 

Wassef.  Harrania,  Egypt 

(.Collection  of  Betty  and 

Theodore  Tieken) 


Counter  repousse  copper  panel  by 
Asiru  Olatunde.  Oshogbo.  Nigeria 


r 


v^-  »^ 


"Big  Orange.  "  oil 

painting  by  the 

Ethiopian  painter 

Skunder  Boghossian 

(Collection  of  the 

artist) 


6         April  1974 


Detail  ol  Tuareg  leather 
saddlebag.  Agadez.  Niger 


"Genre  Scene,  " trorr)  the  Rannses  Wissa 
Wassel  Weaving  Workshop.  Harrania.  Egypt 


Calabash,  carved  by 
Peter  Nzuki.  Kenya 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


Two  workshops  weekly,  each  two 
sessions,  on  African  tie-dye  and  wax 
resist  dyeing,  also  will  be  offered. 
Working  under  the  principle  that 
modern  design  is  a  link  to  the  past, 
the  students  will  tour  the  African  art 
exhibit  then  proceed  to  the  workshop 
to  discuss  forms,  design,  and 
traditional  African  techniques  of 
tie-dye  or  wax  resist.  Participants  will 
design  and  dye  fabrics  for  wall 
hangings,  scarves,  or  costumes. 
These  workshops  invite  the 
participation  of  senior  citizens,  or  of 
community  youth  groups  for  ages 
nine  through  the  teens. 

Thirty  exhibit/kits  will  be  made 
available  on  a  loan  basis  to  Chicago 
area  schools  and  community 
organizations  through  the  Harris 
Extension  Division  of  the  Museum's 
Department  of  Education.  They  are 
being  developed  by  David  Pressler, 
coordinator  of  the  Harris  Extension 
Division,  and  Cynthia  Mark, 
researcher/assistant.  These 
educational  kits  will  present  some  of 
the  arts  included  in  the  main  exhibit; 
architecture,  leatherwork,  sculpture, 
calabashes,  and  textiles.  Each 
exhibit/kit  will  contain  artifacts  that 
may  be  handled  by  educators  and 
students,  a  program  and  activity 
guide,  color  slides,  and  exhibit 
panels.  Each  exhibit/kit  is  designed 
to  be  a  self-contained  experience. 
However,  it  can  also  serve  as  an 
introduction  to  the  main  exhibit  for 
groups  planning  to  visit  the  Museum. 


African  arts  shop 

In  Hall  27,  between  the  exhibit  and 
the  small  theater  (for  films, 
workshops,  and  demonstrations), 
there  will  be  a  shop  devoted 
exclusively  to  contemporary  African 
arts  available  for  purchase  by  all 
visitors  to  the  Museum.  Many  of  the 
items  will  be  the  work  of  artists 
featured  in  the  exhibit;  however,  a 
greater  variety  of  arts  will  be  available 
in  the  shop  than  will  be  featured  in  the 


exhibit.  All  will  be  labeled  with  artists' 
names,  places  of  origin,  or  with 
information  about  the  use  of  the 
artifact  in  African  culture. 


The  festival  bool< 

A  paperback  book  published  in 
conjunction  with  the  festival,  entitled 
Contemporary  African  Arts,  will  be 
available  at  the  Museum's  main 
bookshop  and  at  the  festival  shop.  Its 
120  pages  contain  120 
black-and-white  photographs  and  12 
color  reproductions,  in  addition  to 
essays  on  the  various  art  forms 
featured  in  the  festival.  Appendices 
include  lists  of  African  artists 
currently  residing  in  the  United 
States,  selected  African  and 
Afro-American  dance,  drama,  and 
music  groups  in  the  United  States;  a 


recommended  film  series; 
distributors  of  films  on  Africa;  films  by 
Africans;  and  a  list  of  sources  of 
imported  African  arts  that  may  be 
purchased.  Also  available  will  be 
color  slides  of  artifacts  in  the  exhibit, 
for  use  with  the  book  in  teaching 
classes  on  contemporary  African 
arts. 


Conclusion 

If  African  arts  are  exciting,  it  is 
because  African  cultures  are  exciting 
and  dynamic.  This,  more  than 
anything  else,  is  the  message  of  this 
festival.  The  variety,  the  richness,  the 
high  quality,  and  the  innovation  one 
finds  in  contemporary  African  arts  are 
indicative  of  cultures  that  are 
changing  and  evolving  in  their  own 
unique  directions. 


AFRICAN  ARTS  FESTIVAL  EVENTS,  APRIL  &  MAY 


Educational  programs 

April  20  &  27  —  Royal  African  Puppet  Theatre 
demonstrations  by  Baba  Alabi  S  Ayinla.  of 
Yoruba  For  children  and  adults  At10:30& 
11  30  a.m.,  in  the  James  Simpson  Theatre 

May  4  —  Ayinla  Puppet  Workshop  students' 
performance  At  10  30am  intheJames 
Simpson  Theatre 

May  11  —  Batik  demonstrations  by  Samuel 
Nyunuri,  of  Kenya   At  10  30&  1 1  30  a  m  ,  and 
2  00&  3:00pm,,  in  Stanley  Field  Hall 

May  18  —  Dance  and  drum  performances  by 
Ladji  Camera,  of  Guinea  At  10:30  &  1 1  30 
am,  and  2:00  &  3:00  p.m.,  in  Stanley  Field 
Hall 

Filrrts 

(In  exhibit  area) 

Daily,  1:30  p.m. 

April  20-26  —  "The  Hadza"  and  "Bitter 
Melons" depict  the  disappearing  way  of  life 
of  the  hunter-gatherers 

April  27-May  3  —  "The  Tuareg,"  "N aw i,"  and 
"Masai  Warrior  Child  of  Two  Worlds  ■  picture 
the  pastoral  way  of  life  in  traditional  Africa 
May  4-10  —  "The  Dry  Season"  and  "African 
Village:  Guinea"  depict  traditional  village  life 
in  Africa 

May  11-17  —  "Malawi    Two  Young  Men"  and 
"Women  Up  In  Arms"  show  conflicts  involved 
in  the  transition  from  traditional  into  modern 
African  societies. 


May  18-24  —  "Heritage  of  the  Negro"  and  "In 
Search  of  Myself"  portray  the  historical  and 
cultural  background  of  the  arts  in  Africa 
May  25-31  —  "The  Creative  Person    Leopold 
Sedar  Senghor '  and  "The  Swamp  Dwellers" 
depict  the  literary  and  theatrical  arts  in  Africa. 

Fridays.  7:30  p.m. 

Films  of  Ousmane  Sembene 

April  26 &  May  4  —  "Barom  Sarret'and 
"Tauw,"  both  set  in  Dakar,  follow  their  male 
protagonists  through  a  day  in  their  lives, 
which  isalsoadayinthelife  of  their  country. 

May  3&  31  —  "Black  Girl  " 

May  10  —  "Mandabi."  a  comedy  telling  the 

story  of  an  illiterate  old  man  who  is  cheated 

out  of  the  proceeds  of  a  money  order  by  a 

series  of  corrupt  officials 

May  17  —  "Em itai,"  the  first  African  epic, 

depicts  southern  Senegal  during  World  War  II, 

and  portrays  the  cruel  effect  of  the  French 

conscription  of  Africans  in  a  tiny  rice  and 

fishing  village 

Sundays.  4:00  p.m. 

Featurefilms 

April  28  —  "The  Lion  Hunters,"  suspenseful 

tale  of  themen  of  Nigerwho  hunt  lionswith 

bows  and  arrows   Grand  Prize  winner.  Venice 

Documentary  Film  Festival 

May  26  —  "Benin  Kingship  Rituals"  and 

"Galede." 


8         April  1974 


Milk? 

m 


'm\ 


Chinese 

Cat 

Painting 

by  Berthold  Laufer 


An  anonymous  sixteenth-century 
Chinese  writer  once  described  the 
perplexity  of  poet-statesman  Ou-yang 
Hsiu  as  he  stood  silent  before  a 
painting  of  a  cat;  the  animal  was 
shown  crouched  near  a  clump  of 
peonies.  Ou-yang,  however,  could 
see  no  message  or  significance  in  the 
painting.  At  last,  a  neighbor  came  by, 
glanced  at  the  painting  for  a  moment, 
and  offered  this  explanation:  "The 
subject  of  the  painting  is  midday. 
Observe  that  the  peonies  are  fully 
open  and  rather  dull  in  hue — the 
proper  condition  of  flowers  at  noon. 
The  cat's  pupils  are  thin  black 
slits — just  the  way  they  should  appear 
when  the  sun  is  brightest." 

Field  f^useum  has  a  number  of 
Chinese  cat  paintings,  all  collected 
during  the  Mrs.  T.  B.  Blackstone 
Expedition  to  China  and  Tibet 
(1908-10),  and  it  is  indeed  intriguing 
to  study  them  and  to  ponder  their 
poetic  symbolism. 


Note:  The  romanization  system  lor  Chinese 
names  used  by  the  author  in  this  article  may 
differ  in  some  instances  from  current  usage. 


Two  sleeping  cats  by  Yun  Shou-p'ing 
(1633-90).  considered  the  greatest  artist  of 
the  Ch'ing  dynasty.  Ink  on  paper.  The 
caption  at  upper  left  reads:    The  rat  has 
overturned  your  bowl  while  you  did  not 
look,  and  now  you  decline  to  search  for 
butterflies  beneath  the  flowers,  and  have 
fallen  asleep — what  a  sin! 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


The  preoccupation  of  Chinese  artists 
with  nature  scenes,  animals,  birds, 
fishes,  and  insects  was  a  logical 
development  as  the  precepts  of 
Taoism  and  Buddhism  affected  every 
facet  of  Chinese  culture,  including,  of 
course,  art.  The  harmony  of  man  with 
nature  was  basic  to  both 
philosophies.  The  cat  was  of 
particular  importance  as  traditional 
guardian  of  mulberry  bushes  (the 
food  plant  of  the  silkworm),  although 
the  plants  most  evident  in  cat 
paintings  are  conspicuous  flowering 
types  such  as  the  chrysanthemum 
and  peony.  The  first  known  cat 
paintings  appeared  as  early  as  the 
T'ang  Dynasty  (A.D.  618-906):  by  the 


Sung  Dynasty  (960-1 279)  the  genre 
had  come  into  its  own. 

Through  the  centuries  cats  have 
continued  to  be  favorite  subjects  for 
Chinese  painters.  Tzu  Hsi 
(1834-1908),  the  eccentric  dowager 
empress  who  was  all-powerful  in  the 
twilight  years  of  the  Ch'ing  Dynasty, 
commissioned  cat  paintings  as  gifts. 
Field  Museum's  collection  includes 
one  of  these,  the  bright  seal  of  the 
empress  stamped  boldly  upon  it  [see 
illustration  p.  12]. 

A  cat  with  one  or  more  butterflies  has 
been  a  popular  motif  since  cat 
paintings  first  appeared.  The 


combination  is  regarded  as  a  rebus, 
the  characters  for  "cat  and  butterfly" 
being  pronounced  the  same  [mao  tie] 
as  those  for  "the  age  of  ninety 
years."  The  gift  of  a  picture  showing 
a  cat  together  with  one  or  more 
butterflies  was  thus  intended  to  wish 
the  recipient  a  long  life  [see 
illustrations  pp.  10,  13]. 

Early  European  painters  placed  cats 
in  the  parlor,  near  the  hearth,  or  on 
the  threshold;  but  always  in  human 
company.  The  domestic  character  of 
the  cat  was  plainly  evident,  and  the 
animal  was  symbolic  of  homey 
comfort,  tranquillity,  and  ease. 
Chinese  cat  paintings,  on  the  other 
hand,  never  show  cats  together  with 
man,  nor  indoors,  and  rarely  in  the 
proximity  of  human  abode.  It  is  the 
animal  itself,  for  its  own  sake,  that 
interests  the  Chinese  artist.  He 
portrays  it  not  as  a  servile  animal,  not 
from  the  utilitarian  point  of  view  as  a 
mouser,  but  as  an  exquisite  creature 
of  nature,  free  and  independent  in  a 
natural  setting,  and  attracted  by 
birds,  flowers,  or  insects.  This  is  not 
merely  an  imaginative  conception;  it 
rests  on  accurate  observation:  cats, 
especially  on  a  fine  summer  day,  are 
fond  of  taking  long  forays  into  the 
woods  and  fields,  basking  in  the  sun, 
observing  with  keen  eyes,  and  of 
course,  hunting  for  prey.  It  is  obvious 
that  they  have  an  appreciation  for 
nature:  and  it  is  this  quality  that  the 
Chinese  painters  have  recognized 
and  commented  on  in  their  art. 


T'ang  Dynasty  (618-906) 

According  to  a  catalogue  of  the 
Emperor  Hui  Tsung  (reigned 
1101-1126),  compiled  about  AD. 
1 1 62,  Wei  Wu-tien  was  the  first  artist 
to  portray  cats.  Wei  was  a  renowned 
animal  painter  who  worked  at  the 
court  of  the  Emperor  Ming  Huang 
(eighth  century).  Three  of  his  extant 
pictures  are  devoted  to  cats:  "Playing 

Cat  and  butterfly  by  Yun  Yuan-tu  (18th  cent  )   On 
s/ft   Cat  No    1 16068   {Photo  by  Herta  Newton) 


10 


April  1974 


A  tortoise-shell  cat  framed  by 

peonies  and  chrysanthemums 

peers  suspiciously  at  a  rooster 

above  On  paper.  The  painting  is 

a  copy  of  an  earlier  one  by  Hua 

Yen.  a  seventeenth-century  artist: 

the  copyist  has  modestly 

omitted  his  own  name.  The 

legend  reads:  "tJlay  you  be 

promoted  one  grade  in  your 

official  career'  tvlay  your  steps 

reach  the  Phoenix  MountainI 

Painted  in  the  year  yi-wei  {which 

may  be  1715.  1 775.  or  1835.  as 

the  cycle  is  not  given),  in  the  last 

decade  of  the  melon  month. 

Painted  in  the  district  of  Po-ling. 

in  the  inn  where  the  fairies 

assemble,  beneath  the  east 

window,  in  imitation  of  a  subject 

by  Sin-lo  shan-jen." Cat.  No 

1 16080  {Photo  by  Herta  Newton) 


^    ^ 


'■     "C  'T  It-"-  ^ 

-i  «■■■  ■'^- 1^  ■*• 


pi': 


i 


%.s^ 


f7< 


■XI 


•V 


^v 


"•i 


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f 


Cats,"  "Mallow  Plants  and  Cats," 
and  "Cats  Playing  in  Rocky  Hills." 

Tiao  Kwang,  also  known  as 
Kwang-yin,  is  classified  by  some 
historians  as  a  T'ang  Dynasty  artist; 
others  assign  him  to  the  Five 
Kingdom  period  (907-960)  on  the 
false  assumption  that  he  settled  in 
Szechuan  Province  in  A.D.  936.  He 
did  not,  however,  move  to  that  region 
until  several  decades  later.  Thus, 
T  iao  indeed  lived  at  the  end  of  the 
T'ang,  although  his  lifetime  may  have 
extended  into  the  Five  Kingdom 
period.  Among  his  cat  pictures  are 
paintings  of  sporting  cats  with  rocks, 
peach  blossoms,  or  bamboo. 


Five  Kingdoms  (907-960) 

Perhaps  the  most  distinguished  artist 
of  the  Five  Kingdom  period  was 
Huang  Ts'uan,  A  disciple  of  Tiao 
Kwang,  Huang  was  at  one  time 
represented  in  the  Chinese  imperial 
art  collection  by  nearly  400  works;  1 3 
of  these  portrayed  cats.  Huang 
Tsuan's  second  and  third  sons  were 
both  cat  painters.  The  latter,  Huang 
Ku-tsai,  painted  nine  cat  pictures  that 
found  their  way  into  the  imperial 
collection. 

Other  notable  cat  painters  of  this 
period  Included  LI  Kwei-chen,  a 
Taoist  priest  who  also  excelled  in 
painting  oxen  and  tigers;  and  Li 
Ai-chi,  who  was  mainly  a  landscape 
painter.  While  Ai-chi's 
contemporaries  adhered  slavishly  to 
the  convention  that  cats  appear 
beneath  flowers,  he  was  the  first  to 
paint  them  amid  medicinal  herbs  and 
sprouts.  Each  of  the  eighteen 
examples  of  his  brush  that  have  come 
down  to  us  show  kittens  rather  than 

A  sassy  little  pug  dog  and  a  black  cat. 
back-arched,  exchange  felicitations   On 
paper.  This  is  one  of  numerous  paintings 
that  bear  the  seal  of  the  dowager  empress 
Tz'u-hsi  {1835-1908)  and  which  were  done 
by  her  court  painters  to  be  given  in  her 
name.  Cat.  No.  116177. 


t^ji 


full-grown  cats.  They  are  titled 
variously  "Playing  Cats  amid 
Medicinal  Herbs  and  Sprouts," 
"Sporting  Cats,"  "Mother  Cat  and 
her  Young,"  "Intoxicated  Cats," 
"Mother  Cat  and  Young  Playing," 
"Wasp  and  Cat,"  and  so  on. 

The  Venerable  Master  Ho  (Ho 
Tsun-shi),  a  prolific  painter,  was 
represented  in  the  imperial  collection 
by  34  cat  pictures.  An  early  account 
describes  Ho  at  some  length: 

"It  is  unknown  where  he  came  from. 
In  the  Lung-te  period  (A.  D.  921  -23) 
he  lived  on  the  sacred  Mountain  Heng 
(in  Hunan  province)  without  revealing 
his  name.    His  sole  pleasure  was  to 
play  with  brush  and  ink.  He  painted 
flowers  and  rocks,  and  moreover  was 
an  expert  at  painting  cats.  These 
pictures  elicited  due  praise  from  his 
contemporaries.  His  cats  sleep  and 
wake,  walk  and  sit,  congregate  and 
play,  disperse  and  run  away,  watch 
rats,  catch  birds,  lick  their  chops, 
and  gnash  their  teeth — all  this  found 
expression  in  his  pictures.  The  cat's 
behavior  was  caught  by  him  in  a 
manner  unsurpassed  and  faultless. 

"He  used  to  say  that  a  cat  resembles 
a  tiger  in  all  but  two  respects:  the  size 
of  the  ears  and  the  yellow  color  of  the 
eyes.  But  what  a  pity  that  the 
Venerable  Master  did  not  develop  his 


A  white  and  black 
cat  is  Intrigued  by 
two  butterflies 
just  out  ol  reacti- 
on paper.  Signed 
by  Shen  Chen-Lin 
{died  about  1908) 
and  dated  "On  the 
13th  day  of  the 
winter  month  of 
the  year  ting-wei 
(1907).  .  .  .  The 
flowers  on  the 
cliff  have  been 
asleep  for  a  long 
time.  Alas,  that 
the  butterflies 
have  come  back. " 
Cat  No.  116112. 
The  Chinese 
expression  for 
"cat  and  butterfly" 
IS  the  same  as 
that  tor  "the  age 
of  ninety  years.  " 
Thus,  the  gift  of  a 
painting  with  this 
motif  carried  the 
wish  that  the 
recipient  live  to  a 
ripe  old  age.  The 
fJluseum  also  has 
from  this  artist  a 
painting  of  a 
Pekinese  dog 
{dated  1862)  and 
two  scenes 
illustrating 
incidents  in  a 
novel  {dated 
1890). 


I 

'■1 


t. 

7' 

t 

»♦- 

T 

^ 

i- 

Hi 

s 

it 

■T 

^ 

^ 

(. 

M.^ 


Cat  with  captured 
bird,  a  common 
motif.  On  silk. 
Probably  from  the 
Ch'len  Lung 
period  {18th 
cent.). 


Field  Museum  Bulletin         13 


talents  and  did  not  advance  to  the 
painting  of  tigers!  He  stopped  at 
painting  cats.  His  actions  apparently 
did  not  conform  witti  the  conventional 
itinerant  hermit,  yet  I  think  that  his 
love  for  w/andering  and  playing  has  a 
parallel  with  the  life  of  cats." 


Sung  Dynasty  (960-1279) 

HuiTsung  (reigned  1101-1126),  the 
last  emperor  of  the  Northern  Sung, 
and  the  most  famous  artist-emperor, 
is  generally  believed  to  have 
executed  at  least  one  cat  painting. 
Some  authorities,  however,  doubt 
that  any  of  the  numerous  paintings 
attributed  to  Hui  Tsung  (and  which 
bear  his  seal)  were  actually  done  by 
him.  The  Hui  Tsung  style,  in  any 
case,  is  distinctive  for  its  rather 
decorative  nature,  simple  style,  and 
small  format. 

The  foremost  of  Sung  cat-painters 
was  Wang  Ning,  who  specialized  in 
flowers,  bamboo,  birds,  and  animals. 
Parrots  and  cats  were  his  favorite 


subjects.  Only  one  of  his  paintings 
found  its  way  into  the  imperial 
gallery — "Lion-cat  on  an 
Ornamented  Garden  Seat,"  which 
was  remarkable  for  the  intrusion  of 
human  artifact. 

K'i  Su  was  noted  as  a  painter  of 
flowers,  bamboo,  and  birds;  but 
oxen — especially  fighting  bulls — and 
kittens  were  his  forte.  At  one  time  the 
imperial  collection  included  44  works 
by  this  artist. 

Su  Hi,  who  distinguished  himself  with 
paintings  of  flowers  and  insects,  was 
represented  in  the  imperial  collection 
with  six  cats  combined  variously  with 
peonies,  bees,  butterflies,  and 
spinach. 

Su  Ch'ung-lu,  a  grandson  of  Su  Hi, 
showed  some  originality  in  painting 
cats  together  with  day  lilies — a  flower 
worn  by  women  who  wish  to  bear 
sons.  In  such  cases  the  cat  was 
intended  as  an  emblem  of  fertility. 
The  theme  of  the  day  lily  was 
perpetuated  by  Chao  Ch'ang  (1 1  th 


century),  who  is  known  to  have  done 
at  least  nine  cat  paintings,  two  of 
them  depicting  this  flower.  He  also 
portrayed  cats  together  with 
pomegranate  flowers,  another 
symbol  of  fertility  and  child-blessing. 

I  Yuan-ki,  who  flourished  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  1 1  th  century,  drew  his 
animals  from  life,  rearing  and 
studying  them  in  his  garden.  In  this 
respect  he  was  unique,  for 
traditionally  Chinese  artists  worked 
from  mental  images. 

Nearly  seven  centuries  have  passed 
since  the  end  of  the  Sung 
Dynasty — the  "golden  age"  of  cat 
painting.  It  is  not  improbable  that  by 
the  end  of  that  era  many  thousands  of 
paintings  of  this  genre  had  been 
produced.  Few,  unfortunately,  have 
survived.  Typically,  Chinese  paintings 
were  done  on  the  most  impermanent 
of  materials — silk  or 
paper — materials  that  were  easily 
destroyed  by  water,  fire,  mildew, 
vermin,  or  that  simply  deteriorated 
chemically  with  the  passage  of  time. 


Berthold  Laufer.  1874-1934 


The  foregoing  essay  on  "Chinese  Cat 
Painting."  by  Berthold  Laufer  (1874-1934),  is 
from  a  manuscript  dating  from  the  1 920s  or 
early  1 930s  that  was  only  recently  found 
among  Dr   Laufer's  papers 

One  of  the  most  distinguished  scholars  ever  to 
serve  on  the  Field  Museum  staff,  Dr   Laufer 
was  curator  of  the  Department  of 
Anthropology  from  1 91  5  until  his  death  in 
1 934    He  had  joined  the  Museum  in  1 907  after 
serving  briefly  with  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History  and  Columbia  University  in 
New  York  City  A  native  of  Cologne, 
Germany,  he  was  awarded  a  doctorate  in 
anthropology  from  the  University  of  Leipzig  in 
1897   Between  1899  and  1904  he  led 
expeditions  for  the  American  Museum  among 
tribal  peoples  of  Siberia  and  North  China 
Later,  for  Field  Museum,  he  led  two  more 
expeditions  to  the  Far  East  the  Mrs  T   B 
Blackstone  Expedition  to  China  and  Tibet 
(1908-10)  and  the  Marshall  Field  Expedition  to 
China  (1923) 

At  the  time  of  his  death  Laufer  was  generally 
acclaimed  as  the  greatest  living  authority  on 


peoples  of  the  Far  East   He  was  skilled  in  a 
number  of  Asian  languages,  including 
Chinese.  Japanese,  Manchu,  Mongol, 
Tibetan,  Malay.  Pali,  Sanskrit,  and  Persian, 
His  intellectual  interests  were  as  far-reaching 
as  his  writings  were  prolific    Laufer's  most 
influential  work.  Sino-lranica  (1919),  traced 
the  migration  of  cultivated  plants  from  Persia 
to  China  and  the  contribution  of  the  Persians 
to  Chinese  culture:  it  also  dealt  with  drugs, 
animals,  and  minerals.  He  regarded  Jade 
(1912) — a  storehouse  of  information  about 
Chinese  archaeology  and  religion — as  his 
most  important  work   He  also  wrote  on 
matters  as  diverse  and  esoteric  as  Chinese 
clay  figurines,  Mongolian  literature,  the 
prehistory  of  aviation,  the  history  of  the 
pineapple,  cricket  fighting,  pigeon  whistles, 
and  the  history  of  eyeglasses  in  China   At  the 
time  of  his  death  he  had  completed  more  than 
800  pages  of  a  work  on  the  history  of 
cultivated  plants, 

"Chinese  Cat  Painting"  was  brought  to  light 
by  Dr   Hartmut  Walravens,  of  the  University  of 
Cologne,  who  recently  spent  several  weeks  at 
Field  Museum  studying  the  papers  of  Dr. 
Laufer. 


14  April  1974 


Ray  A.  Kroc 

Environmental 

Education 

Program 


The  Ray  A.  Kroc  Environmental 
Education  Progrann,  Spring   1974,  will 
focus  on  human  impact  on  the 
environment.  Topics  include  land, 
populations,  pollutants,  ecological 
research,  energy,  and  the  future. 
Program  elements  consist  of  field 
trips,  lectures,  films,  workshops,  and 
courses  designed  to  inform  citizens 
about  important  environmental 
questions  facing  them  now  and  in  the 
future.  This  program  is  being  made 
possible  by  the  Ray  A.  Kroc 
Environmental  Fund,  which  recently 
was  established  at  Field  fVluseum  by 
his  friends  to  honor  Mr.  Kroc,  chairman 
of  McDonald's  Corporation,  on  his 
70th  birthday.  Other  events  of  this  new 
program  will  be  presented  in  coming 
months  and  years. 

To  encourage  participants  to  translate 
concern  and  l<nowledge  into  action, 
follow-up  reading  information  and  lists 
of  environmental  organizations  will  be 
provided.  All  programs  take  place  at 
or  originate  from  Field  Museum. 


Saturday.  April  6 

Course:  "Nature  Photography."  The  first  session 
in  a  series  ol  6 .  to  be  helO  on  successive  Saturdays, 
April  1 3  through  May  1 1    The  course  will  cover 
basic  problems  of  nature  photography,  exposure, 
focus,  lighting,  close-ups,  compositon,  and  trouble 
shooting    Designed  by  amateurs  with  some 
l<nowledge  of  photography  and  who  have  a  single 


lens  reflex  camera.  Four  lectures  and  two  field 
trips   Limited  to  40  persons   A  $10  fee  holds 
advance  registration,  and  covers  all  expenses  other 
than  students'  film   William  Burger,  Field  Ivluseum, 
project  director   North  Meeting  Room   2nd  floor. 
9  30A  M 

Film:  "Multiply  and  Subdue  the  Earth."  A 

provocative  study  of  land  usage  and  planning,  film 
narration  by  Ian  McHarg,  author  of  the  besl-selling 
book  Design  with  Nature:  produced  by  NBC-TV 
Lecture  Hall.  10  30  a  m   and  100pm 

Adult  field  trip:  "Planned  Communities."  Tour  of  2 
Chicago-area  planned  communities   Four  Lakes 
and  Park  Forest  South    Limited  to  40*    Gunnar 
Peterson  and  Wayne  Schimpff,  Open  Lands  Project, 
leaders   North  Parking  Lot.  9  00  am 

Saturday.  April  20 

Field  Trip  for  High  School  Students:  "Indiana 
Dunes."  Introduction  to  the  skills  of  backpacking, 
survival,  reading  the  landscape,  and  ecological 
relationships   Limited  to  30  students,  ages  15-18*, 
James  Bland,  leader  North  Parking  Lot.  9  30  a  m. 


Sunday,  April  21 

Lecture:  "Alternative  Paths  to  the  Future."  Willis 
H    Harman,  Stanford  Research  Institute  James 
Simpson  Theatre,  2  p.m. 

Saturday.  April  27 

Course:  "Urban  Streams."  First  session  in  a  series 
of  6.  to  be  held  on  successive  Saturdays,  May  4 
through  June  1    Course  will  include  seminars,  field 
trips,  and  research  in  water  flow  problems, 
resilience  of  biological  populations  in  water,  and 
research  techniques  in  the  city   Limited  to  40 
persons,  1 5  years  or  older  A  $1 5  fee  holds  advance 
reservation  and  covers  all  expenses   Donald  Myers, 
Gary  Milburn,  biologists,  EPA:  project  directors 
Ground  Floor  Classroom,  9:00  am. -12: 30  pm 


Film:  "Insect  War."  A  BBC  film  exploration  of 
research  techniques  and  findings  in  man's  battle 
with  insects  for  food  crops   Lecture  Hall.  10:30 
a  m   to  1 :00p-m 

Sunday.  April  28 

Film:  "Insect  War"  (Repeal)    Lecture  Hall.  11:00 
a  m 


Symposium:  "Ecological  Research  at  Field 
Museum."  by  Field  Museum  staff   Henry  Dybas, 
entomologist,  "Cicada   Strategy  lor  Survival", 
Lorin  Nevling,  botanist,  "Implications  lor  Change  in 
the  American  Tropics";  Robert  Johnson, 
ichthyologist,  "Aspects  of  Oceanic  Ecology"; 
Robert  Inger,  assistant  director,  science  and 
education  moderator  James  Simpson  Theatre, 
2:00  p  m 

Saturday,  May  4 

Film:  "Time  ol  Man."  How  man  adapts  to  his 
environment  is  analyzed  and  the  changes  resulting 
from  adaptation  and  discovery  in  several  societies 
are  investigated   Lecture  Hall.  10  30  a  m  and  1  00 

p  m 

Sunday,  May  5 

Film:  "Time  of  Man"  (Repeat)  Lecture  Hall,  1 1 :00 
a  m 

Lecture:  "Energy  tor  the  70s,"  Philip  H   Abelson. 
editor  of  Science  James  Simpson  Theatre,  2:00 
p  m 


Saturday,  May  11 

Field  Trip  for  Young  People:  "Hidden  City."  First 
session  in  a  series  of  three  ( remaining  sessions  held 
on  Saturdays.  May  18,  25)   Field  studies  of  plant 
and  animal  populations  in  park  and  lakefront  areas 
near  the  Museum   Limited  to  1 5  students  ages 
8-12   A  $2  fee  holds  advance  registration   Gerald 
Jacob,  University  of  Chicago   leader   North 
entrance.  10:00-11 :30a  m 

Saturday.  May  18 

Adult  Field  Trip:  "Ecological  Communities." 

Introduction  to  variety  of  ecological  communities 
within  Palos  Park  Forest  Preserve   Limited  to  40 
adults  *  Harry  Nelson  of  Roosevelt  University  and 
John  A  Wagner  of  Kendall  College   leaders   North 
Parking  Lot.  9  00  am, 

Saturday.  May  25 

Adult  Field  Trip:  "Kennlcott  Grove."  Explore 
natural  history  of  the  site,  the  impact  of  developers, 
and  learn  historical  background  of  this  prairie  grove 
in  the  northwest  suburbs   Limited  to  40  adults  * 
Gunnar  Peterson  and  Sara  Segal  of  Open  Lands 
Project   leaders   North  Parking  Lot,  9:00  am. 


*  Reservations  will  be  confirmed  when  received,  A 
$4  fee  to  cover  lunch  and  transportation  also  holds 
advance  reservation 

Subsequent  programs,  through  June,  will  be 
announced  in  the  May  and  June  Bulletins. 

For  further  information  call  Carolyn  Blackmon, 
922-9410,  ext,  361  or  363. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


15 


Students  See  Electron  Microscope  in  Action 


Members'  Nights, 
May  2  and  3 


They've  never  seen  a  microscope  like  ll^ls  one  before   Fred  Huysmans.  technician  in  the  Museum's 
scanning  electron  microscope  laboratory,  shows  students  from  New  Trier  East  High  School,  Winnetka.  why 
the  new  microscope  is  such  an  important  research  tool  at  Field  Museum   These  students  and  their 
classmates  also  toured  the  Division  ol  Invertebrates. 


Field  Museum's  annual  open  house  for  all 
members  will  be  held  on  Thursday  and  Friday 
evenings,  May  2  and  3,  Scores  of  interesting 
activities,  exciting  displays,  and 
demonstrations  will  be  featured  from  6:00  to 
10  00  p  m,  on  both  evenings 

Some  events  will  take  members  "behind  the 
scenes"  in  the  departments  of  anthropology, 
botany,  zoology,  geology,  education,  and 
exhibition;  others  will  occur  in  public  areas. 
They  will  include  an  exhibit  of  pottery  and  a 
demonstration  of  pottery-making  techniques, 
a  lecture  and  slide  show  on  life  as  it  was  more 
than  600  million  years  ago,  and  a  stunning 
display  of  exotic  butterflies  and  moths. 

There  will  be  a  weaving  and  spinning 
demonstration,  a  crafts  workshop,  a  surprise 
children's  tour,  and  a  film  on  the 
reconstruction  of  Japanese  and  Chinese 
paintings 

Staff  members  of  the  Botany  Department  will 
also  show  two  special  projects.   "Terraria; 
From  desert  to  bog — low  maintenance 
gardens  under  glass."  and  "Dwarf 
vegetables — a  garden  in  your  window  box." 

A  program  of  entertainment  will  be  presented 
at  regular  intervals  throughout  both  evenings 
in  Stanley  Field  Hall 


Collegians  Translate  Museum  Guides  into  Spanish 


Six  Spanish  language  majors  from  Lake  Forest  {III  )  College  recently  participated  in  an  internship  program  at 
the  Museum    They  were  responsible  lor  translating  into  Spanish  the  Museum 's  visitor  guide,  a  general 
information  brochure,  and  two  children's  journey  guide  sheets,  and  devised  a  self-guided  tour  highlighting  the 
Museum 's  Latin  American  exhibits  Shown  working  with  the  students  are  Prof.  George  L   Speros.  chairman  of 
the  college's  Department  of  Foreign  Languages,  and  Marie  Svoboda.  coordinator  of  the  Museum's  Raymond 
Foundation     The  students  (I.  tor.)  are:  Rebecca  Moore.  Middletown.  R  I  :  Gari  Kaufman.  Santurce.  Puerto 
Rico:  Miguel  A   Guzman.  Bronx.  N.Y.:  Jeanne  Erderig.  Milwaukee.  Wis..  Lisa  Savin,  Evanston.  III.,  and  Terry 
Garias.  Bogota.  Colombia 


16 


April  1974 


Grand  Canyon  Geology 
Field  Trip  for  Members 

August  16-24 

A  few  places  remain  open  on  this  exciting 
river  trip  focusing  on  tfie  geology  of  the  Grand 
Canyon   Most  of  ttne  time  will  be  spent  on 
rubber  rafts  traveling  down  the  Colorado  River 
and  on  inner-canyon  hikes.  The  nine-day 
course  will  be  conducted  by  Dr  Matthew  H 
Nitecki.  associate  curator.  Department  of 
Geology 

Cost  of  the  course  is  $700,  which  includes  all 
expenses  (air  fare,  boat  fare,  meals,  and  one 
night's  lodging— double  occupancy)   A  $200 
deposit  is  required  to  hold  your  reservation. 
Camping  supplies  (sleeping  bags,  blankets, 
etc  )  are  available  at  destination  for  an 
additional  $20  to  those  who  do  not  wish  to 
take  them  along,  but  should  be  requested 
prior  to  departure    For  further  information, 
please  write  or  phone  Mrs.  Madge  Jacobs, 
922-9410,  ext   343 


Erratum 

In  the  article,  "Carbon  Monoxide-the  bright 
side  to  the  pollution  coin"  (February  1974 
Bulletin,  p  6)  appeared  the  statement   "        if 
4  1  billion  tons  of  CO  are  being  put  into  the 
atmosphere  each  year,  and  the  steady  state 
amount  is  only  530  million  tons,  then  around 

3  6  billion  tons  of  it  are  being  broken  down 
each  year  " 

In  order  for  a  steady  state  to  exist,  the  inflow 
rate  and  the  outflow  rate  must  be  identical  and 

4  1  billion  tons  must  be  broken  down  each 
year  also,  not  the  3  6  billion  tons  as  stated, 
otherwise  the  atmosphere  would  annually 
acquire  an  additional  530  million  tons    I  thank 
Mr  J   W   Knoderer  of  Bloomington.  Indiana, 
for  spotting  this  error  — Edward  J  Olsen, 
curator  of  mineralogy 


Relative's  Pottery  Displayed 


Wtiile  viewing  one  ol  the  Museum  s  American 
Indian  displays,  visitor  Mrs   Norma  Ami.  a  Hop/ 
Indian  trom  Polacca.  Ariz  .  ttiougtit  stie  recognized 
a  pot  as  having  been  made  by  her  grandmother. 
"Butterfly"  Poolie  Closer  examination  confirmed  it. 


Volunteers  Honored  at  Reception 


Journey  Highlights  City  Creatures 


Mr  and  Mrs   Sol  Gurewitz.  Chicago,  chatted  with  Museum  President  Blame  J 
Yarrlngton  {right)  during  a  reception  honoring  the  Museum's  143  volunteers   Mr 
Gurewitz  togged  more  ttian  600  hours  ol  work  in  the  Department  ol  Anthropology 
during  1973.  Altogether,  volunteers  gave  27.989  hours  ol  service. 


Animals  that  have  made  their  homes  in  the  concrete  environment  ol  the  big  city 
are  the  subject  ol  the  Museum 's  Spring  Journey  for  Children.  '  'City  Creatures. 
These  youngsters  are  among  many  who  every  day  pick  up  a  journey  sheet  at  the 
information  desk  and  take  the  self-guided  tour  ol  Museum  exhibits.  '  'City 
Creatures"  continues  through  May 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


17 


ETTERS 


Antelope,  gerenuk,  or  gazelle? 

Sirs: 

Heaven  forbid  that  the  Museum  should  be 
In  errorln  naming  an  animal,  but  In  your 
issue  of  February  1974,  on  page  9,  there  Is 
a  picture  captioned;  "Drought  in  the 
Serengetl   Gazelles  strip  leaves  from  low 
branches  "  Unless  I  am  sadly  mistaken, 
the  two  animals  in  the  picture  are  gerenuk, 
and  the  manner  in  which  they  are  feeding 
IS  typical  of  that  species  whether  or  not 
there  is  a  drought.  My  wife  and  I  were  in 
East  Africa  just  a  year  ago,  and  we  saw  any 
number  of  these  animals,  and  this  is  their 
normal  feeding  operation.  We  thoroughly 
enjoy  the  Bulletin,  and  it  is  fun  to  catch  you 
in  an  error. 

William  O.  Kurtz 
Winnetka,  Illinois 

The  animals  in  the  photo  are.  indeed, 
gerenuk.  defined  in  one  source  as 
"gazelle-like  antelope.  "  The  gerenuk  is 
also  known  as  "Waller's  gazelle.  " —  Ed. 

On  Carbon  Monoxide.  .  . 

Sirs: 

Your  new  February  issue  was  most  helpful 
to  me  with  Its  lead  article,  "Carbon 
Monoxide:  the  Bright  Side  to  the  Pollution 
Coin."  My  magazine  was  one  of  those 
which  in  recent  years  perhaps 
over-emphasized  the  dangers  of  carbon 
monoxide  attendant  upon  our  American 
fascination  with  the  automobile   Dr. 
Olsen's  article    gives  me  great  personal 
relief,  and  if  I  can  manage  to  get  its 
message  out  to  United  Methodist 


ministers  over  the  nation,  it  should  help  a 
good  many  othersalsoThanks  for  a  good 
issue,  and  a  generally  interesting 
magazine  throughout  the  year. 

William  C.  Henzllk  (Rev.) 
Editor,  Today's  Ministry 

Sirs: 

Thank  you  for  (the  extra  copies)  of  Dr 
Olsen's  article  The  copies  will  be  put  to 
good  use:  our  boys  will  especially  find  Dr 
Olsen's  (article)  useful   One  copy  will  go 
to  Tanzania,  East  Africa  where  my 
missionary  cousin  is  working  with  the 
Sonjo  tribe  and  helping  a  medical  doctor  in 
research   Another  copy  will  be  sent  to 
another  cousin.  Dr.  Poulin.  aperma-frost 
scientist  in  Bethesda.  And  still  another 
copy  will  go  to  our  friend  in  the  Navy  in 
Aerospace  Then  we  will  hoard  a  couple 
copies  until  someone  is  properly 
appreciative 

Mrs   Robert  L  Jorgensen 
Glenview.  Illinois 

Sirs- 

On  "Carbon  Monoxide,  the  Bright  Side  ot 

the  Pollution  Coin" 

First:  Accepting  the  figures  as  given  by  Dr 
Olsen.  I  do  not  agree  with  his  statement 
that  "The  man  made  production  of  carbon 
monoxide  IS  an  insignificant  factor  in  the 
amount  of  this  toxic  gas  in  the 
atmosphere"  We  recently  returned  from  a 
tour  by  automobile.        In  Mexico  City, 
where  we  stayed  for  two  weeks,  the 
pollutionwassobadthathalfthetimewe 
saw  thesun  through  a  halo,  and  all  of  the 
time  our  eyes  smarted  and  feared  from  the 
acrid  fumes  in  the  air.  In  Los  Angeles  (in 
southern  California  in  general)  and  in 
Chicago  within  a  radius  of  one  and 
one-half  miles  from  State  and  Madison 
streets,  the  same  conditions  prevail  to  a 
much  lower  degree   Now.  if.  as  Dr.  Olsen 
states,  the  duration  of  the  carbon 
monoxide  molecule  is  about  ten  days, 
then,  except  during  the  rainy  season  and 
on  windy  days,  there  was  always  a  ten-day 
accumulation  of  carbon  monoxide  which 
was  emitted  from  automobile  exhausts, 
along  with  the  acrid  fumes,  and  I  do  not 
call  that  quantity  "insignificant." 
Second:  Dr  Olsen  states  that  "several 
yards  of  pipes  and  tubes,  etc, "were 
needed  to  reduce  engine  emitted 
pollutants,  and  that  they  affected 
adversely  the  engine  performance.  This 
has  been  the  insistent  argument  of  the 
automobile  industry  against  the  standards 
to  be  applied  in  1975  and  thereafter,  which, 
they  say,  will  be  impossible  to  meet.  I 
don't  buy  that   We  bought  a  1972  Plymouth 
Vail  Ian  t  in  November  of  1971 .  Last 
September  I  had  it  tuned  up  and  took  it 
through  the  testing  lanes  operated  by  the 


Department  of  Environmental  Control.  The 
tests  showed  41  PPM  of  hydrocarbons  and 
2  of  one  percent  of  carbon  monoxide 
against  the  "impossible  to  meet"  1975 
standards  of  250  PPM  for  hydrocarbons 
and  1  5  percent  for  CO 
Third:  Reduction  of  engine-emitted 
pollutants  need  not  reduce  gasoline 
mileage:  on  the  contrary,  since  it  requires 
maximum  operating  efficiency  it  must  be 
accompanied  by  increased  mileage  per 
gallon   We  drove  1 1 ,500  miles  at  an  overall 
average  of  26  1  mpg    I  kept  a  record  of 
mileage  between  fills,  dividing  amount  of 
fill  into  intervening  mileage,  and  mpg 
varied  from  23.4  in  cities  and  increasing 
altitudes  to  30.0  for  1.600  miles  of 
decreasing  altitudes  and  some  west  winds 
eastwards  out  of  Los  Angeles. 
Here's  to  smaller  cars  and  cleaner  engines 
without  "gadgetry." 

Sam  Hirsch 
Chicago.  Illinois 


Regarding  Mr.  Hirsch's  first  point:  After 
pointing  out  that  man  was  responsible  for 
only  6  5 percent  of  the  atmosphere's 
carbon  monoxide  —  "an  insignificant 
factor"  —  Dr.  Olsen  went  on  to  state.  "This 
IS  not  to  say  that  CO  is  not  a  hazard  under 
many  circumstances   Before  it  disperses 
and  decomposes  it  can  be  concentrated  in 
toxic  or  near  toxic  amounts-  Certainly 
during  rush  hours  at  street  level  on  major 
avenues  in  the  canyons  of  Chicago.  New 
York,  and  other  large  cities  CO  can 
temporarily  rise  to  serious  levels    Weather 
conditions  can  occasionally  retard  the 
dispersal  of  auto  exhaust  for  several 
days.  "  —  Ed 

On  Spanish  prehistoric  art.  . . 

Sirs: 

I  was  very  interested  in  reading  in  the 
October  issue  your  article  on  Spanish 
Prehistoric  Art    I  was  interested  to  read 
about  Maria,  who  was  the  discoverer  of 
Altamira    In  1926  I  went  across  Spain 
fourth-class  on  the  train  and  walked  to  her 
house  in  order  to  have  her  describe  this 
discovery.  Unfortunately  she  told  me 
honestly  that  she  remembered  nothing 
about  ifi  In  the  Department  of 
Anthropology  there  is  a  fine  series  of 
photographs  from  the  Laguna  de  la  Janda 
where  I  rode  on  a  pony  beside  the  Abbe 
Breuil.  also  in  1926,  and  visited  many  rock 
shelters  and  caves. 

Henry  Field 
Miami,  Florida 

Henry  Field  was  Field  Museum  's  curator  of 
physical  anthropology  1937-41. — Ed. 


18  April  1974 


Museum  to  be  Rededicated 
To  Meeting  Future  Needs 

A  rededlcalion  of  the  Museum,  now 
undergoing  rehabilitation,  has  been 
scheduled  for  the  first  week  of  June,  in 
commemoration  of  the  53rd  anniversary  of  the 
Museum's  opening  at  its  present  location 

The  occasion  will  focus  attention  on  the 
Museum's  current  efforts  to  ensure  that  its 
facilities  and  services  will  enable  it  to 
continue  its  prominent  roles  as  researcher, 
collector,  educator,  and  exhibitor  in 
decades  to  come  and  into  the  21st  century. 
The  renovation  and  modernization 
programs  that  will  make  this  possible  are 
being  financed  by  the  Museum's 
$25-million  Capital  Campaign,  scheduled 
to  conclude  this  fall    It  is  the  Museum's 
first  capital  campaign,  providing  the  first 
major  renovation  programs  for  its  present 
building    It  will  also  provide  for  the 
preservation  of  the  architecture  of  one  of 
Chicago's  earliest  and  most  distinctive 
institutional  structures 

In  recent  years  especially,  the  institution 
has  increased  special  programming  and 
services  that  respond  to  the  cultural 
enrichment  needs  of  modern  urban 
populations   The  Museum  will  rededicate 
itself  to  meeting  this  need  and  others 

Rededication  plans  call  for  removing  the 
Museum  cornerstone  at  the  north  entrance 
stairs,  and  placing  within  it  documents 


relating  to  the  building  rehabilitation 
program  and  the  Capital  Campaign 

The  outdoor  site  of  the  rededication  will 
furtherfocus  attention  on  the 
rehabilitation  program,  as  the  stairs  are 
undergoing  waterproofing  and  rebuilding 
prior  to  the  construction  of  new  centralized 
administrative  offices  beneath  them    The 
south  entrance  stairs,  also,  are  being 
rebuilt 

Other  work  in  progress  includes 
construction  of  eight  new  emergency  exits 
as  well  as  freight  and  passenger  elevators: 
preliminary  work  for  the  conversion  of  the 
center  west  lightwell  into  new  storage,  lab. 
and  office  facilities  tor  the  Department  of 
Zoology;  and  the  installation  of  a  new 
security  key  system 

Among  already  completed  projects  are 
new  facilities  for  the  Department  of 
Exhibition;  the  installation  of  the  scanning 
electron  microscope  laboratory;  and 
conversion  of  the  coal-fired  boilers  to 
natural  gas. 

To  continue  for  many  years,  the  ambitious 
rehabilitation  program  is  being  financed 
on  a  matching  basis  by  the  Museum, 
which  is  soliciting  donations,  and  by  the 
Chicago  Park  District,  through  its  bonding 
authority   The  Museum  must  still  raise 
nearly  $2  million  of  its  $12  5  million  share, 
and  IS  appealing  to  its  members  forfurther 
gifts 


Western  Electric 

Presents 

Campaign  Gift 


Upon  presentation  of  the 

second  installment  ol 

Western  Electric  s  $30,000 

gilt  to  the  Capital  Campaign. 

Museum  Director  E   Leland 

Webber  explains  construction 

plans  for  new  passenger 

elevators  to  Wyllys  E 

Rheingrover.  general 

manager  of  Western 

Electric's  Hawthorne  Works 

(center),  and  Jack  Wier.  the 

company's  director  of 

industrial  relations 


Photo  by  G,  Henry  Ottery 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


19 


APRIL  at  Field  M 


useum 


Exhibits 

Opens  April  20 


Contemporary  Alrican  Arts  Festival,  the  first  comprehensive 

exhibit  of  its  kind  in  the  Uniled  Slates,  features  the  work  of 
artists,  including  painters,  prmtmakers,  sculptors,  and  fabric 
designers,  as  well  as  music,  films,  lectures,  dances,  and  other 
events   Through  November  3.  Hall  27   See  p.  8  lor  special  events 

Continuing 

Edwin  Janss  Jr.  Underwater  Photography,  an  exhibit  of  exciting 
colorprints   Through  September  8   Hall  9 


April  27:  "Scotland,"  narrated  by  Bill  Madsen 
View s  of  a  picturesgue  country  and  Its  inhabitants 


Sunday.  April  7 


"Footloose  in  Newfoundland,"  free  wildlife  film  narrated  by 
Thomas  A   Sterling,  presented  by  the  Illinois  Audubon  Society  at 
2  30pm    in  the  James  Simpson  Theatre 


Special  Events 


Field  Museum's  Anniversary  Exhibit  continues  indefinitely     "A 
Sense  of  Wonder"  offers  thoughl-provokmg  prose  and  poetry 
associated  with  the  physical,  biological,  and  cultural  aspects  of 
nature.  "A  Sense  of  History"  presents  a  graphic  portrayal  of  the 
Museum's  past;  and  "A  Sense  of  Discovery"  shows  examples  of 
research  conducted  by  Museum  scientists    Hall  3 


Children's  Program 

Through  May  31 


Spring  Journey  for  Children,  "City  Creatures,"  a  do-it-yourself 

protect  for  boys  and  girls  who  can  read  and  write   It  combines 
Museum  exploration  with  outside  activities  which  are  designed  to 
acquaint  youngsters  with  animals  that  have  made  their  homes  in 
the  concrete  "wilderness"  of  the  city   Journey  sheets  in  English 
and  Spanish  available  at  entrances 


Film  Program 


Ayer  Adult  Spring  Film  Lecture  Series,  at  2  30  p  m   Saturdays  in 

ihejames  Simpson  Theatre   TheApril  13  program  will  also  be 
presented  at  7  30  pm    Friday.  April  12 


Ray  A.  Kroc  Environmental  Education  Program  activities  listed  on 
0    15 


Weaving  Demonstration  by  members  of  the  North  Shore  Weavers' 
Guild  at  10  00a  m    to  12  00  noon,  and  from  1  00  to  3  00  p  m    on 
Mondays.  Tuesdays,  and  Fridays,  in  the  South  Lounge. 

Meetings 

April  5   7  30  p  m  ,  Chicago  Anthropological  Society. 

April  9   7  30  p  m  ,  Nature  Camera  Club  of  Chicago. 

April  9  8  00  p  m  ,  Chicagoland  Glider  Council. 

April  10  7  00pm  .  Chicago  Ornithological  Society. 

April  10   7  30  p  m  .  Windy  City  Grotto,  National  Speleological 
Society. 

April  1 1    8  00  p  m  .  Chicago  Mountaineering  Club. 


Coming  in  May 


April  6:  "Vanishing  Africa,"  narrated  by  Lewis  Cotlow 
A  noted  explorer  looks  at  the  people  andthewildlileofa 
continent  in  transition 


Field  Museum's  H/lembers'  Nights,  6  00  to  10  00  p  m  .  Thursday 

and  Friday,  May  2and  3 


April  12  and  13:  "A Idabra— Island  in  Peril,"  narrated  by  Ley 

Kenyon 

Thefilm  story  of  an  unspoiled  atoll  in  the  Indian  Ocean  and  its 

diverse  animal  life 

Join  us  for  coffee  after  the  Friday  evening,  April  12,  film  lecture 
presentation  and  meet  speaker  Ley  Kenyon. 


April  20:  "Alaska  Wilderness  Lake,"  narrated  by  Dr  Theodore  J 
Walker   The  total  environment  of  an  isolated  region  is  contrasted 
with  thriving  urban  centers 


Hours 


900am    to  5  00  p  m    Saturday  through  Thursday  and  9  00  a  m. 
to  9  00  p  m    Friday 

The  Museum  Library  is  open  9  00  a  m    to  4:00  p.m.  Monday 
through  Friday.  Please  obtain  pass  at  reception  desk,  mam  floor 
north 

Museum  telephone  922-9410. 


Volume  45,  Number  5 
May  1974 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  Bulletin 


Field  Museum 
of  Natural  History 
Bulletin 

Volume  45,  Number  5 
May  1974 


CONTENTS 


RETURN  OF  THE  BUFFALO 

BY  David  M.  Walslen 


RAY  A.  KROC  ENVIRONMENTAL 
EDUCATION  PROGRAM 


10 


Managing  Editor  G    Henry  Ottery 
Editor  David  M    Walsten 
Staff  Writer  Madge  Jacobs 


PREVIEW  OF  MEMBERS'  NIGHTS 


AN  INTERVIEW  WITH  JOHN  WHITE 

Coordinator  of  Field  Museum's 
Native  American  Program 


11 


12 


BOOKS 


16 


FIELD  BRIEFS 


18 


CAPITAL  CAMPAIGN 


19 


MAY  AT  FIELD  MUSEUM: 
CALENDAR  OF  COMING  EVENTS 


back  cover 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Director  E    Leland  Webber 


Board  of  Trustees 

BlaineJ    Yarrington, 

President 
Mrs    B    Edward  Bensinger 
Gordon  Bent 
Harry  0    Bercher 
Bowen  Blair 
Stanton  R   Cook 
William  R    Dicl(inson,  Jr 
Thomas  E    Donnelley  II 
Marshall  Field 
Nicholas  Galitzine 
Paul  W   Goodrich 
Remick  McDowell 
Hugo  J    Melvoin 
J   Roscoe  Miller 
William  H    Mitchell 
Charles  F    Murphy,  Jr 
Harry  M    Oliver,  Jr 
John  T    Pirie,Jr 
John  S    Runnells 
William  L   Searle 


Edward  Byron  Smith 
Mrs    Hermon  Dunlap 

Smith 
John  W    Sullivan 
William  G    Swarlchild,  Jr 
E    Leland  Webber 
Julian  8   Wilkins 


Life  Trustees 

William  McCormick  Blair 
Joseph  N    Field 
Clifford  C   Gregg 
Samuel  Insull,  Jr 
William  V   Kahler 
Hughston  M    McBain 
James  L    Palmer 
JohnG    Searle 
Louis  Ware 
J    Howard  Wood 


COVER 

Skull  of  young  buffalo  (6/son  bison) 

Photo  credits 

Cover:  Dave  Walsten,  p.  3:  Compix;  4:  courtesy  Kansas  State  Historical 
Society:  11:  upper  left,  John  Bayalis,  Sr  ;  upper  right,  lower  left,  and 
lower  right,  G   Henry  Ottery;  12:  John  Bayalis.  Jr  ;  14:  G   Henry  Ottery, 
18:  upper  left,  David  Moore;  lower  left  and  right,  G    Henry  Ottery 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  Bulletin  is  published  monthly, 
except  combined  July/August  issue,  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive.  Chicago,  Illinois  60605 
Subscriptions$6ayear;$3ayearforschools    Membersolthe 
Museum  subscribe  through  Museum  membership   Opinions 
expressed  by  authors  are  their  own  and  do  not  necessarily  reflect  the 
policy  of  Field  Museum   Unsolicited  manuscripts  are  welcome 
Postmaster   Please  send  form  3579  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive.  Chicago.  Illinois  60605. 
ISSN   0015-0703  Second  class  postage  paid  at  Chicago,  III 


Return  of  the  Buffalo 


by  David  M.  Walsten 


No  longer  in  danger  of  extinction,  the  buffalo  today  thirives  on  government 
preserves  and  private  rancfies 


^  The  causes  which  led  to  the  practical  extinction  {in  the 
wild  state,  at  least)  of  the  most  economically  valuable  wild 
animal  that  ever  inhabited  the  American  content,  are  by  no 
means  obscure.  It  is  well  that  we  should  know  precisely 
what  they  were,  and  by  the  sad  fate  of  the  buffalo  be 
warned  in  time  against  allowing  similar  causes  to  produce 
the  same  results  with  our  elk,  antelope,  deer,  moose, 
caribou,  mountain  sheep,  mountain  goat,  walrus,  and  other 
animals.  It  will  be  doubly  deplorable  if  the  remorseless 
slaughter  we  have  witnessed  during  the  last  twenty  years 
carries  with  it  no  lessons  for  the  future.  A  continuation  of 
the  record  we  have  lately  made  as  wholesale  game 
butchers  will  justify  posterity  in  dating  us  back  with  the 
mound-builders  and  cave-dwellers,  when  man 's  only 
known  function  was  to  slay  and  eat. 

The  primary  cause  of  the  buffalo's  extermination,  and  the 


one  which  embraced  all  others,  was  the  descent  of 
civilization,  with  all  its  elements  of  destructiveness,  upon 
the  whole  of  the  country  inhabited  by  that  animal.  From  the 
Great  Slave  Lake  to  the  Rio  Grande  the  home  of  the  buffalo 
was  everywhere  overrun  by  the  man  with  the  gun:  and,  as 
has  ever  been  the  case,  the  wild  creatures  were  gradually 
swept  away,  .... 

The  secondary  causes  of  the  extermination  of  the  buffalo 
may  be  catalogued  as  follows: 

•  Man's  reckless  greed,  his  wanton  destructiveness, 
and  Improvidence  in  not  husbanding  such  resources  .... 

•  The  total  and  utterly  inexcusable  absence  of 
protective  measures  and  agencies  on  the  part  of  the 
National  Government .... 


'.■ti» 


*«rt. 


i  ♦*>:"* 


:\U 


An  1874  woodcut  showing  a  typical  railroad  hide  yard  Staked  hides  dry  in  the 
sun   Three  men  in  the  foreground  operate  a  hide  press  Stacked  at  the  right  is  a 


bale  ol  hides  ready  for  shipment  Bones  piled  m  the  background  await  shipment  to 
porcelain  and  fertilizer  factories. 


•  The  fatal  preference  on  the 
part  of  hunters  generally,  both  white 
and  red.  for  the  robe  and  flesh  of  the 
cow  over  that  furnished  by  the  bull. 

•  The  phenomenal  stupidity  of 
the  animals  themselves,  and  their 
indifference  to  man. 

,    The  perfection  of  modern 
breech-loading  rifles  and  other 
sporting  firearms  in  general. 

Each  of  these  causes  acted  against 
the  buffalo  with  its  full  force,  to  offset 
which  there  was  not  even  one 
restraining  or  preserving  influence, 
and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that 
the  species  went  down  before  them. 
Had  any  one  of  these  conditions  been 
eliminated  the  result  would  have  been 
reached  far  less  quickly.  Had  the 
buffalo,  for  example,  possessed 
one-half  the  fighting  qualities  of  the 
grizzly  bear  he  would  have  fared  very 
differently,  but  his  inoffensiveness 
and  lack  of  courage  almost  leads  one 
to  doubt  the  wisdom  of  the  economy 
of  nature  so  far  as  it  relates  to  him. 

—  The  Extermination  of  the  American 
Bison  (1 887)  by  William  T.  Hornaday. 

Hornaday's  protest  nearly  a  century 
ago  against  "remorseless  slaughter" 
ot  the  buffalo  will  come  as  a  surprise 
to  many  who  assume  that 
environmental  concern  is  a  very 
recent  kind  of  awareness. 
Fortunately,  the  efforts  of  Hornaday 
and  other  early-day  conservationists 


saved  the  day  for  the  buffalo. 
Numbering  perhaps  300  head  at  the 
turn  of  the  century,  the  buffalo  has 
been  pulled  back  from  the  brink  of 
extinction  and  gradually  been 
restored.  About  45,000  buffalo  are 
currently  to  be  found  on  federal,  state 
and  provincial  refuges  of  the  United 
States  and  Canada  and  on  private 
lands. 

The  buffalo— or  "bison,"  as  it  is  more 
properly  called— had  recently  been 
the  most  populous  large  mammal  in 
the  history  of  terrestrial  life. 
Curiously,  the  passenger 
pigeon — which  could  well  have  been 
the  most  populous  bird  species — was 
slaughtered  by  man  in  the  groves  and 
forests  of  North  America  at  almost 
the  same  time  that  the  great  buffalo 
herds  were  being  decimated.  But 
those  who  espoused  the  rights  of 
pigeons  were  less  vocal  than  the 
buffalo-savers;  the  few  pigeons  that 
were  left  were  reluctant  to  breed,  and 
the  species  passed  forever  into 
oblivion,  the  last  one  dying  in  1914. 
(See  Bulletin,  Sept.  1973.) 

Natural  History 

Buffalo  cows  normally  mate  when 
they  are  two  years  old  and  bear  their 
first  calves,  usually  singly,  at  the  age 
of  three.  Cows  retain  their  fecundity 
for  years  and  may  still  bear 
well-developed  calves  at  the  age  of 
25  or  more.  Bulls  begin  to  breed 
when  about  three  years  of  age  and, 
like  the  cows,  remain  fertile  for  many 


years.  The  breeding  season  normally 
occurs  in  July  and  August.  Calves  are 
born  the  following  April,  May,  or 
June. 


Newborn  calves  are  reddish  in  color, 
but  after  about  three  months  the  natal 
coat  is  replaced  by  the  dark  brown 
pelage  of  the  adult.  Birth  weight  is 
30-70  pounds,  but  calves  grow 
rapidly  and  within  one  year  may 
weigh  as  much  as  700  pounds; 
two-year-old  males  may  weigh  up  to 
1 ,100  pounds.  Cows  reach  a 
maximum  weight  of  about  1 ,000  after 
six  or  seven  years;  males  increase  in 
weight  until  nine  or  ten  years  of  age 
and  the  average  full-grown  male 
weighs  about  1 ,600  pounds.  The 
largest  buffalo  on  record  was  a 
ten-year-old  bull  that  weighed 
3,340  pounds  in  1 969.  Weight  and  vigor 
is  normally  maintained  until  the  age  of 
about  1 2  to  1 5;  some  animals  may 
live  to  be  35  or  40. 

Distinction  is  sometimes  made 
between  "wood  buffalo,"  which 
occur  generally  in  woodlands,  and 
"plains  buffalo,"  which  occur 
generally  in  grasslands.  The  latter  is 
somewhat  smaller  and  the  head  is 
held  at  a  lower  angle.  Some 
authorities  regard  these  two  animals 
as  separate  species. 

Buffalo  breed  readily  with  domestic 
cattle,  the  hybrid  being  known  as 
cattalo.  Females  of  such  a  cross  are 
normally  fertile,  but  male  cattalo  are 


May  1974 


Extermination  of  the  Buffalo 


not  fertile  unless  they  are  at  least 
31  /32  domestic.  An  experiment 
conducted  by  Canada's  Department 
of  Agriculture  demonstrated  that 
hybridization  of  the  two  species  is  not 
economically  practical. 

The  fossil  record  suggests  that  the 
American  buffalo  came  to  North 
America  via  a  land  bridge  from 
Siberia.  Some  of  the  early  arrivals 
had  horns  with  a  spread  of  six  feet; 
some  had  flat  horns  like  those  of  the 
gayal  of  India;  others  had  short  horns 
like  the  modern  buffalo.  Over  the 
centuries  the  animal  gradually 
wandered  southward,  eventually 
reaching  what  is  now  Mexico, 
extending  southeastward  to  Florida, 
and  eastward  to  New  York.  Into  the 
Pacific  northwest  the  animals 
apparently  followed  valleys  and 
mountain  passes.  They  were  found  in 
greatest  numbers  in  the  great  plains 
of  the  Mississippi  Valley  and  from 
Great  Slave  Lake  in  northern  Canada 
to  Texas.  At  their  peak  (probably 
before  the  arrival  of  Columbus)  they 
may  have  numbered  as  many  as  60  to 
70  million. 


Extermination 

The  buffalo  was  the  backbone  of  the 
economy  of  the  Plains  Indians.  The 
animal  supplied  the  Indians  with  meat 
and  hides  for  food,  clothing,  and 
shelter.  Not  surprisingly,  the  buffalo 
also  occupied  an  important  place  in 
the  mythology  and  arts  of  these 
people.  When  the  buffalo  eventually 
disappeared  the  Indians  were  forced 
into  new  ways  of  life,  and  were  often 
obliged  to  live  on  paltry  handouts 
from  the  white  man.  Between  1 730 
and  1830  some  reduction  of  buffalo 
occurred  as  pioneers  pressed  ever 
westward.  By  1800  the  small  herds 
east  of  the  Mississippi  River  had 
virtually  disappeared.  Systematic 
reduction  of  the  Plains  herds  began 
about  1830,  and  during  the  next  five 
decades  the  great  southern  herds 
were  obliterated. 

Hunters  often  killed  as  many  as  250 
buffalo  a  day.  American  Fur 
Company  records  show  that  in  1 848 
the  firm  sent  110,000  robes  and 
25,000  tongues  to  St.  Louis.  By  1 870, 
trading  in  hides  and  tongues  reached 


BOUNDARY  OF  AREA  ONCE   INHAC  TED  BY  BISON--,^^ 
RANGE  OF  TWO  GREAT  HERDS  IN   1B70 .'. 


RANGE  OF  THE  HERDS  IN   1 


%:%; 


vast  numbers,  and  buffalo  hunting 
was  the  major  industry  of  the  region. 
A  St.  Louis  company  bought  250,000 
hides  in  1871 .  In  1873-74,  auctions  in 
Fort  Worth,  Texas,  were  moving 
100,000  hides  a  day. 

William  F.  Cody  allegedly  killed  4,280 
buffaloes  in  1 7  months  as  he  supplied 
meat  for  railroad  construction  crews, 
earning  for  himself  the  sobriquet 
"Buffalo  Bill."  Perhaps  even  more 
spectacular  than  Cody's  performance 
was  that  of  Sir  St.  George  Gore,  an 
Irish  nobleman  who  believed  in 
hunting  in  style.  His  "safari" 
contained  27  wagons  and  carts, 
enormous  quantities  of  fine  wines  and 
foods  from  Europe  as  well  as  a  brass 
bed,  a  bathtub,  and  fine  rugs.  His 
retinue  consisted  of  forty  servants  as 
well  as  a  scientific  staff.  At  the  end  of 
his  three-year  hunting  spree  (which 
cost  him  $500,000)  Sir  St.  George 
had  killed  2,000  buffaloes,  1 ,600 
deer,  more  than  1 00  bear,  and  other 
large  game. 


With  the  southern  herds  gone,  the 
buffalo  hunters  turned  to  the  northern 
herds,  and  between  1 876  and  1 883 
destroyed  them  as  well.  The  hunters 
seemingly  did  not  realize  that  the 
buffalo  was  gone;  some  stoutly 
insisted  that  the  herds  had  only 
temporarily  retreated  into  Canada 
and  would  return. 

Fortunately,  during  the  time  the  wild 
buffalo  herds  were  being  destroyed,  a 
number  of  small  captive  herds  were 
being  established.  Three  of  these,  the 
Goodnight  herd  of  Texas,  the 
Pablo-Allard  herd  of  Montana,  and 
the  Blue  Mountain  Forest  Association 
herd  of  New  Hampshire  became  the 
primary  sources  of  stock  for 
present-day  federal  and  state 
refuges. 

Some  herds  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada  today  are  descended  from 
four  calves  that  were  saved  by  Fend' 
Oreille  Indians  from  slaughter  in 
1873.  The  Indians  had  travelled  from 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


the  Flathead  Valley  (in  what  is  now 
westernmost  Montana)  to  the  plains 
east  of  the  Rockies  for  their  meat 
supply;  one  of  them,  an  Indian  by  the 
name  of  Wall<ing  Coyote,  brought 
baci<  the  four  young  animals. 

Refuges 

A  number  of  federal  and  state 


preserves  that  have  been 
permanently  established  in  the  west 
and  midwest  ensure  that  the  buffalo 
will  never  again  be  threatened  with 
extinction  The  animal  breeds  readily 
in  confined  artificial  habitats — even 
zoos — and  the  main  problem  in  some 
refuges  is  keeping  the  population 
down  so  that  the  herd  does  not  suffer 
from  the  effects  of  overgrazing. 


The  spectacular  way  in  which  the 
buffalo  has  rebounded  from  its 
precarious  situation  at  the  turn  of  the 
century  demonstrates  how  a 
relatively  small  group  of 
conservationists  can  influence 
national  policy.  Today  about  25,000 
buffalo  are  on  private  ranches,  about 
5.000  are  on  federal  and  state 
preserves,  and  another  1 5.000  on 


May  1974 


protected  lands  in  Canada. 

The  first  of  the  buffalo  ranges  in  the 
United  States  was  Yellowstone 
National  Park  where,  by  act  of 
Congress,  buffalo-hunting  was 
outlawed  in  1894.  In  1902  funds  were 
appropriated  to  buy  21  buffalo  from 
private  herds  and  supplement  the 
park's  existing  herd.  Today  the 


number  of  Yellowstone  buffalo 
exceeds  800. 

Near  the  turn  of  the  century,  William 
Hornaday  and  other  concerned 
citizens  organized  the  American 
Bison  Society.  Together  with  the  New 
York  Zoological  Society  they  pressed 
the  government  for  the  establishment 
of  other  protected  herds  and,  as  a 
result  of  their  combined  efforts,  four 
national  buffalo  refuges  were 
created:  the  Wichita  Mountains 
Refuge,  the  National  Bison  Range, 
the  Fort  Niobrara  Refuge,  and  the 
Sullys  Hill  Refuge.  Through  public 
subscription  in  1908  the  American 
Bison  Society  raised  funds  to  buy  34 
animals  for  initially  stocking  the 
National  Bison  Range. 

Today  the  four  refuges  are  operated 
by  the  United  States  Department  of 
the  Interior,  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service, 
Bureau  of  Sport  Fisheries  and 
Wildlife,  The  Wichita  Mountains 
Refuge  (est.  1907),  in  southwestern 
Oklahoma,  currently  has  a  herd  of 
some  900  animals;  they  roam  freely 
over  some  of  the  finest  grazing  land  in 
the  United  States.  To  avoid 
overgrazing,  surplus  animals  are  sold 
each  year  by  auction  or  sealed  bid. 
The  National  Bison  Range  (est. 
1908),  in  the  Flathead  Valley  of 
Montana,  has  300-500  buffalo  and  an 
area  of  about  29  square  miles.  Elk, 
deer,  bighorn  sheep,  pronghorns, 
waterfowl,  and  shorebirds  also  share 
the  range.  Visitors  are  permitted  on 
the  range  from  June  20  through  Labor 
Day.  For  many  years  the  main 
attraction  of  the  herd  was  "Big 
Medicine,"  a  bull  that  was  totally 
white  except  for  a  dark  brown  crown 
between  his  horns.  "Big  Medicine" 
died  in  1 959  at  the  age  of  26.  Fort 
Niobrara  Refuge  (est.  1913),  in 
northern  Nebraska,  covers  about  30 
square  miles  and  provides  protection 
for  about  200  buffalo.  Texas  longhorn 
cattle,  elk,  prairie  chicken,  and 
sharp-tailed  grouse  are  also  found  on 


Two  Assiniboin  Indians  Running  a  Buffalo,  by 
Canadian  artist  Paul  Kane  (1810-71);  paintea  in  the 
1840s  near  Edmonton,  Alberta. 


\ 


Buffalo  women's  society  cap.  Arapaho-Algonkian. 
Collected  in  1 903  for  Field  Museum  by  George 
Dorsey.  Cat.  No.  71981. 


the  refuge.  Sullys  Hill  National  Game 
Preserve  (est.  1918),  in  northwestern 
North  Dakota,  provides  refuge  for 
buffalo  on  about  2.5  square  miles  of 
rangeland.  Elk,  deer,  and  geese 
share  the  area  with  the  buffalo. 

Smaller  groups  of  buffalo  are 
protected  in  Grand  Teton  National 
Park,  Wyoming;  Wind  Cave  National 
Park,  in  the  Black  Hills  of  South 
Dakota;  Piatt  National  Park, 
Oklahoma;  and  Colorado  National 
Monument,  Colorado. 

The  largest  buffalo  preserve  is  Custer 
State  Park,  a  1 1 2-square-mile  area  in 
South  Dakota.  The  Custer  herd, 
which  originated  with  25  head  in 
1914,  is  maintained  at  a  population  of 
some  1 ,500.  Hunts  are  conducted 
each  fall  to  keep  the  population  at  a 
constant  level.  Some  animals  are 
sold  live. 

The  Arizona  Game  and  Fish 
Department  maintains  two  buffalo 
ranges  where  hunts  are  held  each 
October.  Hunting  licenses  are 
awarded  through  a  special  drawing. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


Occasional  hunts  have  also  been  held 
in  the  Big  Delta  country  of  Alaska, 
where  introduced  animals  have  easily 
adapted  to  the  severe  environment. 

In  1 893  buffalo  in  Canada  were 
placed  under  the  protection  of  the 
Royal  Canadian  Mounted  Police,  In 
1922  Wood  Buffalo  National  Park— a 
17,300-square-mile  tract — was 
established  in  Alberta  and  Northwest 
Territories  just  south  of  Great  Slave 
Lake.  Today  a  herd  of  some  15,000 
plains  buffalo  and  wood  buffalo 
ranges  in  the  park's  grassy  plains, 
boreal  forest,  and  muskeg. 


Illinois  buffalo 

About  1 85  buffalo  are  currently  to  be 
found  in  Illinois.  Chicago's  Lincoln 
Park  Zoo  has  twelve  buffalo, 
Brookfield  Zoo  two.  The  National 
Accelerator  Laboratory  at  Batavia 
maintains  a  herd  of  about  28.  Four 
privately  owned  herds  in  Illinois 
acccount  for  another  142  animals, 
the  largest  of  these  consisting  of  1 1 0 
head. 

The  Metropolitan  Sanitary  District  of 
Greater  Chicago  has  projected  a 
comprehensive  "Prairie  Plan,"  which 
would  include  buffalo  and  other  large 
animals  in  its  realization  of  a  "living 
museum  of  native  wildlife."  An 
11 -square-mile  area  recently 
purchased  in  Fulton  County  by  the 
sanitary  district  is  the  presumed  site 
for  development  of  the  plan. 


Commercial  and  private  herds 

In  1966  the  National  Buffalo 
Association,  headquartered  in  Pierre, 
S.D. ,  was  formed  "to  help  buffalo 
owners  with  problems,  to  disseminate 
information  about  the  animals,  and  to 
encourage  the  propagation  of  the 
national  resource."  The  association 
publishes  a  monthly  newsletter, 
Buffalo  Cliips,  and  a  quarterly 
magazine,  Buffalo. 


,.  .A.Sk:  .'"§ . 


Drawing  of  buffalo  hunt  by  Plains  Indian,  ca    1880      Colored  crayon  on  notebook  paper 
Gill  of  Mrs-  A-  W   Fuller.  Cat  Wo.  83999 


Founder-president  of  the  association 
is  Roy  Houck,  whose  Triple  U  Ranch, 
with  more  than  3,500  head,  is  the 
largest  privately  owned  buffalo  herd  in 
the  country.  Other  private  herds  in  the 
United  States  and  Canada  number 
about  400.  A  number  of  ranches  sell 
live  as  well  as  slaughtered  animals. 
A  young  bull  brings  around  $475. 
About  300  American  families  keep 
buffalo  as  pets,  raising  them  in 
large  backyards  or  on  farms.  (Buffalo 
experts  warn  that  the  animals  are 
unpredictable,  hence  dangerous,  and 
must  be  approached  with  caution.) 

In  1 973  4,000  buffalo  carcasses 
were  sold  to  supermarkets — mostly  in 
the  west — and  to  gourmet 
restaurants.  Animals  are  butchered 
when  two  or  three  years  old;  the  meat 
is  graded  in  the  same  way  as  beef. 
According  to  NBA's  Roy  Houck, 
buffalo  meat  is  higher  in  protein  and 
lower  in  cholesterol  than  beef;  it  is 
also  coarser  and  darker  than  beef, 
and  the  flavor  is  more  pungent. 
Currently  buffalo  meat  is  slightly  more 
expensive.  Buffalo  salami  and  buffalo 


braunschweiger  are  sold  by  the  Triple 
U  as  well  as  whole  carcasses.  The 
ranch  also  finds  a  ready  market  for 
mounted  buffalo  heads,  bleached 
skulls,  and  buffalo  hides.  Twenty  or 
more  carcasses  are  sold  by  the  Triple 
U  each  year  to  Chicago's  Cafe 
Bohemia,  which  serves  the  meat  as 
buffaloburger,  steak,  or  stew. 

Recognizing  the  commercial  potential 
of  the  buffalo,  a  western  supermarket 
chain  recently  asked  the  federal 
government  for  the  "loan"  of  its 
protected  animals  until  the  chain 
could  establish  from  it  bigger  and 
better  commercial  herds.  The  request 
was  denied. 

The  story  of  the  buffalo's  near-demise 
is  eloquent  testimony  to  thoughtless 
human  greed  and  destructiveness; 
more  important:  the  animal's 
subsequent  recovery  has 
demonstrated  that  even  a  small  group 
of  concerned  people  can  turn  the 
tide,  can  influence  federal  legislation, 
and  preserve  what  is  worth  saving  for 
those  generations  to  come. 


May  1974 


Top  right:  A  buffalo  skin  painted  with  geometric 

designs  -  Nineteenth  century.  Arapaho   The 

symbolism  of  the  design  is  very  elaborate   The 

border  as  a  whole  represents  a  buffalo   The  lines 

along  the  edges  symbolize  the  skin  and  hair  of  the 

animal,  its  veins:  and  the  diamond-shaped  figures. 

the  pulsations  of  its  heart  In  these  figures  the 

central  spot  [red]  symbolizes  the  heart:  and  the 

seven  lines  [yellow  or  green]  symbolize  the  seven 

periods  of  creation   The  border  as  a  whole  also 

symbolizes  a  river  on  which  floats  a  pemmican  [the 

diamond-shaped  figure],  this  being  a  reference  to 

an  Arapaho  legend. 

The  large  oblong  figure  in  the  center  symbolizes  the 

earth,  the  line  [red  and  yellow]  surrounding  it  being 

the  horizon  A  [red]  line  symbolizes  the  sun.  a 

[yellow]  line  symbolizes  the  day   The  strip  [red. 

green,  and  yellow]  in  the  center  of  this  design 

symbolizes  the  "Path  of  Life  "  The  three  diamonds 

represent  the  eyes  of  One  Above  who  watches 

human  lives   They  also  symbolize  a  man.  a  woman. 

and  animals   The  field  surrounding  the  triangles 

represents  the  Indian  race   The  designs  above  and 

below  this  central  band  symbolize  the  division 

between  night  and  day  A  long  line  through  the 

center  of  each  represents  the  Milky  Way   The  dark 

triangles  containing  four  white  squares  symbolize 

the  buffalo  lodge,  where  the  buffalo  were  once  kept 

imprisoned  by  a  white  crow   The  white  squares 

represent  the  buffalo,  but  they  also  represent  life  or 

abundance,  and  the  Four  Old  Ivfen  of  Arapaho  myth. 

The  triangles  with  a  [red]  spot  in  the  center 

represent  another  legendary  lodge  in  which  six 

sisters,  who  had  been  sent  away  from  home  for 

their  refusal  to  marry,  lived  for  a  long  time   The 

[red]  spot  indicates  the  lire  in  the  lodge,  the  white 

around  it,  the  light   The  long  triangular  figure  below 

the  central  design  represents  a  buffalo's  tail,  the 

triangles  along  the  edges  symbolize  hills   The  [red] 

line  below  it  represents  the  Indian 's  way  of  life 

In  the  perpendicular  figures  at  either  end  of  the 

large  central  design  the  light  central  strip 

represents  a  road   The  triangles  at  either  end  of  this 

strip  represent  tipis:  the  small  spots  in  it.  people. 

and  the  lines  [green  and  yellow]  connecting  them. 

paths   The  figures  along  either  edge  represent  day 

[yellow],  night  [black],  water  and  vegetation 

[geeen],  and  Indian  race  [red]    The  long  triangular 

figures  below  these  bands  represent  the  limbs  of 

animals   The  unpamted  portions  of  the  robe  were 

originally  whitened  with  clay,  symbolizing  purity 

Cat  No  67758. 


Bottom  right:  Dying  Buffalo  by  George  Callin, 
American  [1796-1872]  Painted  on  the  upper 
ivlissouri  River  1832.  and  probably  done  from 
sketches  made  during  a  buffalo  hunt:  21  x  28 
inches  Cat  No  49705  Field  Museum  has  35 
Catlin  paintings  done  between  1831  and  1837, 


Field  Museum  Bulletin        9 


Ray  A.  Kroc 

Environmental 
Education  Program 


Listed  below  are  the  final  offerings  in  tfie  Ray 
A   Kroc  Environmental  Education  Program  for 
spring  1 974  A  new  series  of  programs  will  be 
presented  this  fall. 


Saturday.  April  27 

Course:  "Urban  Streams."  First  of  six 
sessions  to  be  held  on  successive  Saturdays 
through  June  1    The  course  will  include 
seminars,  three  field  trips,  and  research 
designed  to  outline  outstanding 
characteristics  of  water,  indicate  special 
problems  in  water  quality  in  an  urban 
environment,  underscore  the  resilience  of 
biological  populations,  and  introduce  course 
participants  to  basic  measurement  of  water's 
properties,  using  inexpensive  tools.  Project 
directors   Donald  Meyers  and  Gary  Milburn. 
biologists,  Environmental  Protection  Agency. 
Limited  to  40  people,  1 5  years  of  age  or  older 
A  $1 5.00  fee  holds  your  advance  reservation 
for  iho  ^ni;rcp  pipjj  covers  all  expenses. 


PhiUp  H-  Abelson.  May  5  lecturer 


Film:  "Insect  War."  This  remarkable  BBC  film 
examines  the  various  techniques  man 
employs  in  his  battle  with  insects  for 
possession  of  food  crops.  Lecture  Hall.  1 0:30 
and  1:00 

Sunday.  April  28 

Repeat  film:  "Insect  War."  Lecture  Hall, 
11  00 

Symposium:  "Ecological  Research  at  Field 
Museum,"  featuring  Field  Museum 
scientists   Entomologist  Henry  Dybas 
discusses  "Cicada:  Strategy  for  Survival": 
botanist  Lorin  Nevling  presents  "Implications 
for  Change  in  the  American  Tropics": 
ichthyologist  Robert  Johnson  speaks  on 
"Aspects  of  Oceanic  Ecology":  and 
anthropologist  Bennet  Bronson  will  explore 
"Man  and  His  Environment  in  Ancient  Asia." 
Moderator   Robert  F    Inger,  assistant 
director,  science  and  education.  Field 
Museum  James  Simpson  Theatre,  at  2  00 
p  m 


Saturday,  May  4 

Film:  "Time  ol  Man."  A  reminder  to  man  that 
he  is  one  of  nature's  more  recent  innovations, 
this  film  also  intimates  that  man  may  be  one  of 
nature's  mistakes  since  he  not  only  adapts  to, 
but  often  changes  his  environment, 
sometimes  with  deleterious  effects  Lecture 
Hall,  1030  and  1:00. 

Sunday,  May  5 

Repeat  film:  "Time  of  Man."  Lecture  Hall, 
11  00 

Lecture:  "Energy  for  tfie  70s."  Philip  H 
Abelson,  editor  of  Science  magazine  and 
president  of  the  Carnegie  Institution  of 
Washington,  DC,  speaks  on  the  decade's 
energy  outlook 


Saturday.  May  11 

Field  trip  for  young  people:  "Hidden  City." 

Fully  booked;  reservations  closed. 

Saturday.  May  18 

Adult  field  trip:  "Ecological  Communities." 

Fully  booked:  reservations  closed 

Saturday.  May  25 

Adult  field  trip:  "Kennicott  Grove."  Fully 
booked:  reservations  closed. 

Saturday.  June  1 

*  Field  trip  for  young  people:  "Prairie  Life."  A 
study  of  the  vegetation  of  Markham  Prairie 
Leaders   Phil  Hanson  and  James  Bland.  Field 
Museum   Limited  to  30  students,  ages  1 5 
through  18  Group  will  assemble  in  the  north 
meeting  room,  second  floor,  at  9  30 


Saturday.  June  8 

Adult  field  trip:  "Cfiicago  Portage  Site." 

Fully  booked:  reservations  closed 

*  Field  trip  for  young  people  "Rocl«y  Glen." 

Rocky  Glen  in  DuPage  County  has  a  wide 
variety  of  ecological  communities:  pond,  river 
plain,  and  stream   Field  study  activities  will  be 
included  in  the  trip.  Leader  James  Bland, 
Field  Museum   Limited  to  30  students,  ages 
1 5  through  1 8   Meet  in  north  parking  lot  at 
9  30 

Saturday,  June  22 

Adult  Field  trip:  "Reserving  the  Future." 

Fully  booked;  reservations  closed 


•Reservations  will  be  confirmed  in  order  of 
receipt  and  payment  A  $4  00  fee  covers 
lunch  and  transportation,  and  holds  your 
advance  reservation 


Send  your  choice  of  program,  name,  address, 
phone  number  —  and  fee,  where  applicable  — 


to:       Field  Museum  —  Environmental  Program 
Roosevelt  Rd.  at  Lake  Shore  Dr 
Chicago,  II  60605 

For  further  information  call  Carolyn 
Blackmon,  Field  Museum,  922-9410. 
extension  361  or  363 


10 


(^ay  1974 


Jgl^J^ 


"^  Field  Museum's  Members'  Nights  will  feature  many  special 

activities.  Shown  here  is  a  small  sampling  of  what  is  in  store  for 


visitors  on  those  evenings. 

Top  letf  A  demonstration  of  how  large  mammal  skins  are  prepared  in  the  tanning 

area. 

Top  right:  A  do-it-yourself  project:  "Dwarf  vegetables— a  garden  in  your  window 

box," 

Bottom  left:  A  discussion  of  current  scientific  research  on  fossil  bighorn  sheep. 

Bottom  right:  A  demonstration  of  pottery-making  techniques. 

The  hours  for  the  open  house  are  from  6:00  to  10;00  p.m.  in  public 
areas  and  from  7:00  to  10:00  p.m.  behind  the  scenes.  Duplicate 
programs  of  all  events,  including  entertainment  in  Stanley  Field 
Hall,  will  be  presented  during  the  two  evenings. 

The  cafeteria  and  lunchroom  will  be  open  from  6:00  to  8:00  p.m. 


Chartered  busses  designated  "Field  Museum"  will  leave  from  the 
southwest  corners  of  State  and  Jackson,  and  Michigan  and 
Jackson,  at  frequent  intervals  after  6:00  p.m.  on  these  two  nights. 


For  the  convenience  of  those  who  come  by  automobile,  lights  have 
been  installed  in  the  parking  lots. 


members'  nights,  may  2-3 


&n  interview  witli  John  white 


Field  Museum 's  Native  American  Program,  set  up  last 
year,  is  an  attempt  to  utilize  the  Museum  as  a  cultural 
resource  for  the  Indian.  Coordinator  of  the  program  is  John 
White,  who  is  of  Cherokee  and  Scottish  descent.  He  began 
college  at  Bacone  Indian  School  in  Oklahoma,  and 
received  his  M.A.  in  a  combined  education-anthropology 
program  at  the  University  of  Chicago:  currently  he  is  a 
Stanford  University  doctoral  candidate. 


coordinator  of  Field  Museum's  Native  American  Program 


Editor:  John,  I  understand  that  your  program  here  is  a  real 
innovation;  in  fact,  that  it's  something  of  an  experiment. 
What  was  the  basis  for  setting  up  the  program? 

White:   My  coming  to  Field  Museum  was — as  you  say —  an 
experiment,  to  see  if  it  would  be  possible  to  make  the 
Museum  responsive  in  certain  ways  to  the  community,  and 
to  search  for  ways  to  revitalize  the  present-day  North 
American  cultural  scene.  The  W.  Clement  and  Jessie  V. 
Stone  Foundation,  which  is  providing  about  half  the  funds 
for  the  program,  also  supported  a  field  trip  that  I  made  in 
1972  to  Europe  to  study  environmental  approaches  to 
teaching  about  a  culture.  The  present  program  consists 
essentially  of  observing  various  niches  in  the  Chicago 
community  and  determining  which  would  be  the  most 
productive  in  the  development  of  educational  programs  for 
Native  American  children.  There  are  now  programs  at 
Newberry  Library,  at  Circle  Campus,  at  two  Indian  centers, 
at  an  Indian  high  school,  and  at  an  elementary  school — so 
there  are  a  number  of  different  niches  within  the  Chicago 
scene. 

Ed.:  What  other  organizations  in  Chicago  will  you  be 
working  with  in  the  program? 

White:  We  are  working  largely  with  an  Indian  elementary 
school  program  that  is  an  extension  of  William  C.  Goudy 
School,  on  the  north  side.  The  program  will  involve  maybe 
50  to  75  Native  American  children  through  the  sixth  grade; 
half  a  day  will  be  spent  at  Goudy  and  half  a  day  at  the  Indian 
school.  Half  the  children  will  attend  the  Indian  school, 
which  is  a  block  and  a  half  away,  in  the  morning;  the  rest  of 
the  students  will  attend  in  the  afternoon.  Evening  programs 
are  also  planned.  Goudy  chose  to  become  involved 
because  the  school  had  a  serious  dropout  problem. 

I  hope  to  be  able  to  develop  a  mini-museum  within  a  library 
complex  at  this  Indian  school,  with  changing  exhibits  of 
Indian  artifacts  of  various  types,  each  exhibit  featuring 
artifacts  of  a  particular  tribe,  employing  various  techniques 
for  observing  material  and  for  recognizing  different 
relationships.  A  new  exhibit  would  be  installed  perhaps 
every  month. 

The  main  thrust  of  this  program  is  to  reinforce  a  positive 
identification  for  the  Indian  children,  and  we  want  to  get 
them  involved  in  whatever  ways  that  can  be  meaningful 
with  respect  to  Indian  culture — to  build  up  that  aspect.  A 


12 


May  1974 


secondary  aim  will  be  remedial.  The  staff  will  consist  of  one 
full-time  teacher  and  two  teachers'  aides.  All  the  staff 
persons  will  be  Indian.  The  program  is  strictly  voluntary  for 
the  students.  There  will  also  be  a  buddy  day.  One  day  a 
week  a  student  can  bring  a  buddy  and  that  will  be  the 
mechanism  by  which  non-Indians  will  be  able  to  see  what 
the  program  is  all  about. 

I  have  been  teaching  a  Native  American  art  and  culture 
course  for  the  Indian  program  at  Chicago  Circle  Campus  of 
the  University  of  Illinois,  I  spend  one  day  a  week 
over  there  and  have  the  students  at  the  Museum  for 
one  day  each  week.  Right  now  we  are  making 
composition  replicas  of  Indian  masks  in  the  Field  Museum 
collection.  These  masks  will  go  out  as  a  kit,  which  will 
include  a  set  of  Northwest  Coast  stories.  These  will  be 
presented  in  such  a  form  that  they  can  be  used  by  a 
narrator  and  the  masks  can  be  worn  by  students  in  acting 
out  the  stories.  There  will  also  be  some  audio-visual 
material — a  three-minute  tape,  for  example,  and  perhaps 
slides,  and  so  on.  What  I  am  interested  in  is  injecting 
material  in  a  way  that  gives  people  an  appreciation  of  a 
particular  culture  as  well  as  some  conception  of  the 
context — a  true,  meaningful  context. 

Ed. :  There  is  an  interesting  variety  in  the  program's 
dimensions.  Could  you  comment  on  requirements 
you  may  have  for  staff  to  assist  in  these  various  areas? 

White:   Recently  I  had  a  long  discussion  with  a  woman  who 
noticed  that  I  was  with  the  Museum's  Native  American 
Program.  She  said  that  she  had  been  a  collector  of  Indian 
basketware  and  jewelry,  knew  a  lot  about  it,  and  had  taught 
in  the  Uptown  area  where  she  had  had  Indian  students.  She 
wanted  a  job  with  our  program  and  wondered  if  there  were 
any  positions  open.  I  said,  "Yes,  I  have  a  spot  for  a  teacher 
and  one  for  a  half-time  secretary,  but  I  am  searching  for  an 
Indian  for  the  positions."  The  woman  got  very  upset  and 
said,  "You  mean  just  because  I'm  not  an  Indian  I  couldn't 
qualify''  It  looks  like  racism  in  reverse."  So,  we  got  into  a 
rather  lengthy  discussion.  I  tried  to  explain  to  her  that  the 
Indian  students  need  role  models^models  they  can  follow. 
People  model  themselves  to  a  very  great  extent  on  persons 
who  they  have  to  deal  with  in  their  day-to-day  activities. 

Ed.:  What  were  your  reasons  for  becoming  involved  in  the 
Museum  program? 

White:   Basically  it  was  my  own  growing  concern  with  the 
value  of  traditional  Indian  culture  and  the  importance  of 
recirculating  the  traditional  values^so  that  these  elements 
may  enhance  the  individual's  self-esteem  as  well  as  enrich 
the  cultural  scene  prevailing  in  the  Indian  communities. 
What  has  been  happening  to  Native  American  culture  for 
1 50  years  or  more  could  be  compared  to  vandals  coming 
into  a  library  and  stealing  the  best  books. 


In  the  recent  past  it  was  possible  to  find  Indian  people  in  the 
community  who  could  recite  incredibly  detailed  accounts  of 
historical  occurrences  of  more  than  1 50  years  ago — even 
going  back  before  the  American  Revolution — accounts 
marked  with  great  detail,  great  richness.  These  included 
religious  accounts,  creation  stories,  origin  myths  of  one 
sort  or  another  concerning  various  animals.  But  today, 
accounts  of  these  same  events  are  usually  greatly 
abbreviated.  The  reason  for  such  truncation  is  that  where 
traditional  communities  have  broken  up,  actual  attempts 
have  been  made  to  achieve  such  a  fragmentation:  for 
example,  Indian  children  have  continually  been  sent  away 
to  boarding  school  and  kept  there  for  as  long  as  ten  years 
or  more.  Usually  these  children  had  left  home  speaking  no 
English  at  all  would  eventually  return  to  their  parents 
speaking  only  English.  This  is  a  highly  effective  method  of 
destroying  the  natural  means  of  transmitting  one's 
heritage.  What  amazes  me  is  not  how  things  have 
deteriorated  in  so  many  ways,  but  that  any  of  the  Indian 
heritage  has  managed  to  survive  at  all ! 


Ed. :  I  understand  that  work  is  being  done  on  preparing  a 
catalogue  of  the  Museum's  Indian  artifacts.  How  will  it  be 
used  in  your  program'' 

White:   Native  American  students  from  Circle  Campus  and 
non-Indian  volunteers  are  currently  working  on  the 
catalogue.  Essentially  it  will  consist  of  a  card  file:  the  cards 
are  being  typed  from  the  Department  of  Anthropology 
acquisition  catalogue  and  will  be  arranged  according  to 
tribe.  After  the  catalogue  is  set  up  we  will  determine  to 
what  extent  the  material  will  be  supplemented  by 
photographs  of  individual  items.  We  will  then  decide  how  to 
make  that  material  available.  Most  Indians  are  interested  in 
knowing  what  examples  of  craftwork  from  their  tribe  are  in 
the  Museum's  collections.  Until  now  museums  have  not 
served  those  people  whose  culture  is  entombed  there. 

I  think  it's  important  to  recognize  the  fact  that  the  Museum 
can  be  regarded  as  an  expression  of  European  culture:  how 
the  labels  are  written;  how  the  material  is  put  out,  and  so 
forth.  If  you  get  people  to  the  point  where  their  identity  is 
secure  enough,  then  they  can  view  exhibits  as  though  the 
material  simply  represents  extremely  fine  examples  of 
traditional  arts  and  crafts.  The  manner  in  which  museum 
exhibits  are  usually  set  up  is  extremely  revealing  for  it 
shows  the  way  in  which  European  Americans  become 
cultured.  It's  not  random:  it's  part  of  a  cultural  patterning. 
Indian  culture  is  past  tense  like  the  Neanderthals  and  the 
dinosaurs. 

It's  been  revealed  to  me  more  and  more  that  there  are 
whole  areas  of  expertise — insights  that  anthropologists 
have  developed  in  their  study  of  various  cultures  that  really 
bring  home  the  basic  problems 


Field  Museum  Bulletin      1 3 


within  American  society.  But  there  is 
actually  no  integration  into  any  of  this. 
Anthropology  is  seen  as  the  study 
of  bizarre  cultures— some  other 
place,  some  other  time.  I  went  into 
anthropology  for  a  far-out  thing — to 
get  spiritual  power.  Because  it's  part 
of  Cherokee  tradition — which  is  my 
heritage — that  one  studies  and  learns 
as  much  of  different  cultures  as  he 
can.  Everyone  views  the  world 
through  his  own  eyes  and  no  one  can 
hope  to  gain  more  than  a  fragmentary 
picture.  If  he  wants  to  develop 
himself  he's  got  to  be  exposed  as 
much  as  possible  to  other  cultures.  I 
have  gone  into  anthropology  not  only 
for  what  it  can  help  me  to  understand 
about  my  own  cultural  background 
but  about  other  cultures  as  well. 

Ed.:   Your  academic  background  of 
anthropology  combined  with 
education  is  rather  unusual.  In  what 
ways  does  this  particular  approach 
enable  one  to  be  more  insightful  in 
dealing  with  social  problems^ 

White:   I  have  been  impressed  with 
the  fact  that,  with  very  few 
exceptions,  human  beings  do  things 
in  culturally  patterned  ways,  and  this 
applies  to  all  cultures,  including 
contemporary  American  culture.  We 
are  conditioned  to  believe  that  only 
other  people  have  superstitions,  but 
we  have  sc/ence!  Our  way  is  the  right 
way.  Others  have  just  stumbled  along 
in  an  empirical  way.  Usually  the 
adjective  "empirical"  is  a  put-down. 

If  a  person  really  knew  what  he  was 
doing  he  would  be  able  to  project  it 
beforehand,  rather  than  just  deduce 
what  was  happening  afterward.  So,  it 
seems  to  me  that  one  can't  even 
begin  to  face  the  problems  of 
subcultural  groups  wiihin  a  place  like 
contemporary  United  States  without 
realizing  that  when  children  (or 
adults)  are  coming  into  school  they 
should  be  made  aware  that  what  they 
are  being  taught  is  a  particular 
cultural  bag;  it's  a  particular 
configuration  of  cultural  patterning,  a 
way  of  looking  at  the 


John  White  demonstrates  weaving  techniques  of  the  Salish  Indians  (British  Columbia)  to  members  ol  the 
North  Shore  Weavers '  Guild.  He  has  also  scheduled  Museum  workshops  in  weaving  techniques  that  were 
used  in  northern  Europe  during  the  Iron  Age. 


14 


May  1974 


world,  a  way  of  looking  at  other  people.  And  it's  very 
different  from  anybody  else's.  What  happens  is  that  kids 
come  into  programs  set  up  by  those  of  other  cultural  groups 
and  very  quickly  are  convinced  that  their  whole  way  is 
inferior,  that  there  is  something  wrong  with  them. 


Ed.:  What  is  your  interpretation  of  the  rather  recent 
phenomenon  of  Indian  culture  catching  on  particularly  with 
young  non-Indians? 


There's  a  community  of  Indians  in  northern  f\/lexico  who 
200  years  ago  were  in  the  Great  Lakes  area.  A  Kickapoo 
group,  they  are  an  Eastern  Woodland  tribe — now 
numbering  perhaps  900 — who  left  the  United  States  for 
Mexico  around  1 830  to  get  away  from  the  European 
settlers.  They  still  live  in  a  wigwam  village  and  their  culture 
is  as  close  to  intact  as  you  could  possibly  hope  to  find 
anywhere.  Kickapoo  culture  has  done  very  well  in  enabling 
the  people  to  move  from  a  wild  rice-growing  area  in  the 
north  to  fvlexican  desert  conditions.  Their  language, 
culture,  religion,  are  all  still  strong,  and  it's  an  incredible 
thing.  The  group  visits  continually  with  a  Kickapoo  group 
back  in  Oklahoma  and  has  had  a  conservatising  influence 
on  them.  So  it  would  be  better  to  compare  that  community 
with  the  Chippewa  community,  say,  in  northern  Minnesota, 
where  essentially  traditional  religion,  culture,  crafts  have 
completely  fallen  apart.  The  fact  that  it  hasn't  occurred 
with  the  transplanted  group  throws  out  the  window  the  idea 
that  cultural  decay  is  a  natural  matter  of  course — it's  not. 
When  people  stop  speaking  a  language,  it's  not  because 
they  no  longer  need  it  or  because  it's  no  longer  functional, 
or  anything  like  that.  It's  because  the  language  had  a 
negative  value  placed  on  it.  Speaking  that  particular 
language  had  low  status.  People  picked  up  on  that  and 
stopped  speaking  the  language.  No  language  dies;  it's 
killed.  And  it's  not  a  natural  state  of  affairs.  It's  a  state  of 
affairs  that  occurs  in  an  unnatural  situation. 


White.:   During  my  first  several  months  as  a  graduate 
student  at  Stanford  I  had  inquiries  from  literally  dozens  of 
students  who  were  trying  to  satisfy  their  personal  needs  by 
identifying  with  Indian  culture.  I  said,  "Look,  you're  never 
going  to  be  an  Indian.  Put  your  roots  down  in  your  own 
tradition — everybody's  got  them.  If  you  want  to  have  a 
situation  where  you're  as  close  to  the  environment  as  you 
can  get,  where  you're  producing  your  own  sustenance, 
where  you're  taking  part  in  all  these  activities,  instead  of 
destroying  it — All  you  have  to  do  is  investigate  your  own 
culture  of  four  or  five  generations  back  and  you're  right  in 
it.  And  then  it  will  be  genuine.  But  any  attempt  to  mimic  or 
borrow  in  this  way  from  Indian  culture  can  only  result  in 
something  artificial. 

I  feel  that  mankind's  cultural  roots  are  of  great  importance, 
that  they  can  be  a  source  of  great  strength.  We  have  come 
to  put  down  the  past,  we  think  it  is  a  millstone  hanging 
around  our  necks,  the  cumulative  sins  of  our  grandfathers. 
We  search  for  a  time  when  man  became  differentiated  from 
the  animals  because  we  are  afraid  of  the  animal  within  us. 
We  try  to  run  counter  to  nature's  laws  rather  than  to  flow 
with  them;  our  ancestors  knew  better.  We  have  become 
a  clever  people  but  we  have  lost  the  wisdom  and  strength 
that  enabled  our  forefathers  to  survive  many  ice  ages.  For 
that  we  should  honor  them,  not  ridicule  them.  The  sad  thing 
is  that  we  have  come  to  ridicule  without  knowing  it. 


RECENT  FIELDIANA  PUBLICATIONS 


Fieldiana  Geology: 


Fieldiana  Botany: 


Fieldiana  Zoology: 


"Osteology,  Function,  and  Evolution  of  the 
Trematopsid  (Annphibia:  Labynnthodontia) 
Nasal  Region."  by  John  R   Bolt  Vol.  33.  no. 2 


"Chesterian  (Upper  Mississlppian) 
Gastropoda  of  the  Illinois  Basin,"  by  Myint 
twin  Thein  and  Matthew  H    Nitecki.  Vol.  34. 

"The  Structure  and  Evolution  of  Teeth  in 
Lungfishes."  by  Robert  H    Denison   Vol   33. 
no.  3. 


"Flora  of  Guatemala."  by  Johnnie  L.  Gentry, 
Jr  and  Paul  C.  Standley.  Vol.  24,  part  X,  nos. 
1  and  2 

"Notes  on  the  Genua  Hygrolembidium 
(Hepaticae),"  by  John  J.  Engle.  Vol.  36,  no. 7. 


"Eupomacentrus  diencaeus  Jordan  and 
Rutter  A  Valid  Species  of  Damselfish  from 
the  Western  Tropical  Atlantic,"  by  David  W. 
Greenfield  and  Loren  P.  Woods.  Vol.  65,  no. 2. 


Fieldiana  publications  may  be  ordered  directly 
from  the  Field  Museum  Division  of 
Publications^  Prices  available  upon  request. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin      1 5 


A  Manual  of  Mammalogy 

with  Keys  to  Families  of  the  World 

By  Anthony  F.  DeBlase  and  Rotiert  E.  Martin. 
Wm.  C.  Brown,  publisher;  329  pp.;  spiral  bound. 
$7.95 

Dr.  DeBlase,  who  is  Field  Museum's  chief  of 
security  and  visitor  services,  as  well  as  a 
mammalogist.  and  Mr   Martin,  of  Texas  Tech 
University,  have  produced  a  manual  unique  in 
the  mammalogical  literature.  It  is  not  only  a 
handy  guide  for  the  student  and  generalist,  it 
is  the  first  family  key  of  worldwide  scope  to 
appear  in  such  a  format. 

The  opening  79  pages  comprise  a  remarkably 
concise  introduction  to  mammalian  anatomy. 
Following  sections  on  systematic  methods 
and  methods  of  keying  are  equally  lucid  and 
well  presented.  The  volume  also  has  chapters 
on  "Identifying  Mammal  Sign,"  "Recording 
Data,"  "Collecting,"  "Specimen  Preparation 
and  Preservation,"  and  even  chapter-length 
discussions  of  methods  for  collecting 
parasites  of  mammals,  cranial 
measurements,  and  how  to  find  what  you're 
looking  for  in  the  scientific  literature.  An 
ample  bibliography — mostly  of  publications 
within  the  past  decade — and  a  1 5-page 
glossary  of  terms  round  out  the  fringe  benefits 
of  the  manual.  The  keys,  127  pages  in  length, 
also  contain  hundreds  of  black  and  white 
illustrations  and  information  on  fossil  forms 
and  distribution.  A  remarkably  comprehensive 
and  attractive  manual  -  Ed 


Museums  of  Natural  History 
and  the  People  who  Work  in  them 

By  Patricia  M,  Williams 

St.  Martin's  Press;  1 20  pp, ,  $5.95 

Today  there  are  about  5,000  museums  in  the 
United  States  Collectively  they  employ  from 
1 5,000  to  20,000  full-time  professional 
workers  At  least  400  of  these  institutions  are 
natural  history  museums  A  recent  publication 
of  the  American  Association  of  Museums 
states"        that  better  educated  recruits  for 
museum  employment  are  needed  in  a  period 
of  rapid  change  characterized  by  new 
technological  developments,  such  as 
computerization  of  records  of  multimedia 
exhibits,  and  by  new  attitudes  toward 
museums  that  show  keen  awareness  of  each 
community's  educational  and  social  needs." 
It  further  states  that  there  are  creative  and 
talented  young  people  available  if  only  they 
can  be  reached  and  informed  of  the 
opportunities  open  to  them  at  museums. 

Mrs  Williams'  book  is  an  excellent  means  of 
informing  young  people  of  the  variety  of 
careers  available  in  museums.  These 
institutions  are  now  in  a  good  position  to 
compete  with  institutions  of  higher  learning  in 
recruiting  for  staff  positions  With  the  current 
shortage  of  teaching  jobs,  many  graduate 
students  have  decided  to  investigate  museum 
careers 

Drawing  on  twelve  years  of  professional 
experience  at  Field  Museum,  the  author  has 
created  a  concise,  nontechnical,  and 
humanistic  picture  of  museum  people,  past 
and  present;  they  are  viewed  as  integral  parts 
of  a  functioning  museum  The  book  is 
particularly  valuable  as  a  behind-the-scenes 
tour  of  Field  Museum   Mrs  Williams  includes 
a  brief  definition  and  description  of  natural 
history  museums  in  general,  and  traces  the 
history  of  museums  from  private  collections, 
or  "cabinets  of  curiousities,"  to  moderately 
cluttered  houses  of  things,  and  finally  to  their 
emergence  as  important  community  centers 
of  education  and  research 

The  main  section  of  the  book  deals  with 
collections   "the  true  wealth  of  a  museum." 
These  collections  consist  of  objects  of 
aesthetic,  historical,  or  scientific  importance. 
As  survivors  of  the  past  or  as  extensions  of  the 
present,  they  can  tell  us  much  about  the 
natural  world  or — if  artifacts — about  the 
people  who  created  them  There  is  an 
intangible  something  called  "spirit  of  place" 
that  denotes  the  uniqueness  of  a  landscape, 
civilization,  or  place — in  this  case  a  museum. 
I  have  always  felt  that  this  term  was 
appropriate  for  certain  museums  that  I  have 
visited,  and  it  must  have  something  to  do  with 
the  collections,  and  the  knowledge  that  these 
are  linked  mysteriously  to  a  chain  of  generally 
anonymous  people  who  found,  studied. 


transported,  and  cared  for  them  before  they 
were  finally  placed  on  exhibit.  Museum 
curators,  educators,  and  exhibit  designers 
often  devote  their  working  lives  to  studying  or 
using  collections  Collections  of  objects  are 
what  museums  are  all  about. 

Using  the  organizational  framework  of  the 
Field  Museum,  the  author  explains  in  detail 
the  roles  of  the  various  people  in  the 
anthropology,  geology,  botany,  and  zoology 
departments  These  are  the  scientists,  or 
curators,  who  collect,  care  for,  and  study  the 
collections,  perhaps  assisted  by  a 
conservator  who  prevents  or  retards  the 
deterioration  of  specimens  and  repairs  them 
when  necessary  These  are  also  the  people 
who  answer  questions  from  the  public,  who 
are  involved  in  research,  writing  scientific 
monographs,  teaching  and  serving  as 
consultants  to  students,  or  speaking  before 
ladies'  luncheons 

And  there  are  other  nonscientific  personnel 
who  are  essential  to  a  large  natural  history 
museum:  taxidermists,  scientific  illustrators, 
preparators.  secretaries,  accountants,  and 
many  more  Of  increasing  importance  in 
today's  museums  are  the  education 
departments  The  educational  responsibility  of 
museums  is  vast,  complex,  and  touches  every 
aspect  of  our  intellectual  life.  Among  the 
programs  and  services  available  at  large 
museums  for  various  age  groups  are  film 
series,  guided  tours,  workshops,  field  trips, 
and  much  more 

The  book  concludes  with  a  31 -page  listing,  by 
state,  of  the  country's  major  natural  history 
museums,  with  brief  descriptions  of  each, 
their  university  affiliations,  collections,  and,  in 
some  cases,  special  programs. 

—  Sue  Maxwell,  instructor  in  museology  lor  the 
Gifted  Program  Otfice  ol  the  Chicago  Board  ot 
Education. 

Athapaskan    Adaptations:     Hunters    and 
Fishermen  of  the  Subarctic  Forests 

By  James  W.  VanStone 
Aldlne  Publishing  Co.;  145  pp., 
cloth  $7.50,  paper  $2.95 

This  study  by  a  noted  anthropologist  at  the 
Field  Museum  is  the  first  full-length  book  to 
encompass  all  of  the  Northern  Athapaskans 
It  is  a  brave  venture  and  a  highly  successful 
one  based  upon  years  of  archival  and  field 
research  The  theme  running  through  the 
book  involves  the  adaptive  strategies  by  which 
various  Athapaskan  groups  have 
accommodated  to  the  natural  and  social 
environment  in  pre-contact  times  and 
throughout  the  historical  period   It  is  a  study  in 
cultural  ecology  in  the  Worlds  of  Man  series 
edited  by  Walter  Goldschmidt  Although 
raising  many  issues  of  theoretical  importance 
to  the  study  of  hunters  and  gatherers  in 


16 


May  1974 


general,  it  is.  as  VanStone  notes,  designed  to 
suit  the  needs  of  undergraduates  and 
professionals  alike  While  relatively  short  and 
necessarily  general,  the  book  presents  a 
considerable  amount  of  information. 

The  common  language  stock  of  Northern 
Athapaskans  serves  to  define  the  parameters 
of  the  western  Subarctic,  an  area  stretching 
from  Hudson  Bay  to  central  Alaska.  While 
there  are  ecologically-derived  cultural 
variations  within  this  immense  area,  there  are 
also  numerous  and  likely  ancient  similarities 
common  to  all  groups   After  a  long  period  of 
adaptation  in  central  Alaska  and  the  Yukon. 
Athapaskan-speakers  spread  rapidly  in  a 
southeasterly  direction  after  700  B,C  .  and  in 
the  process  accommodated  to  a  variety  of 
environments  Given  this  fact,  it  is  not 
surprising  that  the  western  Subarctic  forms  a 
cultural  continuum  where  precisely  defined 
tribal  entities  are  lacking  Although  five 
ecozones  can  be  defined  for  the  area  at  large, 
VanStone  is  careful  to  point  out  that  there 
have  been  significant  floral  and  faunal 
changes  within  the  historical  period  Some  of 
these  were  caused  by  climatic  shifts  but 
others  were  brought  about  by  the  ravages  of 
the  fur  trade  and  the  introduction  of  firearms. 

The  first  five  chapters  deal  with  the 
pre-contact  situation   Following  a  discussion 
of  subsistence  practices  and  their  settlement 
correlates.  VanStone  launches  into  the 
important  issue  of  social  organization. 
Although  band  size  and  organization  are 
flexible,  a  matrilineal/matrilocal  substratum  is 
clearly  evident  which  is  interpreted  to  be 
ancient   However,  since  three  centuries  of 
involvement  in  the  fur  trade  have  blurred  or 
obliterated  aboriginal  social  conditions,  there 
remain  many  unresolved  questions  Additional 
historical  research  may  help  resolve  some  of 
these  issues  Nevertheless,  it  is  evident  from 
VanStone's  discussion  of  religion  that  despite 
Christian  influences,  much  can  still  be  learned 
about  past  beliefs  and  practices.  The  same 
applies  to  information  on  the  life  cycle  The 
question  of  cross-cousin  marriage  remains 
enigmatic  but  certainly  this  practice  is 
congruent  with  unilineal  organization.  Omitted 
from  discussion  are  the  systems  of  kin 
terminologies  which  although  modified  by 
historical  factors,  could  shed  light  on 
aboriginal  social  organization 

In  discussing  the  history  of  contact.  VanStone 
gets  maximum  returns  from  the  historical 
data.  The  tremendous  impact  of  the  fur  trade 
has  been  consistently  underestimated  in  most 
studies  of  Subarctic  Indians  but  not  in  this 
one.  For  instance,  one  learns  that  trade  goods 
were  carried  far  beyond  the  range  of 
face-to-face  relations  with  Europeans  through 
Indian  middlemen  The  wholesale  slaughter  of 
beaver  and  other  game  during  the  period  of 
rivalry  between  the  Northwest  Company  and 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  combined  with 


European  diseases  had  far-reaching  effects 
on  socio-economic  organization  leading  to 
trading  post  dependency,  reduced  mobility, 
and  individualism  in  social  relations.  While 
VanStone's  analysis  of  the  effects  of  the  fur 
trade  on  Indian  culture  is  very  good,  his 
periods  do  not  conform  to  the  data  he 
presents   His  early  contact  period 
(1700-1850)  and  stabilized  fur  trade  period 
(1850-1940)  are  much  too  long,  at  least  for 
the  eastern  half  of  the  area   Actually,  early 
contact  and  indirect  trade  ended  when  traders 
began  moving  into  the  interior  during  the 
1 770s  to  establish  direct  trade  relations.  The 
period  between  the  1 770s  and  1 821  marked 
another  era  involving  trade  company  rivalry, 
while  the  period  between  1821  (when  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  absorbed  the 
Northwest  Company)  and  the  time  of  treaties 
perhaps  marked  another  era.  It  would  then 
have  been  better  had  shorter  periods  been 
defined  reflecting  changing  adaptive 
strategies  VanStone's  discussion  of  Northern 
Athapaskans  in  the  modern  world  based  upon 
first-hand  field  experience  at  Snowdrift  and 
elsewhere,  however,  is  excellent 

The  final  chapter  is  a  summary  of  adaptive 
strategies  The  key  to  understanding 
Athapaskan  survival  techniques  in  a  changing 
world  is  to  be  found  in  a  flexible  and 
accommodating  organization  based  upon  a 


highly  specialized  knowledge  of  the 
environment  This  flexibility,  VanStone 
cogently  argues,  accounts,  in  part,  for 
deep-rooted  cultural-ecological  similarities 
found  throughout  the  Northern  Athapaskan 
area. 

In  the  appendix.  VanStone  stresses  the  need 
for  more  intensive  field  studies  to  provide 
basic  ethnographic  and  linguistic  data  which 
are  lacking   For  purposes  of  historical 
research,  and  perhaps  unknown  to  VanStone, 
I  add  that  there  remains  an  enormous  quantity 
of  archival  materials  available  in  the  records 
of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  This  latter  type 
of  research  is  still  in  its  infancy  and  when 
combined  with  field  studies  of  the  type 
mentioned,  may  help  provide  answers  to  the 
many  important  issues  raised  in  this  study. 

In  sum.  this  is  a  very  valuable  book  which  will 
help  raise  Northern  Athapaskans  from  the 
obscurity  which  they  have  too  long  suffered.  It 
is  valuable  not  only  for  its  insights  on  adaptive 
strategies  among  hunters,  but  also  because  it 
corrects  several  misconceptions  about  the 
nature  of  social  organization.  Finally,  it  is  an 
important  study  since  VanStone  pinpoints  the 
crucial  issues  still  deserving  further  research. 

—  Charles  A.  Bishop 

Department  of  Anthropology 

State  University  of  New  York  at  Oswego 


Alhapasl<ar)  Indians  hunting  moose  near  Nulato.  Alaska.  1868 


Field  Museum  Bulletin      1 7 


field  briefs 


Rocky  Meets  Steven 


Rocky  the  timberwolf  and  Steven  Gonzales, 
Riverside,  met  during  the  Museum's  wolf  workshop 
In  March   Rocky  accompanied  conservationist  John 
Harris,  who  presented  the  program  that  also 
included  a  film  The  program  was  a  Raymond 
Foundation  presentation 


WAIT  Radio  Honors  Three 

Radio  station  WAIT,  which  daily  salutes 
persons  for  outstanding  contributions  to  their 
community,  recently  cited  three  Ivluseum 


personnel.  Blaine  J.  Yarrington  was  saluted 
upon  being  elected  president  of  the  Museum; 
and  Mrs,  Anthony  DeBlase  and  Mrs,  Alice 
Schneider  were  honored  for  their  hundreds  of 
hours  of  volunteer  work  at  the  Museum  during 
1973 


Starfish  IVIanual 

by  Emperor  Hirohito 

Kings,  queens,  and  emperors  have 
occasionally  visited  Field  Museum  in  person 
Less  frequently  they  have  written  books  that 
have  ended  up  in  the  Museum  library.  That  is 
what  has  happened,  however,  with  A  Book  of 
the  Sea-Stars  of  Sagami  Bay  by  Japan's 
Emperor  Hirohito,  a  widely  recognized 
amateur  marine  zoologist.  The  book  is  a  gift  to 
the  Museum  from  the  Japanese  ambassador 
to  the  United  States  on  behalf  of  the  emperor. 
An  earlier  book  by  him  on  the  seashells  of 
Sagami  Bay  was  also  recently  added  to  the 
Museum  library. 

The  new  work  describes  85  species  collected 
by  the  emperor  during  the  years  1927-1972 
from  the  waters  of  Sagami  Bay  (a  body  of 
water  several  hundred  square  miles  in  area 
just  south  of  Tokyo-Yokohama) ,  and  from 
other  coastal  waters    It  is  a  technical  treatise, 
primarily  of  interest  to  collectors  and 
zoologists,  but  since  many  of  the  species 
discussed  occur  elsewhere  in  the  world,  the 


book  is  not  of  interest  solely  to  those 
concerned  with  Japanese  coastal  fauna.  The 
English  text  is  1 1 4  pages  (Including 
bibliography)   Two  color  plates  and  16  black 
and  white  plates  of  photographed  specimens 
and  many  line  drawings  supplement  the  text. 

Join  Us  at  Grand  Canyon 

There's  still  time  to  reserve  your  place  for  the 
members'  geology  field  tnp  to  the  Grand 
Canyon,  August  16  to  24   The  exciting 
nine-day  study  of  the  area,  while  floating 
down  the  Colorado  River  on  rubber  rafts,  will 
be  conducted  by  Dr   Matthew  H    Nitecki, 
associate  curator.  Department  of  Geology, 
Total  cost  is  $700  Call  Mrs   Madge  Jacobs, 
922-9410,  for  details 

African  Arts  Book  Ready 

Robert  Plant  Armstrong's  interview  with  Akin 
Euba,  in  the  March  Bulletin,  with  an 
introduction  based  on  the  "Contemporary 
African  Arts  Festival"  exhibit  script  by  Helen 
Chandra,  was  extracted  from  the  book. 
Contemporary  African  Arts,  by  Maude 
Wahlman   Published  in  con|unction  with  the 
festival,  the  120-page  book  is  comprised  of 
many  articles,  illustrated  with  1 32 
photographs  —  1 2  in  color  The  book  may  be 
purchased  for  $5  00  at  the  main  Museum 
bookshop  or  at  the  festival  shop  adjacent  to 
the  exhibit. 


Examining  African  Festival  Shop  Artifacts 


Museum  Entertains  the  Entertainers 

in 


Three  members  of  the  Women's  Board,  part  of  the  committee  for  the  Dinner  and 
Festival  of  Contemporary  African  Arts  held  April  18,  examine  artifacts  available  at 
the  festival  shop.  From  left  are  Mrs   Maurice  P  Geraghty;  Mrs.  B.  Edward 
Bensinger,  Women's  Board  president,  and  Mrs.  Robert  C.  Gunness.  committee 
chairperson. 


When  actor  James  Farentino  and  his  wile,  actress  MIchele  Lee,  brought  their  son 
David,  5,  to  Field  Museum  recently,  the  Museum's  stars  —  mummies,  dinosaurs, 
and  cave  men  —  fascinated  them  all   But  for  them  the  big  attraction  was  the 
taxidermy  studio,  where  they  observed  a  deer  in  the  process  of  being  mounted. 


18 


May  1974 


€» 

2 


Words  Spoken  80  Years  Ago 
Ring  True  for  Rededication 

The  day  was  June  2,  eighty  years  ago  The 
scene  was  the  north  steps  of  the  Museum, 
where  a  platform  had  been  erected  to  support 
persons  whose  names  would  be  inscribed 
forever  in  the  history  of  this  institution   At  2  30 
p,m   Museum  President  Edward  E,  Ayer  led  a 
small  procession  onto  the  platform  The 
dignitaries  looked  out  at  the  seats  occupied  by 
Museum  trustees  and  employees  below  the 
platform   They  looked  further  out  over  the 
assemblage  of  eight  to  ten  thousand 
Following  a  divine  blessing  by  Rev   Frank  W 
Gunsaulus,  Ayer  extended  a  cordial  welcome, 
and  Museum  Director  Frederick  J   V  Skiff 
delivered  his  dedication  address. 

There  has  been  gathering  head  in  this  western 
land  of  ours  during  the  more  recent  period  of  its 
history  a  mighty  power  for  civilization   Neither 
ancient,  medieval,  nor  modern  times  present  a 
wider  intellectual  horizon,  a  period  so  alive  to 
the  demands  of  progressive  humanity   The 
annals  of  centuries  do  not  contain  such 
evidences  of  a  quickened  higher  culture  and 
uplifting  o(  education  forces  as  have  been 
evoked  within  the  past  few  years  on  the  shores 
of  the  lake  that  sweeps  this  park  —  Frederick 
J   V.  Skiff 

In  the  great  halls  of  the  building  behind  these 
gentlemen  the  extensive  collections,  which 
had  been  donated  by  World's  Columbian 
Exposition  exhibitors  or  secured  by  purchase, 
stood  in  scientific  and  systematic 
arrangement,  their  installation  sufficiently 
complete  in  detail    Everything  was  in 
readiness  for  commencement  of  the 
preliminary  work  for  which  the  Field 
Columbian  Museum  had  been  established, 
"great  work  unselfishly  performed  " 

As  an  example  to  be  followed  it  must  also  have 
an  enduring  influence   The  spectacle  of  a  great 
work  unselfishly  performed  incites  to  like 
undertakings   The  knowledge  of  what  men  have 
done  lor  the  community  in  which  they  live 
impels  others  to  do  as  well  in  other  directions    . 
.  Not  only  in  our  time  but  in  the  long  hereafter 
will  men  tell  the  story  of  the  origin  and  the 
purpose  of  this  institution  with  that  quickening  of 
the  soul  which  is  fruitful  of  great  results   While  it 
shall  endure  it  will  De  the  well-spring  of  other 


noble  enterprises  tor  the  benefit  of  mankind  — 
Edward  G   Mason 

Edward  G,  Mason,  president  of  the  Chicago 
Historical  Society,  reclaimed  his  chair  on  the 
platform   President  Ayer  then  arose,  and  with 
raised  gavel  said,  "I  now  declare  the  Field 
Columbian  Museum  open  "  The  invited  guests 
spent  the  remainder  of  the  afternoon  among 
the  collections 

Now,  eighty  years  later,  the  origin  and  the 
purpose  of  this  institution  are  foremost  in  the 
minds  of  Museum  officials  as  they  prepare  to 
rededicate  Field  Museum   On  June  4,  another 
platform  will  be  constructed  at  the  Museum's 
north  end  (the  original,  of  course,  was  at  the 
north  end  of  the  Museum's  original  home,  in 
Jackson  Park),  dignitaries  will  assemble, 
words  will  be  spoken,  and  assembled  guests 
will  depart  with  the  knowledge  that  Field 
Museum  will,  more  than  ever,  be  able  to  meet 
what  Skiff  called  "the  demands  of  progressive 
humanity  " 

Another  effort  is  inaugurated  to  carry  forward 
this  purpose,  to  meet  the  growing  needs  of  a 
highly  developed  people,  to  gather  up  the  truths 
of  the  sciences  and  the  triumphs  of  the 
industries  and  preserve  them  as  a  perpetual 
benefit  to  mankind  As  Columbus  devoted  his  life 
to  the  exploration  and  extension  of  the  world,  so 
does  this  {dedication]  ceremony  vitalize  an 
analogous  idea,  a  broader  knowledge  and  more 
penetrating  vision.  —  Frederick  J.  V.  Skiff 

Throughout  the  eight  decades  since  its 
dedication.  Field  Museum  has  existed  to 
increase  and  to  disseminate  knowledge  of 
natural  history  in  the  world  at  large  through  its 
research  and  collections   And,  through  its 
exhibit  and  educational  programs,  it  has 
striven  to  enhance  in  individuals  the 
knowledge  of  and  delight  in  natural  history. 
That  the  Museum  has  achieved  no  small 


measure  of  success  in  these  endeavors  is  a 
tribute  to  its  founders,  leaders,  employees, 
and  supporters 

And  to  these  aims  the  Museum  has  always 
directed  its  financial  resources,  even  to  the 
point  of  neglecting  the  building  in  which  they 
were  tirelessly  being  carried  out.  The 
53-year-old  edifice  is  showing  its  age,  and 
must  be  renovated  to  meet  the  increasing 
demands  of  scientific  study  and  public 
utilization  —  the  demands  of  today  and  those 
of  the  21st  century.  And  it  is  to  these  demands 
that  the  Museum  will  be  rededicated. 

In  order  to  build  for  the  future  the  Museum,  in 
1971 ,  began  raising  funds  for  renovation  and 
rehabilitation,  the  first  capital  campaign 
program  in  the  Museum's  history  The 
Museum  set  as  its  goal  the  acquisition  of  $25 
million  during  the  three-year  campaign.  Half 
of  that  amount  is  being  raised  by  the  Museum 
through  private  donations;  the  other  half  is 
being  generated  on  a  matching  basis  by  the 
Chicago  Park  District  through  its  bonding 
authority  The  Museum  must  still  raise  $1 .4 
million  of  its  share  When  the  building's 
original  cornerstone  is  opened  to  receive 
documents  pertinent  to  the  current  renovation 
program,  attention  will  be  called  to  the  need 
for  general  support  from  the  community, 
including  the  Museum's  members,  to  bring 
the  campaign  to  a  successful  conclusion  this 
September 

.  .  ,  It  means  much  at  the  present  It  means 
more  for  the  future  —  Edward  G   tvlason 

And  this  future  can  be  assured  only  with  the 
continued  support  by  the  Museum's  friends. 
Without  their  understanding  and  financial 
assistance  during  this  period  of  renovation, 
rededication  of  the  Museum  to  this  future 
would  be  impossible. 


A  festive  air 

prevailed  on 

opening  day 

of  the  Museum 

at  its  original 

home  in 

Jackson  Park. 

June  2.  1894 


MAY  at  Field  M 


useum 


Exhibits 

Continuing 

Contemporary  Atrican  Arts  Festival,  the  first  compretiensive  extiibit 
of  Its  kind  in  tfie  United  States,  features  the  work  of  artists,  including 
painters,  printmakers.  sculptors,  and  fabric  designers,  as  well  as 
music,  films,  lectures,  dances,  and  other  events  Through  November  3 
Hall  27 

Special  f^lay  programs  are: 
Films  in  exhibit  area: 

Daily  at  1  30  p  m 

fvlay  1-3        "The  Tuareg."  "Nawi."  and  "Ivlasai  Warrior" 
May  4-10      "The  Dry  Season"  and  "African  Village  Guinea" 
May  11-17    "Malawi   Two  Young  Men"  and  "Women  Up  in  Arms" 
May  18-24    "The  Ancient  Africans"  and  "In  Search  of  Myself" 
May  25-31     "The  Creative  Person:  Leopold  Sedar  Senghor"  and 
"The  Swamp  Dwellers" 


Fridays  at  7  30  p  m 


May  3 
May  10 
May17 
May  24: 
May  31- 


Black  Girl" 
Mandabi" 
Emitai" 
Borom  Sarref 
Black  Girl" 


and "Tauw" 


Sunday,  May  26,  at  4  00  p  m 

"Benin  Kingship  Rituals"  and  "Gelede" 

Ayinia  Puppet  Workshop  -  Students'  Demonstration  10  30  am  . 

May  4 ,  James  Simpson  Theatre 

Batik  Demonstration  by  Samuel  Njunuri  of  Kenya  at  10:30  and 
11  30  am   and  at  2  00  and  3  00  pm   Saturday.  May  1 1 ,  Stanley 
Field  Hall 

Dance  and  Drum  Performance  with  Ladji  Camara  of  Guinea  at 
10  30  and  1 1  30  a  m  and  at  2:00  and  3  00  p  m  Saturday.  May 
18,  Stanley  Field  Hall 


Edwin  Janss  Jr.  Underwater  Photography,  an  exhibit  of  exciting 

color  prints   Through  September  8   Hall  9 


Field  lUuseum's  Anniversary  Exhibit  continues  indefinitely  "A 
Sense  of  Wonder"  offers  thought-provoking  prose  and  poetry 
associated  with  the  physical,  biological,  and  cultural  aspects  of 
nature:  "A  Sense  of  History"  presents  a  graphic  portrayal  of  the 
Museum's  past,  and  "A  Sense  of  Discovery"  shows  examples  of 
research  conducted  by  Museum  scientists   Hall  3 


Children's  Program 

Through  May  31 

Spring  Journey  for  Children,  "City  Creatures,"  combines  Museum 
exploration  with  outside  activities   The  free  do-it-yourself  project  is 
designed  to  acquaint  youngsters  with  animals  that  have  made  their 
homes  in  the  concrete  "wilderness  "  of  the  city  All  boys  and  girls  who 
can  read  and  write  may  participate.  Journey  sheets  available  at 
entrances. 


Special  Events 

May  2  and  3 

Field  Museum's  annual  Members'  Nights  feature  a  special  program 
of  entertainment,  films,  and  behind  the  scenes  activities  in  the 
scientific  departments  from  6  00  to  10:00  p  m 

Ray  A.  Kroc  Environmental  Education  Program  activities  listed  on 

p   10 

Through  May  31 

Weaving  Demonstration  by  members  of  the  North  Shore  Weavers' 
Guild  at  10  00  a  m   to  12  noon,  and  from  1  00  to  3:00  p.m.  on 
Mondays,  Tuesdays,  and  Fridays  in  the  South  Lounge. 


Meetings 

May8,  7  00pm  ,    Chicago  Ornithological  Society 

May  8,  7  30  p  m  ,    Windy  City  Grotto,  National  Speleological  Society 

May  12,  2  00  p  m  ,  Chicago  Shell  Club 

May  1 4 ,  7  30  p  m  ,  Nature  Camera  Club  of  Chicago 

May16,800pm  ,  Chicagoland  Glider  Council 


Hours 

9  00am   to  6  00  pm   Saturday  through  Thursday  and  9  00  am   to 
9  OOp  m   Friday 

The  Museum  Library  is  open  9:00  am   to  4:00  p  m..  Monday  through 
Friday  Please  obtain  pass  at  reception  desk,  main  floor  north 

Museum  telephone  922-9410 


Guinean  drummer  Ladji  Camara  performs 
m  Startley  Field  Hall  on  May  18 


Volume  45,  Number  6 
June  1974 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  Bulletin 


Field  Museum 
of  Natural  History 
Bulletin 

Volume  45,  Number  6 
June  1974 


Managing  Editor  G.  Henry  Ottery 
Editor  David  M.  Walsten 
Staff  Writer  Madge  Jacobs 


CONTENTS 


JOURNEY  INTO  TIBET 

Letters  from  Berthold  Laufer,  1908-09 


WILDFLOWER  GUIDES 

tor  the  Chicago  area 
by  William  C.  Burger 


THE   STORY   OF  A  FISH   QUARRY 

by  Kattierine  Krueger 


8 


10 


OUR  ENVIRONMENT 

14 

MEMBERS'  NIGHTS 

15 

FIELD  BRIEFS 

16 

LETTERS 

18 

CAPITAL  CAMPAIGN 

19 

JUNE  AT  FIELD  MUSEUM: 
CALENDAR  OF  COMING  EVENTS 


back  cover 


COVER 

Tibetan  graveyard  ghouls  in  dancing  posture.  Brass,  about  6  inches 
high.  Collected  in  Tibet  by  Berthold  Laufer  in  1909.  Catalogue  No. 
122157. 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Director  E.  Leiand  Webber 


Photo  Credits 

Pp.  8-9:  William  C.  Burger;  Ti:  Kattierine  Krueger;  15  and  17,  lop:  G    Henry 
Ottery;  18:  Rod  Crimstiaw;  19:  Jotin  Bayalis,  Sr. 


Board  of  Trustees 


Blaine  J.  Yarrmgton, 

President 
Mrs.  B.  Edward  Bensmger 
Gordon  Bent 
Harry  0.  Bercher 
Bowen  Blair 
Stanton  R.  Cool< 
William  R.  Dicl<inson,  Jr. 
Thomas  E.  Donnelley  II 
Marshall  Field 
Nicholas  Galitzine 
Paul  W.  Goodrich 
Remick  McDowell 
Hugo  J.  Melvoin 
J.  Roscoe  Miller 
William  H.  Mitchell 
Charles  F.  Murphy,  Jr. 
Harry  M.  Oliver,  Jr. 
John  T.  Pirie,  Jr. 
John  S.  Runnells 
William  L.  Searle 


Edward  Byron  Smith 
Mrs.  Hermon  Dunlap 

Smith 
John  W.  Sullivan 
William  G.  Swartchild,  Jr. 
E.  Leiand  Webber 
Julian  B.  Wilkins 


Life  Trustees 

William  McCormick  Blair 
Joseph  N.  Field 
Clifford  C.  Gregg 
Samuel  Insull,  Jr. 
William  V.  Kahler 
Hughston  M.  McBain 
James  L.  Palmer 
John  G.  Searle 
Louis  Ware 
J.  Howard  Wood 


Field  Museum  ol  Natural  History  Bulletin  is  published  monthly, 
except  combined  July/August  issue,  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  Illinois  60605. 
Subscriptions;  $6  a  year;  $3  a  year  for  schools.  Members  of  the 
Museum  subscribe  through  Museum  membership.  Opinions 
expressed  by  authors  are  their  own  and  do  not  necessarily  reflect  the 
policy  of  Field  Museum.  Unsolicited  manuscripts  are  welcome. 
Postmaster;  Please  send  form  3579  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  Illinois  60605. 
ISSN;  0015-0703. 


Journey  into  Tibet 

pluck  and  persistence  win  out  in  a  young  curator's 

struggle  to  reach  the  mountain  fastnesses  of  a  hostile  people 


Highlands  on  the  China-Tibet  border.  Inset, 
Berthold  Lauler  as  a  young  man. 


".  .  ,  There  is  now  available  a  fund 
which  I  can  devote  to  ethnological 
investigation  in  the  Philippines.  .  .  . 
I  am  very  anxious  that  you  should  tal<e 
charge  of  this  investigation,  making 
representative  collections  of  the 
different  tribes.  .  .  .  there  is  no  reason 
why  you  should  not  at  once  enter  upon 
the  work."  George  A.  Dorsey,  then 
Field  Museum's  curator  of  anthropology, 
was  writing  to  a  young  specialist  in 


Asian  ethnology,  Berthold  Laufer, 
assistant  at  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History.  The  year  was  1906. 
Laufer's  main  interest,  however,  was  the 
peoples  of  China  and  contiguous  areas 
—not  the  Philippines.  In  his  letter  to 
Dorsey  he  replied  that  he  could  only 
accept  a  position  in  an  "East  Asiatic 
department." 

"I  have  studied  Tibetan  language, 


history,  and  religions  now  for  nearly 
fifteen  years,"  continued  Laufer  (then  32 
years  of  age),  and  am  thoroughly 
familiar  with  all  the  problems  in  the  field 
of  Central  Asia,  which,  in  my  opinion, 
is  the  only  area  in  Asia  still  to  be 
explored.  .  .  .  England,  France, 
Germany,  and  Russia  vie  with  one 
another  in  expeditions  to  that  region, 
while  only  this  country  remains  inactive. 
Americans  should  certainly  not  wait .... 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


Impressed  by  Laufer's  credentials  (a 
Ph.D.  from  Leipzig)  and  experience 
(two  recent  expeditions  to  Asia),  Dorsey 
succeeded  in  raising  support  for  an 
expedition  to  Tibet  and  Chiina.  Thie 
sponsor:  Mrs.  T.  B.  Blackstone,  widow 
of  a  railroad  magnate.  Her  initial 
guarantee  for  the  venture  was  $18,000. 

Meanwhile,  Field  Museum  saw  fit  to 
offer  Laufer  a  permanent  post  as 
assistant  curator  in  Asiatic  ethnology. 
Laufer  accepted  the  proposal  and,  on 
January  7,  1908,  he  left  New  York  by 
steamship.  The  "Mrs.  T.  B.  Blackstone 
Expedition  to  China  and  Tibet,  1908-10" 
was  underway. 

Laufer's  time  in  China  and  Tibet  was  to 
be  fraught  with  physical  hardships,  the 
intransigence  of  local  officials,  thievery, 
and  even  dog  bite.  But  through  it  all, 
his  letters  brim  with  confidence,  good 
cheer,  and  enthusiasm  for  his  mission. 
The  hundreds  of  items  that  Laufer 
acquired  during  the  Blackstone 
expedition  remain  one  of  the  most 
important  collections  of  Tibetan  and 
Chinese  ethnological  materials  in  the 
world  today. 

The  following  selected  letters,  written  to 
Dorsey  and  to  Mr.  F.  J.  V.  Skiff,  then 
director  of  Field  Museum,  reveal  some 
of  the  triumphs— and  defeats— that 
Laufer  experienced  as  he  sought 
antiquities  and  other  artifacts  in  and 
near  Tibet. 

Calcutta 
June  28,  1908 
Dear  Mr.  Skiff: 

...  My  original  intention  was  to  reach 
Tibet  by  way  of  Darjeeling  and  Sikkim. 
This  plan,  however,  was  thwarted 
through  the  Anglo-Indian  government 
which  not  only  refused  to  grant  me  a 
passport  for  the  visit  of  Tibet,  but  even 
forbade  me  expressly  and  officially  to 
cross  the  boundaries  between  Sikkim 
and  Tibet,  and  even  to  cross  from 
Sikkim  to  Bhutan.  Without  making  any 
merition  of  my  intended  visit  to  Tibet,  I 
applied  through  the  medium  of.the 
U.S.  Consul-General  of  Calcutta,  to  the 


Anglo-Indian  Government  for  a  passport 
granting  me  free  movements  in  Sikkim, 
as  a  passport  of  the  local  Government 
subjected  to  many  restrictions  is 
required.  Following  is  a  copy  of  the 
reply  sent  by  "The  Deputy  Secretary 
to  the  Government  of  India  in  the 
Foreign  Department"  to  the  U.S. 
Consul-General  of  Calcutta: 

.  .  .  The  Government  of  India,  regret,  ttiat 
permission  to  visit  Bhutan  cannot  be 
accorded,  and  the  permission  to  visit 
Sikkim  is  given  only  on  the  understanding 
that  Mr.  Laufer  will  make  no  attempt 
to  enter  either  Tibet  or  Bhutan.  .  .  . 

On  the  receipt  of  this  letter,  I  decided 
to  abandon  my  original  plan,  and  not  to 
risk  the  funds  of  the  Museum  in  a 
venture  which  might  have  been  liable 
to  result  in  a  failure.  I  did  all  that  could 
be  done  under  the  circumstances  in 
Darjeeling  and  neighboring  territory, 
closed  my  work  there,  and  shall  sail 
from  here  on  June  30  for  China  to  work 
my  way  through  the  interior  of  China  to 
the  frontier  of  Tibet,  and  I  am  fully 
confident  of  a  final  success  in  this 
manner.  .  .  . 

In  China.  Laufer  approached  Tibet  from 
the  northeast,  collecting  antiquities  as 
he  traveled.    He  secured  a  choice 
selection  of  Ming  and  K'ien  Lung  bronzes, 
but  it  was  necessary  to  conserve  funds 
for  purchases  in  Tibet. 


Cheng-tu  fu,  Szechuan 
May  4,  1909 

Dear  Dr.  Dorsey: 

...  It  was  with  some  difficulty  that  1 
could  hire  pack  animals  here  to 
continue  my  journey;  after  ten  days' 
search,  a  caravan  of  eight  mules  is 
brought  together,  and  I  hope  to  make  an 
early  start  tomorrow  morning  for 
Ta-tsien-lu,  12  days'  journey  from  here. 
This  city,  9,000  feet  high,  is  entirely 
Tibetan,  though  still  in  Chinese  territory; 
from  there,  three  roads  lead  into 
Tibet.  ...  As  I  am  informed  that  the  two 


first  roads  are  occupied  by  Chinese 
troops,  on  account  of  rebellions  in 
eastern  Tibet,  which  do  not  allow 
foreigners  to  pass,  I  have  decided  to 
choose  the  third  road  which  is  very  little 
travelled,  but  somewhat  out  of  the  way 
and  difficult.  ...  At  all  events  1  am  sure 
that  nothing  will  discourage  me  in  my 
attempt.  If  I  find  the  roads  blocked  from 
this  province,  I  shall  march  straight 
northward  to  Sining  in  Kansu  Province 
and  try  by  way  of  Kokonor. 


Ta-tsien-lu, 
May  27,  1909 

Mr.  dear  Dr.  Dorsey, 

I  have  now  reached  the  point  when  the 
plunge  into  the  unknown  has  to  be 
made.  I  am  on  the  border  of  Tibet,  and 
within  a  week  1  hope  to  jump  into  Tibet. 
And  not  only  that,  I  have  good  hopes 
to  reach  Lhasa  within  about  two  months. 
I  met  a  Norwegian  missionary,  Mr. 
Sorensen,  who  is  planning  a  trip  to 
Lhasa,  and  I  have  arranged  to  join  his 
party.  The  plan  is  based  on  an 
agreement  which  he  made  with  the 
head  of  a  Nepalese  embassy  .  .  .  who 
promised  him  safe  conduct  to  Lhasa. 
We  are  going  to  meet  this  embassy  at 
Chamdo,  Eastern  Tibet,  about  one 
month  journey  north-west  from  here. 
Up  to  this  point,  however,  we  travel  on 
a  different  road  to  avoid  all  suspicions. 
1  leave  on  the  29th  of  May,  and  Mr. 
Sorensen  will  follow  two  days  later.  In 
Lhasa  we  hope  to  be  all  right.  I  hope  to 
remain  there  as  long  as  possible,  .  .  . 
gathering  as  much  material  as  I  can, 
then  return  northeast  to  the  Kokonor 
and  Sining  in  Kansu  (about  10  weeks' 
journey  from  Lhasa).  It  may  certainly  be 
that  our  plan  will  meet  with  a  failure;  the 
Chinese  or  Tibetans  may  stop  us  and 
force  us  to  retreat.  They  are  awfully 
suspicious  and  watch  every  foreigner 
here  with  greatest  care.  I  am  daily 
besieged  by  soldiers  and  other  spies 
who  report  all  my  doing  to  the 
Magistrate.  1  have  already  had  a 
diplomatic  exchange  of  notes  with  this 
gentleman,  and  taken  pains  to  assure 


him  that  I  have  no  designs  on  Tibet. 
I  do  not  nnal<e  any  preparations  here  in 
the  Tibetan  inn  where  I  am  put  up,  but 
have  everything  done  in  the  mission 
through  the  missionary,  as  that  there  is 
no  talk  about  it.  You  must  be  prepared, 
of  course,  that  you  can't  get  any  news 
from  me  for  about  6-8  months,  .  .  . 
Under  all  circumstances,  I  beg  you  to 
consider  this  letter  as  strictly 
confidential  and  private,  and  not  to  give 
out  a  single  word  of  my  plan  to  the 
press  or  to  any  outsider,  as  this  news 
would  then  reach  England,  and  the 
British  Government  may  wire  straight  to 
Syangtse  to  stop  me  or  put  me  in 
trouble,  and  this  might  give  a  blow  or  a 
sudden  end  to  my  work.  For  this  reason, 
I  should  not  even  have  to  send  letters 
from  Lhasa  to  the  British  P.O.  of 
Syangtse  but  I  will  entrust  Mr.  Sorensen 
with  letters  who  is  going  down  to 
Darjeeling. 

I  collected  about  100  Tibetan  specimens 
here,  some  fine  old  paintings,  silver 
ornaments,  and  brassware;  this  border 
town  with  a  mixed  Chinese  and  Tibetan 
population  is  not  a  very  favorable  field 
for  collecting.  Nothing  is  manufactured 
here;  it  is  merely  the  centre  for  the 
Chinese  tea-trade  with  Tibet. 

I  am  sending  this  letter  to  my  brother 
at  Cologne  [Germany]  who  will  forward 
it  to  you.  I  fear  that  my  mail  outgoing 
from  here  may  be  tampered  with  by  the 
officials,  especially  if  they  see  that  a 
letter  is  addressed  to  the  Field  Museum 
which  they  know  is  my  place  of 
business.  ...  >■ 


Right,  Wlh-cenlury  Tibetan  painting  collected 

by  Berthold  Lauler  in  1909.  Only  the  letl  panel  ol 

a  pair  was  acquired.  The  painting  depicts  a 

9lh-century  Buddhist  monk,  Abhayakara  Gupta, 

and  one  ot  the  many  legends  concerning  him. 

On  one  ot  his  journeys  he  visited  a  king  (left 

center)  who  was  about  to  sacrifice  100  humans 

in  honor  ot  a  deity.  Moved  by  the  sullering  ot 

the  intended  victims,  the  monk  (right  center) 

invoked  Buddha  lor  their  deliverance.  Suddenly 

a  cobra  wrapped  itselt  about  him,  aiming  his 

tangs  at  the  terrified  king.  Without  hesitation  the 

king  set  the  100  men  free.  (Cat.  No.  121277.) 


Chamdo,  East-Tibet 

July  19,  1909 

12,000  feet  high 

My  dear  Dr.  Dorsey: 

I  have  been  "stopped"  here  officially 
by  order  of  the  Chinese  Government 
through  their  representative  official  of 
this  place,  and  am  forced  to  return  to 
China,  as  hard  as  it  is  after  all  the 
efforts  I  have  made.  But  I  am  satisfied 
inasmuchas  I  have  made  a  route  never 
undertaken  before  by  a  foreigner  and 
entered  places  never  seen  heretofore 
by  a  white  man.  Indeed  I  am  the  first 
to  have  advanced  so  far  and  come  to 
this  tow/n,  to  the  greatest  surprise  of  all 
Chinese  and  Tibetans.  I  have  also 
secured  good  and  highly  interesting 
collections  all  along  the  road.  I  return 
tomorrow  to  Derge,  and  have  not  yet 
decided  how  to  proceed  from  there.  It 
will  depend  on  a  deliberation  with  the 
officials  there.  The  present  political 
situation  is  very  grave,  there  is  a  war 
going  on  in  the  state  of  Derge,  and 
another  war  seems  to  be  soon  imminent 
southward  from  here.  The  fact  that  I 
am  prevented  from  proceeding  to  Lhasa 
does  certainly  not  mean  that  I  am 
discouraged,  or  that  my  work  will  suffer 
in  any  way.  The  whole  east  and  north- 
east of  Tibet  still  lies  before  me,  and 
there  is  plenty  of  work  to  be  done  there 
for  me  during  the  next  months.  As  soon 
as  I  reach  the  nearest  Chinese  P.  0.,  I 
shall  send  you  a  detailed  report  regard- 
ing the  whole  affair.  I  have  three 
Chinese  documents  relating  to  it,  a 
printed  instruction  issued  by  the 
Viceroy  of  Szechuan  ...  in  regard  to  my 
humble  self,  and  a  letter  of  the  official 
here  explaining  the  circumstances  and 
his  action  toward  me.  I  am  going  to 
send  these  documents  to  the  American 
legation  of  Peking,  .  .  . 

The  journey  from  Taysienlu  to  this 
place  (172  months)  was  splendid,  and 
I  think  I  have  learned  something  about 
Tibet  and  Tibetans.  I  am  doing  well  and 
in  good  spirits,  and  continue  to  "work 
and  not  to  despair." 


Travel  in  Tibet  was  not  all  hardship.  Here  Lauter  is  guest  at  tea  in  a  nobleman  s  home 


Sungpan,  North-Szechuan,  West-China, 
November  15,  1909. 

Dear  Dr.  Dorsey: 

In  herewith  submitting  to  you  my  third 
account,  I  beg  to  apologize  for  the  long 
delay  which  has  been  caused  in  the 
transmission  of  it,  due  to  my  excursion 
into  the  wildest  parts  of  Eastern  Tibet, 
lasting  over  six  months.  Now  that  I  have 
reached,  two  days  ago,  the  first 
Chinese  place  which  offers  postal 
communication,  I  hasten,  above  all,  to 
send  in  to  you  my  account.  .  .  . 
To  make  [it]  intelligible  to  one  who  is 
not  familiar  with  the  intricate  currency 
system  of  China,  I  wish  to  note  that  the 
standard  money  used  throughout 
China  is  the  Tael  which,  however,  it 
must  be  understood,  is  not  a  coin,  but 
a  fixed  weight  (1  Chinese  ounce)  of 
lump-silver.  As  each  locality  has  a 
different  standard  of  weight,  it  hence 
follows  that  there  are  as  many  different 
taels  of  local  value,  and  further  as  from 


ten  to  twelve  various  grades  of  silver 
are  distinguished,  each  place  may  have 
as  many  various  kinds  of  taels 
differentiated  according  to  the  quality, 
the  more  or  less  pure  composition,  of 
the  metal;  Peking,  e.g.,  has  no  less  than 
7  different  taels,  also  at  variance  with 
each  other  in  regard  to  weight,  and  it 
depends  upon  the  nature  of  the 
transaction,  the  character  of  the  goods 
in  question,  and  the  agreement  of  the 
parties  concerned,  as  to  what  sort  of 
tael  may  be  used.  In  going  from 
province  to  province,  therefore,  a  loss 
in  exchange  is  naturally  involved; 
further  small  losses  arise  from  the 
weighing  off  of  silver  owing  to  the  many 
different  scales  and  to  the  pretension 
of  the  people  of  every  village  that  they 
are  just  the  only  ones  on  this  earth  in 
the  possession  of  the  correct  ideal 
balance,  and  that  the  buyer's  balance 
must  certainly  be  wrong,  and  moreover 
from  the  change  of  silver  into  small 
copper-coinage  (so-called  cash).  Every 
province  has  special  rules  and  customs 


June  1974 


concerning  this  business  which 
depends  on  two  facts,  the  ever  varying 
price  of  silver  and  the  supply  of  copper 
coins.  In  large  centers  of  commercial 
activity,  the  exchange  may  reach 
1400-1500  copper-cash  (less  some 
percentage  for  the  banker's 
commission),  in  out-of-the-way  places 
and  villages  where  a  copper  stringency 
is  apt  to  be  quite  frequent,  12-1300,  and 
may  be  at  bad  times  as  low  as 
900/1000.  Nobody,  therefore,  in  China, 
can  say  with  mathematical  certainty 
what  his  money  is  worth,  the  purchasing 
power  of  the  tael  fluctuating  every  day 
and  in  every  locality.  All  this  difficulty 
is  enhanced  by  the  introduction  of  silver 
dollars,  of  which  there  are  three  kinds, 
Mexican,  Hongkong,  and  Chinese 
issued  by  provincial  mints;  they  are 
generally  used  in  the  treaty  ports  only, 
but  not  in  the  interior,  and  abhorred  by 
the  mass  of  the  people.  Each  place  has 
a  preference  for  a  special  kind  of  dollar 
and  discounts  the  others  with  10  per 
cent  and  even  more  or  refuses  at  all 
to  accept  them;  a  Szechuan  provincial 
dollar,  e.g.,  is  no  good  in  Peking  or 
elsewhere.  It  is  a  sad,  but  true  fact  that 
in  travelling  over  China  you  may  be 
liable  to  change  a  hundred  dollars  so 
many  times,  till  not  a  cent  of  your 
money  is  left.  .  .  . 


Sungpan, 
Nov.  16,  1909 

Mr.  dear  Dr.  Dorsey: 

...  I  have  not  had  any  chance  to  write 
to  you  since  I  left  Chamdo;  it  has  been 
a  very  trying  and  arduous  journey  full 
of  incidents  and  adventures  provoked 
not  by  me,  but  by  the  aggressiveness  of 
the  Tibetans.  I  have  trodden  many 
unbeaten  tracks  and  had  a  most 
interesting  experience  in  visiting  five 
independent  Tibetan  States  ruled  by 
their  own  Kings.  ...  My  collections  .  .  . 
illustrate  the  whole  culture-life  of  the 
East  Tibetan  tribes.  I  have  gathered  a 
mass  of  personal  information,  as  well  as 
Tibetan  and  Chinese  documents  bearing 
on  their  languages,  religion,  history, 


Altar  image  ot  the  Buddhist  deity  Gama  (Mahakala).  Clay,  nine  incties  high.  Collected  in  Tibet  by 
Lauler  in  1909.  Catalogue  No.  122139.  On  exhibit  in  hall  32,  case  3. 


and  art,  and  am  prepared  to  write  a 
monograph  on  this  region  which  will 
comprise  at  least  three  volumes.  .  .  . 
The  choice  pieces  in  this  collection 


[include]  ...  a  dozen  large 
matchlockguns  with  ornamented  silver, 
brass,  or  iron  work.  One  of  these  had 

(Continued  on  p.  12) 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


wildf  lower  guides 


for  the  Chicago  &re& 


In  early  spring,  before  the  leaves  expanded, 
our  woodlands  showed  off  their  fine  new 
carpet  of  wildflowers.  Now,  as  the  forest 
floor  grows  darker  with  shade,  the 
spectacle  of  flowering  moves  into  meadows 
and  fields.  Many  lawns  and  vacant  lots 
have  already  been  covered  by  a  blaze  of 
yellow  dandelions,  which  soon  transform 
into  a  stubble  of  naked  stalks,  their 
parachuted  seeds  having  joined  the  wind. 
But  in  our  native  prairies  the  passing 
months  provide  a  continuing  spectacle. 
Each  week  sees  new  species  presenting  a 
new  display,  while  flowers  that  have  already 
bloomed  begin  to  build  the  seeds  that 
must  themselves  bloom  in  years  to  come. 


This  visual  spectacle  is  one  of  the  many 
joys  of  summer.  The  sight  of  beautiful 
flowers  also  can  present  a  challenge— the 
challenge  to  identify  and  learn  the  names  of 
these  flowers.  Plant  names  are  what  we 
need  to  know  in  order  to  communicate 


meaningfully  about  them.  Once  we  know  the 
names  we  can  readily  determine  whether 
the  plants  in  question  are  rare  or  common, 
native  or  introduced,  edible  or  poisonous, 
and  so  forth.  But  names  can  be  problems. 
What  is  known  as  "marsh  marigold"  in 
one  area  may  be  called  "cowslip" 
somewhere  else;  and  so  it  goes  with  "trout 
lily"  versus  "dog  tooth  violet,"  "blue  flag" 
versus  "wild  iris,"  and  so  on.  Sometimes  the 
unpronounceable  scientific  names  are 
little  better.  They  are  supposed  to  be  the 
same  all  over  the  world,  but  that  doesn't 
keep  one  scientist  from  calling  the  plant  a 
species  of  Azalea  while  another  calls  the 
same  plant  a  species  of  Rhododendron. 

Thanks  to  widely  available  books  on  plants 
there  is  more  uniformity  now  than  ever 
before,  and  there  are  a  great  number  of 
books  which  can  help-us  to  find  the 
common  as  well  as  the  scientific  name  for 
the  wildflower  that  has  caught  our  eye. 
Here  are  just  a  few: 


The  wood  lily  (Lilium  philadelphicum),  with  its  bright  orange  and  yellow  petajs.  graces  wet  meadows 
and  open  woods  in  late  June  and  early  July,    {'h  natural  size) 


by  William  C,  Burger 

photos  by  the  author 

For  the  person  with  little  background  in 
botany  the  easiest  book  for  flower 
identification  is  probably  A  Field  Guide  to 
Wildflowers  *  by  Roger  Tory  Peterson  and 
Margaret  McKenny  (Houghton  Mifflin, 
420  pp.,  $5.95).  The  flowers  are  arranged 
by  color  and  the  1,344  illustrations  are 
simple  and  easy  to  compare. 

For  someone  who  already  knows  the  plant 
families  quite  well  but  is  unfamiliar  with  our 
midwestern  and  northeastern  flowers  there 
IS  The  New  Field  Book  of  American  Wild 
Flowers*  by  Harold  William  Rickett 
(Putnam's,  414  pp.,  $4.95).  This  guide  has 
more  than  700  drawings  of  plants,  96  in  full 
color. 

Wild  Flower  Guide*  by  Edgar  T. 
Wherry  (Doubleday,  202  pp.,  $5.50) 
describes  more  than  500  species;  236  are 
illustrated  in  black  and  white  drawings,  192 
in  full  color.  The  above  three  guides  are 
all  concerned  with  plants  of  the 
northeastern  and  midland  states. 

Smaller,  less  expensive  books  with 
narrower  coverage  and  fewer  illustrations 
are  Illinois  Wild  Flowers*  by  John  Voss  and 
Virginia  S.  Eifert  (Illinois  State  Museum, 
256  pp.,  $2.25,  paperbound)  and  Flowers 
that  Bloom  in  the  Spring*  by  V.  S.  Eifert 
(Illinois  State  Museum,  48  pp.,  400, 
paperbound);  the  latter  is  also  concerned 
iust  with  the  Illinois  flora.  All  of  the  above 
books  will  fit  into  a  larger  jacket  pocket  and 
so  are  easy  to  take  along  on  a  nature  walk. 
The  former  illustrates  each  species  with  a 
black  and  white  photograph;  the  latter 
illustrates  each  species  with  a  black  and 
white  drawing. 

If  you  should  come  across  a  plant  that  is 
difficult  to  identify,  and  you  find  yourself 
looking  for  a  thorough  reference,  you  should 
probably  be  prepared  to  visit  your  school 
or  public  library  and  be  ready  to  wade 
through  a  welter  of  technical  terms.  My 
personal  favorite  of  such  comprehensive 

Dr.  William  C.  Burger  is  associate  curator, 
Department  ot  Botany. 


In  our  area  the  prickly  pear  (Opuntia  compressa 
var.  microsperma)  grows  only  on  sand  dunes 
and  behind  the  beach.  The  flowers  are 
bright  yellow. 

Wild  bergamot  (Monarda  fistulosa)  is  a  native 
plant  that  olten  covers  tields  with  pale  lilac  or 
whitish  llowers  in  late  summer. 


reference  works  is  the  three-volume  New 
Britten  and  Brown  Illustrated  Flora  ot  the 
Northeastern  United  States  and  Adjacent 
Canada  by  Henry  A.  Gleason  (Hafner, 
$40.00).  In  this  massive  work  every  species 
of  higher  plant  that  is  discussed  is  also 
illustrated;  and  not  only  are  the  "flowers" 
included,  but  also  grasses,  sedges,  trees, 
and  shrubs.  The  illustrations  together  with 
technical  keys  and  descriptions  usually  tell 
you  what  you  are  looking  for.  By  way  of 
contrast,  I  find  it  very  difficult  to  use  a  book 
that  many  consider  to  be  the  last  word  in 
the  northeastern  flora:  Gray's  Manual  ol 
Botany.  8th  ed,  (American  Book  Co.. 
1,632  pp.)  The  difficulty  is  the  lack  of 
illustrations  to  let  you  know  if  you  have 
used  the  keys  correctly  and  if  you  are 
on  the  right  track. 

Another  large,  comprehensive  work  is 
Wild  Flowers  ot  the  United  States*  by  H.  A. 
Rickett  (McGraw  Hill),  of  which  the 
two-volume  section  "The  Northeastern 
States"  ($65.00)  concerns  the  flora  of  our 
area  and  presents  summary  descriptions 
together  with  attractive  color  photographs. 

Persons  who  are  concerned  solely  with 
Chicago-area  plants  will  find  A  Guide  to 
the  Flowering  Plants  ot  the  Chicago 
Region,  by  Floyd  Swink  (160  pp.),  of  interest 
if  they  are  lucky  enough  to  locate  a  copy 
in  their  library.  The  book  is  nearly  out  of 
print  and  can  now  be  obtained  only  from 
Mr.  Swink.  who  is  plant  taxonomist  at 
Morton  Arboretum.  A  revision  of  his  more 
comprehensive  Plants  ol  the  Chicago 
Region  (445  pp.)  is  soon  to  be  published. 

When  one  knows  the  name  of  a  particular 
plant  he  is  in  the  advantageous  position  ot 
then  being  able  to  explore  a  great  variety 
of  other  books  and  publications  to  learn 
more  about  a  particular  wildflower.  Books 
such  as  Human  Poisoning  from  Native  and 
Cultivated  Plants,  by  Hardin  and  Arena 
(Duke  University  Press).  Using  Wayside 
Plants,  by  Coon  (Hearthside  Press),  and 
Edible  Wild  Plants  ot  Eastern  North 
America  by  Fernald  and  Kinsey  (Idlewild) 
may  be  of  special  interest  to  many  people. 
However,  eating  wildflowers  and  other  wild 
plants  is  something  you  should  do  only  if 
you  are  lost  and  starving  or  if  you  are 
really  serious  about  losing  that  extra 
weight  in  a  hurry. 

*  Available  at  Field  Museum  Book  Shop 
(10%  discount  to  members). 


Queen  Anne's  lace,  or  wild  carrot  (Caucus 
carota),  is  a  European  immigrant  that  covers 
roadsides  and  disturbed  tields  in  summer. 
C'/2  natural  size) 

Spiderwort  (Tradescantia  virgmiana)  blooms  in 
late  spring  and  early  summer,  olten  along 
roadsides,  on  gravelly  banks,  or  on  edges 
ol  wend'-.  (Twice  natural  size) 


Field  Museum  Bulletin  9 


The  Story  of  a  Fish  Quarry 


by  Katherine  Krueger 


For  most  people,  spring  is  a  time  for 
romance,  gardening,  or  house-cleaning. 
But  for  the  geologist,  the  advent  of 
warm  weather  means  a  return  to  the 
field,  where  he  gathers  the  specimens 
that  are  the  core  of  his  livelihood.  What 
great  fun  it  seems  to  go  off  each  year 
for  a  month  or  more,  to  work  under  blue 
skies,  away  from  the  crowded  vistas 
and  cacophony  of  the  city.  Fun  it  is,  but 
how  many  people  realize  that  it  is  also 
hard  physical  labor,  often  performed 
under  adverse  weather  conditions? 

What  really  goes  on  during  an 
expedition?  Each  field  party  faces 
somewhat  different  obstacles,  but  let 
us  follow  the  history  of  a  field  project 
that  began  in  April  of  1973,  and 
terminated  the  following  September— 
that  of  Hesler  Quarry  in  Parke  County, 
west  central  Indiana. 

Dr.  Rainer  Zangerl,  chairman  of  Field 
Museum's  Department  of  Geology,  has 
done  a  great  deal  of  field  work  in 
Parke  County,  and  is  very  familiar  with 
the  paleontology  and  stratigraphy  of 
the  Pennsylvanian  black  shales  in  that 
region.  While  scouting  around  for 
outcrops  that  might  contain  fossils,  he 
noticed  some  fossilized  fish  in  the  rock 
outwash  from  a  series  of  gullies. 
Suspecting  that  the  hill  from  which  the 
gullies  ran  bore  more  of  the  same,  he 
questioned  the  proprietor  of  the  farm, 
Mr.  Bennie  Hesler.  Such  is  standard 
procedure  in  the  field  —  to  secure 
permission  from  a  land  owner  to  work 
on  his  property.  The  Heslers,  who  have 

Katherine  Krueger  is  custodian  ot  collections. 
Paleontology. 


cattle,  were  more  than  happy  to  have  a 
quarry  dug  on  their  land.  They  would 
use  it  for  a  pond  when  the  work  was 
done.  In  addition,  they  were  enthusiastic 
about  having  a  scientific  venture  going 
on  practically  at  their  doorstep. 

The  project  was  funded  by  a  National 
Science  Foundation  grant,  which  made 
possible  plenty  of  field  assistance  from 
many  individuals  throughout  the 
project's  duration.  Mike  Williams,  a 
Ph.D.  candidate  from  the  University  of 
Kansas,  is,  like  Dr.  Zangerl,  working  on 
cartilaginous  fishes  of  the 
Pennsylvanian  black  shales.  Under  the 
NSF  grant,  he  was  a  full-time  field  hand. 
Four  other  students  offered  their 
services  as  volunteers  and  were  able 
to  work  briefly  on  the  quarry:  Kathy 
Elbaum  of  the  University  of  Chicago, 
Mickey  Indianer  and  Jeff  Davison  of 
Antioch  College,  and  Bill  Krueger  of 
the  University  of  Illinois  at  Chicago 
Circle.  Orville  "Gilly"  Gilpin,  Field 
Museum's  chief  preparator  of  fossils, 
was  at  the  quarry  from  April  to 
September.  Dr.  Eugene  Richardson, 
curator  of  fossil  invertebrates,  Mike 
Williams'  wife  Ortrud,  and  I  each  did  a 
week's  stint  at  the  site.  Dr.  Bertram 
Woodland,  curator  of  igneous  and 
metamorphic  petrology,  was  also  lured 
there  for  a  day,  to  investigate  an 
interesting  seam  of  cone-in-cone 
(calcareous  concretions  with 
characteristic  conical  or  partly  conical 
structures).  Behind  the  scenes  but 
indispensable.  Dr.  Zangerl's  wife  Ann 
shopped,  gardened,  and  cooked  huge 
dinners  for  the  crew,  during  the  entire 
24-week  period. 


What  did  all  the  others  do  at  the 
quarry?  The  bulk  of  the  labor  fell  on 
the  three  "permanent"  field  workers: 
Dr.  Zangerl,  Gilly,  and  Mike.  The  shale 
was  exposed  only  in  the  V  of  a  tiny 
stream  running  through  a  narrow 
valley.  The  men  had  to  strip  the  topsoil, 
the  glacial  cover,  and  some  drab  shale 
of  Pennsylvanian  age  from  the  valley 
walls,  in  order  to  expose  the  black 
shale  thoroughly  on  either  side  of  the 
stream.  A  bulldozer  and  later  a  slip 
scraper  (a  road-building  rig)  were 
used  for  this  project.  Mr.  Gerald 
Garrard,  a  friend  of  the  Museum  who 
had  helped  to  excavate  Logan  Quarry 
(also  in  Parke  County)  in  1957, 
supervised  the  excavation  ot  Hesler 
Quarry.  The  space  to  be  cleared  was 
about  30  by  20  yards  in  area;  the 
project  took  about  two  weeks  of 
full-time  hard  labor.  The  "waste"  soil 
from  the  stripping  project  was  used  to 
build  a  dam  for  the  Hosiers'  future 
pond.  A  culvert  was  placed  along  the 
stream  path  before  the  dirt  was 
dumped,  in  order  to  keep  the  quarry 
well  drained.  Later  Mr.  Hesler  would 
put  a  standpipe  (an  elbow-shaped 
attachment)  on  the  culvert,  to  regulate 
the  pond  level. 

Qnce  the  shale  was  exposed,  more 
backaches  lay  ahead.  The  layers  of 
shale  had  to  be  pried  apart  (shale  is 
naturally  fissile;  that  is,  it  tends  to 
split  along  its  bedding  planes),  broken 
up  into  pieces  that  could  be  handled, 
and  resplit  for  careful  examination. 
The  top  layers  of  the  shale  exposed  by 
the  bulldozer  were  not  fossiliferous 
(fossil-bearing),  so  they  had  to  be 


completely  removed  before  the 
productive  layers  could  be  reached. 
(Dr.  Zangerl  knew  this  from  previous 
stratigraphic  work  in  the  area;  thus 
he  saved  the  crew  from  wasting  hours 
splitting  much  unproductive  shale.) 
Chisels  were  wedged  between  layers  of 
shale  wherever  there  was  a  gap,  and 
sledge  hammers  drove  them  deep  into 
the  bedding  planes.  Then  a  pickax  was 
used  to  pull  up  a  sheet  of  shale. 
Sometimes  natural  joints  in  the  rocks 
would  cause  a  piece  to  come  off  in  a 
manageable  slab,  but  when  that  didn't 
happen,  a  whack  with  the  sledge 
hammer  would  provide  man-made 
"joints."  A  crowbar  was  used  to  push 
up  slabs  so  they  could  be  carried  to  a 
worktable.  Rubble  from  the  top  layers 
of  unproductive  shale  was  shoveled  into 
a  wheelbarrow  and  hauled  off  to  the 
dam.  A  broom  served  to  keep  the 
quarry  surface  clean. 

Fancy  field  equipment  included  a 
gasoline-powered  rock  saw,  used  to 
make  accurate  cuts  into  a  slab  when 
irregular  breaks  might  have  risked 
damage  to  a  specimen.  A 
generator-powered  vacuum  cleaner 
gathered  up  the  black  dust  produced 
by  the  saw. 

The  crew  built  a  wooden  worktable, 
benches,  and  a  shed  for  the  equipment. 
Slices  of  productive  (they  hoped!)  shale 
were  carried  to  the  table,  and  split  into 
extremely  fine  sheets,  in  the  search  for 
specimens.  Brick  hammers  were  used 
to  drive  series  of  knives  into  the  slab. 
These  knives  were  converted  into  thin 
chisels  specially  for  the  black  shale 
quarry  work.  The  end  of  a  blade  was 
first  broken  off,  then  the  squared-off  tip 
was  honed  to  a  sharp  edge.  The 
knives  were  positioned  around  a  block 
to  make  it  split  evenly.  The  rewards  for 
all  these  efforts  were  fragments  of 
cartilaginous  fishes  from  300  million 
years  ago.  According  to  Dr.  Zangerl, 
decomposition  by  bacteria  had 
rendered  them  nearly  flat  in 
appearance,  even  before  the  great 
weight  of  overlying  sediments  had  been 
deposited.  Sometimes  an  entire  fish 


would  turn  up  —  a  rare  event  that  made 
all  the  hours  of  fruitless  labor  suddenly 
worthwhile. 

The  specimens  were  each  marked  with 
a  yellow  pencil,  to  indicate  their  level 
of  occurrence.  At  the  end  of  the  day 
they  were  given  tentative  identifications 
and  field  collection  numbers.  This 
information  was  logged  in  a  notebook. 
Then  the  specimens  were  wrapped  in 
old  newspapers,  for  shipping. 

In  April  mornings  the  crew  worked  in 
bitter  cold  and  in  summer  everyone 
fried  in  the  heat  of  the  sun.  The  black 
shale  held  the  heat  and  made  an  oven 
of  the  pit,  where  a  breeze  was  seldom 
effective.  Field  time  is  limited  and 
therefore  precious;  so  weekends  were 
workdays,  because  rain  always  meant 
a  forced  holiday. 

Twice  during  the  summer,  torrential  rains 
turned  the  quarry  prematurely  into  a 
pond.  Plant  debris  clogged  the  culvert 
and  the  small  area  filled  up  overnight. 
Murky  water  covered  the  tools  but 


fortunately  didn't  reach  the  generator, 
perched  safely  on  the  worktable,  which 
was  on  higher  ground.  The  power  saw 
in  its  metal  case  floated  off  and  filled 
with  water.  The  crew's  only  recourse 
was  to  enter  the  water  —  chin-deep  at 
the  center  —  and  to  poke  around  for 
the  culvert  with  a  shovel.  Once  the 
culvert  was  found  and  cleared,  the 
pond  drained  in  two  hours.  But  there 
was  still  trouble  ahead.  The  saw  had 
to  be  dismantled  for  cleaning,  and  for 
a  long  time  afterward  it  remained 
temperamental.  A  thick  patina  of  pollen, 
fuzz,  fallen  leaves,  and  clay  coated 
the  shale  exposures  and  had  to  be 
scraped  off  before  operations  could 
resume. 

On  good  days,  one  could  enjoy  the 
buzz  of  cicadas,  the  blue  sky,  a  view  of 
the  surrounding  forest,  and  the  clean 
air.  Cattle  would  wander  up  to  drink  at 
a  nearby  water  hole,  providing 
noon-time  diversion  for  the  workers. 
At  the  top  of  a  nearby  hill  lay  an  ancient 
graveyard  with  tumbled-down,  eroded 
headstones.  Reconstructing  in  our  >- 


Once  the  shale  is  exposed,  more  backaches  lay  ahead.  The  layers  ot  shale  had  lo  be  pried  apart, 
broken  up  into  pieces  that  could  be  handled,  and  resplit  lor  examination. 


Nir 


Field  Museum  Bulletin  11 


imaginations  the  history  of  these 
long-dead  settlers  was  one  of  our 
summer  pastimes.  Lunches  consisted  of 
hearty  sandwiches,  fruit,  and  hot 
peppers  from  a  local  grocery,  all 
washed  down  with  fresh  spring  water. 
The  noon  fare  rarely  varied  much,  but 
by  mid-day,  we  were  all  so  famished 
that  everything  was  delicious. 

This  crew  enjoyed  many  unusual  fringe 
benefits,  thanks  to  the  Zangerls,  who 
have  some  rural  property  in  Parke 
County.  We  stayed  in  a  century-old 
farmhouse  on  their  land,  just  a 
five-minute  drive  from  the  quarry,  so 
commuting  or  rising  unduly  early  was 
no  problem.  The  famed  covered 
bridges  of  Parke  County  were  all  about 
us  as  we  drove  to  and  from  our  work. 
In  springtime,  ripe  strawberries  and 
raspberries  were  everywhere  for  the 
picking.  Truly  savory  well  water,  which 
flowed  from  rocks  of  Pleistocene  age, 
was  used  for  drinking.  But  as  it  was  in 
short  supply,  we  bathed  and  washed 
dishes  with  water  from  a  different, 
sulfurous  source.  Mrs.  Zangerl  grew 
all  sorts  of  vegetables  throughout  the 
summer  and  supplemented  our  tightly 
budgeted  meals  with  these  delectables. 

Evenings  were  free  from  care.  After 
meals  we  would  help  to  clean  up,  then 
chat,  while  admiring  the  marvelous 
variety  of  insects  that  were  attracted 
to  our  lamps  —  kelly-green  katydids, 
and  all  sorts  of  delicate  moths.  Country 
sounds  surrounded  us  while  a  brisk 
blaze  in  the  fireplace  warmed  us  in  the 
chill  summer  evenings.  Sometimes 
there  were  parties  wtih  neighbors.  Mike 
Williams  even  got  free  guitar  lesssons 
from  one  of  them! 

The  field  trip  was  a  success.  Fifteen 
hundred  specimens  were  recovered 
from  it  —  all  contributing  to  the  story 
of  Pennsylvanian  life  300  million  years 
ago.  When  trimmed,  tidily  labeled, 
catalogued,  and  set  into  boxes  for  our 
storage  cabinets,  they  will  hardly  call  to 
mind  the  rugged  hammer  and  chisel 
days  when  we  were  working  in  that 
hot  pit  of  a  quarry!  D 


TIBET  (from  p.  7) 

won  such  a  great  reputation  among  the 
Tibetans  that  in  many  places  to  which 
I  came  the  people  flocked  from  near 
and  far  and  asked  my  permission  to  see 
and  admire  this  gun;  all  competent 
judges  were  unanimous  in  the  opinion 
that  it  presents  the  best  specimen  of  a 
Tibetan  gun  ever  made.  Then  I  have  a 
large  coracle,  a  boat  consisting  of  a 
yakhide  stretched  over  a  wooden  frame 
which  is  the  only  kind  of  boat  known  in 
Tibet  and  used  in  crossing  big  rivers. 
For  the  purpose  of  transportation,  it  had 
to  be  taken  to  pieces,  i.e.,  the  hide  to  be 
separated  from  the  frame,  and  even 
then  I  experienced  great  difficulty  in 
finding  suitable  porters  willing  to  carry 
the  two  pieces  on  their  backs,  because 
of  their  weight  and  capacity.  .  .  .* 


*The  coracle  is  on  permanent  exhibit 
in  hall  32. 


.  .  .The  foreigner  suffers  daily  from  the 
suspicion  of  the  people  and  their 
animosity  in  general  towards  foreigners 
to  which  they  are  instigated  by  their 
Lamas  and  the  idiotic  Chinese  officials. 
With  Lamas,  1  have  had  very  bad 
experiences:  they  keep  us  out  of  their 
temples  and  refuse  to  sell  books  or 
images;  they  do  not  even  refrain  from 
setting  their  powerful  mastiff  dogs  at  a 
foreigner  or  throwing  stones  at  him.  I 
wish  to  invite  the  advocates  of  the 
theory  that  the  white  race  rules  the 
world,  to  a  visit  of  Tibet  to  experience 
that  the  white  man  finds  less 
consideration  there  than  a  dog. 
Altogether,  these  people  are  a  fierce 
and  violent  lot,  always  armed  up  to  the 
teeth  and  ever  ready  to  draw  their 
swords  or  to  make  use  of  their  guns. 
In  one  case,  I  have  been  openly 
attacked  by  a  whole  gang  with 
brandished  knives  in  front  of  a  royal 
palace  at  broad  daylight,  for  no  other 


these  people  are  a  fierce  and  violent  lot,  always  armed  up  to  the  teeth  and  ever  rcadv  to 
draw  their  swords  or  to  mal<e  use  o^  their  guns.  .  .  .  they  do  not  even  retrain  from  setting  their 
powerful  mastiff  dogs  at  a  foreigner." 


12 


June  1974 


^., 


;>  . 


reason,  because  I  politely  expressed  the 
wisti  to  see  the  King  and  held  presents 
for  him  in  my  hands;  it  was  only  due  to 
my  cool-bloodedness  that  the  affair  had 
no  serious  consequences.    The 

hatred  of  foreigners  goes  so  far  that 
they  even  refuse  to  sell  food  to  him  or 
fodder  for  his  horse.  The  principle  is  to 
starve  him  out  to  make  him  leave  the 
country  as  soon  as  possible.  And  Tibet 
is  really  a  land  of  hunger.  During  the 
last  four  weeks  of  my  journey,  I  have 
been  in  a  desperate  situation,  provisions 
were  all  exhausted,  and  nothing,  not 
even  an  egg,  could  be  bought;  only 
roasted  barley-flour  kept  us  alive,  and 
the  portions  had  to  be  meted  out  at 
starvation  rates.  .  .  . 

Despite  these  exciting  six  last  months, 
I  am  in  the  best  of  health  and  spirits. 
The  resistance  of  so  many  powers  has 
not  shattered  my  energy,  but  doubled  it. 
I  have  now  learned  to  be  as  tough  as  a 
Tibetan.  My  next  plan  will  be  to  conquer 
Tibet  in  an  airship,  as  soon  as  I  shall 
get  it.  In  the  meanwhile  I  will  conquer 
as  much  land  as  I  can.  My  journey  to 
Hsining  will  take  over  30  days,  I  shall 
make  a  stay  there  in  the  famous 
lamasery  of  Kumbum.  .  .  . 


T'ao-chou,  Kansu,  West-China 

on  Tibetan  Border 

8,000  feet  high 

Dec.  15,  1909 

Mr.  dear  Dr.  Dorsey: 

I  am  just  scribbling  this  note  to  let  you 
know  that  I  am  doing  some  great  things 
here  in  the  way  of  collecting.  .  .  .  The 
best  thing  1  got  hold  of  is  an  old 
inscription-stone,  ...  It  is  an  octagonal 
pillar  of  red  sandstone  surrounded  by  a 
knob  carved  with  a  dragon,  weighing 
about  a  thousand  pounds.  There  is 
nothing  artistic  about  it,  but  the 
inscription  is  of  immense  historical 
value.  It  is  dated  A.D.  749,  T'ang 
Dynasty,  ...  It  relates  the  conquest  of 
this  town  by  a  Tibetan  army  at  that  time. 


and,  therefore,  fits  in  splendidly  with 
our  Tibetan  collection,  in  that  it  is 
suggestive  of  the  eternal  struggle  going 
on  between  these  two  antagonistic 
nations,  China  and  Tibet,  and  even 
symbolical  of  the  political  conditions  of 
nowadays.  The  writing  is  considered  by 
Chinese  scholars  as  one  of  the  finest 
calligraphic  specimens  of  that  period. 
1  secured  the  stone  at  the  price  of  100 
local  taels  ,  .  .  from  the  present  owner, 
a  Chinese  Christian.  Considering  local 
valuations,  this  price  is  somewhat  high, 
but  as  this  man  .  .  .  intends  to  employ 
this  sum  for  the  founding  of  a  Chinese 
girls'  school  on  foreign  and  Christian 
lines,  1  felt  I  should  act  in  the  spirit  of 
Mrs.  Blackstone,  if  I  expended  this 
amount  towards  this  charitable  and 
educational  purpose.  ...  I  have  not 
received  any  mail  now  for  eight  months. 
I  am  keeping  well,  and  my  work  affords 
me  ample  satisfaction  for  any  hardships 
I  have  to  endure.  Kindly  pardon  this 
pencil  scribbling,  ink  has  become  a 
costly  material  with  me.  .  .  . 


A  year  later,  tlie  Mrs.  T.  B.  Blacl<stone 
Expedition  came  to  a  successful 
conclusion,  and  Laufer  settled  down  to 
ills  post  at  Field  Museum  to  catalogue 
and  more  carefully  assess  Ills  recent 
acquisitions.  In  1911  Laufer  was  made 
curator  in  Asiatic  ethnology  and  in  1915 
he  was  named  curator  of  the 
Department  of  Anthropology.  Eight 
years  later  he  was  to  make  his  fourth 
and  last  journey  to  the  Far  East,  the 
Marshall  Field  Expedition  of  1923.  At 
the  time  of  his  death,  in  1934,  Laufer 
was  generally  recognized  as  the  world's 
leading  sinologist.  (See  also  Field 
Museum  Bulletin,  April,  1974,  pp.  9-14.) 
-Ed.  D 


"The  best  thing  I  got  hold  o/  is  an  old 
inscriplion-slone  ....  There  is  nothing  artistic 
about  it,  but  the  inscription  is  ol  immense 
value.  .  .,  dated  A.D.  749.  T'ang  Dynasty."  The 
inscription  relates  to  the  recapture  at  the  city  ot 
Shih-pao,  an  ancient  Chinese  stronghold  on 
the  Tibetan  border.  Pillar  inscriptions  are  very 
scarce  in  China,  the  usual  lorm  being  the 
stone  tablet.  This  pillar,  about  live  teet  in  height, 
IS  on  view  in  hall  24.  Catalogue  No.  121938. 


^^3 


4 


'(  -p 


^?; 


Field  Museum  Bulletin  13 


our  environment 


Bald  Eagle  Population  Survey 

stable  populations  of  the  bald  eagle  (Hali- 
aeetus  leucocephalus)  were  reported  in  six 
regions  of  continental  United  States  outside 
of  Alaska  during  1973,  according  to  the 
US,  Department  of  the  Interior's  Fish  and 
Wildlife  Service.  These  areas  included  the 
northern  interior  regions  of  Minnesota,  Mich- 
igan, and  Wisconsin,  the  Chesapeake  Bay 
area,  and  sections  of  Florida  and  the  Pacific 
Northwest. 

The  number  of  active  nests  actually  observed 
outside  of  Alaska  was  627,  with  more  than 
500  young  produced.  The  total  number  of 
nests  estimated  for  the  area  was  about 
1,000.  The  bald  eagle  population  in  Alaska 
during  1973  was  estimated  between  30,000 
and  55,000. 

In  Minnesota  104  active  nests  were  observed, 
with  113  young  produced;  Wisconsin  had 
108  active  nests,  with  107  young  produced; 
Michigan  had  83  nests  and  66  young;  Ohio 
had  7  nests  and  2  young.  The  Minnesota 
population  appeared  to  have  posted  a  gain 
during  the  year. 

Areas  of  population  decline  included  the 
Northeast,  the  Great  Lakes  shores,  the  South- 
east (except  for  parts  of  Louisiana  and 
Florida).  Iowa,  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  and 
Missouri. 


'Coughing"  Fish  Aid 

Pollution  Studies 

A  natural  response  of  various  fish  including 
trout,  salmon,  bluegills,  and  sunfish  to  cer- 
tain chemical  substances  is  being  utilized  to 
monitor  water  pollution.  As  the  amount  of 
mercury,  copper,  and  other  substances  in- 
creases  in   the  water,   the   frequency   of   a 


normal  gill-clearing  process  in  these  fishes 
also  increases.  Biologists  at  the  U.  S. 
Environmental  Protection  Agency's  National 
Water  Quality  Laboratory  in  Duluth,  Minn., 
are  monitoring  the  levels  of  these  and  other 
pollutants  by  means  of  a  polygraph-like  de- 
vice which  records  "cough"  frequency. 

Robert  A.  Drummond,  aquatic  biologist  in 
charge  of  the  project,  believes  that  the  ulti- 
mate result  of  these  observations  "could  be 
a  system  for  keeping  tabs  on  concentrations 
of  complex  industrial  wastes  entering  lakes 
and  streams  from  waste  treatment  plants 
and  industry.  A  sudden  increase  in  fish 
coughs  within  a  given  body  of  water  could 
trigger  an  alarm  to  warn  plant  personnel  that 
potentially  damaging  effluent  is  leaving  the 
plant, 

■  We're  currently  looking  at  the  short-term 
effects  of  10  heavy  metals  and  pesticides, 
and  will  be  comparing  the  results  with  the 
already  computed  long-term  effects.  If  the^ 
comparisons  are  favorable  for  this  group,  we 
feel  the  cough  frequency  test  may  be  valid 
for  other  chemicals." 


Eight  Added 

to  Threatened  List 

Three  mammals,  three  birds,  one  amphibian, 
and  one  fish  have  joined  the  list  of  Threat- 
ened Wildlife  of  the  United  States  —  bringing 
the  total  to  109  species.  The  list,  determined 
by  the  U.  S.  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service,  in- 
cludes 53  bird  species,  31  fish,  17  mammals, 
and  8  reptiles  and  amphibians. 

The  new  members  of  this  exclusive  "club" 
are  the  northern  Rocky  Mountain  wolf,  the 
eastern  cougar,  the  Utah  prairie  dog,  the 
Santa  Barbara  song  sparrow,  the  Puerto 
Rican  whippoorwill,  the  Mississippi  sandhill 


crane,  the  Okaloosa  darter,  and  the  desert 
slender  salamander. 

Some  species  on  the  list  have  been  "threat- 
ened" by  the  encroachment  of  man,  some  by 
pesticides,  and  others  by  eradication  of  their 
natural  prey. 


Parks  Planned  for 
Breeding  Shy  Animals 

A  number  of  scarce  animal  species  simply 
will  not  breed  in  captivity,  at  least  not  in 
conventional  zoos.  The  Pere  David's  deer, 
native  to  China,  breeds  most  successfully 
when  it  is  able  to  interrelate  in  groups  with 
normal  age  and  sex  ratios.  Male  antelopes 
need  ritual  fighting  over  a  female  as  a  pre- 
liminary to  pursuing  her. 

In  response  to  such  idiosyncracies,  a  feder- 
ally funded  farm,  divided  into  35-acre  sec- 
tions, is  being  developed  at  Front  Royal,  Va. 
Under  conditions  as  near  normal  as  pos- 
sible, it  is  hoped  that  species  such  as  Pere 
David's  deer  and  the  scimitar-horned  oryx, 
native  to  the  Sudan,  will  do  what  comes  nat- 
urally —  and  incidentally,  provide  new  gen- 
erations for  conventional  zoos. 


Buffalo  Meat  Marketed  in  Chicago 

Almost  simultaneous  with  publication  of  the 
May  issue  of  the  Field  Museum  Bulletin  — 
which  featured  an  article  on  the  "Return  of 
the  Buffalo"  —  one  of  the  nation's  largest 
retail  grocery  chains  began  marketing  buffalo 
meat  in  the  Chicago  area.  National  Tea  Com- 
pany placed  100,000  pounds  of  the  meat  on 
sale  at  its  retail  outlets  in  and  near  Chicago. 
It  was  the  first  time  since  the  turn  of  the 
century,  reported  company  spokesmen,  that 
the  commodity  had  been  available  in  Chi- 
cago stores. 


June  1974 


field  briefs 


Grand  Canyon 


All  Aboard  for  Grand  Canyon! 

If  you  want  to  be  among  the  lucky  Grand 
Canyon  explorers,  August  16  to  24,  sign  up 
now;  thiere  are  only  a  few  spaces  left.  Most 
of  this  exciting  trip  (reserved  for  Field  Mu- 
seum members)  will  be  spent  on  rubber 
rafts  coursing  down  the  Colorado  River,  Half- 
day  geoiogicai  inner-canyon  hil<es  up  to  four 
miles  are  also  planned.  Dr.  Matthew  H. 
Nitecki,  associate  curator,  Department  of 
Geology,  will  conduct  the  nine-day  tour. 

Cost  of  the  tour  is  $700,  which  includes 
all  expenses  (air  fare,  boat  fare,  meals,  and 
one  night's  lodging— double  occupancy).  A 
$200  deposit  is  required  to  hold  your  reser- 
vation. Camping  supplies  (sleeping  bags, 
blankets,  etc.)are  available  at  destination  for 
an  additional  $20  to  those  who  do  not  wish 
to  take  them  along,  but  should  be  requested 
prior  to  departure.  For  further  information, 
please  write  or  phone  Mrs.  Madge  Jacobs, 
922-9410,  ext.  343. 


Recent  Appointments 

Field  Museum's  new  coordinator  of  printing 
production  is  Oscar  Anderson,  He  is  a  native 
of  Jamestown,  New  York,  and  a  1970  gradu- 
ate (B.A.)  of  the  University  of  Chicago  in 
Near  Eastern  languages  and  civilization. 


Erich  Eilers  has  been  appointed  purchasing 
agent  for  the  Museum.  He  is  a  native  of  Chi- 
cago and  a  graduate  of  the  American  Asso- 
ciation of  Industrial  Management. 

Phillip  Cotton,  from  Buffalo,  New  York,  re- 
cently joined  the  Department  of  Education  as 
an  instructor.  He  has  a  B.S.  in  art  education 
from  Buffalo  State  College  and,  like  Oscar 
Anderson,  is  in  a  visual  education  program 
at  Illinois  Institute  of  Technology. 

Phyllis  Rabineau  has  joined  the  Department 
of  Anthropology  where,  together  with 
Christopher  Legge,  she  is  custodian  of  col- 
lections. Miss  Rabineau  is  a  native  of  New 
York  City  and  holds  an  M.A.  in  anthropology 
from  Boston  University. 

Glenn  A.  Petersen  is  Field  Museum's  new 
senior  sergeant  of  the  Security  and  Visitor 
Services  Force.  He  joined  the  Force  in  June 
1968  and,  as  senior  sergeant,  succeeds 
Donald  Underhill,  who  retired  March  31. 


Contemporary  African  Arts  Festival 

April  20  was  opening  day  for  Field  Museum's 
new  exhibit  of  contemporary  African  art. 
Among  the  distinguished  visitors  who  toured 
the  exhibit  during  opening  week  was  Dr. 
Ignacio  Bernal,  director  of  Mexico's  National 


Right,  Saidu  Na'Allah.  Nigerian  potter,  demon- 
strates techniques  in  Stanley  Field  Hall  on  Sat- 
urday, June  22,  Irom  10:30  a.m.  to  3:30  p.m. 


June  1974 


Museum  of  Anthropology.  At  rigtit,  Dr.  Bernal 
(rt.)  is  shown  with  Dr.  Donald  Collier,  Field 
Museum's  curator  of  Middle  and  South 
American  archaeology  and  ethnology,  as  they 
view  paintings  of  Ethiopian  artist  Skunder 
Boghossian. 


Rededication  Reset  for  June  25 

Because  of  unavoidable  delays  in  the  recon- 
struction of  the  Museum's  north  entrance 
steps,  rededication  of  the  building,  originally 
scheduled  for  June  4,  has  been  rescheduled 
for  Tuesday,  June  25,  at  11:00  a.m.  The 
rededication  ceremonies  will  take  place  on 
the  north  stairs,  where  the  Museum's  corner- 
stone is  located.  The  cornerstone  will  be 
opened  to  receive  documents  pertinent  to 
the  current  $25-million  rehabilitation  pro- 
gram. The  month  of  June  marks  the  80th 
anniversary  of  the  Museum's  original  open- 
ing, in  Jackson  Park;  it  has  occupied  its 
present  building  since  1921. 


New  Women's  Board  Officers 

The  new  president  of  Field  Museum's 
Women's  Board  is  Mrs.  Thomas  E.  Donnelley 
II,  elected  at  the  board's  annual  meeting, 
May  14.  Mrs.  Donnelley  succeeds  Mrs.  B. 
Edward  Bensinger,  who  was  elected  in  1972. 
Other  new  officers  elected  at  the  meeting 
were  Mrs.  William  D.  Searle.  second  vice 
president;  Mrs.  Charles  Fenger  Nadler,  re- 
cording secretary;  and  Mrs.  Charles  S.  Potter, 
corresponding  secretary. 

Continuing  in  their  respective  offices  are 
Mrs.  Frank  D.  Mayer,  first  vice  president; 
Mrs.  Harold  F.  Grumhaus,  third  vice  presi- 
dent; Mrs.  Robert  E.  Straus,  treasurer;  and 
Mrs.  Edward  F.  Blettner,  assistant  treasurer. 

Newly  elected  members-at-large  are  Mrs. 
Robert  C.  Gunness  and  Mrs.  Henry  W.  Meers. 
Mrs.  Henry  P.  Wheeler,  Mrs.  Edward  McCor- 
mick  Blair,  and  Mrs.  Philip  K.  Wrigley  are 
continuing  as  members-at-large. 

Shown  at  right  are  the  new  president,  Mrs. 
Donnelley,  and  her  husband.  Mr.  Donnelley 
is  a  vice  president  of  Field  Museum's  Board 
of  Trustees. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin  17 


Battling  Chameleons 

The  following  letter  was  directed  to 
Dr.  Robert  F.  Inger,  assistant  director, 
science  and  education,  who  is  a  noted 
herpetologist.  The  subject  ot  the  letter, 
Jackson's  chameleon,  is  a  spectacular  East 
African  lizard  that  sometimes  measures  a 
foot  or  more  in  tength;  extending  forward 
from  its  snout  are  three  "horns." 

Sir: 

Enclosed  Is  photographic  evidence  thai 
Jackson's  chameleon  uses  Its  horns  in 
combat:  13  color  transparencies  of  two  large 
males  In  various  stages  of  combat.  This  is 
in  reference  to  your  statement  on  page  94 
of  your  excellent  bool<  Living  Reptiles  ot  the 
Worfd  [by  Karl  P.  Schmidt  and  Robert  F. 
Inger;  Doubleday,  1957]:  "The  rather  dull 
fact  Is  that  there  is  no  evidence  that  the 
horns  are  used  in  fighting."  Well,  here's  the 
evidence: 

While  living  In  Florida,  I  kept  ...  a  pair  of 
adult  jacksoni  (which  I  named  "Ashley 
Montagu"  and  "Ruth  Benedict")  in  a 
rooftop  cage.  Half  of  the  cage  top  was 
covered  with  a  board  [the  top  being  a 
hinged  screendoor  type];  the  other  half 
received  direct  sunlight  part  of  the  day,  and 
when  the  angle  of  the  sun  changed  [the 
light  was  filtered  through  a  tree].  The 
season  was  summer.  The  specimens  were 
newly  Imported  from  Africa,  and  I  would 
guess  had  been  in  captivity  less  than  six 
months.  .  .  .  They  had  certainly  been  able 
to  establish  their  genetic  patterns  as 


behavior  In  the  wild;  thus,  more  than  likely 
reinforcing  them.  The  same  day  I  got  my 
pair,  a  friend  obtained  a  single  male 
jacksoni,  which  he  named  "Clod."  After  a 
month,  Clod  wasn't  looking  as  vigorous  as 
my  two  specimens  and  had  been  getting 
little  sunlight.  I  suggested  boarding  him  with 
my  chameleons  for  awhile  to  see  if  sunlight 
and  some  company  with  his  own  kind 
would  perk  him  up. 

Shortly  after  putting  Clod  in  the  cage,  I 
discovered  the  two  males  face-to-face  on 
Ashley's  branch  where  they  were  doing  the 
broadside  leaf-shake  number.  They  rushed 
each  other  (slowly)  and  locked  horns.  I 
documented  the  "battle"  with  both  standard 
and  macro  photographic  equipment.  The 
fight  consisted  mostly  in  the  two  reptiles 
pushing  each  other  back  and  forth  on  the 
branch,  twisting  around  the  branch,  and 
definitely  trying  to  debranch  each  other, 
which  Ashley  finally  succeeded  in  doing  to 
Clod.  Clod  made  no  attempt  to  resume  the 
battle  and  appeared  exhausted  at  the  end. 
At  no  time  during  the  battle  was  there 
any  serious  biting. 

Neither  animal  seemed  Interested  in  actually 
hurting  Its  opponent.  One  slide  shows  the 
defeated  Clod  with  very  dark  coloration 
and  in  a  definite  posture  of  submission. 
He  remained  in  that  position  for  what 
seemed  a  very  long  time,  and  fearing  for 
his  welfare  I  removed  him  from  the  cage. 
Ruth  Benedict  remained  at  the  opposite  end 
of  the  cage  during  the  entire  happening, 
and  seemed  unconcerned  If  not  totally 
oblivious  to  the  occurrence.  Ashley  kept  an 


eye  on  Clod  the  entire  time  he  cowered  and 
I  thought  there  might  be  trouble  If  I  left 
the  defeated  male  In  the  cage.  tVly  decision 
to  remove  the  defeated  chameleon  was 
based  on  the  theory  that  he  might  just  cower 
there  in  the  direct  sunlight  until  it 
did  him  in. 

For  persons  who  wish  to  set  up  conditions 
in  which  the  same  phenomena  I 
photographed  might  occur,  I  would  suggest 
the  following:  Obtain  a  male  and  a  female 
that  have  matured  in  the  wild.  Put  them  In  a 
cage  no  more  than  three  feet  long,  two 
feet  wide  and  high,  with  bright  sunlight  and 
an  established  territory.  It  would  probably 
be  wise  to  allow  the  pair  to  establish  some 
sort  of  relationship  for  about  a  month 
before  Introducing  a  strange  male.  When 
you  Introduce  the  second  male  to  the  cage 
(at  noon  on  a  midsummer  day)  place  him 
on  the  established  male's  favorite  branch. 
I  think  that  heat  in  the  form  of  natural 
sunlight  Is  very  important  here.  It  has  been 
my  experience  that  reptiles  in  general  are 
more  likely  to  revert  to  extremely  wild 
behaviors  when  kept  In  an  outdoor 
terrarium;  in  such  a  setting  they  can  get 
Into  the  hot  sun  whenever  the  mood 
strikes  them. 

Rod  Crimshaw 
Portland,  Oregon 

Scientists  are  often  indebted  to 
nonprofessionais  for  their  chance 
observations  of  natural  phenomena.  Our 
gratitude  to  Mr.  Crimshaw  for  his  carefuf 
reporting.  —Robert  F.  Inger 


l-lorns  interlocked,  "Ashtey  Montagu"  and  "Clod"  struggle  tor  possession  o(  a  branch. 


June  1974 


Members  Asked  to  Participate 
In  Rehabilitation  Program 


Museum  Members  who  have  seen  the  barricades  and  construction 
equipment,  heard  the  sounds  of  jacl<hammers  and  drills,  smelled  new 
paint,  and  perhaps  even  sneezed  in  new  dust,  can  realistically  visual- 
ize Field  Museum  taking  on  a  whole  new  enjoyment. 

The  north  and  south  entrance  stairs  will  be  smooth  and  level;  there'll 
be  a  ground-level  entrance;  and  there  will  be  eight  new  emergency 
exits.  New  restroom  facilities  and  modern  dining  areas  will  make 
longer  visits  more  comfortable.  Large,  modern  passenger  elevators 
will  make  floor-to-floor  touring  easier.  Well-lit,  air-conditioned  exhibi- 
tion halls  will  invite  closer  inspection. 

And  there's  every  possibility  that  a  Museum  Member  can  turn  to  those 
accompanying  him  on  a  Museum  tour,  and  say,  "It's  great,  isn't  it? 
And  I  helped  make  it  possible." 

"Before  the  end  of  the  summer,  we  expect  to  have  given  each 
Museum  Member  the  opportunity  to  participate  in  renovating  the  53- 
year-old  building,"  said  Nicholas  Galitzine,  general  campaign  chair- 
man. "We  intend  to  contact  each  Member  for  assistance  in  bringing 
our  three-year,  $25-million  Capital  Campaign  to  a  successful  con- 
clusion in  September." 

The  campaign,  begun  in  September  1971,  needs  an  additional  $1.4 
million  to  meet  its  goal.  Private  gifts  in  the  amount  of  $12.5  million  are 
being  raised  by  the  Museum;  a  matching  sum  is  being  provided 
through  the  bonding  authority  of  the  Chicago  Park  District.  The 
Museum  has  raised  $11.1  million  of  its  share,  from  foundations,  busi- 
nesses, and  private  gifts. 

According  to  Galitzine,  pledges  will  be  solicited  that  Members  may 
elect  to  honor  over  a  three-year  period.  "Preparing  the  Museum  for 
an  exciting  future  is  the  reason  behind  our  Capital  Campaign,"  he 
said,  "and  it  is  only  fitting  that  its  Members  share  in  that  excitement 
in  a  very  personal  way." 

He  urges  Museum  Members  to  think  of  their  gifts  in  terms  of  not  only 
updating  the  Museum's  physical  plant  and  providing  improved  visitor 
comforts,  but  in  meeting  the  increasing  demand  placed  upon  the 
Museum's  scientific  collections  and  research,  and  its  educational  and 
exhibit  programs. 


A  section  ol  the  north  portico  gets  -a  new  base  as  Iresh  concrete 
is  hosed  in.  As  part  ol  the  Museum's  rehabilitation  program,  storage 
areas  currently  under  the  portico  and  Iront  steps  will  be  converted 
into  administrative  ollice  space. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


JUNE  of  Field  M 


useum 


Exhibits 


Children's  Program 


Continuing 

Contemporary  African  Arts  Festival,  the  first  comprehensive  exhibit  of 
Its  kind  in  the  United  States,  features  the  work  of  artists,  including 
painters,  prinlmakers,  sculptors,  and  fabric  designers,  as  well  as  music, 
films,  lectures,  dances,  and  other  events.  Through  November  3.  Hall  27. 

Special  June  programs  are: 

Films  In  studio  in  exhibit  area: 

Daily  at  1:30  p  m. 

June  1-7:         "Gelede,"  "Africa  Dances."  and  "Heartbeat  of 

Africa" 
June  8-14:       "New  Images."  "Abuja  Pottery."  "East  African  Wood 

Carver."  and  "Talking  Drums" 
June  15-21:     "The  Hadza"  and  "Bitter  Melons" 
June  22-28:     "The  Tuareg."  "Nawi."  and  "Masai  Warrior" 
June  29-30:     "The  Dry  Season"  and  "African  Village:  Guinea" 
Fridays  at  7:30  p.m. 
June  7:        "Mandabi" 
June  14:      "Emitai" 

June  21:     "Borom  Sarret"  and  "Tauw" 
June  28:     "Black  Girl" 
Sunday.  June  30.  at  4:00  p  m, 
"Liebalala"  and  "Under  the  Men's  Tree" 


Saturday.  June  1 

"Coming  of  Age  in  Chicago,"  a  ceremony  performed  by  teenagers  from 
high  schools  and  community  organizations  who  have  participated  in 
Field  Museum's  Contemporary  African  Arts  Anthropology  Workshop 
10  30  am    and  2  30  p.m..  Stanley  Field  Hall 

Saturday.  June  8 

"Music  as  a  Bridge  Between  Traditional  and  Contemporary  Cultures," 

a  demonstration  by  Phil  Cohran  of  the  Black  Music  Workshop 
10:30  and  11:30  am,  and  2:30  and  3  30  pm. 
Stanley  Field  Hall 

Saturday.  June  15 

African  Songs  and  Folk  Tales  by  Selina  A.  Ahoklui  of  Ghana 

10  30  and  1 1  30  3  m    and  2  30  and  3:30  p.m. 

Stanley  Field  Hall 

Saturday.  June  22 

Pottery  Demonstration  by  Saidu  Na'Allah  of  Nigeria 

10:30  a.m.  to  3:30  p  m. 

Stanley  Field  Hall 

Saturday.  June  29 

Marimba  Ensemble  Performance  by  Dumisani  Abraham  Maraire  (Shona) 

of  Rhodesia 

10:30  a.m.  and  2  00  p.m. 

Stanley  Field  Hall 

Edwin  Janss  Jr.  Underwater  Photography,  an  exhibit  of  exciting  color 
prints   Through  September  8    Hall  9 

Field  Museum's  Anniversary  Exhibit  continues  indefinitely.  "A  Sense  of 
Wonder "  offers  thought-provoking  prose  and  poetry  associated  with  the 
physical,  biological,  and  cultural  aspects  of  nature:  "A  Sense  of  History" 
presents  a  graphic  portrayal  of  the  Museum's  past;  and  "A  Sense  of 
Discovery"  shows  examples  of  research  conducted  by  Museum 
scientists   Hall  3 


Begins  June  1 

Summer  Journey  for  Children,  The  Artist's  Zoo."  a  free  self-guided 
tour  of  Museum  exhibits,  focuses  on  animal  designs  used  by  Native 
American  and  African  artists  to  decorate  objects.  Youngsters  will  be 
given  a  sketchbook  in  which  to  draw  and  design  their  own  motifs  as 
part  of  the  project.  All  boys  and  girls  who  can  read  and  write  may  join 
in  the  activity  Journey  sheets  in  English  and  Spanish  are  available  at 
entrances.  Through  August  31. 

Special  Events 

Ray  A.  Kroc  Environmental  Education  Program 

Saturday.  June  1 

'Field  trip  for  young  people:  "Prairie  Life."  The  group  will  visit 
Gensburg  Markham  Prairie  to  study  its  animal  and  plant  life  under 
the  leadershiD  of  Phil  Hanson  and  James  Bland  of  Field  Museum 
Limited  to  30  students,  ages  15  through  18,  Group  will  assemble  in  the 
north  meeting  room,  second  floor,  at  9:30  am. 

Saturday.  June  8 

•Field  trip  for  young  people:  "Rocky  Glen."  The  trip  provides  an 
opportunity  to  explore  a  wide  variety  of  ecological  and  geological 
areas  at  the  DuPage  County  site  under  the  leadership  of  James  Bland 
of  Field  Museum.  Limited  to  30  students,  ages  15  through  18.  Group 
leaves  from  Museum's  north  parking  lot  at  9:30  am. 

'Reservations  will  be  confirmed  in  order  of  receipt  and  payment.  A  $4  00 
fee  covers  lunch  and  transportation   Send  check  with  name,  address, 
phone  number,  and  choice  of  program  to: 

Field  Museum— Environmental  Program 
Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive 
Chicago.  III.  60605 


Meetings 

June  7.  7:30  p  m  . 
June  7.  7:30  p.m.. 
June  9.  2:00  p.m.. 
June  11.  7:30  p.m. 
June  12,  7:00  p.m. 
June  12,  7:30  pm 
June  13.  7:00  pm 


Chicago  Anthropological  Society 

Chicago  Astronomical  Society 

Chicago  Shell  Club 

Nature  Camera  Club  of  Chicago 

Chicago  Ornithological  Society 

Windy  City  Grotto,  National  Speleological  Society 

Chicago  Mountaineering  Club 


Hours 

9  00  am.  to  6:00  p  m,  Saturday  tfirough  Thursday  and  900  a  m    to  9:00  pm. 
Friday. 

Beginning  June  22  and  continuing  through  September  1.  the  Museum  will  be 
open  from  9:00  am.  to  900  p  m    on  Wednesday.  Friday.  Saturday  and  Sunday. 
The  cafeteria  on  these  evenings  will  remain  open  until  730  p  m. 

The  Museum  Library  is  open  9:00  a  m.  to  4:00  p  m    lyionday  through  Friday- 
Please  obtain  pass  at  reception  desk,  main  floor  north. 

Ivluseum  telephone:  922-9410 


Field  Museum 
of  Natural  History 
Bulletin 

Volume  45,  Number  7 
July/August  1974 


CONTENTS 


Managing  Editor  G.  Henry  Ottery 
Editor  David  M.  Walsten 
Staff  Writer  Madge  Jacobs 


THE  TIMBER  WOLF  ON  TRIAL 

by  Joyce  M.  Brukoff  and  David  M.  Walsten 

3 

ENERGY  FOR  THE  70s 

by  Philip  H  Abelson 

7 

OUR  ENVIRONMENT 

10 

MEMBERS 

16 

FIELD  BRIEFS 

17 

FIELOIANA 

18 

CAPITAL  CAMPAIGN 

19 

JULY  AND  AUGUST  AT  FIELD  MUSEUM: 
CALENDAR  OF  COMING  EVENTS 

back  cover 

Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Director  E.  Leiand  Webber 


COVER 

Wooden  mask  representing  a  wolf,  made  by  the  KwakiutI  Indians  ot  northern 
Vancouver  Island,  British  Columbia  (Cat  no  19174)  Photo  by  John 
Bayalis  Sr  Wolves  were  regarded  with  mixed  awe  and  dread  by  North- 
west Coast  Indians  Because  game  was  always  abundant,  wolves  were 
never  a  threat  to  man;  there  is,  in  fact,  no  evidence  that  Indians  were  ever 
attacked  by  wolves  The  animals  were  feared  because  of  supernatural 
powers  attributed  to  them 


Board  of  Trustees 

Blaine  J.  Yarnngton, 

President 
Mrs.  B,  Edward  Bensinger 
Gordon  Bent 
Harry  0.  Bercher 
Bowen  Blair 
Stanton  R.  Cook 
William  R.  Dickinson,  Jr. 
Thomas  E,  Donnelley  II 
Marshall  Field 
Nicholas  Galitzine 
Paul  W,  Goodrich 
Remick  McDowell 
Hugo  J.  Melvoin 
J.  Roscoe  Miller 
William  H.  Mitchell 
Charles  F.  Murphy,  Jr. 
Harry  M.  Oliver,  Jr. 
John  T.  Pirie,  Jr. 
John  S.  Runnells 
William  L.  Searle 


Edward  Byron  Smith 
Mrs.  Hermon  Dunlap 

Smith 
John  W.  Sullivan 
William  G.  Swartchild,  Jr. 
E.  Leiand  Webber 
Julian  B.  Wilkins 


Life  Trustees 

William  McCormick  Blair 
Joseph  N.  Field 
Clifford  C.  Gregg 
Samuel  Insull,  Jr. 
William  V.  Kahler 
Hughston  M.  McBain 
James  L.  Palmer 
John  G.  Searle 
Louis  Ware 
J.  Howard  Wood 


Photo  credits 

Cover,  John  Bayalis,  Sr  ,  3,  UPI  Compix.  4,  National  Film  Board  of  Canada; 
5,  9,  UPI  Compix,  12  (bottom),  UPI  Compix,  13,  John  H.  Gerard,  14  (bottom), 
15,  U  S,  Department  of  the  Interior  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service,  17,  top  left, 
G,  Henry  Ottery;  19,  Oscar  Anderson. 


Field  Museum  ol  Natural  History  Bulletin  is  published  monthly, 
except  combined  July/August  issue,  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  Illinois  60605, 
Subscriptions:  $6  a  year;  $3  a  year  lor  schools.  Members  of  the 
Museum  subscribe  through  Museum  membership.  Opinions 
expressed  by  authors  are  their  own  and  do  not  necessarily  reflect  the 
policy  of  Field  Museum,  Unsolicited  manuscripts  are  welcome. 
Postmaster;  Please  send  form  3579  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  Illinois  60605. 
ISSN:  0015-0703. 


the 

timber 

wolf 

on 

trial 


by  Joyce  M,  Brukoft 
and  David  M  Walsten 


The  residentsof  Gubbio,  an  Italian  village, 
were  terrorized  by  a  wolf  and  afraid  to 
venture  from  tfie  village.  St.  Francis  of 
Assisi,  who  had  a  way  with  animals, 
reproved  the  wolf  and  it  promised  to  mend 
its  ways.  The  animal  meekly  followed  St. 
Francis  into  Gubbio,  where  it  took  up  >■ 

Joyce  M  Brukoff  is  an  Evanston  writer  with  a 
special  interest  in  environmental  problems 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


Po!'^uf}ing  /7d5  bijvn  one  ot  Ihv  nio^t  ctloctive  means  oi  sldughtunng  wolves  The  27  wolves  that  appear  to  be 
taking  their  ease  in  the  bacl<ground  are  the  frozen  carcasses  of  animals  that  attempted  to  feed  on  the  body  of 
the  deer    The  deer  meat,  laced  with  poison,  killed  all  the  wolves  and  a  lynx  (rt  center) 


residence  with  the  townsfolk.  According 
to  another  Christian  legend,  the  martyr  St 
Edmund  had  a  wolf  as  his  protector,  and  in 
a  much  more  ancient  myth  Romulus  and 
Remus,  founders  of  Rome,  were  suckled 
by  a  she-wolf. 

In  most  wolf  myths  of  the  Western  world, 
however,  the  rapaciousness  and  ferocity 
of  the  animal  are  emphasized,  so  that 
wherever  man  and  wolf  have  coexisted 
there  has  been  an  unceasing  effort  to 


exterminate  the  animal.  It  has  been  shot, 
poisoned,  trapped,  and  run  by  hounds 
until,  in  most  regions  it  has  been  wiped  out 

Even  today  the  myth  of  the  ravening  wolf 
is  perpetuated.  Toddlers  learn  the  story  of 
Little  Red  Riding  Hood  and  the 
tragicomedy  of  the  Three  Little  Pigs  along 
with  their  bedtime  prayers,  implanting  a 
villain  image  that  they  will  remember  into 
adulthood.  Prokofiev's  "Peter  and  the  Wolf" 
and  werewolf  films  borrowing  loosely  from 


ancient  legends  reinforce  the  image. 
A  myth  which  remains  current,  and  which 
has  a  serious  bearing  on  the  public 
attitude,  is  that  wolves  attack  man  without 
provocation.  Literally  hundreds  of  such 
stones  are  known  in  Europe,  none  of  them 
substantiated,  however,  A  single 
documented  case  of  unprovoked  attack  is 
known  for  North  America:  In  Canada  in 
1942,  a  railroad  worker  on  a  handcar  was 
pursued  down  the  tracks  by  a  wolf, 
knocked  from  the  vehicle,  and  attacked 
for  some  25  minutes  before  three  other 
workers  came  to  his  aid.  Eventually  the 
wolf  was  killed,  but  its  persistence  in  the 
face  of  such  odds  strongly  suggests  that 
the  animal  was  rabid.  Wolves  are,  in  fact, 
extremely  shy  of  man  and  sedulously 
avoid  him. 

Geographic  range 

Until  recent  times  the  timber  wolf  has 
been  one  of  the  most  widely  occurring  of 
all  mammals;  within  the  North  temperate 
zone  there  is  hardly  a  region  where  the 
species  has  not  been  found  at  one  time  or 
another.  As  recently  as  a  century  ago,  it 
ranged  over  most  of  the  North  American 
continent,  where  it  was  the  dominant 
predator.  Intelligent,  strong,  courageous, 
the  wolf  had  the  added  advantage  of  a 
highly  developed  social  way  of  life.'  The 
wolf  pack  as  a  coordinated  team  could 
bring  down  large  herbivores  such  as 
moose,  elk,  and  buffalo  that  would  have 
been  inaccessible  to  the  lone  predator. 

In  spite  of  such  advantages,  the  range  of 
the  wolf  gradually  receded.  Today  the  last 
viable  holdout  of  the  species  in  the 
contiguous  United  States  is  in  Superior 
National  Forest — a  4,100-square-mile 
pocket  of  northeastern  Ivlinnesota,  where 
the  survivors  number  only  a  few  hundred. 

Beyond  this  region — according  to  L 
David  Mech,  wildlife  research  biologist  of 
the  US.  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service  and 
perhaps  the  leading  authority  on  the 
species — only  about  50  wolves  are  to 
be  found.^  Acolony  of  15  to  30  individuals 
lives  on  Isle  Royale  (210  sq.  miles)  in 
Lake  Superior;  and  a  handful  are  in  the 
forests  of  Michigan's  Upper  Peninsula. 
There  are  also  reports  of  a  few  in 
Yellowstone  and  Glacier  national  parks. 


July  August  1974 


The  borzoi,  or  Russian  wolfhound,  is  descended  from  the  Arabian  greyhound  and  was  first  used  to  hunt  wolves  in  the  early  1600s  The  breed  is  slill  so  employed  in  the 
Soviet  Union,  but  poisoning,  trapping,  den  destruction,  and  aerial  hunting  are  the  more  common  methods  of  destroying  the  animals  A  decade  ago  1 7,600  professional  and 
amateur  wolf  hunters  were  involved  in  eradication  programs  in  that  country.  In  1963,  the  last  year  for  which  figures  are  available,  8,800  wolves  were  killed  there 


Current  population  estimates  for  Canada 
range  from  1 7.000  to  28,000.  with  wolves 
found  generally  throughout  the  dominion 
except  in  the  Maritime  Provinces, 
Newfoundland,  southern  Saskatchewan, 
southern  (Vlanitoba,  and  in  those  areas  of 
Ontario  and  Quebec  that  are  more  densely 
inhabited  by  man.  A  top  figure  of  25,000  is 
currently  estimated  for  Alaska. 

The  animal  formerly  occurred  throughout 
Europe  and  all  of  Asia,  except  in  southeast 
Asia  and  southernmost  India.  The 
distribution  over  that  continent  apparently 
has  not  diminished  during  the  past 
century,  but  there  has  been  a  drop  in 


density.  In  Japan,  wolves  formerly 
occurred  on  the  northern  island  of 
Hokkaido  and  on  the  main  island  of 
Honshu  On  Hokkaido,  the  last  wolf  was 
seen  in  the  late  1880s;  Honshu  reported 
its  last  wolf  in  1904. 


In  northern  Nonway.  Sweden,  and  Finland 
there  are  reportedly  less  than  three  dozen 
wolves:  about  ten  are  thought  to  occur 
along  Finland's  eastern  frontier.  Some 
are  found  in  the  mountainous  regions  of 
Italy,  Spam,  Czechoslovakia,  and  Poland 
They  also  occur  in  the  Balkans,  where 
attempts  are  being  made  to  control  them. 
In  the  Soviet  Union,  wolves  continue  to 


decrease  in  number,  although  they  are 
protected  in  a  few  areas  such  as  Kafka 
Zapovednik,  a  government  preserve 
in  the  Caucasus. 


In  France,  during  the  seventeenth  century, 
a  provincial  official  known  as  the  grand 
louvetier  was  responsible  for  keeping 
down  the  wolf  populations.  At  that  time, 
wolves  were  found  in  every  province  of 
France.  Curiously,  a  lieutenant  de 
louveterie  is  still  appointed  in  some  of  the 
French  departments  (which  have 
replaced  the  provincial  division)  although 
the  wolf  may  now  be  extinct  in  that 
country.  >■ 


Field  Museum  Bullelin 


^m :  (lailt  At  ijtcramntt  tit  % 


9^' 


In  Scandinavian  mythology  Fenns  the  wall  is  the  brother  ot  Hel  (death)  and  Midgard  (a  snake)  When  the  world 
comes  to  an  end  he  devours  the  sun  The  god  Tyr.  sword  in  hand,  has  sacrificed  his  own  hand  so  that  Fenns 
can  be  tied  up  Illustration  from  an  ancient  edition  of  Scandinavian  myths 


A  few  centuries  ago  the  wolf  was  a  serious 
scourge  of  sfieep  flocl<s  in  Great  Britain. 
The  records  of  a  monastery  near  Whitby 
(Yorkshire)  record  that  the  abbot's  hounds 
l^ilied  13  wolves  from  December  to  March, 
1395-96;  wolves  undoubtedly  continued 
to  pose  a  serious  threat  to  sheep  in 
England — especially  in  the  northern 
regions — for  many  years.  The  last  wolf  is 
believed  to  have  disappeared  from  that 
country  in  the  latter  years  of  Henry  Vlll's 
reign  (1609-47),  The  last  documented 
killing  of  a  wolf  in  Scotland  occurred  near 
Findhorn,  Moray  County,  in  1 743;  in  Ireland 
the  last  one  was  sighted  about  1770, 

At  that  time  wolves  were  still  prevalent 
throughout  North  America,  but  by  1850the 
animal  had  virtually  disappeared  east  of 
the  Mississippi,  Within  another  half- 
century  it  had  vanished  from  the  eastern 
tier  of  states.  In  1915  the  federal 
government  initiated  a  program  to 
eliminate  animals  detrimental  to 
agriculture.  The  result  was  a  death 
sentence  for  the  western  wolf,  which  has 
since  been  wiped  out,  except  for  those 
apparent  stragglers  in  Yellowstone 
and  Glacier.  Wisconsin  conservationists 
succeeded  in  obtaining  statewide 
protection  for  the  wolf  in  1957,  but  the 
move  came  too  late.  The  animal  has  been 
extinct  there  for  more  than  a  decade. 

As  recently  as  1965  the  state  of  Minnesota 
was  offering  a  $35  bounty  on  wolves  and. 
during  the  mid-sixties,  as  many  as  250 
wolves  were  being  slaughtered  each  year. 
But  by  1969  the  bounty  system  had  been 
greatly  modified,  thanks  to  a  greater 
public  concern  for  the  future  of  the  wolf. 

Relationship  to  other  canids 

Like  the  mountain  lion,  the  wolf  is  known 
by  a  variety  of  names,  depending  on  the 
locale.  Common  local  names  in  addition 
to  "timber  wolf"  are  "grey  wolf, "  "tundra 
wolf,"  and  "lobo,"  The  species  is  a 
member  of  the  family  Canidae,  within  the 
orderCarnivora.  So  it  is  cousin  to  the  cats, 
bears,  weasels,  raccoons,  and  other 
animals  that  are  primarily,  if  not 
exclusively,  carnivorous.  More  closely 
related  are  the  coyote,  the  jackals,  the 

(Continued  on  p.  12) 


July'August  1974 


for  the 


by  Philip  H   Abelson 


For  decades  the  United  States  has 
been  a  land  of  abundance.  Science 
and  technology  combined  with  this  wealth 
gave  us  world  leadership.  We  became 
accustomed  to  an  ever-increasing 
standard  of  living.  The  successful  program 
of  exploration  of  the  moon  contributed  to  a 
severe  contagion  of  overconfidence.  The 
idea  was  generally  accepted  that  if  we 
could  go  to  the  moon,  we  could  do 
anything. 

But  while  everyone's  eyes  were  on  the 
moon,  very  important  changes  were 
occurring  here  on  earth.  Our  technological 
supremacy  was  fading,  and  our  position 
with  respect  to  raw  materials,  particularly 
oil,  was  decaying  rapidly.  This  change  did 
not  go  entirely  unnoticed.  A  number  of 
scientists  pointed  out  the  dangerous 
trends  as  much  as  a  decade  ago 
However,  the  general  public  took  no  heed. 

Instead,  environmental  concerns  took 
over  as  a  central  focus  of  action  and 
interest. 

In  1970,  at  the  moment  when  domestic 
production  had  begun  to  decline,  sudden 
new  demands  were  placed  on  oil.  The 
public  wanted  cleaner  air  Oil  and  natural 
gas  had  displaced  coal  as  a  source  of 
heat  in  power  plants.  Automobiles  had 


become  heavier  and  less  efficient. 
Particularly  in  demand  was  natural  gas,  a 
very  clean  fuel  used  to  heat  more  than 
half  of  the  homes  in  this  country. 

Suddenly  it  became  evident  that  we  were 
in  danger  of  exhausting  this  fuel.  Gas 
companies  were  forced  to  stop  adding 
customers,  and  expansion  of  industrial 
uses  was  curtailed.  With  no  further 
expansion  possible  in  consumption  of 
natural  gas,  the  burden  of  clean  air  fell  on 
oil.  The  consequence  was  a  rapid 
increase  in  the  use  of  oil,  and  this  meant 
an  even  greater  percentage  in  the  rise  in 
imports  of  oil. 

Just  prior  to  the  embargo,  our  use  of  oil 
was  expanding  at  the  very  rapid  rate  of 
nine  percent  per  year.  Because  we  are  no 
longer  self-sufficient  in  oil,  our  imports 
were  increasing  at  the  rate  of  about  forty 
percent  per  year.  We  were  importing 
about  thirty-five  percent  of  the  oil  and  its 
products  that  we  consumed. 

The  Arabs  performed  a  great  service  for 
the  American  people  by  demonstrating 
that  there  are  limits  to  the  availability  of  oil- 
But  with  the  end  of  the  embargo  many 
people  resumed  their  wasteful  habits. 
Some  recent  opinion  polls  published  in 
Science  show  that  the  public  does  not 


understand  the  seriousness  of  our  energy 
problems  and  that  it  believes  they  will  be 
solved  in  a  few  years.  The  fact  is  that  with 
our  present  rate  of  motion  we  could  find 
ourselves  enduring  uncertainties  of       *■ 


<f 


Dr.  Abelson,  editor  of  Science  magazine  and 
president  of  the  Carnegie  Institution  of 
Washington,  addressed  an  audience  at  Field 
IVIuseum  this  spring  as  part  of  the  Museum's  Ray 
A  Kroc  Environmental  Program.  This  article  is 
adapted  from  his  address. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


supply,  inflation  and  economic 
dislocations  for  a  decade  or  more. 

Oil  and  Its  products  are  essential  to  our 
existence  in  many  ways,  but  a  crucial 
factor  is  gasoline.  Studies  have  sfiown 
that  half  of  gasoline  consumption  occurs 
in  trips  of  three  miles  and  less.  It  appears 
that  when  faced  with  the  prospect  of 
walking  a  little  distance  or  taking  public 
transportation,  many  people  chose  to 
spend  hours  in  line  waiting  for  gas. 


".  .  .Strip  mining  and 
underground  mining 
can  be  conducted  in 
a  way  tin  at  is  environ- 
mentally acceptable'.' 


Getting  people  to  cut  down  on  their  use  of 
gasoline  will  not  be  accomplished  by  mere 
exhortation.  In  an  article  published  in 
Science,  Kenneth  Boulding  says: 

"The  automobile  ,  .  ,  is  remarkably 
addictive.  I  have  described  it  as  a  suit  of 
armor  with  200  horses  inside,  big  enough 
to  make  love  in.  It  is  not  surprising  that  it  is 
popular.  It  turns  its  driver  into  a  knight  with 
the  mobility  of  the  aristocrat,  and  perhaps 
some  of  his  other  vices.  The  pedestrian 
and  the  person  who  rides  public 
transportation  is  by  comparison  a  peasant 
looking  up  with  almost  inevitable  envy  at 
the  knights  riding  by  in  their  mechanical 
steeds.  Once  having  tasted  the  delights  of 
a  society  in  which  almost  everyone  can 
be  a  knight,  it  is  hard  to  go  back  to  being 
peasants.  I  suspect,  therefore,  that  there 
will  be  a  very  strong  technological 
pressure  to  preserve  the  automobile  in 
some  form,  even  if  we  have  to  go  to 
nuclear  fusion  for  the  ultimate  source  of 
power  and  to  liquid  hydrogen  for  the 
gasoline  substitute.  The  alternative  would 
seem  to  be  a  society  of  contented 

'Science.  Vol,  184,  No  4134.  April  19,  1974 


peasants,  each  cultivating  his  own  little 
garden  and  riding  to  work  on  the  bus,  or 
even  on  an  electric  streetcar.  Somehow 
this  seems  less  plausible  than  a  desperate 
attempt  to  find  new  sources  of  energy  to 
sustain  our  knightly  mobility,"* 

In  addition  to  the  emotional  factors,  there 
are  some  practical  reasons  why  the 
automobile  has  a  strong  hold  on  the 
American  public.  During  the  past  twenty 
years  this  country  has  built  an  economy 
largely  based  on  the  assumption  that 
unlimited  amounts  of  gasoline  would  be 
available.  Agriculture  is  based  on  the 
tractor  and  other  uses  of  hydrocarbons. 
Intercity  truck  traffic  now  carries  most  of 
the  goods  Industrial  establishments,  great 
shopping  centers,  and  housing  have  all 
been  located  on  the  assumption  that  the 
automobile  would  conveniently  supply 
transportation.  In  recent  years, 
construction  in  this  country  has  been  at 
the  level  of  $1  GO  billion  a  year.  Without  the 
automobile,  much  of  the  construction 
investment  of  more  than  $1,000  billion  of 
the  past  twenty  years  would  be  nearly 
worthless 

Most  of  us  have  not  thought  very  deeply  of 
the  role  that  energy  utilization  plays  in 
establishing  the  structure  of  the  economy 
and  living  patterns.  Early  in  this  century, 
the  primary  source  of  energy  on  the  farm 
was  the  horse.  Given  that  central  fact, 
much  of  the  shape  of  rural  society 
followed,  including  the  large  fraction  of 
population  devoted  to  farming.  Today,  take 
away  hydrocarbons  and  farm  machinery 
and  most  of  us  would  be  starving. 

Another  pattern  that  was  established  early 
in  this  century  was  a  mass  transportation 
system  based  on  trains  and  on  the  electric 
streetcar.  The  existence  of  such 
transportation  dictated  the  development  of 
cities,  a  convergence  of  transportation  on 
center  city,  and  the  location  of  shops  and 
businesses  there. 

Furthermore,  the  location  of  much  of 
industrial  activity  was  determined  by 
energy  considerations.  That  is,  the  great 
industrial  activity  of  Pittsburgh  and  the 
Middle  West  rested  on  the  foundation  of 
coal.  Later,  the  great  industrial 


development  of  Texas  and  the  Gulf  States 
owed  their  existence  to  oil  and  natural 
gas. 

For  the  next  decade  it  is  likely  that  we  will 
go  on  much  as  we  have  been,  but  if  we 
are  to  avoid  a  long  period  of  discomfort, 
we  will  have  to  approach  our  problems 
more  decisively  than  we  have  been. 

First,  the  public  must  understand  that  there 
IS  no  easy  way  out.  Because  the  American 
public  has  previously  experienced  only 
abundance,  it  cannot  accept  the  fact  of 
scarcity.  At  least  part  of  the  public  wants  to 
believe  that  the  energy  crisis  was  alia  hoax. 
They  prefer  to  think  that  by  chastising  the  oil 
companies  our  problems  would  all  be 
solved.  The  oil  companies  are  not 
blameless,  but  they  also  are  not  magicians. 
They  cannot  produce  oil  where  none  exists. 

The  fact  is  that  over  the  last  decades 
the  petroleum  resources  of  the  United 
States  have  been  largely  discovered  and 
consumed.  In  spite  of  considerable  drilling 
activity  last  year,  new  discoveries  of  oil  in 
the  lower  48  states  were  practically 
inconsequential 

If  we  are  to  work  our  way  out  of  the 
difficulties,  we  must  either  lessen  our 
demand  for  oil  or  increase  production  from 
coal  and  oil  shale.  An  increase  in 
production  will  be  slow.  Our  quickest  way  to 
ease  problems  is  through  conservation.  We 
have  seen  how  deeply  attached  the  public 
IS  to  its  automobiles,  but  the  cars  need  not 
be  the  huge  specimens  that  Detroit  has 
been  making,  Europeans  have  long  used 
and  enjoyed  smaller  automobiles  which 
consume  about  half  as  much  gasoline. 
Already  Detroit  is  working  hard  to  produce 
such  cars.  On  the  way  are  more  efficient 
motors  and  lighter  cars.  Even  when  such 
autos  are  available,  however,  it  will  be  a  long 
time  before  their  presence  is  fully  felt.  Many 
years  must  pass  before  the  old  cars  could 
be  replaced.  In  addition,  there  will  be  those 
who  insist  on  buying  huge  gas-guzzlers. 

We  face,  then,  a  difficult  problem  in 
achieving  a  reduction  in 
consumption  of  gasoline.  In  this  matter, 
we  could  learn  a  lesson  from  the 
Europeans  We  could  cut  demand  by 


July  August  1974 


"The  stop-the-reactor  people  have  won  a  few  battles,  but  they  have  lost  the  war  For  every  reactor  they  have 
stopped,  ten  have  been  authorized  They  have  mainly  succeeded  in  causing  extensive  delays  "  Commonwealth 
Edison's  Dresden  Nuclear  Power  Station  (above),  near  Joliel.  Ill .  which  started  producing  early  in  the  1960s, 
was  the  nation's  first  full-scale,  privately  financed  nuclear  power  plant 


raising  the  price.  To  cut  demand 
substantially  would  require  prices  for 
gasoline  in  the  neighborhood  of  one  to  two 
dollars  a  gallon.  One  way  of  proceeding 
would  be  to  enact  a  tax  of  a  dollar  or  more 
per  gallon  for  gasoline  used  by  motorists. 
With  sharply  higher  prices,  a  drop  in 
consumption  would  occur,  and  the 
government  would  take  in  about  $50 
billion  in  taxes.  This  could  be  used  to 
finance  a  major  Project  Independence,  or, 
for  instance,  to  cut  our  income  tax. 


Another  major  area  in  which  substantial 
conservation  could  be  achieved  is  industry. 
This  activity  consumes  over  forty  percent  of 
the  total  energy  this  country  uses.  A 
substantial  fraction  of  oil  and  natural  gas  is 
used  by  industry  merely  to  provide  heat  for 
boilers  and  for  processing.  Hydrocarbons 
are  too  valuable  to  burn  in  this  way,  and 
industry  should  be  put  under  pressure  to 
reduce  its  use  of  hydrocarbons. 


The  most  effective  method  is  through 
increased  costs.  Already  the  higher 
price  of  oil  is  having  a  profound  effect  on 
industry,  and  many  companies  are 
devoting  great  effort  to  achieving  quick 
energy  savings. 

However,  getting  industry  to  replace  oil  by 
other  forms  of  energy  such  as  coal  is  likely 
to  be  more  difficult.  But  if  industry  were 
placed  on  notice  that  in  the  future  the 
burning  of  oil  and  natural  gas  for  heat  was 
going  to  encounter  a  large  and  escalating 
tax.  there  would  be  great  further  activity  in 
conservation  of  energy  and  moves  toward 
replacing  oil  and  gas  with  coal. 

An  important  key  to  management  of  the 
energy  problems  of  the  next  decade  is  the 
question  of  how  to  deal  with  coal  There  are 
the  environmental  effects  of  mining.  There 
IS  the  problem  of  sulfur  oxides  produced  in 
burning  coal.  I  believe  that  both  strip  mining 
and  underground  mining  can  be  conducted 


in  a  way  that  is  environmentally  acceptable. 
What  IS  required  is  appropriate  laws  and 
regulations,  and  effective  enforcement  of 
them  Such  laws  can  be  enacted. 

At  current  rates  of  consumption  of  energy, 
the  United  States  has  coal  reserves 
sufficient  to  meet  its  needs  for  about  600 
years.  Its  shale  reserves  would  be  sufficient 
for  a  comparable  period  also.  However,  it  is 
well  to  consider  other  means  of  meeting 
needs  over  the  longer  term. 

The  three  major  potential  methods  are  to 
use  thermonuclear  reactions,  breeder 
reactors,  and  solar  energy. 


Those  who  have  pushed 
thermonuclear  energy  have  painted  an 
impressive  picture  of  the  resources  of 
deuterium  of  the  oceans.  In  the  last  two 
decades,  there  has  been  considerable 
progress  toward  obtaining  the  kinds  of 
plasma  temperatures  and  pressures 
required  to  attain  an  output  of  energy 
greater  than  input.  However,  the  best 
devices  are  far  from  that  goal.  In  addition, 
a  recent  engineering  feasibility  study 
conducted  at  the  University  of  Wisconsin 
shows  that  the  facilities  needed  in  a 
thermonuclear  reactor  would  be  very 
costly  per  unit  output.  The  point  is  that 
large  magnetic  fields  must  be  maintained 
over  a  huge  volume.  At  the  same  time,  the 
feasible  energy  density  in  that  volume  is 
low.  Thus,  even  if  the  thermonuclear 
people  achieve  their  goal  of  net 
production  of  energy,  costs  for  it  will  be 
very  great. 

Another  long-term  source  of  energy  is  the 
breeder  reactor.  But  this  has  not  yet  been 
proven  entirely  practical:  it  entails  very  large 
inventories  of  plutonium,  and  is  costly.  In  a 
day  when  terrorists  are  abroad,  the  breeder 
reactor  is  not  an  altogether  attractive  bet. 

A  third  source,  that  will  certainly 
provide  at  least  part  of  our  future  energy- 
needs,  IS  the  sun.  We  will  harness  the 
sun's  energy  both  directly  and  indirectly— 
for  example,  directly  through  home 
heating,  solar  panels,  and  so  on:  and 
indirectly  by  use  of  energy  inherent  in 
(Continued  on  p.  15) 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


our  environment 


Kennicott  Grove 
May  Be  Saved  Yet! 

One  of  the  last  remaining  prairie  groves  in 
Illinois  may  still  be  saved  from  the  hands  of  real 
estate  developers,  if  local  conservationists 
have  anything  to  say  about  it.  Kennicott  Grove, 
a  240-acre  tract  that  lies  within  Glenvievi(  Park 
District,  just  north  of  Chicago,  is  the  subject  of 
a  bill  introduced  April  17  before  the  Illinois 
state  legislature-  The  bill,  proposed  by  Rep 
John  E  Porter  (R-Evanston).  would  authorize 
the  Illinois  Department  of  Conservation  to  ac- 
quire the  land  for  a  state  park.  Porter  estimates 
the  land  would  cost  about  $4,500,000  The 
bill  has  already  received  the  endorsement  of 
the  Agriculture  and  Natural  Resources  Com- 
mittee of  the  House 

Several  large  companies  in  the  Kennicott  Grove 
area  have  indicated  an  interest  in  providing 
funds  for  purchase  of  the  land  as  a  public  tract, 
if  such  funds  are  needed.  The  Glenview  Park 
District  has  also  expressed  interest  in  acquiring 
100  to  125  acres;  such  amove  would  be  deter- 
mined by  referendum  (For  more  on  the  history 
of  Kennicott  Grove,  see  the  September.  1973. 
Bulletin.) 


Public  Meetings  Held  on 
Migratory  Bird  Hunting 

The  first  of  two  annual  public  meetings  to  set 
migratory  game  bird  hunting  regulations  for  the 
1974-75  season  was  held  in  Washington.  DC, 
on  June  25  Proposed  migratory  shore  bird  and 
upland  game  bird  hunting  regulations  were 
discussed-  A  second  conference  to  discuss 
waterfowl  hunting  regulations  will  be  held  on 
August  6 

The  June  25  conference  heard  reports  from 
wildlife  biologists  on  the  status  of  mourning 
doves,  woodcock,  bandtailed  pigeons,  white- 
winged  doves,  rails,  gallinules.  and  common 
snipe.  The  conferees  also  discussed  a 
proposed  set  of  regulations  setting  seasons 
and  bag  limits  for  these  birds-  Conference 
participants  included  regional  and  state  fish 
and  game  officials  plus  representatives  of 
the  International  Association  of  Game.  Fish,  and 
Conservation  Commissioners,  the  Wildlife 
Society,  the  National  Audubon  Society. 
National  Wildlife  Federation.  Izaak  Walton 
League.  Outdoor  Writers  Association,  and  the 
Wildlife  Management  Institute 

The  public  is  invited  to  attend  the  August  6 
waterfowl  meeting-  Those  interested  should 


notify  the  director.  US  Fish  and  Wildlife 
Service.  Washington.  DC.  or  call  (202)  343- 
6025-  Written  statements  from  the  public 
should  be  sent  to  the  director  To  the  extent 
that  time  permits,  the  committee  will  hear 
oral  statements  from  the  public  at  the  comple- 
tion of  the  agenda  provided  written  copies  are 
provided  for  the  record 


Pollution  "Threatens" 
Florida  Coral  Reef 

Hen  and  Chickens  Reef — a  coral  structure 
covering  a  few  square  miles  |ust  off  the  Florida 
Keys — appears  to  be  dying  a  slow  death, 
according  to  Lee  Purkerson.  Everglades 
National  Park  biologist  The  reef,  which  lies  in 
about  20  feet  of  water  75  miles  south  of  Miami. 
IS  already  80  percent  dead.  Colonies  of  coral- 
forming  polyps — which  make  up  the  remaining 
20  percent — are  slowly  being  killed  by  man. 
says  Purkerson,  Silt  from  dredging  activities 
and  the  dumping  of  sewage  favor  the  growth 
of  algae  on  the  coral,  which  is  then  deprived  of 
light  and  food  Death  for  a  reef  also  means 
death  for  the  myriads  of  creatures  that  live  on 
and  around  it  Among  these  are  commercially 
important  lobster  and  yellow  tail  snapper 

Spot  checks  of  other  reefs  that  make  up  the  1 60- 
mile  arc  of  the  Florida  Keys  reveal  that  Hen  and 
Chickens  is  not  the  only  imperiled  coral  reef 
While  some  appear  still  healthy,  other  reefs  are 
nearly  dead 


Quieter  Jets  Sidelined 
by  Fuel  Shortage 

Fuel  shortages  brought  on  by  the  energy  crisis 
may  be  adding  to  the  giant  energy  headache  — 
literally  According  to  a  recent  study  by  the 
Environmental  Protection  Agency  (EPA),  some 
major  airlines  have  replaced  fuel-hungry  747s 
with  more  economical  —  but  noisier — 707s  and 
DC-8s  on  certain  routes 


Gaseous  Fuel  from  Manure 

Fuel  from  dried  cattle  manure  is  nothing  new — 
It  has  been  so  used  in  many  parts  of  the  world 
for  centuries  Modern  technology  has  put  a  new 
twist,  however,  on  this  ancient  resource,  A 
Colorado  firm  has  come  up  with  a  commercially 
feasible  method  of  extracting  methane  gas  from 
the  manure,  and  using  it  to  replace  natural  gas 


Monfort  of  Colorado.  Inc  .  the  world's  largest 
cattle  feed  supplier,  also  has  a  large  slaughter- 
ing and  beef-packing  operation — a  by-product 
of  which  is  450.000  dry  weight  tons  of  manure 
from  Its  feedlots  each  year  According  to 
company  spokesmen.  4.000.000  cubic  feet  of 
methane  could  be  produced  from  the  manure 
daily.  The  fuel  value  of  this  amount  would  be 
equal  to  the  quantity  of  natural  gas  required  to 
heat  10.000  homes.  A  Denver  engineering  firm 
has  been  granted  an  option  by  Monfort  to 
produce  the  methane,  which  in  turn  would  be 
used  by  Monfort  to  heat  its  packing  plant, 
provide  fuel  for  its  tallow-rendering  works,  and 
steam-cook  corn  that  is  used  for  cattle  feed- 
Solar  heat  would  be  used  to  heat  the  manure  to 
the  propertemperature  for  bacteria  growth  The 
bacteria  chemically  break  down  the  manure, 
producing  methane 


Cloud  Seeding  Used  as 
U.S.  Weapon  in  S.E.  Asia 

Weather  modification,  as  a  military  weapon, 
was  used  by  the  U.S.  Air  Force  from  1 966to1 972 
over  North  and  South  Vietnam  and  Laos,  the 
Department  of  Defense  admitted  recently.  At  a 
March  20  briefing,  the  Senate  Foreign  Relations 
Committee  was  given  a  detailed  report  of 
military  cloud  seeding  by  DOD  officials  Mili- 
tary officers  at  the  briefing  reported  that  cloud 
seeding  had  reduced  the  infiltration  of  North 
Vietnamese  troops  along  the  Ho  Chi  Minh 
Trail,  especially  in  June  1971.  They  denied, 
however,  that  cloud  seeding  had  been 
responsible  for  the  massive  floods  that  oc- 
curred in  North  Vietnam  later  in  that  year 


Chicago  Air 
Getting  Cleaner 

The  amount  of  airborne  dust  over  Chicago  is 
about  30  percent  less  than  what  was  measured 
5  years  ago.  According  to  the  Department  of 
Environmental  Control,  a  daily  average  of  120 
micrograms  of  atmospheric  dust  per  cubic 
meter  occurred  during  1969.  compared  to  an 
average  of  about  84  micrograms  in  1973, (In 
1966  a  seasonal  high  of  about  133  micrograms 
had  been  recorded) 

Since  1969  a  progressive  drop  in  the  atmos- 
pheric dust  has  been  noted-  What  these  figures 
point  to  is  this:  At  the  present  rate  of  air  cleanup 
it  appears  that  Chicago  air  will  meet  the  federal 
air  quality  standard  set  for  1975-  The  target 
level  IS  75  micrograms  per  square  meter- 


July  Augusl  1974 


Non-Lethal  Poison  Deters 
Sheep-Killing  Coyotes 

Conditioned  aversion  to  poisoned  meat  ap- 
pears promising  as  a  method  of  controlling 
sheep-killing  coyotes,  according  to  a  team  of 
University  of  California  psychologists.  Conven- 
tional methods  of  eliminating  these  predators 
have  been  bounty  hunting,  lethal  poisons,  and 
traps;  but  these  methods  do  not  distinguish 
between  sheep-killing  coyotes  and  other 
carnivores 

Psychologists  John  Garcia,  Walter  G,  Hankms, 
and  Kenneth  W  Rusiniah  were  able  to  develop 
conditioned  aversion  to  lamb  and  rabbit  meat 
in  seven  coyotes  after  lacing  it  with  lithium 
chloride  The  amount  of  the  chemical  placed 
in  the  meat  was  sufficient  to  produce  illness  in 
coyotes  that  ate  it,  but  not  enough  to  kill  them, 
A  single  trial  was  enough  to  discourage  the 
coyotes  from  feeding  again  on  lamb  or  rabbit 
flesh.  However,  it  did  not  necessarily  discour- 
age them  from  attacking  the  prey  in  question. 

The  researchers  propose  a  two-phase  condi- 
tioning process:  "In  phase  one,  the  flavor  of 
food  becomes  aversive  after  one  illness,  [but 
the  coyotes]  may  still  .  attack  ...  Phase  two 
occurs  when  the  auditory,  visual,  and  olfactory 
cues  from  the  prey  become  associated  with  the 
aversive  flavor,  thus  subsequent  attacks  are 
inhibited  ...  The  feeding  habits  of  the  mother 
coyote  averted  to  sheep  might  be  transmitted 
to  her  pups,  via  flavor  which  her  diet  imparts  to 
her  milk,  and  by  their  early  experience  with 
prey  she  brings  to  the  den." 

Eagle  "Egg  Plant"  Successful 

Two  bald  eaglets  have  hatched  in  the  Maine 
nests  to  which  they  were  transplanted  as  eggs 
in  early  May;  they  were  obtained  from  nests  in 
Minnesota,  This  was  the  first  such  transplant 
experiment  with  the  bald  eagle.  The  original 
plan  called  for  six  eggs  to  be  transplanted  from 
Minnesota,  where  the  eagle  population  is 
healthy,  to  six  nests  in  Maine,  where  pesticide 
pollution  has  affected  eagle  hatching  in  recent 
years.  Only  three  eggs  were  taken  from 
Minnesota  because  of  the  onset  of  weather  that 
was  not  conducive  to  tree-climbing.  The  three 
were  delivered  to  Maine  and  planted  in  nests 
the  next  day  One  egg  broke  as  it  was  being 
placed  in  the  nest 

The  two  eaglets  hatched  out  on  May  16.  At  last 
report  the  foster  parents  seemed  convinced  that 
the  young  birds  are  their  own  offspring,  and  are 
caring  for  them  normally  with  daily  feeding  and 
close  guard  of  the  nest  area  against  possible 
enemies. 


At  the  time  of  the  transplant  the  two  nests  in 
Maine  each  contained  one  egg  that  had  addled, 
or  spoiled  These  were  removed  and  analyzed 
by  U.S,  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service  biologists 
Examination  revealed  that  neither  egg  would 
have  hatched  in  the  wild.  The  shell  of  one  was 
31  percent  thinner  than  healthy  eagle  eggs— 
the  consequence  of  pesticide  ingestion  by  the 
female  parent  The  contents  of  both  eggs 
showed  no  embryonic  development  The 
biologists  attributed  this  condition  to  the 
presence  of  residues  of  dieldrin,  one  of  the 
most  potent  of  the  chlorinated  hydrocarbon 
insecticides.  Pesticide  residues  in  bald  eagles 
of  Maine  and  certain  other  areas  have  seriously 
altered  the  birds'  reproductive  capability. 

Biologists  were  fearful  that  the  disturbance  of 
the  egg-switch  might  prompt  the  foster  parents 
to  desert  the  nests,  but  this  fear  fortunately  was 
not  borne  out  by  the  experiment  The  parent 
eagles  in  Minnesota  were  left  with  plaster-filled 
goose  eggs  to  maintain  their  interest  in  the 
nests.  If  they  continue  to  incubate  these  dummy 
eggs,  they  will  be  provided  a  young  bird  from 
a  Minnesota  nest  that  hatches  more  than  one 
eaglet,  for  many  times  there  is  a  four-to-six  day 
interval  between  hatching  of  multiple  egg 
clutches;  and  the  youngest,  or  runt,  may  die 
because  it  can't  compete  for  the  available  food 

Tussock  Moths  and  Weevils 
to  be  Fought  with  DDT 

Limited  use  of  DDT  has  been  approved  by  the 
EPA  for  pest  control  in  Washington.  Idaho,  and 
Oregon.  In  all  three  states  the  chemical  is  to  be 
used  against  the  tussock  moth.  The  insecticide 
will  also  be  used  against  anticipated  pea  leaf 
weevil  infestations  in  Washington  and  Idaho 
Actual  use  of  the  chemical  will  be  allowed  only 
where  field  surveys  indicate  that  infestations  of 
the  insect  could  significantly  damage  dry  pea 
crops. 


Fate  of  Wild  Horses: 
Freedom  or  Pet  Food? 

In  January  and  February,  1973,  a  herd  of  about 
60  wild  horses  was  driven  to  the  edge  of  a 
cliff  near  Howe,  Idaho.  Seven  animals  stam- 
peded over  the  cliff  to  their  deaths.  Others, 
according  to  an  official  government  report,  had 
thei  r  throats  si  it  by  the  ranchers  who  were  round- 
ing them  up.  some  had  their  legs  amputated 
with  a  Cham  saw.  About  30  horses  were  shipped 
to  a  packinghouse  in  Nebraska;  while  there, 
several  died  of  their  injuries.  Before  the  sur- 


vivors could  be  processed  into  pet  food  they 
had  a  stay  of  execution  Today  18  adults  of  the 
original  herd  and  one  foal  are  being  held  near 
Idaho  Falls,  Idaho,  until  official  disposition  can 
be  made  of  them  State  and  federal  officials  will 
decide  whether  the  captured  horses  are.  in- 
deed, entitled  to  federal  protection,  A  June  26 
hearing  was  scheduled  in  Washington  to  deter- 
mine if  the  1 971  Wild  and  Free-Roaming  Horses 
Act  of  1971  was  being  enforced. 

According  to  government  sources,  the  ranchers 
used  a  helicopter  and  snowmobiles  to  round  up 
the  horses — both  methods  in  violation  of  federal 
law  Nevertheless,  the  animals  eluded  several 
earlier  attempts  to  capture  them.  The  alleged 
purpose  of  the  roundup  was  to  remove  the 
horses  from  public  lands  (thus  leaving  more 
grass  for  grazing  cattle),  then  slaughter  and 
process  them  into  canned  pet  food  According 
to  the  1971  act.  unbranded  horses  and  burros 
that  run  free  on  western  public  lands  are  pro- 
tected from  such  roundups. 


Hands  off  Emission 
Control  Devices 

An  Orlando.  Fla  ,  auto  dealer  was  recently  fined 
$500  by  a  US  District  Court  for  "rendering 
inoperative"  a  1972  auto's  emission  control 
device.  Tampering  with  such  a  device  by  a 
manufacturer  or  dealer  is  in  violation  of  the 
Clean  Air  Act  The  fine  was  the  first  such  action 
taken  under  the  new  regulation. 


EPA  Bans  Vinyl 
Chloride  Pesticides 

Aerosol  pesticides  that  contain  vinyl  chloride, 
have  been  suspended  from  further  distribution 
by  the  EPA.  The  action  taken  in  late  April  affects 
at  least  28  products  used  in  food  handling  es- 
tablishments, hospitals,  homes,  and  other  en- 
closed areas. 

The  basis  for  withdrawal  of  the  chemical  is  the 
occurrence  of  cancer  in  industrial  workers 
exposed  to  the  substance.  Twelve  men  involved 
in  the  conversion  of  vinyl  chloride  to  polyvinyl 
chloride,  a  plastic,  have  been  found  to  have 
angiosarcoma,  a  rare  type  of  liver  cancer.  Lab- 
oratory animals  exposed  to  vinyl  chloride  have 
also  developed  angiosarcoma. 

Russell  E.  Tram,  EPA  head,  stated  that  "while 
the  public  health  implications  to  vinyl  chloride 
from  short  pesticide  bursts  are  undetermined, 
the  link  between  the  gas  and  the  cancer  is  sus- 
pected strongly  enough  to  make  it  prudent 
policy  to  ban  further  use  ..." 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


Social  organization  among  wolves  is  among  the  most 
complex  in  the  animal  world  and.  in  many  ways,  is 
similar  to  the  social  organization  ol  man  and  other 
primates  Above,  active  submission  is  displayed  by 
one  wolt  toward  other  pack  members  by  rolling  onto 
its  back.  Below,  a  dominant  wolf  is  mobbed  by  lower- 
ranking  pack  members  who  nibble  him  affectionately 
This  occurs  when  the  leader  returns  after  a  brief 
absence  or  when  the  pack  awakens  The  dominant 
wolf  may  be  either  male  or  female 


WOLVES  (from  p  6) 

red  wolf,  and  of  course,  tfie  domestic  dog 
(all  members  of  the  same  genus,  Canis). 
The  fox,  which  is  commonly  looked  upon 
as  a  smaller  version  of  the  wolf,  is  more 
distantly  related  and  belongs  to  the  genus 
Vulpes.  Wolves  are  most  clearly 
distinguished  from  dogs  by  the  skull 
structure,  particularly  the  so-called  orbital 
angle — an  angle  formed  by  a  line  passed 
through  the  lowerand  upper  rims  of  the  eye 
socket  and  a  I ine  passed  across  the  skull's 
top.  In  dogs  the  angle  is  53°  to  60°:  in 
wolves  It  is  40°  to  45°  -  The  close 
relationship  between  dogs  and  wolves  is 
borne  out  by  the  fact  that  the  species 
readily  interbreed,  producing  offspring 
that  are  fertile. 

The  closely  related  red  wolf  {Canis  rufus. 
formerly  called  C.  niger)  appears  to  be 
intermediate  in  many  respects  between 
the  timber  wolf  (C.  lupus) — which  is 
usually  larger — and  the  coyote  (C.  latrans) 
— which  is  usually  smaller.  It  occurs  in 
southeastern  and  south-central  United 
States.  Some  studies  suggest  that 
hybridization  occurs  between  the  red  wolf 
and  the  coyote;  other  studies  point  to 
crossing  between  the  coyote  and  the  wolf 
resulting  in  a  hybrid  that  has  mistakenly 
been  called  the  red  wolf.   The 
so-called  maned  wolf  {Chrysocyon 
brachyurus),  ot  Paraguay,  southern  Brazil, 
and  northern  Argentina,  has  been 
described  as  a  "giant  fox  on  stilts."  It  has 
extraordinarily  long,  black  legs  and  is  the 
largest  member  of  the  dog  family 
(Canidae)  except  for  the  true  wolves. 

Thirty-two  subspecies  of  Canis  lupus  are 
recognized  by  most  authorities,  although 
the  exact  number  continues  to  be  a  matter 
of  debate.  Twenty-four  subspecies  are 
recognized  for  North  America,  eight  for 
Eurasia.  Determination  of  the  precise 
number  is  complicated  by  the  fact  that 
subspecies  will  readily  interbreed,  or 
intergrade.  Differences  in  characters  such 
as  coloring  and  body  measurements 
between  subspecies  are  often  subtle,  and 
in  crosses  between  subspecies  these 
differences  are  even  less  pronounced. 

Population  studies 

Because  of  the  natural  shyness  of  wolves 


July  August  1974 


Facial  expression  is  an  important  means  of  communication  in  the  wolf  Sixteen  expressions,  including  threat, 
submission,  suspicion,  and  anxiety  may  be  recognized  The  animal's  true  emotions,  say  researchers,  are  never 
hidden  by  a  false  masl< 


and  their  habit  of  traveling  over  great 
distances  in  a  short  period  of  time, 
populations  for  any  given  area  are 
extremely  difficult  to  determine.  A  single 
wolf  pack  on  Isle  Royale  has  been 
observed  to  traverse  the  entire  21 0-square 
mile  area  of  the  island  for  each  of  three 
consecutive  winters,  A  pacl<  may  travel  80 
miles  or  more  in  a  single  night 

Recent  attempts  to  determine  wolf 
populations  in  North  America  have  been 
made  only  on  Isle  Royale;  in  parts  of 
Alaska;  in  Algonquin  Park,  Ontario:  and  in 
Superior  National  Forest,  Isle  Royale's 


wolf  population  varied  from  15  to  28 
animals  during  the  period  1959  to  1970. 
The  wolf  population  of  a  20,000-square- 
mile  area  of  south-central  Alaska  had  the 
remarkable  variation  of  12  individuals  to 
about  450  during  the  years  1953  to  1967 

The  first  systematic  attempt  to  assess  the 
wolf  population  in  Superior  National 
Forest  was  made  by  the  distinguished 
nature  writer  and  environmentalist  Sigurd 
F  Olson  in  1938.  On  the  basis  of 
observations  made  during  his  extensive 
travels  through  the  forest,  and  interviews 


with  rangers,  trappers,  and  game  wardens. 
Olson  estimated  the  population  at  about 
250  for  a  2,500-square-mile  area,  or  about 
one  wolf  per  ten  square  miles 

In  the  late  1940s  and  early  1950s  M.  H 
Stenlund  was  among  the  first  to  use  aerial 
observations  in  arriving  at  a  mean  estimate 
of  240  wolves  over  a  4,100-square-mile 
area,  or  one  animal  for  every  1 7  square 
miles 


Studies  by  Mech  and  L,  D.  Frenzel,  Jr , 
from  1964  to  1969  made  use  of  aerial 
tracking  of  radio-tagged  wolves.  Their 
data  showed  a  probable  increase  in 
wolves  since  Stenlund's  observations,  A 
1972  report  by  V  Van  Ballenberghe,  which 
also  drew  upon  data  from  radio-tracking, 
showed  79  wolves  for  a  720-square-mile 
area,  for  an  average  density  of  one  wolf  per 
9.1  square  miles. 

The  most  recent,  and  probably  the  most 
thorough,  wolf  census  for  Superior 
National  Forest  includes  data  collected  as 
recently  as  June,  1973,  by  Mech  and 
Frenzel.  It  shows  an  estimate  of  9.9  to  1 0.9 
wolves  per  square  mile. 

Other  figures  of  interest  in  the  1973  Mech 
report^  were  a  mean  pack  size  of  5.9  to  6.8 
wolves,  with  a  maximum  pack  size  of  13 
Some  wolves  had  separated  from  their 
pack  to  lead  precarious,  solitary  lives. 
But  in  the  Superior  National  Forest,  says 
Mech,  "the  lone  wolf  is  an  insecure  and 
temporary  member  of  the  population, 
having  a  much  lower  survival  rate  than 
permanent  pack  members." 

In  Minnesota  a  wolf  pair  will  mate  in 
February,  with  an  average  of  five  or  six 
pups  being  born  in  late  April.  If  conditions 
are  favorable,  the  survivors  are  full-grown 
by  fall.  They  remain  with  the  parents 
through  the  winter,  and  normally  do  not  go 
their  separate  ways  until  a  second  litter 
appears  the  following  April.  As  early  as 
February,  or  even  sooner,  pups  may 
separate  from  the  parents. 

During  the  second  winter  the  pack 
consists  of  the  parents,  the  new  pups,  and 
whatever  yearl  ings  that  have  not  dispersed 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


The  tiny  radio  transmitter  (above)  attached  to  the  wolf  by  means  of  a  collar,  transmits  an  interrupted  "beep" 
that  can  be  monitored  from  an  aircraft  up  to  35  miles  away  A  typical  battery,  the  size  of  a  pen-light  battery,  may 
supply  power  for  as  long  as  18  months   The  units  are  manufactured  by  AVf\/l  Instrument  Co  .  of  Champaign.  Ill 

A  wolf  captured  near  International  Falls,  Minn  .  receives  an  ID  tag.  attached  to  the  ear.  before  being  released 
in  /Michigan's  Upper  Peninsula 


or  died.  Each  year  the  cycle  is  repeated  — 
new  pups  being  born,  older  pups 
dispersing — but  with  the  paci<  size 
remaining  about  the  same  from  one  year 
to  the  next. 

The  primary  prey  in  Superior  National 
Forest  is  the  white-tailed  deer  (Odoco/teus 
virginianus):  a  secondary  prey  is  the 
moose  {Alces  americana).  Studies  in  1 959 
showed  a  deer  density  of  166  per  square 
mile  in  a  213-square-mile  section  of  the 
forest  close  to  Lake  Superior.  The 
estimated  wolf  population  for  the  area 
was  one  pack  wolf  per  5.3  square  miles, 
or  about  one  wolf  for  every  880  deer. 

A  decline  in  the  wolf  population  during 
1971-72  is  interpreted  by  Mech  as 

linked  closely  to  a  general  decline  in 
numbers  of  deer  that  is  occurring  throughout 

,    midn'orthern  and  northeastern  United 
States  and  south-central  and  southeastern 
Canada,  apparently  caused  by  maturing 
forests  and  in  increasing  predominance  of 
conifers. 

Although  a  gradual  decrease  in  the  deer 
population  of  northeastern  Minnesota  has 
been  underway  for  two  or  more  decades, 
the  most  drastic  decline  in  recent  years  took 
place  in  the  winter  of  1968-69,  when  the  area 
experienced  the  deepest  snowfall  on  record. 
The  drop  in  wolf  numbers  from  1971-72  to 
1 972-73  was  most  apparent  in  the  area  of  the 
forest  that  was  historically  the  poorest  deer 
range,  primarily  the  eastern  half  of  the 
Boundary  Waters  Canoe  Area.  .  .    During 
the  winter  of  1971 -72  there  were  virtually  no 
deer  present  in  some  300  to  500  square 
miles  of  the  Superior  National  Forest  and  in 
an  even  larger  area  in  1972-73'' 

Mech  contends  that  "even  with  relatively 
high  deer  populations  in  SuperiorNational 
Forest  wolves  will  not  increase  beyond  a 
density  of  approximately  one  wolf  per  9.9 
to  10.9  square  miles  in  early  winter.  .  .   " 

The  maintenance  of  peak  wolf  numbers, 
he  asserts,  is  to  be  predicated  on 
restoration  of  higher  deer  densities.  This, 
in  turn,  depends  on  the  rejuvenation  of 
forests;  that  is  to  say,  replacement  of  some 
of  the  coniferous  growth  by  edible 
broad-leaf  understory — smaller  trees, 
shrubs,  and  herbaceous  plants. 


I''  July/Augusl  1974 


Wolf  "transplant" 

In  a  project  funded  by  the  Huron  Mountain 
Wildlife  Foundation,  tfie  National  Audubon 
Society,  and  Northern  Michigan  University, 
two  male  and  two  female  wolves  have 
been  transplanted  to  Michigan's  Upper 
Peninsula  in  an  attempt  to  permanently 
reestablish  the  species  in  that  area.  David 
Mech  and  William  Robinson,  professor  of 
biology  at  Northern  Michigan  University, 
are  conducting  the  experiment 

The  wolves  were  trapped  this  past 
December  and  January  near  International 
Falls,  Minnesota,  and  flown  to  Michigan 
in  March.  Before  being  released  in  the 
Huron  Mountain  area  near  Lake  Superior, 
the  wolves  were  vaccinated  against 
rabies,  distemper,  leptospirosis,  and 
hepatitis,  and  blood  samples  were  taken. 
The  animals  were  also  given  penicillin  as 
a  precaution  against  infection  and  dosed 
with  vitamins.  Their  ears  were  tagged  and 
the  animals  were  fitted  with  radio  collars. 


At  last  report  the  four  animals  had 
traversed  a  large  part  of  the  peninsula. 
Time  will  tell  whether  they  can,  indeed, 
adjust  to  the  new  territory,  raise  pups,  and 
develop  a  viable,  self-sustaining  pack. 
If  the  experiment  proves  successful,  the 
prospects  will  be  favorable  for  restoring 
the  wolf  to  other  areas  where  man,  out  of 
ignorance  and  fear,  destroyed  it.  □ 


'See  Behaviour  of  Wolves.  Dogs  and  Related 
Canids.  by  Michael  W  Fox,  Harper  &  Row 
(220  pp),  1971 

2The  most  authoritative  work  on  the  wolf  is 
Mech's  The  Walt:  The  Ecology  and  Behavior  of 
an  Endangered  Species:  Natural  History  Press 
(1970).  384  pp. 

^Wolf  Numbers  in  the  Superior  National  Forest 
of  Minnesota:  USDA  Forest  Service  Research 
Paper  NC-97  (1973).  10  pp 

'Wolf  Numbers  in  the  Superior  National  Forest 
of  tJlinnesota.  p  8 


The  four  wolves  transplanted  from  Minnesota  to  Ivlichigan  are  weighed,  measured,  vaccinated,  and  dosed 
with  vitamins  before  their  release. 


ENERGY  (from  p  9) 

such  geophysical  phenomena  as  winds, 
tides,  and  the  Gulf  Stream.  Initially,  at 
least,  people  will  need  to  supplement  the 
solar  energy  with  fossil  fuels.  Ultimately, 
though,  a  satisfactory  civilization  could  be 
based  on  solar  energy. 

During  the  next  decade  we  will  move  further 
in  utilizing  a  number  of  energy  sources,  but 
at  present  progress  is  slow.  A  significant 
part  of  the  present  delays  is  directed  to 
environmental  concerns.  For  example, 
construction  of  the  typical  power  reactor 
today  requires  ten  to  eleven  years.  In  Japan, 
the  corresponding  time  is  four  years  I  am 
no  advocate  of  nuclear  power  and,  indeed, 
lean  to  use  of  coal  instead.  As  a  bystander,  it 
is  my  opinion  that  the  stop-the-reactor 
people  have  won  a  few  battles,  but  they 
have  lost  the  war.  For  every  reactor  they 
have  stopped,  ten  have  been  authorized. 
They  have  mainly  succeeded  in  causing 
extensive  delays. 

Now,  no  thoughtful  person  could  want  a 
return  to  the  ruinous  practices  of  a 
generation  ago.  We  must  safeguard  the 
environment,  but  that  does  not  mean  "Stop 
everything!"  Indeed,  those  who  follow  such 
a  line  are  the  most  dangerous  foes  of  the 
environmental  movement.  It  seems 
impossible  to  obtain  energy  materials  or  to 
use  them  without  some  environmental 
impact.  One  of  the  great  challenges  of  this 
next  decade  will  be  to  evolve  a  better 
method  of  decision-making  in  such  matters 
as  energy  vs.  the  environment. 

We  ought  to  be  embarking  on  a  crash  basis 
to  construct  several  prototype  plants  to 
obtain  clean  fuels  from  coal  and  shale.  An 
investment  of  five  to  ten  billion  dollars  could 
teach  us  fast  how  best  to  proceed  in 
achieving  real  energy  independence.  Atthe 
same  time,  we  should  be  prepared  to  take 
realistic  steps  to  cut  wasteful  burning  of 
hydrocarbons  by  drastic  increases  in 
taxation  of  and  costs  for  such  fuels. 

We  have  in  abundance  the  technical  talents 
and  the  natural  resources  to  work  our  way 
out  of  the  current  morass.  But  the  public 
must  understand  the  enormous  magnitude 
of  the  problem,  and  realize  that  there  are  no 
shortcuts  or  easy  solutions.  □ 


CLIP  COUPON  AND  RETURN  TODAY! 


field  museum's 
summer  evening 
slide  lectures 


July  24  program: 
The  Beginning  of  Life 

No.  of  persons  attending  , 


July  31  program: 
Changing  Lake  Michigan 

No.  of  persons  attending  . 


August  7  program: 

Art  in  Me/anesia:  New  freiand 

No.  of  persons  attending        . 


August  14  program: 

Natural  History  of  the  Highlands 

of  Eastern  Ethiopia 

No.  of  persons  attending 


Member's  name 


Street 


City 


State 


Zip 


(dai/time) 


(evening) 


Amount  enclosed:  $ 


All  reservations  will  be  confirmed. 


For  further  information  call  Dorothy  Roder. 
Field  Museum.  922-9410.  ext  206  or  219. 


Take  Four  Vacations 
This  Summer 

For  $5.00  Each! 


COME  JOURNEY  WITH  US— to  the  Beginning  of  Life 

— to  the  Depths  of  Lake  Michigan 

— to  Melanesia  and  its  Art 

— to  the  Mountains  of  Ethiopia 

This  IS  an  opportunity  for  members  of  Field  Museum  to  chat  informally  with  our  curators, 
journey  with  them  on  their  varied  explorations,  and  to  have  dinner  in  the  pleasant  am- 
bience of  the  exhibit  halls.  Make  your  reservations  now  for  our  festival  of  summer  evening 
slide  lectures 

•  Dr  Matthew  H.  Nitecki,  associate  curator  of  fossil  invertebrates,  will  discuss  history  as 
recorded  in  ancient  sedimentary  rocks.  Fossils  of  the  oldest  known  organisms  are 
among  the  most  fascinating.  Even  though  the  record  of  early  life  is  difficult  to  study, 
recent  research  has  demonstrated  that  there  were  forms  of  life  on  our  planet  at  least 
three  billion  years  ago 

•  Mr.  Loren  Woods,  curator  of  fishes,  has  studied  the  fish  and  other  aquatic  life  in  Lake 
Michigan  for  more  than  thirty  years  and  has  had  the  unique  advantage  of  studying 
these  forms  of  life  from  the  decks  of  commercial  fishing  vessels.  He  will  speak  on  the 
deterioration  of  fishing  in  the  Great  Lakes. 

•  Dr  Phillip  Lewis,  curator  of  primitive  art  and  Melanesian  ethnology,  will  lecture  on  the 
art  of  New  Ireland,  a  large  island  m  Melanesia.  Since  the  early  1 950s  Dr  Lewis  has  made 
a  specialty  of  the  art  of  this  region.  He  has  made  two  extensive  field  trips  to  New  Ireland, 
and  has  studied  the  collections  of  museums  in  Europe  and  the  Pacific  area,  as  well  as 
various  collections  in  the  United  States. 

•  Dr  William  C.  Burger,  associate  curator,  vascular  plants,  completes  the  series  with 
an  illustrated  color  slide  program  on  the  mountainous  areas  of  eastern  Ethiopia,  which 
rise  to  an  elevation  of  1 1,000  feet.  The  different  climate  zones  of  the  mountains  support 
distinctive  ecosystems.  Each  zone  has  its  characteristic  plants  and  animals.  The  life 
styles  of  the  people  living  there  are  adapted  to  these  various  zones. 


The  four  programs  are  scheduled  for  four  consecutive  Wednesday  evenings  (July  24,  31; 
August  7,  14),  beginning  at  6:30  p.m.  and  concluding  around  9;00  p.m. 

Reservations  will  be  accepted  on  a  first  come,  first  served  basis.  Applications  should 
be  accompanied  by  full  payment  of  $5,00  per  person,  covering  dinner  and  the  program. 
Children  twelve  years  of  age  and  older  are  invited:  guests  of  members  are  also  welcome. 


July  Augusl  1974 


field  briefs 


Above,  left  during  a  recent  Museum  tour,  actor  Cesar  Romero  and  Bob  Kosturak.  an  exhibit  designer  for 
ttie  Department  of  Exliibition.  cliatted  over  a  portion  of  ttie  extiibit  model  for  the  "Man  in  His  Environment" 
program,  scheduled  for  presentation  at  the  l^useum  in  1975 

Above,  right:  Field-  Associates  tJIr.  and  Mrs.  William  S.  Street  discuss  forthcoming  expedition  possibilities  witii 
Museum  staff  members  Shown  (I.  to  r )  are  Mr  Street:  Dr  Anthony  F.  DeBlase.  chief  of  security  and  visitor 
services:  Mrs  Street:  Dr  Rupert  L  Wenzel.  chairman.  Department  of  Zoology:  Dr  Luis  de  la  Torre,  curator  of 
mammals:  E  Leiand  Webber.  Field  Museum  director.  Dr  Lonn  I  Nevling.  Jr..  chairman.  Department  of 
Botany:  and  Dr  Robert  F  Inger.  Assistant  director,  science  and  education.  The  Streets  recently  returned  from 
a  zoological  expedition  to  Nepal  This  was  their  fourth  such  venture  undertaken  on  behalf  of  the  Museum 
Earlier,  they  conducted  two  expeditions  to  Iran  and  one  to  Afghanistan  Much  of  what  is  known  about  the 
mammals  of  this  part  of  the  world  is  due  to  the  continued  support  by  these  loyal  friends  of  the  Museum 

Field  Museum's  Contemporary  African  Arts  Festival  will  be  highlighted  in  July  by  performances  of  the  Osibi 
Dance  Group  (July  13)  and  Tanawa  (July  27)  The  Osibi.  from  Ghana,  will  perform  warrior  dances,  cult 
dances,  and  harvest  festival  dances,  as  well  as  recreational  dances  Victor  Clottey.  of  the  Osibi.  is  shown 
below.  Tanawa.  a  Congolese  family  group  of  dancers,  singers,  actors,  and  musicians,  will  do  traditional 
and  contemporary  interpretations  of  Congolese  folklore  A  Tanawa  drummer  is  shown  at  right 


Field  Museum  BuHelin 


FIELDIANA 

is  a  continuing 

series  of  scientific 

papers  and  monographs 

dealing  with  anthropology,  botany, 
geology,  and  zoology  intended 
primarily  for  exchange-distribution 
to  museums,  libraries,  and  uni- 
versities, but  also  available  for 
purchase. 


■  lELD  Museum's  Annual  Report  of  the 
Director  for  1 895  introduced  tine  series 


which  would  one  day  be  called  Fieldiana 
as  "the  medium  of  presenting  to  the  world 
the  results  of  the  research  and  investi- 
gation conducted  under  the  auspices  of 
the  Museum,  .  .  ."  Since  then,  more  than 
1,200  issues  of  Fieldiana  have  been 
published 


THE  series  has  reflected  not  only  the 
growth  and  development  of  Field 
Museum,  but  of  the  various  sciences  as 
well.  For  example,  anthropology  was  just 
emerging  as  a  professional  discipline  in 
the  United  States  at  the  time  of  F/e/d/ana's 
mtroduction  and  some  of  the  most  im- 
portant early  anthropologists  contributed 
to  the  series. 


ANY  title  of  F/e/d/ana -dated  1895  or 
,  1974 — can  be  examined  in  the  Mu- 
seum library.  All  that  are  not  out  of  print  are 
available  for  purchase. 


IN  this  age  of  imperative  relevance, 
Fieldiana  is  relevant  It  describes  and 
interprets  our  world  and  its  inhabitants  as 
it  was  and  is.  For  conservationists  of  both 
human  and  natural  resources,  Fieldiana 
provides  a  record  of  what  was  so  that  we 
can  measure  what  we  have  changed,  im- 
proved, or  destroyed.  Fieldiana  has  been 
pure  science  as  well  —  irritating  to  those 
who  demand  "But  what  can  you  use  it 
for?"  but  inspiring  to  those  who  appreciate 
and  desire  knowledge  for  its  own  sake 


RECENT  FIELDIANA 
PUBLICATIONS 


Fieldiana  Anthropology 


"Nushagak  An  Historic  Trading  Center  in 
Southwestern  Alaska."  by  James  W  VanStone: 
93  pp  ,  16  plates,  5  figs  Vol  62,  publication 
no.  1145    $4.25 


"Paleoecology  of  Hay  Hollow  Site,  Arizona,"  by 
Vorslla  L  Bohrer;  30  pp  ,  6  figs.  Vol.  63,  no.  1, 
publication  no   1144   $1  25 


"Ttie  First  Peary  Collection  of  Polar  Eskimo 
Material  Culture."  by  James  W.  VanStone; 
50  pp  ,  12  figs  Vol  63,  no  2;  publication 
no   1156.  $2,00 


"V,  S,  Khromchenko's  Coastal  Explorations  in 
Southwestern  Alaska,  1822,"  James  W 
VanStone,  editor:  translated  by  David  H.  Kraus. 
95  pp ,  5  figs  Vol  64;  publication  no.  1172 
$4,25. 


"The  Fauna  from  the  Terminal  Pleistocene  of 
Palegawra  Cave,  a  Zarzian  Occupation  Site  in 
Northeastern  Iraq,"  by  Priscilla  F.  Turnbull  and 
Charles  A  Reed,  66  pp.,  10  plates,  10  figs 
Vol,  63,  no  3   Publication  no    1183' 


Fieldiana  Geology 


"Osteology,  Function,  and  Evolution  of  the 
Trematopsid  (Amphibia:  Labyrinthodontia) 
Nasal  Region,"  by  John  R  Bolt;  30  pp.,  5  tigs. 
Vol   33,  no.  2,  publication  no.  1178.  $1.25 


"Chesterian  (Upper  tvlississippian)  Gastropoda 
of  the  Illinois  Basin,"  by  Myint  Lwin  Them  and 
Matthew  H,  Nitecki;  238  pp.,  103  figs  Vol  34, 
publication  no,  1179    $11  50 

"The  Structure  and  Evolution  of  Teeth  in  Lung- 
fishes,"  by  Robert  H,  Denison,  28  pp.,  15  figs 
Vol.  33,  no  3;  publication  no   1180    $1  25 


Fieldiana  Botany 


"Flora  of  Guatemala."  by  Johnnie  L  Gentry,  Jr 
and  Paul  C,  Standley;  151  pp.,  20  figs.  Vol  24, 
partX,  nos   1  &  2,  Publication  no  1 184   $6  00 


"Notes  on  the  Genus  Hygroiembidium 
(Hepaticae),"  by  John  J,  Engle:  7  pp ,  2  tigs 
Vol   36,  no.  7.  Publication  no   1181    $0.75 


"Flora  of  Guatemala,"  by  Paul  C  Standley, 
Louis  0.  Williams,  and  Dorothy  Nash  Gibson; 
322  pp.,  88  figs  Vol  24,  part  X,  nos.  3  &  4. 
Publication  no   1187* 


Fieldiana  Zoology 

"Eupomacentrus  diencaeus  Jordan  and  Rutter. 
A  Valid  Species  of  Damselfish  from  the  Western 
Tropical  Atlantic,"  by  David  W  Greenfield  and 
Loren  P.  Woods;  12  pp  ,  5  figs.  Vol.  65,  no.  2. 
Publication  no    1182    $1  00 


'Myoproctaiges  surinamensis.  a  New  Genus 
and  Species  of  Mite  Parasite  on  the  Acuchi 
Myopacta  acouyctiy  from  Surinam  (Psorop- 
tidae,  Psoralginae  Sarcoptiformes),"by  A  Fain 
and  F.  Lukoschus;  17  pp..  Vol  65.  no  3, 
Publication  no,  1 185,* 

"Preliminary  Key  to  the  Turtles,  Lizards,  and 
Amphisbaenians  of  Iran,"  by  Steven  C. 
Anderson;  17  pp  ,  Vol  65,  no  4  Publication 
no    1186* 

*Price  10  be  announced 


Orders  for  Fieldiana  should  be  directed  to  Field  Museum's 
Oflice  of  Publications  Members  are  entitled  to  a  10  percent 
discount  Standing  orders  accepted  Please  specify 
publication  number  wlien  ordering 


July/August  1974 


Funds  from  Field  Museums  Capital  Campaign  will  be 
used  to  make  the  Museum  barrier-free.  "Plans  include 
a  ground-floor  entrance,  special  parking  facilities  for 
tfie  handicapped,  wide  lavatory  stalls,  and  low  phone 
booths  and  drinking  fountains  Large  elevators  will 
easily  accommodate  persons  on  crutches  and  in 
wheelchairs.  Stair-climbtng  for  the  handicapped  will 
be  a  thing  of  the  past. 


^^'% 


^ 

« 


^^ya^^ 


Counting  on  Members  to  Push 
Capital  Campaign  Over  the  Top 


The  $25  Million  Capital  Campaign  for  renovation  of  Field 
Museum  has  thrived  for  nearly  three  years.  During  this 
exciting  time  of  bringing  the  Museum's  story  about  its 
modernization  needs  to  prospective  donors,  many  Museum 
members  have  in  some  way  become  involved  in  the 
campaign. 

Recently,  the  Capital  Campaign  general  chairman,  Trustee 
Nicholas  Galitzine,  reported  that  $11.1  million  of  the  private 
gift  share  of  $12.5  million  has  been  pledged.  Private  gifts 
for  the  campaign  are  being  matched  with  public  funds 
through  bonding  authority  of  the  Chicago  Park  District. 

The  trustees.  Women's  Board  members,  and  other  close 
friends  of  the  Museum  have  been  a  great  help  in  bringing  the 
campaign  to  within  nearly  10  percent  of  its  goal.  According 
to  Chairman  Galitzine.  all  Museum  members  will  be  solicited 
during  this  summer.  They  may  elect  to  pledge  their  gifts  over 
a  three-year  period.  It  is  our  hope  that  every  Museum 
member  will  become  a  part  of  this  once-in-a-lifetime  effort. 

The  Capital  Campaign  funds  will  be  used  to  update  the 
Museum  s  physical  plant  and  will  help  the  Museum  meet  the 
increasing  demands  being  placed  upon  its  scientific 
col  lections;  its  research,  educational,  and  exhibit  programs. 
We  hope  that  every  Museum  Member  in  future  years  can 
turn  to  those  joining  him  on  a  Museum  tour  and  honestly  say, 
"It  makes  me  feel  good  to  know  that  I  helped  make  it 
possible." 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


JULY- AUGUST  a,  F^eldM 


useum 


EXHIBITS 


Continuing 

Contemporary  African  Arts  Festival,  the  first  comprehensive  program  of  its 

una  in  the  U  S  ,  features  the  work  of  painters,  printmal^ers.  sculptors,  and 
fabric  designers,  as  well  as  music,  films,  lectures,  dances,  and  other  events. 
Through  November  3  Hall  27 

Special  July  and  August  events  are: 

Films  in  studio  in  exhibit  area: 
Daily  at  1  30  p  m 

July  6-12  Malawi:  Two  Young  Men  and  Women  up  in  Arms 
July  13-19  Ancient  Africans  and  In  Search  of  Myself 
July  20-26  The  Creative  Person:  Leopold  Sedar  Senghor 

and  The  Swamp  Dwellers 
July  27-Aug  2  Gelede.  Africa  Dances,  and  Heartbeat  of  Africa 
Aug  3-9  New  Images.  Abuja  Pottery.  East  African  Wood  Carver. 

and  Talking  Drums 
Aug    10-16   The  Hadza  and  Bitter  Melons 
Aug    17-23  The  Tuareg.  Nawi.  and  Masai  Warrior 
Aug  24-30  The  Dry  Season  and  African  Village:  Guinea 
Aug  31:  Malawi:  Two  Young  Men  arid  Women  up  in  Arms 

Fridays  at  730  p  m.:  the  films  of  Ousmane  Sembene 

July  12  Emitai 

July  19  Borom  Sarrel  and  Tauw 

July  26.  Black  Girl 

August  2:  Mandabi 

August  9  Emitai 

August  16  Borom  Sarret  and  Tauw 

August  23  Black  Girl 

August  30:  Mandabi 

Sunday,  July  28,  4:00  p  m    The  Hunters 
Sunday,  Aug.  25.  4:00  p  m    To  Live  with  Herds 

Saturday,  July  6 

Contemporary  African  Arts  Lecture  Series,  co-sponsored  by  Field  Museum  and 
Chicago  State  University,  begins  at  1 1  00  a  m   for  8  consecutive  5-hour 
Saturday  sessions.  The  credit  course,  intended  for  teachers  of  African  art 
■md  music  on  a  preregistered,  cost  basis,  is  free  to  the  public.  Studio.  Hall  27 

^..Viurday   July  6 

Poetry  and  Music  Demonstration  with  Dennis  Brutus  of  South  Africa  and  Njokl 

of  the  Cultural  Workshop  of  North  Chicago 

10:30  a.m.  and  2  30  p.m..  Studio,  Hail  27 

Saturday,  July  13 

Dances  of  Ghana,  by  Osibi  Dance  Group 

ID  30  a  m   and  2  00  p.m  .  Stanley  Field  Hall 

Saturday.  July  20 

Coming  of  Age  in  Chicago."  a  ceremony  performed  by  teenagers  from  high 
schools  and  community  organizations  who  have  participated  in  Field  Museum's 
Contemporary  African  Arts  Anthropology  Workshop 
10:30  a.m.  and  2:30  p.m..  Stanley  Field  Hall 

Saturday.  July  27 

Dance  and  Drum  Performance  by  Tanawa  Congolese  Ensemble 

in  30  a  m   and  ?  30  p  m    Stanley  Field  Hall 


Saturday  August  3 

Thumb  Piano  Music  Demonstration  by  Elkm  Sithole  (Zulu) 

10.30  and  11  30  am.  2  30  and  3  30  p  m  .  Stanley  Field  Hall 

Saturday,  August  10 

"Textiles  and  African  Fashion."  a  demonstration,  with  Angie  Ihejirika 

of  Nigeria 

10  30  and  11  30  a  m  ,  230  and  3  30  pm  ,  Stanley  Field  Hall 

Saturday.  August  17 

Liberian  Dance  and  Song  Demonstration  with  Tednyma  Kumah 

10  30  and  11.30  am  .  2  30  and  3  30  p  m  .  Stanley  Field  Hall 

Saturday.  August  24  and  31 

"Coming  of  Age  in  Chicago."  (see  July  20.  above) 

10  30  and  1 1  30  am  .  2  30  and  3:30  p.m  ,  Stanley  Field  Hall 


Edwin  Janss  Jr.  Underwater  Photography,  an  exhibit  of  exciting  color  prints 

Through  September  8   Hall  9 

Field  Museum's  Anniversary  Exhibit  continues  indefinitely    "A  Sense  of  Wonder 
offers  thought-provoking  prose  and  poetry  associated  with  the  physical,  biological, 
and  cultural  aspects  of  nature;  "A  Sense  of  History"  presents  a  graphic  .portrayal 
of  the  Museum's  past:  and  "A  Sense  of  Discovery "  shows  examples  of  research 
conducted  by  Museum  scientists  Hall  3 


SPECIAL  PROGRAM 

Guided  tours  of  Museum  exhibit  areas  leave  north  information  booth  at  2:00 
p  m  daily.  Mon  through  Fri .  July  and  August,  except  Thursday.  July  4. 


CHILDREN'S  PROGRAM 

Through  August  31 

Summer  Journey  for  Children,   The  Artist  s  Zoo.'  a  free  self-guided  tour  of 
Museum  exhibits,  focuses  on  animal  designs  used  by  Native  Amehcan  and 
African  artists  to  decorate  objects  Youngsters  are  given  a  sketchbook  in 
which  to  draw  their  own  motifs  as  part  of  the  project  All  boys  and  girls 
who  can  read  and  write  may  join  in  the  activity.  Journey  sheets  in  English 
and  Spanish  are  available  at  entrances 


MEETINGS 

July  5.  7:30  p  m  .  Chicago  Astronomical  Society 

July  10,  7:30  p  m  .  Windy  City  Grotto.  National  Speleological  Society 

August  2.  7:30  p  m  .  Chicago  Astronomical  Society 

August  14,  7:30  p.m  .  Windy  City  Grotto.  National  Speleological  Society 


HOURS 

9:00  a.m.  to  6:00  p  m  fvlonday.  Tuesday,  and  Tfiursday.  and  9  00  a  m  to 
9:00  p  m.  Wednesday.  Friday,  Saturday,  and  Sunday  On  evenings  when  the 
t\/1useum  has  late  closing  hours  the  cafeteria  remains  open  until  7  30  p.m. 

The  lyluseum  Library  is  open  9:00  a.m.  to  4  00  p.m.  Iwlonday  through  Friday 
Please  obtain  pass  at  reception  desk,  main  floor  north 

Museum  telephone:  922-9410 


September 
1974 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  Bulletin 


Field  Museum 
of  Natural  History 
Bulletin 

Volume  45,  Number  l 
September  1974 


Managing  Editor  G.  Henry  Ottery 
Editor  David  M.  Walsten 
Staff  Writer  Madge  Jacobs 
Production  Oscar  Anderson 


CONTENTS 


"PHARAOH"  HATSHEPSUT 

History's  First  Liberated  Woman 
by  Gerda  Frank 

3 

DEPARTMENT  OF  EDUCATION 

Some  New  and  Continuing  Programs 

8 

NATURAL  HISTORY  MUSEUMS,  TROPICAL 
DISEASES,  AND  TAXONOMY 

by  Bengt  Hubendicl< 

14 

"EXPEDITIONS  UNLIMITED" 

Edward  E.  Ayer  Illustrated  Lecture  Series 

17 

OUR  ENVIRONMENT 

18 

FIELD  MUSEUM'S  REDEDICATION 
AND  THE  CAPITAL  CAMPAIGN 

20 

FIELD  BRIEFS 

22 

RAY  A.  KROC  ENVIRONMENTAL 
EDUCATION  PROGRAM 

23 

SEPTEMBER  AT  FIELD  MUSEUM: 
CALENDAR  OF  COMING  EVENTS 

bacl<  cover 

Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Director  E.  Leiand  Webber 


Board  of  Trustees 

Blaine  J.  Yarringlon, 

President 
Gordon  Bent 
Harry  O.  Bercher 
Bowen  Blair 
Stanton  R.  Cook 
William  R.  Dickinson.  Jr. 
Ttiomas  E.  Donnelley  II 
Mrs,  Thomas  E.  Donnelley  I 
Marstiall  Field 
Nictiolas  Galitzine 
Paul  W.  Goodrich 
Remick  McDowell 
Hugo  J.  Melvoin 
J.  Roscoe  Miller 
William  H.  Mitchell 
Charles  F.  Murphy,  Jr. 
Harry  M.  Oliver,  Jr. 
John  T.  Pirie,  Jr. 
John  S.  Runnells 
William  L.  Searle 


Edward  Byron  Smith 
Mrs.  Hermon  Dunlap 

Smith 
John  W.  Sullivan 
William  G.  Swarlchild,  Jr. 
E.  Leiand  Webber 
Julian  B.  Wilkins 

Life  Trustees 

William  McCormick  Blair 
Joseph  N.  Field 
Clifford  C.  Gregg 
Samuel  Insull,  Jr. 
William  V.  Kahler 
Hughslon  M.  McBain 
James  L.  Palmer 
John  G,  Searle 
John  M.  Simpson 
Louis  Ware 
J.  Howard  Wood 


COVER 

Field  Museum's  north  portico  and  Lake  Stiore  Drive,  looking 
north,  on  ttie  occasion  of  Field  Museum's  eightieth  anniversary 
rededication  ceremonies,  June  25.  See  pp.  20-21. 

Photo  credits 

Cover:  Chicago  Tribune:  3:  The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art;  4:  Oscar 
Anderson:  8:  James  Swarlchild;  10,  top:  Barbara  Reque,  bottom:  David 
Moore;  12-13:  Oscar  Anderson;  18:  John  H.  Gerard;  20,  top:  Kent  Buell, 
bottom:  G.  Henry  Ottery;  19,  top,  bottom:  John  Bayaiis,  Sr..  middle: 
Kent  Buell;  22,  lower  left:  Oregon  Museum  of  Science  and  Industry, 
lower  right:  G.  Henry  Ottery. 


Field  Museum  ol  Natural  History  Bulletin  is  published  monthly, 
except  combined  July/August  issue,  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  Illinois  60605. 
Subscriptions:  $6  a  year;  $3  a  year  for  schools.  Members  of  the 
Museum  subscribe  through  Museum  membership.  Opinions 
expressed  by  authors  are  their  own  and  do  not  necessarily  reflect  the 
policy  of  Field  Museum.  Unsolicited  manuscripts  are  welcome. 
Postmaster;  Please  send  form  3579  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago.  Illinois  60605. 
ISSN:  0015-0703- 


"PHARAOH" 
HATSHEPSUT 

History's  First 
Liberated  Woman 

by  Gerda  Frank 


IF  indeed,  as  critics  of  the  age  proclaim, 
we  are  suffering  from  a  deartfi  of 
hero  figures,  this  is  an  appropriate  time 
to  put  a  great  female  ruler  of  ancient 
Egypt,  Queen  Hatshepsut,  back  into  the 
limelight.  Even  though  she  liberated  only 
herself,  without  concern  for  her 
"sisters,"  Hatshepsut  should  be  of 
particular  interest  to  women's  lib 
advocates. 

Hatshepsut  ruled  Egypt  from  1 490  to 
1469  B.C.,  during  the  New  Kingdom 
(dynasties  XVIII-XX).  Her  grandfather 
was  the  founder  of  dynasty  XVIII — a  high 
point  in  culture  and  the  arts — which 
ended  with  the  death  of  the  boy-king 
Tutankhamen. 

The  first  pharaoh  of  dynasty  XVIII  was 
Ahmose  (1 552-27).  He  was  succeeded 
by  his  son  Amenophis  I,  who  died  in 
1506,  leaving  no  direct  heirs.  Next  in  line 
of  succession  was  his  sister,  also  named 
Ahmose,  who  was  married  to  a  military 
man — possibly  a  relative — named 
Tutmosis  (or  Thutmose).  According  to 
custom.  Princess  Ahmose  was  not 
expected  to  rule  in  her  own  right,  so  her 
husband — by  virtue  of  his  chief  wife's 
full  royal  bloodline — was  crowned 
Tutmosis  I.  He  proved  to  be  a  strong 
ruler  and  conqueror,  and  is  renowned  >■ 

Gerda  Frank,  a  specialist  in  Egyptology,  is  a 
volunteer  lor  Field  Museum's  Raymond  Foun- 
dation and  formerly  a  docent  tor  the  Oriental 
Institute  ot  the  University  ot  Chicago. 


The  Metropolitan  Museum  ot  Art.  Rogers  Fund  and 
Contributions  from  Edward  S.  Harlfness.  1929. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


Bust  ol  Tulmosis  III, 
in  case  43,  hall  J. 
Replica  ol  the  original 
in  the  Turin  Museum. 
Turin,  Italy.  Cat.  No.  31358. 


for  having  his  tomb  hewn  m  rock  in  a 
remote  valley  of  the  west  bank  of  the 
Nile  at  Thebes;  there  it  would  be  less 
accessible  to  the  kind  of  desecration 
that  had  befallen  the  pyramid  tombs  of 
his  predecessors.  The  valley  chosen  by 
Tutmosis  became  the  burial  site  of  many 
subsequent  rulers  and  is  today  known  as 
the  "Valley  of  the  Kings." 

Tutmosis  I  died  at  about  age  fifty,  without 
a  male  heir  by  his  chief  queen.  Of  the 
several  children  born  to  her,  only  one 
survived:  a  daughter,  Hatshepsut.  In 
order  to  keep  the  royal  power  in  the 


family,  Hatshepsut  was  married  when 
very  young  to  a  half-brother — also 
named  Tutmosis — who  was  the  son  of 
Tutmosis  I  from  a  secondary  wife,  and 
therefore  not  of  full  royal  blood.  He 
ascended  the  throne  as  Tutmosis  II.  The 
condition  of  his  mummified  body 
shows  that  he  had  been  weak  and  sickly. 
Certainly  he  was  overshadowed  by  the 
strong-willed  royal  women;  his  mother- 
in-law,  Ahmose,  and  his  wife,  the  great 
Queen  Hatshepsut. 


Like  the  king  before  him,  Tutmosis  II  had 
no  male  heir.  Hatshepsut  gave  him  only 


two  daughters,  Nefrure  and  Merytre. 
Nefrure  seems  to  have  died  in  childhood; 
thus,  another  dynastic  crisis  threatened 
— considering  the  king's  precarious 
health.  Merytre,  therefore,  was  married 
at  a  very  early  age  to  her  half-brother,  yet 
another  Tutmosis,  who  was  the  son  of 
Tutmosis  II  by  a  concubine.  When  his 
father  died,  this  last  Tutmosis  was  only 
ten  years  old,  but  already  he  had 
probably  been  appointed  co-regent  by 
his  father.  He  now  succeeded  to  the 
throne  of  Egypt  as  Tutmosis  III;  and 
Hatshepsut,  still  a  young  woman,  was 
appointed  to  rule  for  him  until  he 
attained  his  majority. 


September  1974 


THE  tomb  of  Tutmosis  II  and  his 
funerary  temple  fiave  botfi  been 
found.  Tfiey  were  so  devoid  of 
adornment  and  obviously  so  neglected 
that  it  is  reasonable  to  assume  that 
Hatshepsut  had  but  little  affection  for 
her  weak  husband.  She  also  seems  to 
have  resented  Tutmosis  III — her  stepson, 
son-in-law,  nephew — now  the  only 
obstacle  to  the  fulfillment  of  her 
ambitions.  Like  her  mother,  Ahmose, 
Hatshepsut  could  only  attain  the  status  of 
a  queen.  Among  her  titles  were  "King's 
Daughter,"  "King's  Sister,"  "God's 
Wife,"  and  "King's  Great  Wife."  Being 
relegated  to  playing  second  fiddle  seems 
to  have  irked  Hatshepsut,  and  she  acted 
on  a  bold  decision  that  might  well  qualify 
her  as  history's  first  "liberated  "  woman: 
About  two  years  after  her  husband's 
death,  Hatshepsut  donned  male  attire, 
attached  the  false  beard  of  male  royalty 
to  her  chin,  seized  the  throne,  and 
proclaimed  herself  king!  When  Tutmosis 
III  came  of  age,  she  refused  to  relinquish 
the  throne  to  him  and  continued  to  rule 
virtually  alone  under  all  the  titles  of  male 
royalty,  except  "Mighty  Bull  of  Egypt"! 
Never  before  or  since  in  the  history  of 
Egypt  was  there  another  female  who 
posed  as  a  man.' 


W1   E  can  only  conjecture  what 
might  have  been  the  feelings 
of  Tutmosis  III,  who  nowhere 
expressed  them  in  writing.  Tutmosis  111 
was  unlike  his  father — as  he  later 
proved — in  that  he  appeared  to  be 
strong-willed  and  ambitious.  Both 
Hatshepsut  and  later  Tutmosis  III  dated 
their  respective  reigns  from  the 
beginning  of  their  somewhat  lopsided 
co-regency.  During  her  21  years'  reign, 
Hatshepsut  proved  that  she  was  a  woman 
who  could  rule  as  well  as — if  not  better 
than — most  of  her  male  predecessors. 
But  since  she  lived  nearly  3,500  years 
ago,  Hatshepsut  could  not  yet  use  the 
modern  argument  of  sexual  equality. 
Being  a  daughter  of  her  own  time,  she 

'Egypt  had  two  ottier  queens  prior  to  Hat- 
shepsut, but  Hatshepsut  was  the  first  queen 
to  assurr>e  the  role  ot  king. 


justified  her  actions  by  claiming  divine 
descent. 

The  pharaoh,  it  must  be  remembered, 
was  on  a  par  with  ancient  Egypt's  chief 
god,  Amon  of  Thebes.  Unlike  her  mother, 
Ahmose,  who  had  bowed  to  tradition, 
Hatshepsut  often  proclaimed  her  right  to 
the  throne,  for  only  she  was  of  full  royal 
blood.  In  her  great  temple  at  Deir-el- 
Bahri  she  had  reliefs  carved  that  show 
Amon  in  the  form  of  Tutmosis  I  visiting 
her  mother's  couch  in  order  to  beget 
Hatshepsut.  This  relief  is  followed  by 
another  depicting  her  own  divine  birth. 
The  fact  that  she  also  claimed  descent 
from  her  actual  father,  Tutmosis  I,  posed 
no  contradiction  for  her.  In  fact,  she  often 
joined  her  own  cartouche  (the  royal 
name  carved  in  hieroglyphs  within  an 
oval  line)  to  that  of  her  father,  ignoring 
the  fact  that  he  had  not  been  of  pure 
royal  blood  himself.  But  then,  she  simply 
seems  to  have  preferred  her  father  to 
Tutmosis  II  and  III. 


ON  the  other  hand,  Hatshepsut  was 
smart  enough  to  put  her  own 
feminine  charms  to  good  use: 
After  asserting  that  she  was  engendered 
by  the  deity,  Hatshepsut  continued  to 
record  that  after  she,  the  "divine 
princess,"  had  grown  up,  her  father, 
Tutmosis  I,  entrusted  his  royal  office  to 
her,  and  that  she  was  acclaimed  as 
"exceedingly  good  to  look  upon,  with  the 
form  and  spirit  of  a  god  ...  a  beautiful 
maiden,  fresh,  serene  of  nature,  .  . . 
altogether  divine."^  Hatshepsut's  many 
resurrected  statues  bear  out  her  claim 
that  she  was  lovely.  Throughout  her 
lifetime  of  about  59  years  she  had  herself 
portrayed  only  in  the  full  bloom  of  youth. 

The  matter  of  Hatshepsut's  descent  has 
long  been  a  subject  of  controversy 
among  Egyptologists.  Early  in  this 
century,  Edouard  Naville,  a  Swiss  who 
first  excavated  Hatshepsut's  temple,  got 
into  such  violent  arguments  with  the   *■ 

'When  Egypt  Ruled  the  East,  by  George 
Steindorfl  and  Keith  C.  Seele,  University  ot 
Chicago  Press  (1965),  p.  41. 


fMSM 


Sandstone  sculpture  ot  an  official  ot  Queen  Hat- 
shepsut. About  18  inches  high.  On  view  in  case 
40,  hall  J.   Cat.  No.    105184. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


German  Egyptologist  Kurt  Sethe  about 
her  succession,  that  the  two  of  them 
refused  to  speak  with  one  another  and 
could  not  even  bear  to  be  in  the  same 
room. 

On  one  occasion,  while  both  men  were 
working  at  Delr-el-Bahrl,  the  ground 
caved  In  under  Naville's  field  house,  and 
the  kitchen — including  pots,  pans,  and 
the  astonished  cook — tumbled  Into  the 
pit.  Madame  Naville  was  so  distressed 
that  she  urged  her  husband  to 
Immediately  pack  up  and  return  to 
Switzerland.  The  Sethes,  however, 
offered  to  share  their  own  field  house 
while  repairs  were  made,  on  condition 
that  Hatshepsut  was  not  to  be  mentioned. 
The  Navllles  accepted,  and  the  two 
couples  spent  a  delightful  Interlude 
together.  But  as  soon  as  the  Naville's 
kitchen  was  back  In  working  order,  they 
returned  to  their  own  field  house,  and  the 
Hatshepsut  feud  resumed. 


A  FTER  Hatshepsut  proclaimed 
£\     herself  king,  she  no  longer 
#     %  considered  her  first  tomb  to  be 
adequate.  Accordingly,  she  ordered  a 
new  tomb  carved  Into  the  rocks  of  the 
Valley  of  the  Kings,  an  unheard-of  act  for 
a  woman.  The  entrance  was  hewn  Into 
the  cliffs  just  behind  Delr-el-Bahri,  In  an 
obvious  attempt  to  have  her  burial 
chamber  penetrate  beneath  her  mortuary 
temple.  But  this  idea  was  abandoned 
when  the  rock  proved  too  crumbly.  The 
unfinished  tomb,  discovered  In  1903, 
contained  two  sarcophagi,  "one  altered 
as  an  afterthought  to  receive  the  body  of 
Tutmosis  I  which  she  apparently  planned 
to  remove  from  his  own  tomb  so  that  they 
might  dwell  together  In  the  Netherworld. 
It  is  uncertain  whether  this  aim  was  ever 
achieved."^  Hatshepsut's  mummy  has 
never  been  found 

In  the  light  of  modern  attitudes,  we  may 
guess  why  feelings  concerning 
Hatshepsut  ran  so  high.  Human  nature 
has  not  basically  changed  over  the 


^Egypt  of  the  Pharaohs,  by  Sir  Alan  H.  Gardi- 
ner. Oxford  University  Press  (1969).  p.  787. 


mlllenla.  Certainly,  the  men  of  ancient 
Egypt  could  not  view  Hatshepsut's 
display  of  "equal  rights'  with  equanimity. 
In  the  king  lists  following  her  rule, 
Hatshepsut's  name  has  been  omitted 
altogether,  and  the  21  years  of  her  reign 
assigned  variously  to  Tutmosis  I,  II,  or  III. 
The  authors  of  these  king  lists  obviously 
felt  justified  in  assigning  this 
embarrassing  queen-king  to  oblivion.  In 
our  own  time  many  equal-rights 
advocates  would  brand  these  ancient 
recorders  as  "male  chauvinist  pigs." 

But  the  efforts  of  those  who  tried  to  efface 
the  record  of  Hatshepsut  ultimately 
proved  futile.  The  forgotten  hieroglyphs 
were  deciphered  by  Jean  Francois 
Champollion  with  the  aid  of  the  Rosetta 
Stone  in  1 823.  (A  replica  of  this  Important 
stone  Is  on  view  in  hall  J.) 

Thanks  to  the  Rosetta  stone  and  the 
brilliant  work  of  Champollion,  the 
science  of  Egyptology  was  born,  and 
widespread  study  and  excavations 
followed.  Hatshepsut's  great  temple  at 
Delr-el-Bahrl  was  cleared  of  the  sand 
and  rubble  that  had  concealed  It  for 
mlllenla,  and  her  sculptures  and  texts 
again  came  to  light,  in  the  1 920s  the 
American  Egyptologist  Herbert  E. 
Winlock  excavated  the  quarries  north  of 
the  ramp  leading  up  to  Hatshepsut's 
temple,  and  discovered  under  the  rubble 
a  profusion  of  smashed  stone  which, 
after  being  reassembled,  proved  to  be 
portraits  and  sphynxes  of  Hatshepsut. 
(Many  of  these  are  now  on  view  at  the 
Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art  In  New  York 
City.)  Obviously,  a  concerted  effort  had 
been  made  to  destroy  them. 


EXCEPT  for  a  minor  raid  into  Nubia, 
Egypt's  foreign  affairs  under 
Hatshepsut  were  peaceful. 
Could  the  reputation  of  this  formidable 
woman  have  discouraged  outlying 
provinces  from  rebelling?  The  queen 
prided  herself  justly  on  the  large  number 
of  magnificent  building  projects 
carried  out  under  her  rule.  Most 
renowned  is  her  Delr-el-Bahri  mortuary 


temple,  hewn  into  the  eastern  flanks  of 
the  high  cliffs  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Nile  at  Thebes.  It  was  approached  by  a 
long  ramp  leading  up  from  the  river,  and 
consisted  of  several  levels  fronted  with 
magnificent  colonnades,  fashioned  after 
the  nearby,  much  more  modest  temple 
of  Mentuhotep  (dynasty  XI).  Hatshepsut's 
temple  strikes  the  observer  as  an  early 
forerunner  of  the  Greek  Temples. 

Obviously,  no  woman  alone — no  matter 
how  willful  and  brilliant — could  have 
accomplished  all  this  without  the  support 
of  powerful  men  around  her.  Outstanding 
among  Hatshepsut's  male  lieutenants 
were  her  principle  official  Senmut — a 
commoner,  his  brother  Senmen,  and  one 
Nehery.  One  of  the  few  extant  portrait 
statues  of  Senmut  is  on  view  in  hall  J, 
case  40. 


THE  tomb  of  Senmut's  father  and 
mother  contain  inscriptions  that 
refer  to  them  respectively  as  "the 
Worthy"  and  "Lady  of  a  House."  Despite 
the  rather  humble  origins  implied  by 
these  designations,  the  handsome 
Senmut  somehow  attained  under 
Hatshepsut  a  position  of  unprecedented 
power  and  great  wealth.  Among  his 
twenty  or  more  offices,  his  chief  title 
was  "Steward  of  Amun,"  which  gave 
him  control  of  the  enormous  wealth  of 
the  temples.  He  is  also  believed  to  have 
been  Hatshepsut's  chief  architect.  It  was 
extraordinary  for  him  to  be  entrusted 
with  the  office  of  "Great  Royal  Nurse"  (a 
startling  reversal  of  the  traditional  sex 
roles)  and  charged  with  the  tutelage  of 
little  Princess  Nefrure,  then  next  In  line 
for  the  throne.  (Nefrure  is  last  mentioned 
in  the  eleventh  year  of  her  mother's 
reign,  and  seems  to  havei  died  In 
childhood.  Her  younger  sister  Merytre 
eventually  succeeded  to  the  throne  as 
the  chief  wife  of  Tutmosis  III.) 

Field  Museum's  statue  of  Senmut,  which 
shows  him  holding  Princess  Nefrure,  Is 
one  of  the  Museum's  great  treasures. 
The  black  granite  statue,  about  20 

(Continued  on  p.  12) 


September  1974 


Black  granite  statue  ol  Senmul,  Queen  Hatshepsut's  chiel  ollicial,  holding  her  daughter  Nelrure  (Nelerure). 
IS  one  ot  Field  Museum's  great  treasures  In  hall  J,  case  40:  about  23  inches  high  The  partial  view  ol  the 
statue's  right  side  (above)  shows  the  tront  view  ot  the  young  princess.  The  royal  insignia  appears  on  her 
forehead:  in  her  hand  she  holds  a  scepter.  Senmut's  name  has  been  effaced  (the  first  character  to  the  left 
in  the  first  and  third  rows  ot  hieroglyphs).    Cat  No.  173800 

The  inscription  on  the  statue  may  be  translated:  Given  as  a  favor  from  the  king  [to]  the  hereditary  noble, 
count  and  steward  of  Amon.  Senmut,  A  boon  which  the  king  gives  to  Amon,  Lord  of  the  Thrones  of  the  Two 
Lands,  that  he  may  give  all  that  is  issued  from  his  offering  table  in  the  course  of  every  day  to  the  ka  of  the 
hereditary  noble,  guardian  of  the  shrine  of  Geb,  great  confidant  of  the  Lord  of  the  Two  Lands,  favored  of  the 
Good  God,  overseer  of  the  double  granaries  of  Amon,  Senmut.  He  says:  "I  was  a  dignitary,  beloved  of  his 
lord,  who  was  familiar  with  the  behavior  of  the  Lady  of  the  Two  Lands  (i.e..  Hatshepsut],  for  he  had  aggran- 
dized me  before  the  Two  Lands  and  appointed  me  to  be  master  of  his  house,  one  who  rendered  ludgmen' 
in  the  entire  land  inasmuch  as  I  was  efficient  in  his  opinion.  I  reared  the  eldest  princess,  the  god's  wife 
[Nefrure].  may  she  live.  It  was  as  'Father  of  the  Goddess'  that  I  was  appointed  for  her  inasmuch  as  1  was 
serviceable  to  the  king." 

Chancellor  of  the  Lower  Egyptian  King.  Senmut:  hereditary  noble,  guardian  of  the  Shrine  of  Geb.  master 
of  the  servants  of  Amon.  Senmut,  justified.  It  is  the  steward,  Senmut,  who  has  come  from  the  flood,  to  who- 
inundation  has  been  given,  so  that  he  has  power  over  it  as  the  Nile-flood. 

(Translation  by  Edward  F.  Wente,  professor  ot  Egyptology, 
tjniversity  ol  Chicago.  1 


^ 


i. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin  7 


Department  of  Education 

new  and  continuing  programs 


As  students  and  teachers  return  to  the 
classroom  this  fall,  there  is  a  renewed 
sense  of  excitement  and  anticipation  of 
the  year  ahead.  For  many  teachers,  plans 
for  the  year  will  Include  one  or  more  visits 
to  Field  Museum.  In  preparation  for  these 
visits,  a  tempting  variety  of  new  programs 
as  well  as  old  favorites  has  been  readied 
by  the  Education  department  staff.  These 
programs  are  described  fully  in  the 
brochure  Resources  tor  Learning,  copies 
of  which  may  be  obtained  free  by  writing 
the  Raymond  Foundation,  Field  Museum. 

Many  school  and  community  groups  in 
the  Chicago  area  have  instituted 
programs  in  conjunction  with  Field 
Museum's  Contemporary  African  Arts 
Festival,  which  opened  in  April  and  is 
scheduled  to  close  in  November.  The 
Museum  has  provided  crafts  workshops 


and  dance  programs  at  the  Museum  as 
well  as  at  schools  and  community 
centers.  Teacher  programs  offer 
suggestions  for  learning  about  African 
culture  in  the  Museum  and  in  the 
classroom.  Through  school  and  Museum 
activities,  school  groups  are  involved  in 
an  ongoing  realization  of  the  African 
cultures. 


Continuing  programs 

•  The  Ray  A.  Kroc  Environmental 
Education  Program,  "Natural  and 
Managed  Environments,"  offers  a  fall 
series  of  field  trips  from  September  1 4 
through  October  13  (for  details  see 
page  23), 


•  The  Ayer  Illustrated  Lecture  Series 
will  resume  in  October  and  continue 
through  April.  The  theme  for  this  year's 
series  is  "Expeditions  Unlimited."  Field 
Museum  curators  will  present  slides  and 
films  of  their  experiences  in  the  field. 
Because  of  building  improvements  and 
renovation  of  the  west  entrance,  the 
series  will  be  given  this  season  in  the 
ground  floor  lecture  hall.  (See  p.  17  ) 

•  North  Shore  Weavers  Guild  members 
will  weave  on  the  Mexican  loom  in  the 
South  Lounge  on  Mondays,  Wednesdays, 
and  Fridays  from  1 0:00  to  1 2:00  noon, 
beginning  September  30.  Spinners  will 
also  demonstrate  techniques  of  the  drop 
spindle  on  first  and  third  Mondays,  also 
beginning  September  30. 

•  The  Contemporary  African  Arts 
Festival  features  a  film  festival  each  day 
of  the  week  as  well  as  on  Friday  evenings. 
Demonstrations  by  African  artists  are 
being  offered  on  Saturdays  until  the  end 
of  September. 


Contemporary  African 
Art  programs 

The  George  Howland  Elementary  School, 
1616  S.  Spaulding,  in  Chicago,  has 
produced  its  own  Contemporary  African 
Arts  Festival  in  connection  with  its  Follow 
Through  Program,  a  federally  funded 
activity  for  200  Howland  children  in 
grades  kindergarten  through  third.  The 
children  have  learned  about 
contemporary  African  arts  and  African 
life  by  selected  reading,  by  viewing 
slides  and  films,  and  through  other 


Barbara  Reque,  Musuem  resource  consultant, 

with  two  children  Irorn  Howland  School 


September  1974 


FIELD  TRIP:  A  MUSEUM  IDEA  BOOK 
FIELD  TRIP:  A  MUSEUM  IDEA  BOOK 
FIELD  TRIP:  A  MUSEUM  IDEA  BOOK 
FIELD  TRIP:  A  MUSEUM  IDEA  BOOK 

FIELD  MUSEUM  OF  NATURAL  HISTORY      DEPARTMENT  OF  EDUCATION 


Museum's  Education  staff  observed 
pre-trip  and  post-trip  activities  as  well  as 
what  took  place  in  the  Museum.  Many 
useful  approaches  were  thus  developed 
for  planning  and  implementing  a 
successful  Museum  visit.  All  this 
first-hand  information  is  to  be  found  in 
outlines  of  the  six  trips,  and  in  the  book's 
planning  section,  "Teacher's  Survival 
Kit." 

Field  Trip  is  loose-leaf  bound,  so  that 
sections  may  be  easily  removed  for 
photocopying.  Since  none  of  the 
material  is  covered  by  copyright,  it  is 
thus  available  for  reproduction  in  any 
quantity. 

The  Education  staff  hopes  that  more  trip 
models  will  supplement  the  original  six, 
and  that  teachers  will  feel  free  to 
contribute  their  ideas  for  making  the 
Museum  an  even  better  resource  for 
learning. 


classroom  activities.  They  have  created 
their  own  counterparts  of  African  arts, 
transforming  aluminum  pie  plates,  for 
example,  info  counter-repousse  panels — 
just  as  Nigerian  artist  Asiru  Olatunde  has 
done  with  aluminum  and  copper  sheets. 
Olatunde  depicts  Yoruba  folk  tales  in  his 
panels;  so  the  children,  accordingly, 
have  included  contemporary  American 
folk  heroes  in  their  own  pie-plate  panels. 
The  children  also  made  beads,  masks, 
tie-dye  and  starch-resist-dye  materials, 
pottery,  and  tapestries.  Masks  made  by 
the  children  are  on  view  in  an  exhibit 
case  at  the  entrance  to  the  Museum's 
Contemporary  African  Arts  Exhibit  hall. 

Teachers  who  "come 
on  their  own  " 

What  about  teachers  who  bring  students 
to  the  Museum  on  their  own?  Although 
more  teachers  each  year  request  staff-led 
programs,  only  about  30  percent  of 
requesting  school  groups  can  thus  be 
accommodated;  this  is  because  of  space 
and  personnel  limitations.  In  order  to 
assist  those  teachers  who  do  come  on 
their  own,  the  Museum's  Department  of 
Education  has  recently  published  f/e/d 


Trip:  A  Museum  Idea  Book,  now  available 
from  Field  Museum's  Office  of 
Publications  for  $3.00,  postpaid. 

The  book  is  comprised  of  six  "model 
field  trips" — each  offering  a  different 
approach  to  Museum  learning — and  a 
"Teacher's  Survival  Kit."  The  models, 
which  cover  a  variety  of  topics,  were 
developed  and  tested  by  teachers  from 
the  Chicago  area,  and  have  been 
designed  for  a  wide  range  of  age  groups. 


"What's  That  Made  Of?,"  a  model  trip 
for  primary  age  children,  encourages 
children  to  explore  ways  in  which 
different  peoples  use  various  materials 
in  the  fashioning  of  necessary  articles. 
At  school  the  children  use  materials 
such  as  clay,  leather  strips,  and  rock  in 
the  actual  creation  of  these  same  articles. 
When  they  visit  the  Museum,  the  children 
can  relate  their  own  experiences  with 
these  materials  to  artifacts  that  they  see 
on  display. 

In  order  to  develop  each  model,  a  teacher 
or  team  of  teachers  was  invited  to  "do  a 
field  trip  and  let  us  watch."  The 


Volunteer  opportunities 

Field  Museum  currently  has  i80 
volunteer  workers,  donating  their  time, 
skills,  and  effort  in  virtually  every  area  of 
Museum  activity — exhibition,  education, 
curatorial  assistance,  and  so  on.  Each 
volunteer  gives  a  minimum  of  one  day 
per  week.  Their  dedicated  efforts  are  the 
source  of  a  deep,  personal  kind  of 
satisfaction — the  satisfaction  of  giving 
freely  within  the  stimulating  ambience  of 
the  Museum  The  Museum,  in  turn,  gains 
invaluable  assistance;  many  programs 
simply  could  not  exist  without  the  support 
of  these  dedicated  workers. 


A  case  in  point  is  the  current 
Contemporary  African  Arts  Festival. 
Volunteers  have  been  involved  in  initial 
researching  of  source  information  for  the 
festival;  photographing  and  cataloguing 
of  artifacts,  artworks,  and  shop 
merchandise;  creating  jewelry  from 
African  trade  beads;  teaching  children's 
groups  in  the  exhibit;  illustrating  the 
journey  "Artists  Zoo";  writing 
descriptions  for  festival  films;  and  any  ». 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


number  of  other  specialized  activities^ 
Volunteers  are  also  flexible  and  able  to 
adapt  to  cfianging  needs  in  Museum 
programs.  Now  that  the  African  exhibit 
has  been  set  up,  those  volunteers  who 
are  not  involved  with  ongoing  projects 
have  been  relocated  to  other  volunteer 
assignments  within  the  Museum. 


Currently  there  are  volunteer 
opportunities  in  a  number  of  areas, 
including  key  punching,  cataloguing, 
foreign  language  translation,  specimen 
maintenance,  and  membership.  A 
weekend  volunteer  program  designed  to 
give  Museum  visitors  improved  service 
will  be  instituted  in  October. 

Museum  members  who  wish  to  participate 
in  the  volunteer  program  may  call  Carolyn 
Blackmon,  922-941 0,  ext.  361 ,  or  write 
her  at  Field  Museum  for  an  appointment. 


Native  American  program 

The  ancient  Egyptians  had  a  ceremony  in 
which  they  would  breathe  the  breath  of 
life  back  into  something  that  was 
apparently  dead.  We  have  need  of  such 
a  ceremony  today.  Native  American 
culture  exists  in  several  forms;  there  is 
the  culture  which  has  survived  in  the 
hearts  and  minds  of  traditionalists  within 
the  Indian  community.  There  is,  in 
addition,  a  great  store  of  native  culture 
which  over  the  years  has  migrated  out  of 
the  community.  The  artifacts  now  seen 
within  the  Museum's  collections  are 
representative  of  this  phenomenon. 

Accounts  that  appear  in  obscure 
anthropological  publications  are  often 
the  words  of  wise  men  now  long  dead, 
men  who  wanted  their  story  written  down 
for  the  sake  of  their  great-grandchildren 


Museum  Volunteers:  (lop.  I.  to  r.)  Came  (Mrs. 
Peter)  Anderson  and  Idessie  Bowens  assist  in  the 
Division  ot  Publications:  (bottom.  I.  to.  r.)  Laurie 
(Mrs.  Richard)  Norby  and  Julie  (Mrs.  J.  Thomas) 
Hurvis  help  out  in  the  Division  ot  Invertebrates. 


10  September  1974 


to  come.  They  had  the  vision  to  see  what 
was  happening,  and  to  know  what  would 
be  needed  years  in  the  future.  Native 
American  culture  was  crushed  beneath 
the  iron-shod  hooves  of  the  pony  soldiers 
and  starved  to  death  by  the  grafters  who 
became  Indian  agents.  The  generation 
that  survived  feared  what  the  future  would 
bring,  but  they  conspired  to  thwart  the 
fates.  There  was  a  hope  in  the  heart  of  the 
old  ones  that  if  their  words  were  written 
down,  they  would  be  saved.  So  they  used 
the  strange  field  workers  who  first 
wandered  through  Indian  country  looking 
for  myths  and  legends  to  write  down. 
Thus,  their  words  would  be  saved  for  a 
time  when  they  would  be  needed  by 
generations  yet  unborn,  and  unwittingly 
the  white  strangers  would  help  them. 

Our  task  is  to  dig  up  those  words  and 
give  them  life  again.  Traditional  culture  is 
today  like  a  picture  puzzle  whose  pieces 
have  been  scattered.  It  is  surprising  how 
much  has  survived  within  native 
communities,  but  there  are  many  pieces 
which  have  been  lost.  Some  of  them  are 
gone  forever,  some  have  been 
misplaced.  We  must  search  them  out  and 
breathe  into  them  the  breath  of  life. 

I  feel  that  it  is  important  for  all  people  to 
know  their  roots,  to  delve  deeply  into 
those  roots  and  derive  sustenance  and 
strength  from  them.  As  our  society  is  not 
noted  for  venerating  the  past,  this  is  no 
easy  process.  There  is  no  simple 
solution.  We  are  living  in  a  time  when 
many  of  the  old  Indian  values  are 
desperately  needed.  For  example.  Native 
Americans  called  this  earth  Our  Mother; 
yet,  how  difficult  it  is  to  feel  that  kmship 
today.  How  can  we  do  it?  We,  the  living 
creatures  on  this  planet,  are  all  equally 
the  creator's  work — that  should  give  us 
all  pause  for  thought. 

The  task  of  the  Native  American  program, 
as  I  see  it.  is  to  explore  ways  to  make 
traditional  culture  interesting  and 
accessible.  Context  is  extremely 
important,  for  it  is  the  universe  in 
miniature  that  sets  the  stage  for  empathy. 
It  can  mean  the  difference  between  the 
words  of  a  holy  man  appearing  "right" 


and  meaningful  or  seeming  alien  and 
bizarre,  like  the  appearance  of  Christmas 
in  Los  Angeles  to  one  with  memories  of  a 
snowy  climate.  The  program  is 
attempting  to  obtain  support  for  projects 
ranging  from  the  construction  of  a 
Pawnee  earth  lodge  within  the  Museum 
to  the  erection  of  a  small  village  of 
wigwams  in  a  secluded  rural  area.  The 
Pawnee  earth  lodge  would  provide  an 
environmental  context  within  which  thirty 
or  forty  people  could  be  exposed  to 
various  aspects  of  Native  American 
culture:  upon  entering  the  lodge,  the 
museum  and  the  twentieth  century  would 
be  left  behind.  In  the  village,  groups  of 
Native  American  youth,  teachers  and 
their  families,  or  selected  non-Indian 
students  would  live  for  a  week  within  the 
context  of  a  living  culture  with 
traditionalists  and  their  families  as 
resources. 

There  is  a  poem  that  says 

Across  the  years 

Our  grandfathers  speak  to  us 

It  we  but  listen. 

If  we  all  work  at  it,  perhaps  the  voices  of 
our  ancestors  will  once  again  be  heard. 

I  would  welcome  the  thoughts  of  anyone 
concerning  the  revitalization  of 
traditional  culture. 


"When  a  young  man,  lasting  lor 
spiritual  power,  saw  a  vision  ol  a 
bear  charging  unharmed  into  a 
hail  ol  bullets,  it  meant  many 
things.  It  was  a  promise  ol  protec- 
tion Irom  the  supernatural  world. 
It  was  also  the  setting  ol  a  lite 
goal,  a  commitment  to  instantly 
rise  to  the  detense  ol  the  helpless 
ones.  As  the  spirit  bear  charged 
out  ol  Its  den  into  what  looks  like 
instant  death,  so  the  young  man, 
now  a  warrior,  must  delend  his 
community.  It  was  not  what  the 
shield  was  made  ol  that  was  im- 
portant, but  what  it  represented." 

-John  While. 


A  Wth'Cenlury  Crow  war  shield  is 
used  to  illustrate  important  as- 
pects ol  traditional  culture  in  the 
program  lor  young  Native  Ameri- 
cans at  the  Owaiyawa  School,  the 
Indian  extension  program  ol 
Gaudi  Elementary  School  in 
Chicago's  Uptown.  Cat.  No.  71832. 


Cultural  Native  American  material  is 
being  reintroduced  to  the  contemporary 
scene  by  means  of  presentations  in  the 
Owaiyawa  Indian  Program  of  the  Gaudi 
Elementary  School  on  Chicago's  North 
Side.  Ancient  war  shields  and  painted 
rawhide  parflesches  (large  carryalls),  for 
example,  have  been  used  in  the  Owayawa 
program  to  illustrate  discussion  topics 
ranging  from  the  nature  of  spiritual 
experience  to  men's  and  women's  roles 
and  relationships  in  traditional  Indian 
society.  Through  the  anecdotal  accounts 
that  accompany  many  specimens  in 
museum  collections,  voices  long  stilled 
can  speak  again.  A  wealth  of  oral  history 
can  thus  become  a  part  of  living  tradition. 


The  Leiooska  Carvers,  a  group  of  Native 
American  woodcarvers  from  the  state  of 
Washington,  will  be  at  Field  Museum 
September  23  through  27  to  demonstrate 
traditional  woodcarving  and 
silverworking.  In  addition,  they  will 
present  a  program  showing  Indian 
ceremonial  masks  in  use.  For  the 
Owaiyawa  program  and  at  Little  Big  Horn 
High  School — a  Native  American 
extension  of  Senn  High  School — the 
Leiooska  Carvers  will  also  demonstrate 
and  teach  their  craft. 

—John  White 

Native  American  Program 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


-'=*!... 


-.■■^-       i// 


jr^ 


•»  , j^ 


'^•«f    * 


Replica  o(  relief  discovered  in  Oueen  Hatshep- 
sul's  mortuary  temple.  Commemorates  the 
queen's  expedition  to  Punt  (on  the  Red  Sea  coast 
of  present-day  Ethiopia). 


HATSHEPSUT    (Continued  from  p.    1) 

inches  high,  was  acquired  in  1925  from 
a  Luxor  antiquities  dealer  and  selected 
by  the  famed  Chicago  Egyptologist 
James  Henry  Breasted.  Ernest  R. 
Graham  and  Stanley  Field  provided 
funds  for  purchase  of  the  piece.  It  is  one 
of  only  ten  Senmut  statues  known,  and 
one  of  six  showing  him  with  Nefrure. 

The  princess  wears  the  lock  of  childhood 
on  her  right  temple  and  the  royal  insignia 
on  her  forehead.  The  name  of  Senmut, 
which  appeared  twice  on  the  right  side 
of  his  robe,  twice  on  the  base,  and  once 
on  the  back,  can  be  clearly  seen  to  have 
been  hacked  out. 

Senmut's  official  title  of  "Superintendent 
of  the  Private  Apartments,  of  the  Bath, 


and  of  the  Royal  Bedroom"  suggests 
that  he  also  may  have  been  Hatshepsut's 
lover.  Certainly  he  claimed  an  unusual 
relationship  to  his  ruler  by  insinuating 
portraits  of  himself  into  her  mortuary 
temple.  These  were  carved  into  hidden 
niches;  four  of  them  have  escaped 
deliberate  destruction. 

Most  remarkable  was  Senmut's  attempt 
to  have  himself  buried  in  a  crypt  under 
Hatshepsut's  temple.  Early  in  his  career, 
he  had  a  large  gallery  tomb,  containing 
a  quartzite  sarcophagus,  carved  high  up 
into  the  cliffs.  Later,  in  an  obvious  attempt 
to  be  joined  again  with  his  queen  after 
death,  Senmut  secretly  built  a  second 
tomb.  The  entrance  to  this  structure 
descended  from  the  bottom  of  the'quarry 
in  which  Hatshepsut's  broken  statues 
were  later  found.  Winlock  encountered 


this  unfinished  tomb  when  he  unearthed 
Hatshepsut's  broken  statuary  there.  A 
hole  in  the  floor  beneath  the  fragments 
led  into  a  long,  steep  staircase;  at  its  far 
end  was  the  decorated  burial  chamber, 
immediately  below  the  front  platform  of 
Hatshepsut's  temple.  Carved  on  one  wall 
was  the  figure  of  Senmut,  bowing  before 
the  names  of  Hatshepsut  written  in 
hieroglyphs.  The  unfurnished  tomb  had 
never  been  used.  Part  of  it  was  carved, 
and  part  of  it  only  blocked  out  in  paint. 
The  sarcophagus  in  Senmut's  earlier 
cliff-tomb  was  found  smashed,  with  the 
fragments  strewn  about.  His  mummy,  like 
Hatshepsut's,  has  never  been  found. 

It  is  possible  that  Senmut  eventually  fell 
out  of  favor  with  his  queen.  The  last  we 
hear  of  him  was  in  the  sixteenth  year  of 
her  reign;  from  that  point  he  disappears 


September  1974 


from  history.  It  is  not  known  whether  his 
desecrated  images  and  tombs  were  the 
objects  of  Hatshepsut's  wrath  or  that  of 
Tutmosis  III. 

Also  on  view  in  Field  Museum  is  a 
replica  of  a  section  of  the  reliefs  found  in 
Hatshepsut's  mortuary  temple  (hall  J, 
opposite  the  large  wooden  funerary 
boat).  These  reliefs  commemorate 
Hatshepsut's  great  expedition  to  the  land 
of  Punt,  organized  by  Senmut,  and  led 
by  Nehery.  Hatshepsut  sent  five  ships 
carrying  presents  from  Egypt,  to  be 
traded  for  potted  myrrh  trees  and  other 
plants  destined  for  her  terraced  temple 
gardens.  Ebony,  ivory,  gold,  baboons, 
leopards,  and  cosmetics  were  also 
received  in  trade.  Field  Museum's 
portion  of  the  relief  shows  the  precious 
cargo  being  loaded.  In  several  places 


hieroglyphs  have  been  deliberately 
effaced. 

Hatshepsut's  end,  like  that  of  Senmut,  is 
unknown.  By  the  time  of  her  death, 
Tutmosis  111  was  over  thirty,  and  it  is 
reasonable  to  assume  that  by  then  he 
had  become  somewhat  impatient  with  his 
aunt,  stepmother,  and  mother-in-law 
Hatshepsut.  Some  scholars  have 
suggested  that  Tutmosis  111  may  have 
seized  the  throne  from  her  and  been 
responsible  for  the  thorough  destruction 
of  her  records  and  images,  although  this 
theory  continues  to  be  a  matter  of 
debate. 

When  he  finally  ruled  alone  (1469-36), 
Tutmosis  III  became  the  greatest 
conqueror  in  Egypt's  history.  His  empire 
eventually  stretched  from  the  Sudan  to 


the  Euphrates.  He  was  the  first  pharaoh 
after  nearly  a  hundred  years  to  have  a 
son  (Amenophis  II)  from  his  chief  queen 
(Merytre-Hatshepsut)  survive  him  and 
ascend  the  throne  after  his  death. 
Hatshepsut's  dynastic  line  thereby 
continued  to  reign.  A  copy  of  the  head  of 
Tutmosis  111  (from  the  original  in  the 
Turin  Museum)  is  on  view  in  hall  J, 
case  43. 

Tutmosis  III  could  safely  embark  on  his 
far-flung  conquests  because  Hatshepsut 
had  firmly  consolidated  the  country 
during  her  own  long,  wise  rule.  But 
perhaps  he  was  largely  spurred  on  to  his 
extraordinary  achievements  by  twenty 
years  of  frustration  and  inactivity  under 
Hatshepsut;  perhaps  he  felt  compelled  to 
outdo  the  woman  who  had  humiliated 
him.    a 


Field  Museum  Bullelin 


natural  history  museums, 
tropical  diseases, 
and  taxonomy 


by  Bengt  Hubendick 


THERE  was  once  a  young  zoologist 
who  was  laboring  diligently  on  his 
doctoral  dissertation.  It  was  tedious  work, 
and  one  day  he  left  his  laboratory  for  a 
few  minutes'  break.  He  strolled  through 
the  invertebrate  storeroom,  glancing 
casually  at  shelf  after  shelf  of  preserved 
specimens.  One  jar,  he  noticed, 
contained  samples  of  a  type  of 
pulmonate  snail  (which  breathes  by 
means  of  a  lunglike  sac),  which  he  knew 
was  still  anatomically  unknown.  His 
scientific  curiosity  was  suddenly 
aroused,  and  he  was  taken  with  a  desire 
to  discover  the  internal  structure  of  this 
mollusk.  So,  as  a  sideline,  he  began 
studying  its  anatomy.  Some  curious  and 
unexpected  observations  resulted; 
before  he  could  pursue  them  further, 
however,  the  young  doctoral  candidate 
again  had  to  devote  himself  entirely  to  his 
dissertation. 

In  due  course,  after  gaining  his  degree, 
he  was  appointed  to  the  department  of 
invertebrates  at  the  principal  natural 
history  museum  in  his  country.  This  was 
just  what  he  had  always  dreamed  of.  Half 
of  his  time  was  to  be  spent  on  curatorial 
work  (cataloguing,  arranging,  and 
otherwise  caring  for  the  collection)  and 
the  rest  of  it  on  research.  Now  at  last,  he 
would  have  time  to  resume  his  study  of 

Seng;  Hubendick  is  director  of  the  Natural 
History  Museum,  Goteborg,  Sweden. 


the  pulmonate  snails.  He  examined 
specimens  already  in  the  museum's 
collection  and  borrowed  other  material 
from  museums  abroad.  Before  long,  he 
had  gathered  a  substantial  body  of 
information  on  the  subject  and  written  a 
rather  lengthy  paper. 

The  paper  was  accepted  tor  publication 
by  a  scientific  journal  and  the  author 
distributed  reprints  of  it  to  other  snail 
specialists  in  an  entirely  different  field — 
tropical  medicine — specialists  who  were 
particularly  interested  in  a  serious 
tropical  disease  known  variously  as 
bilharziasis,  schistosomiasis,  and  snail 
fever.  The  young  zoologist  suddenly 
realized  that  his  snails  were  of  great 
importance  as  vectors,  or  transmitters,  of 
this  common  disease. 

He  continued  his  study  of  freshwater 
snails,  their  anatomy,  taxonomy, 
variation,  distribution,  and  ecology.  In  the 
museum  laboratory  he  worked  on 
preserved  specimens  and,  during  the 
summer  months,  studied  live  snails.  He 
found  that  he  had  become  rather 
knowledgeable  in  an  area  that  had  once 
been  just  his  sideline.  Perhaps  he  had 
even  acquired  a  certain  international 

Reprinted  (wltti  emendations)  by  permission 
ol  Unesco  from  tlie  quarterly  review  MUSEUM. 
XXV:  '/2,  ©  Unesco  1973,  on  sale  at  Unesco 
Publications  Center,  P.O.  Box  433,  New  York, 
N.Y.  10016. 


reputation  in  this  narrow  field.  At  least  he 
thought  so  when  a  letter  arrived  on  his 
desk  from  the  World  Health  Organization 
(WHO),  in  Geneva.  The  letter  invited  him 
to  participate  in  a  survey  team  in  the 
Philippines;  there  he  would  evaluate  the 
bilharziasis  situation  and  suggest 
measures  for  control  of  the  disease. 
This  was  an  exciting  development 
indeed.  The  young  zoologist  had  trained 
himself  to  do  curatorial  work  on  museum 
collections  and  to  carry  out  research — 
predominantly  taxonomic  research — 
based  on  such  collections.  Now  his 
hard-gained  competence  might  very  well 
prove  useful  in  solving  problems 
connected  with  a  disease  that  afflicted 
millions  of  people. 

So  he  went  to  the  Philippines,  became 
familiar  with  many  aspects  of  bilharziasis 
and  its  control,  did  ecological  field  work, 
and  collected  material  for  subsequent 
taxonomical  research  in  his  own 
museum.  Less  than  six  months  after 


September  1974 


returning  home  he  was  to  leave  on 
another  trip — this  time  to  Venezuela — to 
work  out  the  taxonomy  of  the  snails  that 
transmit  bilharziasis  in  that  area,  and  to 
give  a  course  in  his  field  of  research. 

Back  at  his  museum  once  more,  he 
worked  out  the  body  of  material  that  he 
had  gathered  in  Venezuela.  The  outcome 
was  a  taxonomic  paper;  he  also 
produced  a  manuscript  for  a  snail 
identification  guide  mainly  to  be  used  by 
public  health  workers  trying  to  control  the 
disease.  The  manuscript  was  not 
published,  but  later  it  was  sent  to  WHO. 
Ultimately,  it  did  lead  to  the  establishment 
of  the  "Pan  American  Health 
Organization/World  Health  Organization 
Working  Group  for  the  Development  of 
Guidance  for  Identification  of  American 
Planorbidae"(!).  In  the  meantime  the 
zoologist — no  longer  very  young — was 
sent  to  the  west  African  countries  of 
Gambia  and  Sierra  Leone  by  the  British 
Medical  Research  Council,  and  to  Puerto 
Rico  by  WHO  forfurther  work  in  medical 
malacology  (the  study  of  mollusks).  In 
addition,  from  time  to  time,  he  attended 
various  professional  meetings  and 
congresses. 

The  working  group  with  the 
extraordinarily  long  name  required  a 
body  of  basic  information  for  its  work.  So, 
in  due  course,  our  zoologist  was  sent  by 
WHO/PAHO  to  London,  Paris,  Brussels, 
Frankfurt  am  Main,  Philadelphia, 
Washington,  D.C.,  Ann  Arbor,  and  other 
cities  to  examine  type  specimens*  and 
other  materials  in  museum  collections. 
Such  studies  were  essential  for  ironing 
out  problems  of  taxonomy  and 
nomenclature — difficulties  that  had 
heretofore  made  the  identification  and 
naming  of  vector  snails  virtually 
impossible.  During  meetings, 
discussions,  and  visits  to  Europe,  North 
and  South  America,  through  a  vast 
correspondence  with  colleagues  around 
the  world,  and  most  of  all  through  further 
study  of  specimens  in  various  museum 


'Individual  specimens  on  which  delinitive  des- 
criptions ot  a  species,  genus,  or  other  group 
are  based. 


collections,  our  zoologist  continued  to 
work  on  his  identification  guide.  Thanks 
to  the  availability  of  museum  collections 
in  many  countries  he  was,  together  with 
some  colleagues,  at  last  able  to  create  a 
workable  identification  tool  for 
malacologists,  public  health  workers,  and 
other  engaged  in  bilharziasis  control. 

Zoological  classification,  or  taxonomy, 
based  on  zoological  systematics  and 
dependent  on  zoological  nomenclature, 
is  often  denigrated  as  a  sort  of  scientific 
"hobby"  or  as  a  nonreputable  specialty 
of  limited  interest  and  significance.  But 
pure  zoological  systematics  is,  in  fact,  a 
most  important  discipline,  because  the 
zoological  system  is  based  not  on 
zoological  types,  but  on  natural 
phylogenetic  relationships  between 
animals  and  groups  of  animals;  thus,  it 
presents  a  picture  of  organic  evolution 
that  has  already  taken  place.  In  taxonomy 
the  principles  of  systematics  are  applied 
for  the  purpose  of  identification  and 
classification.  Reputable  or  not,  this  is  an 
indispensable  process  in  many  areas  of 
zoological  research. 


The  taxonomic  worker  relies  heavily  on 
reference  material,  such  as  type 
specimens,  for  comparison.  He  may  also 
be  dependent  on  extensive  series  of 
specimens  within  a  species,  race,  or 
strain.  These  series  may  exhibit 
significant  variations  in  developmental 
stages  or  in  sexual  dimorphism  or 
polymorphism;  intrapopulation  or 
interregional  variations  may  also  be 
expressed. 


In  environmental  research,  ecology, 
parasitology,  economic  entomology,  in 
virtually  any  branch  of  zoology,  correct 
taxonomy  is  basic  as  well  as  essential. 
If  man  is  to  fully  understand  the 
ecological  system  to  which  he 
contributes  and  on  which  he  depends, 
if  he  hopes  to  fully  utilize  renewable 
natural  resources,  if  he  wishes  to  defend 
himself  effectively  against  his  ecological 
competitors,  if  in  fact  it  is  his  intention  to 
continue  inhabiting  this  plant,  then  he 
must  apply  his  knowledge  of  taxonomy.  > 


Field  Museum  Bulletin  15 


And  this  includes  the  taxonomy  of  plants 
and  microorganisms  as  well  as  of 
animals. 


Today  man  has  a  good  taxonomic 
understanding  of  the  malarial  parasites 
that  affect  him — the  microscopic 
sporozoa  as  well  as  the  mosquitoes 
which  transmit  the  sporozoa.  This 
knowledge  was  a  prerequisite  before 
effective  defense  against  the  parasites 
was  possible.  Researchers  have  also 
found  that  the  schistosomes  as  well  as 
the  disease-transmitting  snails  in 
bilharziasis  form  intricate  complexes  of 
different  races  and  strains,  each  with  its 
own  unique  behavior.  Susceptibility  and 
resistance  vary  between  these  races  and 
strains,  and  such  characteristics  may  be 
determined  by  not  just  one  gene  but 
several.  So  the  taxonomy  of  these 
organisms  must,  perforce,  concern  itself 
with  the  most  subtle  distinctions  between 
closely  related  forms.  Similarly,  it  is 
important  to  have  taxonomic  knowledge 
of  other  protozoa,  flukes,  tapeworms,  and 
roundworms  that  are  parasitic  in  man  or 
in  his  domestic  animals,  or  which  ruin  his 
food  supplies,  or  which  are  harmful  to 
him  in  other  ways. 


Specimens  that  are  studied  by  the 
taxonomist  must  be  kept  as  documentary 
material.  In  time,  these  specimens  may 
have  to  be  reevaluated.  New  discoveries 
and  further  research  may  reveal 
information  that  supersedes  previous 
observations.  And  changes  in  nature 
itself,  spontaneous  or  man-made,  may 
make  comparisons  between  collections 
from  different  periods  of  time  highly 
significant.  Where  reliable  taxonomic 
information  is  wanting,  zoological 
investigation  often  becomes  valueless.  If, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  material  is 
properly  documented,  specimens  can  be 
accurately  identified  as  a  matter  of 
routine.  Documentary  material  of  this 
kind  is  seldom  available  at  universities  or 
most  other  institutions  with  scientific 
departments.  It  is  the  natural  history 
museum,  almost  exclusively,  which  is  the 
repository  of  such  material.  The 
taxonomist,  therefore,  relies  on  such 


museums  for  much  of  his  research. 
These  institutions  also  provide  a 
taxonomic  service  to  other  scientific 
institutions  and  agencies.  This  service, 
which  is  truly  indispensable,  involves  a 
wide  range  of  techniques  in  morphology, 
morphometry,  histology,  and  even 
serology.  Some  museums  provide  a 
taxonomic  service  based  partly  or 
entirely  on  histological  and/or 
biochemical  methods. 

The  natural  history  museum,  then,  is  today 
much  more  than  a  repository  of 
specimens,  where  one  can  spend  a 
delightful  afternoon  viewing  stunning 
exhibits  of  exotic  specimens.  It  is  a  vital 
part  of  the  world's  scientific  community, 
helping  in  its  unique  way  to  advance  the 
frontiers  of  science. 

So  our  young  zoologist,  fascinated  years 
ago  by  some  curious  preserved 
specimens,  was  led  into  vital  taxonomic 
research — research  that  proved 
valuable  in  man's  fight  against  a  serious 
disease.  And  still  later  it  was  our 
zoologist's  fate  to  become  a  museum 
administrator,  and  in  that  role  it  was 
quite  appropriate  that  he  write  this 
brief  essay,  d 


Clifford  H.  Pope,  1899-1974 

Clifford  H.  Pope,  formerly  Curator  of 
Amphibians  and  Reptiles,  died  at  his 
retirement  home  in  Escondido,  California, 
early  in  June.  He  joined  the  staff  of  Field 
Museum  in  June,  1940,  and  retired  in 
December,  1953.  The  authorof  numerous 
scientific  publications.  Pope  was  considered 
to  be  the  expert  on  Chinese  amphibians  and 
reptiles.  That  stature  was  a  result  of  his  having 
spent  five  years  in  China  during  the  1920s  as 
a  member  of  the  famous  Roy  Chapman 
Andrews  expeditions.  But  he  was  best  known 
as  the  authorof  several  remarkably  successful 
popular  books  on  reptiles.  His  Snakes  Alive 
has  probably  been  read  by  more  young — and 
some  not  so  young — would-be  herpetologists 
than  any  other  book  in  the  last  tony  years. 

It  was  perhaps  typical  of  Clifford  (it  is 
impossible  for  those  who  know  him  well  to 
refer  to  him  in  a  more  conventional,  formal 
mode)  that  he  converted  his  interest  in 


Cliflord  H-  Pope 


keeping  and  feeding  a  young  Indian  python 
into  a  means  of  educating  his  neighbors  out 
of  their  prejudices  against  snakes  and  into  an 
excellent  popular  book,  Giant  SnaAes. 

Clifford  had  such  a  nice  facility  at  this  kind  of 
educational  activity  that  he  decided,  quite 
sensibly,  to  end  the  commuting  hassle,  retire 
from  the  Museum  at  an  earlier  than  customary 
age.  and  devote  himself  to  popular  writing. 

When  he  died,  a  friend  writing  in  the 
Escondido  Daily  Times-Advocate,  said  she 
was  certain  that  Clifford,  wherever  he  had 
passed  on  to  will.  ".  .  .  set  about  in  his  low 
keyed,  tongue-in-cheek  manner  debunking 
all  the  myths  about  serpents  being  the 
symbols  of  evil  and  the  cause  of  original  sin. 

"Just  as  he  did  for  a  long  lifetime  on  earth,  he 
will  quietly  convert  the  children  to  the  side  of 
the  snakes,  and  then  demonstrate  to  the 
worried  mothers  .  .  .  that  a  snake,  freed  of  the 
prejudice  against  him,  is  the  child's  friend,  to 
be  respected  and  handled  gently." 

—  Robert  F.  Inger,  assistant  director, 
science  and  education 


16 


September  1974 


UDuBMrnd'' 


■^l' 


Vii^^ 


^^^^ii^SI^'''  -,  ^ 


Edward  E.  Ayer  Illustrated  Lecture  Series 


The  theme  for  this  year's  Friday  and  Sat- 
urday Ayer  illustrated  lecture  series  is 
"Expeditions  Unlimited  1974-75."  Field 
Museum  curators  will  present  slides  or 
films  to  illustrate  their  presentations.  The 
Friday  programs  will  begin  at  7:30  p.m.; 
the  Saturday  programs  will  begin  at  2:30 
p.m.  All  programs  will  be  given  in  the 
ground  floor  lecture  hall.  Attendance  — 
which  is  free — is  limited  to  225  persons. 
To  accommodate  those  who  attend  Fri- 
day evening  programs  the  cafeteria  will 
remain  open  on  those  dates  until  7:30. 

Reservations  may  be  made  by  calling 
922-9410,  ext.  230. 


November  8,  9       "A  Native  American  Lool(S 
at  Anthropology" 

Speaker:  John  White.   Na- 
tive American  program 


November  15, 16  "Lost  Cities  of  Indonesia" 

Speaker:  Bennett  Bronson, 
assistant  curator,  Asiatic 
archaeology  and  ethnology 


November  22,  23  "To  Inca  Land  and  Beyond 
for  Birds" 

Speaker:    Emmet    Blake, 
curator  emeritus,  birds 


f\/larch  7.  8 


March  14,  15 


March  21,22 


"The  Tunguska  Explosion: 
Meteorite,  Comet,  or  Black 
Hole?" 

Speaker:  Edward  Olsen, 
curator,  mineralogy 

"Wet  Snails  in  Dry  Des- 
erts" 

Speaker:  Alan  Solem,  cur- 
ator, invertebrates 


"Veracruz,  Mexico:  Green 
Grow  the  Lilacs" 

Speaker:  Lonn  Nevling, 
chairman  and  curator.  De- 
partment of  Botany 


December  6,  7 


October  18,  19 


October  25,  26 


November  1,  2 


"Contemporary  African 
Artists" 

Speaker:  Maude  Wahlman, 
consultant,  African  ethnol- 
ogy 

"In  Search  of  Sea  Ser- 
pents" 

Speaker:  Harold  Voris,  as- 
sistant curator,  amphibians 
and  reptiles 


"Endangered  Cloud  For- 
ests of  Costa  Rica" 

Speaker:  William  Burger, 
associate  curator,  botany 


February  21,  22 


February  28, 
March  1 


"Grand  Canyon  Expedi- 
tion" 

Speaker:  Matthew  Nitecki, 
associate  curator,  fossil  in- 
vertebrates 


"The  Changing  Alaska 
Eskimo  Culture" 

Speaker:  James  VanStone, 
chairman.  Department  of 
Anthropology;  and  curator, 
North  American  archaeol- 
ogy and  ethnology 


"Natural  History  of  Deep 
Sea  Fishes" 

Speaker:    Robert  Johnson, 
assistant  curator,  fishes 


March  28,  29 


April  4,  5 


April  11,  12 


"Frog  Ecology  in  the 
Congo" 

Speaker:  Robert  Inger,  as- 
sistant director.  Science 
and  Education 


"Collecting  Mosses  in 
Southern  Chile" 

Speaker:  John  Engel, 
Richards  visiting  assistant 
curator,  bryology 


"Ancient  Ecuador:  Culture, 
Clay,  and  Creativity" 

Speaker:  Donald  Collier, 
curator.  Middle  and  South 
American  archaeology  and 
ethnology 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


our  environment 


Anti-Cowbird  Program 
Aids  Kirtland's  Warbler 

The  trapping  of  brown-headed  cowbirds 
(Mololhrus  aier)  may  be  an  important  key  to 
ultimate  survival  for  Kirtland's,  or  the  jack 
pine,  warbler  (Dendroica  kirtlandii).  Long  a 
rare  species,  the  warbler  nests  only  in  jack 
pine  forests  of  Michigan's  lower  peninsula, 
where  it  is  parasitized  by  the  cowbird.  The 
cowbird  lays  its  eggs  in  the  nest  of  the 
warbler  (among  other  species).  The  cowbird 
fledglings,  larger  than  those  of  the  warbler, 
get  priority  at  feeding  time:  the  young  warblers 
starve  to  death. 

A  1971  survey  showed  a  warbler  population 
of  only  400 — a  60  percent  decline  from  a 
decade  earlier.  In  an  effort  to  combat  this 
precipitous  trend,  a  three-pronged  program 
was  begun  in  1972  jointly  by  the  U.S.  Forest 
Sea/ice,  the  U.S.  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service, 
the  Michigan  Department  of  Natural 
Resources,  and  the  National  Audubon 
Society.  The  program  entails  management  of 
forest  lands  to  provide  young  jack  pines, 
establishment  of  additional  forest  land  for  the 
warbler,  and  cowbird  control. 

In  spring,  1972,  15  decoy  traps  baited  with 
sunflower  seeds,  fresh  water,  and  live 
cowbirds  were  set  on  seven  warbler  nesting 
areas.  Over  2,200  cowbirds  were  trapped  and 
warbler  egg  losses  dropped  in  three  of  the 
areas  from  65  percent  to  6  percent.  The 
number  of  young  warblers  reaching  the  wing 
that  year  nearly  tripled.  In  1973,  19  traps  were 
set  in  the  seven  warbler  areas.  More  than 
3,000  cowbirds  were  removed  from  the 


warblers'  areas  last  spring,  and  a  nest  survey 
showed  that  not  one  warbler  nest  had  been 
invaded  in  three  of  the  seven  areas.  A 
population  increase  of  eight  percent  was 
recorded.  This  year  the  number  of  traps  has 
been  increased  to  23.  An  upturn  in  the  warbler 
population  to  432  for  1974  suggests  that  the 
warbler  restoration  program  is  having  its 
desired  effect. 

Foster  Homes  for 
Young  Whoopers 

One  of  the  rarest  of  North  American  birds,  the 
whooping  crane  (Grus  americana),  may  well 
be  saved  from  extinction  by  a  current  project 
of  the  U.S.  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service.  Only 
forty-eight  of  the  species  are  known  to  survive 
in  the  wild.  The  birds  breed  in  Canada's  Wood 
Buffalo  National  Park,  in  the  District  of 
Mackenzie,  Northwest  Territories,  and  spend 
the  winter  on  the  Texas  coast,  mainly  in 
Aransas  National  Wildlife  Refuge. 

For  five  years  in  a  row,  whooping  crane  eggs 
have  been  taken  from  the  nests  and 
transplanted  to  Patuxent  Wildlife  Research 
Center  in  Laurel,  Md.  Seventeen  birds  have 
been  successfully  raised  from  eggs  taken  in 
previous  years.  In  May,  thirteen  eggs  collected 
in  Canada  were  also  taken  to  the  research 
center.  The  eggs  were  removed  only  from 
nests  that  contained  two  eggs.  (The  removal 
of  one  of  a  pair  of  eggs  does  not  seem  to 
materially  affect  the  number  of  young  cranes 
arriving  at  the  Texas  wintering  ground.  Few 
families  arrive  there  with  more  than  one  chick 
even  though  two  eggs  had  been  laid.; 


Twelve  of  the  captive  flock  at  Patuxent  have 
been  paired  off  in  separate  areas  because 
they  have  themselves  shown  indications  of 
pairing.  In  spring  of  1975  an  artificial  lighting 
situation  will  be  set  up  to  achieve  synchrony 
in  the  male  and  female  cycles.  Continual  light 
at  normal  breeding  time  tends  to  stimulate 
hormonal  activity  which  leads  to  breeding. 

Crocodile  Shoes 
Confiscated  by  Feds 

About  $35,000  worth  of  imported  men's  shoes 
were  seized  recently  by  government  agents 
when  it  was  determined  that  the  shoes  were 
made  from  the  hide  of  an  endangered  species 
of  crocodile.  More  than  390  pairs  of  shoes 
were  confiscated,  all  made  from  the  hide  of 
the  Nile  crocodile,  Crocodylus  nilolicus.  one 
of  six  crocodile  species  that  is  listed  by  the 
U.S.  Department  of  the  Interior  as 
endangered.  The  shipments,  intended  for  two 
importers  in  Maine  and  Massachusetts,  were 
seized  by  special  agents  of  the  U.S.  Fish  and 
Wildlife  Service;  a  penalty  action  was  also 
initiated  against  the  importers. 

Identification  of  the  species  was  determined 
by  zoologists  who  studied  the  texture  of  hide 
used  in  the  shoes  and  compared  samples 
with  museum  specimens  for  the  presence  or 
absence  of  bony  material  in  the  scales,  and 
the  number  and  size  of  the  scales. 

The  forfeited  shoes  were  destined  for  retail 
outlets  in  the  United  States,  with  an  average 
price  of  $90  a  pair.  The  shoes  will  be 
temporarily   placed    in    a    government 


Adull  whooping 
cranes  (Grus 
amencana) 


18  September  1974 


Publication  cost  of  thiis  section 
on  "Our  Environment"  tias 
been  underwritten  by  ttie  Ray 
A.  Kroc  Environmental  Educa- 
tion Fund. 


warehouse  along  with  other  forfeited  wildlife 
products  which  have  been  illegally  imported 
into  this  country  by  commercial  firms,  tourists, 
and  hunters.  Most  are  made  from  endangered 
species  and  cannot  be  sold. 

Twenty-seven  species  and  subspecies  of 
crocodiles  are  generally  recognized  by 
herpetologists.  Six  are  now  on  the  Secretary 
of  the  Interior's  endangered  species  list, 
which  also  includes  the  American  alligator 
(Alligator  mississipiensis). 

A  profitable  world  trade  in  crocodile  hides 
flourishes  in  Latin  America,  Asia,  and  Africa, 
A  large  percentage  of  these  hides  funnel  from 
hunters  on  these  three  continents  through 
wholesale  export  firms  to  tanning  firms  in 
such  countries  as  France,  which  process, 
dye,  and  burnish  the  hides.  The  hides  are 
then  shipped  to  Italian  manufacturers  for  the 
world  shoe,  belt,  handbag,  watchband,  golf 
bag,  briefcase,,  and  luggage  market. 
Commercial  processing  of  these  hides  is  legal 
in  Europe.  Some  countries  in  Latin  America, 
Africa,  and  Asia  have  recently  outlawed  or 
limited  commercial  harvest  of  crocodilians. 
Others  are  investigating  regulating  the  harvest 

The  Nile  crocodile,  which  grows  up  to 
eighteen  feet  long,  has  been  hunted  to  the 
brink  of  extinction  in  Africa  because  its  hide 
is  particularly  suited  to  the  manufacture  of 
shoes  and  other  accessories.  It  has  less  bony 
material  in  its  belly  scales  than  most  other 
crocodilians  of  that  area.  Those  are  the  only 
parts  used  for  manufacturing.  Hunters  have 
concentrated  on  taking  younger  Nile 
crocodiles  of  six  to  nine  feet  in  length  before 
the  scales  grow  too  large. 

The  crocodile  fills  an  ecological  niche  as  the 
major  predator  of  the  waters  it  inhabits.  Its 
removal  from  an  area  greatly  disturbs  the 
balance  of  life.  In  areas  of  Africa  where  the 
Nile  crocodile  no  longer  ranges,  for  example, 
the  yield  of  food  fish  for  human  consumption 
has  gone  down  dramatically  because  the 
slower-swimming,  rough,  or  bottom-feeding 
fish  that  were  the  main  diet  of  the  crocodile 
have  multiplied  to  the  point  of  forcing  more 
desirable  fish  out  of  those  waters.  The  Nile 
crocodile  once  ranged  over  the  southern 
two-thirds  ot  Africa,  including  Madagascar. 
Today  it  is  restricted  primarily  to  the  Nile 
River  drainage  system  because  man  has 
moved  into  much  of  its  former  range. 


Aerial  photo  ol  Reserve  Mining  Company's  Silver  Bay  (Minnesota)  plant  on  Lake  Superior.  During  a  normal 
day's  operation,  some  67.000  tons  ot  taconite  tailings-which  contain  asbestos  libers-are  dumped  into 
the  lake. 

ing  April,  with  U.S.  District  Court  Judge  Miles 
Lord  closing  the  Silver  Bay  plant  on  April  20. 
The  guiding  force  behind  the  court's  decision 
was  its  determination  that  the  asbestos  fibers 
are  indeed  a  "serious  health  hazard." 


Asbestos-loaded  Residues 
Dumped  in  Lake  Superior 

In  1947  the  Reserve  Mining  Company  filed  for 
permission  to  dump  residue  from  its  process- 
ing of  taconite,  a  low-grade  iron  ore,  into  Lake 
Superior,  The  proposed  mining  of  taconite 
was  generally  hailed  as  a  godsend  to  north- 
eastern Minnesota,  where  the  depletion  of 
higher-grade  iron  ores  was  threatening  the 
region's  economy.  A  few  dissenters,  however, 
warned  that  dumping  taconite  tailings  into 
Lake  Superior  would  threaten  fish  life  as  well 
as  contaminate  the  water  supply  of  Duluth, 
Minnesota,  and  other  nearby  communities. 

In  time.  Reserve  was  permitted  to  operate  its 
taconite  processing  plant  at  Silver  Bay,  and 
in  the  mid-1950s  it  began  to  dump  67,000 
tons  of  tailings  into  the  lake  each  day. 

Environmentalists  grew  more  concerned  about 
the  possible  hazard  to  human  life,  pointing 
out  that  fibers  of  asbestos,  a  known  carcino- 
gen, were  present  in  the  taconite  residue,  and 
that  these  were  carried  by  lake  currents  many 
miles  from  the  dumping  site.  What  was  to  be- 
come the  longest  environmental  trial  in  history 
began  in  August  1973  and  ended  the  follow- 


In  a  memorandum.  Judge  Lord  stated  that 
while  the  extent  of  the  hazard  could  not  be 
immediately  evaluated — and  perhaps  not  for 
ten  or  twenty  more  years — thousands  of  per- 
sons were  being  daily  exposed  to  a  known 
carcinogen. 

Three  days  following  the  court-ordered  shut- 
down, the  eighth  U.  S.  District  Court  of  Ap- 
peals stayed  Lord's  closing  for  seventy  days. 
Meanwhile  Reserve  was  ordered  to  find  an 
alternate  dumping  site  on  land.  The  company 
proposed  a  dumping  site  in  the  Palisades 
Creek  area  S'/z  miles  from  its  Silver  Bay  plant. 
This  plan,  however,  was  rejected  by  Minne- 
sota state  officials,  arguing  that  the  Palisades 
area  was  one  of  unsurpassed  beauty  and  not 
to  be  desecrated  as  a  dumping  ground. 

In  July,  Reserve  stated  that  it  could  halt  the 
dumping  of  tailings  into  the  lake  within  28 
months.  In  the  meantime,  if  company  opera- 
tions continue,  some  200,000  Lake  Superior 
area  residents  will  continue  drinking  the  as- 
bestos-contaminated lake  water. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


19 


The  crowd  above — and  about  200  other  per- 
sons— turned  out  at  the  Museum's  north 
entrance  on  a  cold  June  25  to  celebrate  the 
Museum's  80th  anniversary  and  current  $25- 
million  renovation  program  at  a  ceremony 
rededicating  the  53-year-old  building.  It  was 
a  joyous  affair  that  opened  with  the  happy 
sounds  of  a  dixieland  band  and  closed  with 
a  gala  picnic  luncheon  for  invited  guests  in  a 
red-and-white  tent  on  the  north  lawn. 


On  hand  to  honor  the  Museum's  accomplish- 
ments and  benefactors,  with  brief  remarks, 
were  Colonel  Jack  Reilly,  director  of  special 
events  in  the  office  of  Mayor  Richard  J.  Daley, 
who  presented  a  $50,000  contribution  from 
the  City  of  Chicago  to  the  Museum's  Capital 
Campaign:  Rev,  H.  Robert  Clark,  super- 
intendent of  schools,  Archdiocese  of  Chi- 
cago; Patrick  L.  O'Malley,  president  of  the 
Chicago  Park  District;  Frederick  C.  Roth,  ad- 


ministrative assistant  to  Alderman  Free  B, 
Roti;  and  Carol  Saper,  9  (in  photo,  below  left), 
winner  of  the  Museum's  cornerstone  contest, 
whose  illustration  depicting  a  time  when  all 
races  will  live  in  harmony  now  rests  perma- 
nently in  the  new  cornerstone. 

Participating  for  the  Museum  were  President 
Blaine  J.  Yarrington  and  Director  E,  Leland 
Webber  (congratulating   Carol   Saper   in 


20  September  1974 


photo,  above  right);  Trustees  Marshall  Field, 
Nicholas  Galitzine,  and  Thomas  E.  Donnelley 
II:  Mrs,  Donnelley,  Women's  Board  president 
(in  photo,  right):  and  Anthony  Patteri,  stone 
mason,  who  worked  on  the  construction  of 
the  present  building  and  continued  sen/ice  to 
the  Museum  for  fifty  years  before  retiring  in 
1971.  Mr.  Patteri  (in  photo,  below)  symbol- 
ically sealed  the  new  cornerstone  into  place. 
Also  in  the  crowd  were  reporters  and  pho- 


tographers liuiii  live  Chicago  newspapers, 
and  a  television  film  crew.  They  jockeyed  for 
the  best  views  as  program  participants  placed 
documents  into  the  cornerstone  that  included 
Congressional  Record  statements  from  U.S. 
Senators  Charles  Percy  and  Adiai  Stevenson 
and  U.S.  Congresswoman  Cardiss  Collins: 
resolutions  from  the  Chicago  Board  of  Educa- 
tion, the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  Cook 
County,  and  the  Illinois  General  Assembly;  a 
proclamation  from  Mayor  Daley  calling  for  all 
citizens  to  contribute  to  the  Museum's  Capital 
Campaign;  and  many  other  documents  of 
recognition. 

When  in  the  future  the  cornerstone  is  again 
opened,  these  documents  will  attest  to  the 
Museum's  ever-increasing  importance  in  and 
impact  on  the  worlds  of  science  and  educa- 
tion. 


Happy  Anniversary.  Field  Museum' 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


field  briefs 


Unusual  Birthday  Gift 
for  Field  Museum 

In  celebration  of  its  eightieth  anniversary  in 
June,  Field  Museum  received  an  unusual  gift 
from  D'Arcy-MacManus  &  Masius,  world  wide 
advertismg  agency.  The  firm  is  devoting  its 
creative  services  to  develop  an  advertising 
campaign  which  will  complement  the  Mu- 
seum's public  relations  efforts.  Television  an- 
nouncements, newspaper  public  service  ads, 
and  Museum  membership  promotional  mate- 
rials are  being  developed  by  the  firm. 

William  T.  Raidt,  president,  D'Arcy,  Division 
of  D'Arcy-MacManus  &  Masius,  commented, 
"We  hope  that  this  advertising  campaign  will 
make  more  Chicagoans  aware  that  one  of  the 
world's  leading  educational,  cultural,  and  sci- 
entific centers  is  right  on  their  own  lakefront." 


Upper  left:  Kwasi  Badu,  ol  Ghana,  and  his  drum 
troupe  will  perlorm  in  Stanley  Field  Hall  on  Sep- 
tember 21  at  TO. 30  a-m.  and  2.30  p.m. 

Lower  lett:  Patty  Fawn  demonstrates  traditional 
Northwest  Coast  silversmilhing  techniques  at 
Field  Museum  September  23  through  27. 


Below:  When  singer-actor  John  Davidson  brought 
his  tour-year-old  son.  John  Jr..  to  the  Museum 
recently,  tanner  Keith  Carson  had  to  convince  the 
youngster  that  the  laws  ol  this  wall  weren't  going 
to  nip  his  nose. 


22  September  1974 


Ray  A.  Kroc 

Environmental 
Education  Program 


Natural  and  Managed 
Environments 

Forest  preserves  and  other  natural  areas 
show  us  what  Chicago  and  its  environs 
once  looked  like.  Farms,  factories,  water- 
ways, and  recreation  sites  show  us  what 
has  become  of  the  land.  How  are  natural 
areas  faring  in  the  face  of  megalopolis? 
How  do  managed  ecosystems  interact 
with  their  surrounding  environments? 
The  Ray  A.  Kroc  Environmental  Educa- 
tion Program  for  fall,  1974,  provides  op- 
portunities for  all  ages  to  explore  natural 
and  managed  environments  in  and  near 
Chicago.  Special  attention  will  be  given 
to  natural  phenomena,  the  interplay  of 
biological  systems,  and  management 
of  particular  ecosystems.  Field  trips  for 
teen-agers,  adults,  and  family  groups, 
and  Museum-based  experiences  for 
younger  people  are  offered  in  this  series. 
Some  favorite  trips  from  earlier  programs 
are  repeated. 

This  program  is  made  possible  by  the 
Ray  A.  Kroc  Environmental  Education 
Fund,  which  was  established  at  Field 
Museum  by  his  friends  to  honor  Mr.  Kroc, 
chairman  of  McDonald's  Corporation,  on 
his  70th  birthday.  Other  events  of  this 
program  will  be  presented  in  coming 
months  and  years. 

There  is  a  $4.00  registration  fee  for  all 
programs  except  the  Morning  Programs 
for  Young  People,  for  which  the  fee  is 
$2.00,  Reservation  is  by  advance  regis- 
tration only.  Environmental  Education 
Program  brochures  are  available  by  writ- 
ing Carolyn  Blackmon,  at  Field  Museum, 
or  by  calling  her  at  922-9410,  ext.  361 
or  363. 


Junior-Senior  High  School 
Field  Trips 


Trip  topics  include  "Shorelines  and 
Slopes"  (Saturday  and  Sunday,  Sept.  14 
and  15)  to  Rocky  Glen,  DuPage  County; 
"Formations  of  Sand"  (Saturday  and 
Sunday,  Sept.  21  and  22)  to  the  Indiana 
Dunes;  "The  Farm  —  an  Environmental 
Experiment"  (Saturday,  Sept.  28)  to 
Pleasant  Valley  Farm,  near  Woodstock; 
and  "Searching  for  Evidence  of  the  Coal 
Age"  (Saturday,  Sept.  28)  to  a  nearby 
strip  mine.  All  trips  are  limited  to  thirty 
students  and  all  are  for  junior  or  senior 
high,  except  the  "Coal  Age"  trip,  which 
is  for  junior  high. 


Adult  Field  Trips 


Seven  trip  topics  for  Wednesdays,  Satur- 
days, and  Sundays  are  to  be  offered  for 
groups  of  forty  or  fifty  adults.  Topics  in- 
clude "The  Last  Glacier"  (Saturday  and 
Wednesday,  Sept.  14  and  18),  to  Palos 
Park;  "Waterways  and  Lake  Michigan" 
(Saturday,  Sept.  28) — a  boat  trip  along 
Lake  Michigan's  southwest  shore  and 
Cal-Sag  Canal:  "Carvings  of  a  River" 
(Sunday,  Sept.  29)  to  Starved  Rock; 
"Sand  and  Steel"  (Wednesday,  Oct.  2)  to 
a  steel  mill  and  the  Indiana  Dunes;  "An 
Ancient  Environment"  (Saturday  and 
Wednesday,  Oct.  5  and  9)  to  a  strip  mine 
and  reclamation  sites;  "Varied  Environ- 
ments of  Starved  Rock"  (Saturday,  Oct. 

12)  to  Starved  Rock;  and  "Are  Lake 
Shores    Disappearing?"    (Sunday,    Oct. 

13)  to  the  Dunes. 


Family  Trips 


Two  trips  for  families,  each  limited  to 
forty  individuals,  will  explore  the  farm 
and  forest.  On  Saturday,  Sept.  21 ,  a  pro- 
duce farm  and  a  dairy  farm  will  be 
visited,  with  an  examination  of  how  each 
functions  as  an  ecosystem.  On  Saturday, 
Oct.  12,  a  walking  tour  will  be  made 
through  Warren  Woods,  in  Michigan.  It 
will  provide  an  opportunity  to  become 
aware  of  skills  for  making  family  trips  to 
natural  areas  more  interesting  and  en- 
joyable. These  two  all-day  trips  are 
strenuous  and  not  recommended  for 
small  children. 

Morning  Programs  tor  Young  People 


Six  separate  program  topics  are  to  be 
offered  for  grades  4  through  6;  some  in- 
volve field  trips  near  the  Museum,  others 
are  workshops  in  the  building:  They  in- 
clude "Our  Environment:  Large  and 
Small,"  a  walking  trip  (Saturday,  Sept. 
14);  "Using  Your  Senses:  An  Ecology 
Workshop,"  an  indoor-outdoor  tour 
(Wednesday,  Sept.  18);  "The  Lake  and 
Its  Inhabitants,"  a  visit  to  the  nearby  lake- 
shore  (Saturday,  Sept.  28);  "Who  Lives 
Here?"  an  introduction  to  plant  and  ani- 
mal life  near  the  Museum  with  a  take- 
home  project  for  studying  neighborhood 
environment  (Sunday,  Sept.  29); 
"Weeds,"  how  to  identify  local  plants 
(Saturday,  Oct.  5);  and  "Naturegrams," 
a  workshop  for  making  photograms  of 
plants  and  animals  (Saturday  and  Sun- 
days, Oct.  12  and  13). 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


23 


SEPTEMBER  at  Held  M 

EXHIBITS 

continuing 

Contemporary  African  Arts  Festival,  the  first  comprehensive  pro- 
gram of  Its  kind  in  the  United  States,  features  the  work  of  artists, 
including  painters,  printmakers,  sculptors,  and  fabric  designers,  as 
well  as  music,  films,  lectures,  dances,  and  other  activities.  Through 
Novembers.  Hall  27. 

Special  September  events  are: 

Films  in  Studio  in  exhibit  area 

Daily  at  1:30  p.m. 
Sept.  1  -6:       Malawi:  Two  Young  Men  and  Women  Up  in  Arms 
Sept.  7-13:     Ancient  Africans  and  In  Search  of  Myself 
Sept.  14-20:   The  Creative  Person:  Leopold  Sedar  Senghor 

and  The  Swamp  Dwellers 
Sept.  21  -27:  Gelede.  Africa  Dances,  and  Heartbeat  of  Africa 
Sept.  28-30:  New  Images.  Abuja  Pottery,  East  African  Wood 

Carver,  and  Talking  Drums 

Fridays  at  7:30  p.m.,  the  films  of  Ousmane  Sembene 

Sept.  6:  Emitai 

Sept.  13:  Borom  Sarret  and  Tauw 

Sept.  20:  Black  Girl 

Sept.  27:  Mandabi 

Sunday,  Sept.  29  at  4  p.m. : 
The  Nuer 

Saturday.  September  7 

African  Drum  Carving  by  Musa 

10:30  and  11:30  a.m.,  and  2:30  and  3:30  p.m.,  Stanley  Field  Hall 

Saturday,  September  21 

African  Drum  Performance  by  Kwasi  Badu  Group  of  Ghana 

10:30  am.  and  2:30  p.m.,  Stanley  Field  Hall 

Saturday,  September  28 

Kora  Demonstration  by  Alhaji  Bai  Konte  of  Gambia 

10:30  and  11:30  a.m.,  and  2:30  and  3:30  p.m.,  Stanley  Field  Hall 


useum 


Weaving  Demonstration  by  members  of  the  North  Shore  Weavers' 

Guild  at  10:00  a.m.  to  12:00  noon  on  IVIondays,  Wednesdays,  and 
Fridays.  Spinning  will  also  be  shown  on  the  first  and  third  Mondays 
of  each  month.  South  Lounge.  Begins  September  30. 

The  Leiooska  Carvers  from  the  State  of  Washington  present  demon- 
strations and  dances  in  Stanley  Field  Hall  as  part  of  Field  Museum's 
Native  American  Program. 

September  23  through  26: 

9:30  to  10:15  a.m. 

Demonstration  of  Northwest  Coast  woodcarving  and  silversmithing 

10:30  to  11:30  a.m. 

Traditional  Northwest  Coast  dances  showing  the  use  of  ceremo- 
nial masks 

1:00  to  5:00  p.m. 

Demonstration  of  Northwest  Coast  woodcarving  and  silversmithing 

September  27:  ^ '®       r  'Vj 

9:30  am.  to  5:00  p. m  ^|^twH7 

Demonstration  of  Northwest  Coast  woodcarving  and  silversmithing 

CHILDREN'S  PROGRAM 

Begins  September  1 

Fall  Journey  for  Children,  "Fossils  in  the  Floor."  a  free,  self-guided 
activity,  studies  ancient  animals  that  are  preserved  in  the  Museum's 
permanent  structure.  All  boys  and  girls  who  can  read  and  write 
may  participate  in  the  program.  Journey  sheets  in  English  and 
Spanish  available  at  entrances.  Through  November  30. 

MEETINGS 

September  6,  7:30  p.m.,    Chicago  Astronomical  Society 
September  10,  7:30  p.m.,  Nature  Camera  Club  of  Chicago 
September  1 1 ,  7:00  p.m.,  Chicago  Ornithological  Society 
September  1 1 ,  7:30  p.m..  Windy  City  Grotto,  National  Speleological 

Society 
September  12,  7:00  p.m.,  Chicago  Mountaineering  Club 


Field  Museum's  Anniversary  Exhibit  continues  indefinitely.  "A 
Sense  of  Wonder"  offers  thought-provoking  prose  and  poetry 
associated  with  the  physical,  biological,  and  cultural  aspects  of 
nature:  "A  Sense  of  History"  presents  a  graphic  portrayal  of  the 
Museum's  past;  and  "A  Sense  of  Discovery"  shows  examples  of 
research  conducted  by  Museum  scientists.  Hall  3. 


Through  Septembers 

Edvirin  Janss  Jr.  Undervi/ater  Photography,  an  exhibiKof  exciting 
color  prints.  Hall  9 


SPECIAL  PROGRAMS 


Ray  A.  Kroc  Environmental  Education  Program  resumes  with  a 
series  of  field  trips  for  adults,  family  groups,  and  children.  (See 
p.  23.) 


COMING  IN  OCTOBER 


Ray  A.  Kroc  Environmental  Education  Program  field  trips  continue. 

Ayer  Illustrated  Lecture  Series   resumes  with   "Expeditions  Un- 
limited 1974-75,"  in  Lecture  Hall.  (See  p.  17.) 

"In  Beauty  It  Is  Begun,"  an  exhibit  of  the  art  of  Native  American 
children.  Through  December  1.  Hall  9.  Begins  October  1. 


MUSEUM  HOURS 

Open  9:00  a.m.  to  9:00  p.m.  Sunday,  September  1;  9:00  a.m.  to  6:00  p.m. 
Monday,  September  2  (Labor  Day);  and  9  00  am,  to  5:00  p.m  Saturday 
through  Thursday  and  900  a.m.  to  9:00  p.m.  Fridays  during  remainder 
of  month. 

The  Museum  Library  is  open  9  00  a.m.  to  4:00  p.m.  Monday  through  Friday. 
Please  obtain  pass  at  reception  desk,  mam  floor  north. 

Museum  telephone:  922-9410 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  Bulletin 


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Field  Museum 
of  Natural  History 
Bulletin 

Volume  45,  Number  9 
October  1974 


Managing  Editor  G.  Henry  Ottery 
Editor  David  M.  Walsten 
Staff  Writer  Madge  Jacobs 
Production  Oscar  Anderson 


CONTENTS 


FUTURE  OF  THE  CONDOR:  Recovery  or  Extinction 

by  Sanford  R.  Wilbur 


OUTREACH:  The  Long  Reach 

by  G.  Henry  Ottery 


REBIRTH  OF  A  PRAIRIE 

by  Joyce  Marshall  Brukoff 


7 


OUR  ENVIRONMENT 


11 


14 


"IN  BEAUTY  IT  IS  BEGUN  ..."  -i  r> 

New  Exhibit  of  Art  by  Native  American  Children  " 


FIELD  BRIEFS 


18 


CAPITAL  CAMPAIGN 


19 


OCTOBER  AT  FIELD  MUSEUM 
Calendar  of  Coming  Events 


back  cover 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Director  E.  Leland  Webber 


COVER 

"Butterfly."  drawing  by  Marcia  Tuplin,  8-year-old  Indian  girl 
(Mic-Mac)  of  Massachusetts  and  otfier  works  of  art  by  Native 
American  children  comprise  the  exhibit  "In  Beauty  It  Is  Begun," 
opening  at  Field  Museum  October  1    See  pp    16-17, 


Board  of  Trustees 

Blaine  J.  Yarnngton, 

President 
Gordon  Bent 
Harry  O  Bercher 
Bowen  Blair 
Stanton  R.  Cook 
William  R.  Dickinson.  Jr. 
Thomas  E.  Donnelley  II 
Mrs.  Thomas  E.  Donnelley  II 
Marshall  Field 
Nicholas  Galilzine 
Paul  W.  Goodrich 
Remick  McDowell 
Hugo  J  Melvoin 
J,  Roscoe  Miller 
William  H.  Mitchell 
Charles'F.  Murphy,  Jr, 
Harry  M.  Oliver,  Jr, 
John  T,  Pirie.  Jr, 
John  S,  Runnells 
William  L,  Searle 


Edward  Byron  Smith 
Mrs  Hermon  Dunlap 

Smith 
John  W  Sullivan 
William  G,  Swartchild,  Jr, 
E.  Leland  Webber 
Julian  B.  Wilkins 

Life  Trustees 

William  McCormick  Blair 
Joseph  N,  Field 
Cliltord  C.  Gregg 
Samuel  Insull,  Jr, 
William  V.  Kahler 
Hughslon  M,  McBain 
James  L,  Palmer 
John  G.  Searle 
John  M,  Simpson 
Louis  Ware 
J,  Howard  Wood 


Photo  credits 

Page  3.  Carl  Koford,  from  National  Audubon  Society,  4,  David  M  Walsten 
5,  William  L,  Finley,  Irom  National  Audubon  Society;  6,  both  photos.  Sanford 
r'  Wilbur;  7,  9,  G  Henry  Ottery,  15,  Robert  Chesness,  16,  Linda  Larson;  17, 
upper  left,  lower  left,  lowrer  right,  Linda  Larson,  19.  William  E    Salyards. 


Field  Museum  0/  Natural  History  Bulletin  is  published  monthly, 
except  combined  July/August  issue,  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  Illinois  60605, 
Subscriptions;  $6  a  year;  $3  a  year  for  schools.  Members  of  the 
Museum  subscribe  through  Museum  membership.  Opinions 
expressed  by  authors  are  their- own  and  do  not  necessarily  reflect  the 
policy  of  Field  Museum,  Unsolicited  manuscripts  are  welcome. 
Postmaster;  Please  send  form  3579  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  Illinois  60605, 
ISSN:  0015-0703 


Future  of  the  Condor 


recovery  or  extinction? 


by  Sanford  R.  Wilbur 

THE  ADULT  CONDOR  lay  on  the  grassy 
ledge,  neck  bent  over  its  shoulder, 
preening  its  back.  Although  it  was  only 
4:30  on  this  warm  March  afternoon,  the 
wind  had  dropped,  the  midday  thermals 
had  disappeared,  and  the  soaring  day 
was  over.  It  was  time  for  a  rest. 


But  the  young  bird  nearby  wanted  no 
part  of  that.  Approximately  ten  months 
old  and  just  learning  to  get  around  by 
itself,  this  youngster  had  no  intention  of 


Sanford  R.  Wilbur  is  a  wildlife  biologist  for 
the  U.  S.  Fisfi  and  Wildlife  Service  and  fias 
made  a  special  study  of  tlie  California  con- 
dor and  ottier  endangered  species. 


going  to  bed  at  4:30.  It  wandered  up  and 
down  the  grassy  ledge,  pulling  at  grass, 
picking  up  sticks  and  rocks,  seemingly 
looking  for  some  kind  of  action.  Not 
finding  any,  it  returned  to  the  dozing 
parent's  side  and  pecked  lightly  at  the 
bare  orange  neck.  The  adult  lunged 
halfheartedly  at  the  youngster,  and  it 
retreated  a  moment,  then  came  back 
and  tried  another  little  peck.  Same 
reaction!  Here  apparently  was  the  fun 
it  had  been  looking  for,  and  like  a 
mischievous  child,  it  returned  time  after 
time  to  nip  at  that  tempting  neck. 


After  ten  minutes  the  adult  obviously 
tired  of  its  troublesome  offspring's 


behavior.  It  abruptly  flew  off,  circled 
once  around  the  ledge,  then  landed  at 
one  of  two  prominently  "whitewashed" 
pinnacles.  The  caked  excrement 
showed  that  condors  regularly  used 
those  two  perches.  The  youngster,  left 
alone,  also  took  off  and  circled  the  rock. 
Still  apparently  not  ready  for  bed,  it 
landed  at  the  mouth  of  the  whitewashed 
cave  where  it  had  hatched  ten  months 
earlier,  looked  around  there  a  bit,  then 
flew  to  a  grassy  spot  not  far  from  the 
now  dozing  adult.  In  one  last  attempt  to 
prolong  the  day,  the  young  bird  flung 
itself  at  the  same  small  pinnacle  on 
which  the  parent  slept,  almost  knocking 
both  from  the  perch.  But  the  adult  was 
not  to  be  moved,  so  the  young  bird    >■ 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


The  California  condor  (Gymnogyps  cali- 
fornianus)  today  nests  in  only  a  small 
section  of  southern  California,  although 
as  recently  as  1855  it  nested  in  Shasta 
County,  in  northern  California,  and  three 
decades  earlier  was  common  in  Oregon 
It  has  the  largest  wingspread  of  any 
North  American  land  bird,  one  specimen 
measuring  out  to  9  feet  7  inches.  The 
average  adult  weighs  about  20  pounds 
The  turkey  (Meleagris  gallopavo)  often 
weighs  considerably  more,  but  has  a 
much  shorter  wingspread  The  Andean 
condor  (Vultur  gryphus),  of  South  Amer- 
ica, has  a  slightly  greater  wingspread 
(about  2  inches  wider)  and  averages 
about  1   pound  heavier 

California  condors  usually  do  not  breed 
before  the  age  of  six.  Ordinarily  one  egg 
is  laid  every  two  years.  The  average  life 
span  is  about  twelve  years.  Under  nor- 
mal circumstances,  then,  one  bird  may 
produce  about  three  young  in  its  life- 
time The  preferred  food  is  beef  (freshly 
killed):  sheep,  ground  sguirrel,  deer, 
horse,  and  coyote  are  also  favored.  The 
birds  may  range  as  far  as  25  to  30 
miles  from  the  nesting  site  in  a  single 
day  in  their  search  for  food.  There  is  no 
evidence  that  the  California  condor  ever 
attacks  living  mammals.  The  species  has 
but  one  natural  enemy:  man — Ed. 


hopped  to  the  next  pinnacle,  tucked  its 
head  under  his  wing,  and  went  to  sleep. 


We  untucked  ourselves  from  under  the 
bush  where  we  had  crouched  for  the 
past  four  hours,  and  made  our  way 
back  down  the  hill  to  camp.  Two  and 
one-half  days  of  sun,  poison  oak,  bugs, 
and  silent  watching  had  paid  off  this 


THE  young  California  condor  that 
U.  S.  Forest  Service  biologist  Dean 
Carrier  and  I  watched  that  March 
afternoon  did  not  realize  its  uniqueness. 
The  only  condor  known  to  have  hatched 
in  1969,  It  is  one  of  only  about  eleven 
reared  from  1968  through  1973.  No 
matter  how  we  evaluate  this  and  other 
condor-related  facts,  it  is  an  almost 
inescapable  conclusion  that  the  condors 
simply  are  not  producing  enough  young 
to  sustain  their  population.  The  problem 
is  especially  complicated  because  it 
isn't  a  matter  of  eggs  failing  to  hatch, 
or  young  birds  failing  to  reach  maturity. 
It's  entirely  a  case  of  most  adult 
condors  failing  to  nest. 


After  I  had  discussed  this  situation  at  a 
recent  meeting,  a  waggish  newsman 
wrote  that  condor  reproduction  had 
declined  because  the  old  birds  have 
lost  their  interest  in  sexl  He  was  being 
facetious,  of  course,  but  in  a  much 
oversimplified  way  he  was  partially 
correct.  A  combination  of  changes  in 
condor  habitat  has  apparently  affected 
basic  condor  biology  to  make  the  birds 
less  inclined  to  nest. 


We  don't  completely  understand  these 
changes,  but  studies  of  various  birds 
and  other  animals  suggest  that  certain 
activities  will  occur  only  if  the  animals 
receive  necessary  stimulation.  If  such  a 
stimulus,  or  "releaser,"  fails  to  function 
normally,  expected  behavior  will  not 
occur.  For  instance,  a  pair  of  condors 
not  in  close  contact  with  other  pairs  of 
condors  (social  releasers,  in  this  case) 
may  not  be  stimulated  to  begin 
courtship.  Condors  with  an 
undependable  food  supply  might  not 
be  "released"  to  begin  nesting.  Perhaps 
condors  short  of  food  forage  far  from 
traditional  nest  sites.  Their  drive  to  mate 


Egg  of  the  Calilorma  condor  {third  largest),  shown 
with  eggs  of  other  bird  species  {smallest  to  largest) . 
ruby-throated  hummingbird  (Arilochus  colubna), 
chicken,  condor,  ostrich  (Slrultiio  camelus),  and 
Aepyornis,  or  elephant  bird  {plaster  cast) — an 
extinct  form. 


October  1974 


and  nest  may  fail  to  be  "released" 
because  of  insufficient  stimulation  by 
thie  chiaracteristics  of  thie  nest  site  itself. 


Possibly  two  releasers  (if  tfie  concept 
applies  to  condors) — food  supply  and 
nest  site — are  currently  malfunctioning. 
Food  near  nesting  areas  has  been 
scarce  in  recent  years,  and,  at  least 
partially  in  response  to  this  scarcity, 
some  condors  have  been  displaced  into 
less  suitable  nesting  habitat.  Food 
shortage  is  probably  also  combining 
with  a  normal  social  dominance  ("peck 
order")  within  the  condor  population,  so 


that  the  more  aggressive,  established 
birds  keep  lower-order  condors  from 
utilizing  the  limited  food  supply  that 
does  exist. 


We  are  attempting  to  solve  the  problem 
of  food  shortage  in  critical  places  by  a 
supplemental  feeding  program.  Each 
week  throughout  the  year,  we  place 
animal  carcasses  (the  natural  food  of 
condors)  at  protected  sites  within  the 
normal  feeding  range  of  the  nesting 
birds.  Two  or  more  sites  are  used 
simultaneously  so  the  birds  will  not  have 
to  rely  on  only  one  location  for  all  their 


Remarkable  early  photo,  taken  in  color,  by  William 
L  Finley  in  1906  or  1907  A  pet  ot  Finleys  the 
condor  appears  here  in  luvenile  plummage,  in  a 
typical  "sunning"  pose 

food  (like  garbage-can  bears),  and  so 
condors  lower  on  the  peck  order  can 
feed  on  carcasses  not  being  used  by 
the  more  dominant  birds  at  favored 
sites.  We  hope  this  will  lead  to  more 
nesting,  more  successful  nests,  and  a 
reestablishment  of  now  partially  broken 
traditional  ties  with  the  nesting  areas. 


Supplemental  feeding  is  only  one  of  a 
number  of  protection  and  management 
measures,  either  in  effect  or  being 
planned,  to  improve  the  status  of  the 
California  condor  population.  A  number 
of  interested  organizations  including  the  >> 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


U.  S,  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service,  U,  S. 
Forest  Service,  National  Audubon 
Society,  California  Department  of  Fisfi 
and  Game,  University  of  California,  and 
U.  S,  Bureau  of  Land  Management,  are 
currently  preparing  and  implementing  a 
comprehensive  "condor  recovery  plan." 
This  document  outlines  all  actions 
believed  necessary  to  return  this 
species  to  a  more  secure  status,  and 
provides  an  orderly  timetable  and 
priority  list  for  getting  the  necessary 
jobs  done.  Three  basic  groups  of  needs 
— protecting  the  fifty  to  sixty  condors 
remaining,  increasing  their  reproductive 
rate,  and  preserving  enough  living 
space  for  a  secure  population — are 
proposed  or  are  being  satisfied  through 
an  integrated  program  of  land 
acquisition,  land  use  planning,  food 
supply  enhancement,  conservation 
education,  restrictive  regulations,  law 
enforcement,  and  continued  basic 
research  into  the  needs  of  the  species. 
All  the  organizations  listed  above,  plus 
other  interested  individuals  and  groups, 
are  actively  involved  in  implementing 
these  actions. 


Can  we  save  the  condors?  At  this  point, 
we  honestly  don't  know.  We  appear  to 
have  made  great  strides  in  slowing  the 
decline  of  the  species,  but  right  now  I 
believe  the  condor  population  is  at  its 
lowest  and  most  critical  point.  The 
success  or  failure  of  our  "recovery 
plan"  may  be  evident  within  as  short  a 
time  as  five  to  ten  years.  It  is  vital  that 
we  get  the  entire  plan  operational  in  the 
shortest  time  possible.  Equally 
important  is  the  need  to  continue  to 
look  for  other  ways  to  protect  and 
preserve  the  condor.  Even  as  we 
implement  our  current  plan,  we  are 
attempting  to  formulate  emergency 
action  to  be  taken  should  the  population 
continue  its  decline.  The  job  is  far  from 
finished. 


Next  morning  Dean  and  I  were  both 
crouched  under  our  bush  at  7:30,  just 
in  time  to  see  the  first  signs  of  stirring 
at  the  condor  roost.  A  10  o'clock,  after 


two  and  one-half  hours  of  waking  up 
by  our  subjects,  condor  style — 
preening,  sunning,  moving  from  perch 
to  perch — we  saw  adult  and  immature 
drift  out  of  sight  to  the  north.  The  young 
bird  flew  erratically  compared  to  the 
parent  bird,  but  it  was  well  on  its  way  to 
independence.  Only  if  it  survived  the 
next  five  or  more  years,  however,  would 
it  begin  to  share  in  perpetuating  its 
species  because  the  birds  require  at 
least  five  years  to  reach  maturity.  We 
know  it  will  take  much  special  effort  by 
many  people  if  this  bird  and  the  rest  of 
the  condors  are  to  make  it  through,  d 


October  1974 


OUTREACH 


In  addition  to  their  creek  study  near  St  Charles,  III- . 
Field  Museum  Lecturer  Jim  Bland's  students 
sampled  the  fish  fauna  of  a  small  lake.  Seining  are 
Julie  Yamaguchi  (left)  and  Anita  Bellik.  laxonomist 
and  volunteer  instructor. 


The  Long  Reach 


by  G.  Henry  Ottery 


NEAR  SUBURBAN  St.  Charles  this  past 
summer,  five  hardy  teenagers — insect 
repellent  on  exposed  skin,  old  sneakers 
on  their  feet,  and  voices  chorusing  "Old 
MacDonald  Had  a  Fish  Farm" — spent 
several  days  plodding  through  and 
beside  a  three-mile-long  creek.  Vials 
were  plunged  into  the  water,  then 
glistened  in  the  sun  as  analytical  eyes 
peered  at  their  contents;  fish  swished 
past,  defying  the  students'  seining  nets; 
silt  on  the  creek  bottom,  churned  by 


human  feet,  formed  dark  clouds  that 
flowed  lazily  yet  menacingly 
downstream. 

What  chemicals  and  living  organisms 
were  in  the  water?  What  accounted  for 
the  unexpected  presence  of  northern 
pike'f'  What  were  the  sources  of  the 
pollution?  What  changes  had  taken 
place  during  the  twenty  years  since  a 
Field  Museum  scientist  last  studied  the 
stream? 


At  their  on-site  field  station  and  in 
Field  Museum  labs  and  specimen 
storage  areas,  the  students  are 
answering  those  and  many  other 
questions,  under  the  guidance  of 
Museum  staff.  They  will  make  their 
answers  available  for  publication  and 
to  the  community  along  with  specific 
recommendations  for  the  preservation 
of  the  creek  and  its  wildlife.  Their 
findings  may  also  be  fed  into  a  data 
bank  in  Toronto,  Canada,  and  be  madei 


Field  Museum  Bullelm 


available  to  area  scientists.  Thus,  one 
of  the  program's  unique  characteristics 
is  that  it  has  scientific  interest  and 
utility. 


The  program  is  remarkable  in  other 
ways,  too.  It  is  not  often  that  students 
are  able  to  study  fish  in  creeks;  and 
the  study  is  a  rare  documentation  of 
changes  in  fish  fauna  for  the  Chicago 
area.  It  will  also  provide  communities 
with  the  information  they  need  to 
improve  their  natural  water  systems.  It 
is  a  program  that  a  natural  history 
museum,  with  its  unique  combination  of 
technical  equipment  and  staff  is 
eminently  qualified  to  sponsor. 


For  the  participants,  the  study  provides 
a  solid  introduction  into  the  manner  in 
which  Field  Museum  scientists  conduct 
research  and  interpret  the  results  for 
publication;  it  also  gives  the  students 
a  working  knowledge  of  Illinois  fish 
fauna  and  the  important  basics  of 
ecology.  This  year's  pilot  program  may 
be  expanded  next  year  to  include  thirty 
students  with  the  emphasis  on  urban 
streams. 


This  unusual  Museum  activity,  under  the 
leadership  of  Museum  Lecturer  James 
Bland,  is  one  of  the  varied  Community 
Outreach  programs  that  have  excited 
and  stimulated  members  of  the 
Department  of  Education  since 
Outreach's  inception  about  two 
years  ago. 


"Naturally  we're  excited,"  declares 
Dr.  Alice  Carnes,  chairperson  of  the 
department.  "It's  new,  and  it  has 
contemporary  relevance.  Community 
Outreach  takes  the  Museum's  vast 
resources  to  communities  outside  the 
Museum,  where  they  often  have  their 
most  profound  effect. 


"For  many  years,  museums  have  been 
serving  their  communities  by  sending 


small  exhibit  cases  to  schools, 
sometimes  with  descriptive  materials," 
Dr.  Carnes  continues.  "This  was — and 
still  is — an  important  and  useful  service. 
In  fact.  Field  Museum's  Harris  Extension 
currently  distributes  such  materials  to 
440  Chicago  area  schools,  libraries,  and 
community  organizations.  However, 
museums  are  now  discovering  that  they 
can  serve  the  community  in  other  ways. 
In  addition  to  their  collections,  museums 
are  making  available  their  staff  and 
expertise,  and  are  sending  these  out  to 
schools  and  organizations." 


Consequently,  Bland  may  be  wading 
in  a  creek  with  high  school  students 
one  day,  and  be  examining  garbage 
with  sixth-graders  in  their  classroom 
the  next.  By  comparing  refuse  from  their 
contemporary  environments  with  the 
kind  of  refuse  discovered  at  the  sites 
of  Stone  Age  man,  the  students  are 
actively  involved  in  a  meaningful 
demonstration  of  how  modern  man 
places  enormously  greater  demands  on 
his  environment  and  natural  resources. 
Next,  Bland  might  be  watching  students 
turn  red-faced  as  they  test  their  lung 
capacities  to  learn  the  effects  of  various 
pollutants  on  physiological  functions. 


While  Bland's  students  are  happily 
involved  in  environmental  pursuits, 
those  of  Museum  Lecturer  J.  L.  Williams 
who  dances  under  her  professional 
name,  Djalal — are  discovering  the 
traditions  and  cultures  of  their  African 
ancestors.  Anansi  the  spider,  an  arrogant 
African  folk  tale  character,  figures 
prominently  in  one  of  Ms.  Williams' 
workshops  for  city  children.  As  she 
reads  the  story,  the  children — their 
arms,  legs,  and  facial  muscles  used  to 
exaggerated  effect — mime  the  actions 
of  the  characters.  And  with  the 
opportunity  to  wear  authentic  African 
hats,  rooster  feathers,  sheepskins,  and 
colorful  woven  fabrics,  the  students 
need  little  encouragement  to  join  in. 
Following  this,  they  learn  games  and 
songs  from  three  Nigerian  tribes  (in  the 
Ibo,  Yoruba,  and  Hausa  languages). 


followed  by  a  dance  popular  in  urban 
Africa  today,  the  "high-life."  Students 
in  one  school  were  so  inspired  by  Ms. 
'Williams'  workshop  that  they  presented 
an  African  festival  for  the  entire  school 
and  community.  Thus,  her  activities 
combine  tradition  with  today  in  a 
meaningful  learning  experience. 


One  Museum  division  can  claim  to  have 
had  Its  own  Community  Outreach 
program  for  more  than  sixty  years. 
David  Pressler,  program  manager  of 
The  N  W  Harris  Public  School 
Extension,  points  out  that  his  division's 
familiar  glass-enclosed  cases,  that 
exhibit  a  wide  variety  of  natural  history 
materials,  were  first  created  in  1912. 
This  collection,  of  some  1,200  portable 
units,  has  been  circulated  continuously, 
free  of  charge,  throughout  the  Chicago 
school  community.  The  program  is 
currently  operating  at  full  capacity,  with 
approximately  4,000  deliveries  annually. 


But  The  Harris  Extension,  too,  is  caught 
up  in  the  new  spirit  of  Community 
Outreach.  Pressler  has  designed  and 
developed  a  new  program  that  takes 
Museum  artifacts  and  specimens 
directly  into  the  classroom  as  part  of  a 
contemporary  exhibit  package.  Called 
"Field-Pac,"  the  new  educational 
exhibit-kit  is  especially  created  to 
promote  participation  by  encouraging 
children  to  touch  and  explore  objects 
and  make  first-hand  discoveries.  Each 
exhibit-kit  contains  real  specimens  or 
artifacts  that  can  be  handled  as  well  as 
arranged  to  create  a  classroom  or  library 
exhibit.  There  are  also  large,  colorful 
photo  panels  designed  to  set  the  stage 
for  discovering  new  things  by  visually 
changing  the  classroom  environment. 
In  addition,  Field-Pacs  contain: 
audio-visual  materials  that  provide 
further  descriptions  or  explanations  of 
the  exhibit  materials;  background 
information  for  the  kits'  use  that 
teachers  can  utilize  to  customize 
programs  to  their  pupils'  own  needs, 
abilities,  and  desires;  plus  suggestions 
for  activities  and  projects  that  will  make 


October  1974 


Tom  Snakespeare.  an  Arapahoe  historian  from  the  Wind  River  Reservation  m  Wyoming,  examines  an 
Arapahoe  tribal  artifact,  collected  by  Field  Museum  anthropologists  more  than  fifty  years  ago  Members  of  the 
Wind  River  Reservation's  Shoshone  and  Arapahoe  tribes  studied  Museum  collections  this  past  summer.  They 
Will  use  photos  of  the  artifacts  and  copies  of  early  anthropologists '  field  notes  in  preparing  tribal  history  books 
and  curriculum  materials  for  the  tribes'  school  programs  This  project  is  another  way  in  which  John  White, 
Field  Museum 's  Native  American  Program  coordinator,  encourages  the  use  of  Museum  artifacts  in  education 
programs  of  Native  American  communities. 


each  Field-Pac  a  source  of  personal 
discovery  and  expression  for  every 
pupil. 


The  Field-Pac  project  is  part  of  an 
ongoing  program  of  research  and 
development  within  The  Harris 
Extension.  In  order  to  learn  how  these 
new  materials  are  utilized  in  the 
community  and  how  they  can  be  further 
refined,  comprehensive  field  testing  is 
being  carried  out  under  Pressler's 
direction.  Currently  being  field-tested  is 
the  Field-Pac  entitled  "Selected  African 
Textile  Design."  Others  in  the  series  on 
African  arts  deal  with  jewelry, 
leatherwork,  and  calabashes.  Now  being 
developed  are  Field-Pacs  on 
environmental  studies,  the  microscopic 
world,  and  fossils.  Under  consideration 
are  Field-Pacs  for  explaining  the  use  of 
color  in  nature,  masks  from  various 
cultures  around  the  world,  and  what 


takes  place  behind  the  scenes  at  Field 
Museum. 

Although  Dr.  Carnes  admits  to  being 
most  excited  about  those  Outreach 
programs  designed  to  be  fully  realized 
beyond  the  Museum's  walls,  her 
enthusiasm  for  those  that  wholly  or 
partly  take  place  within  the  Museum  is 
fired  by  a  recognition  that  they  are 
important,  effective,  and  in  some  ways 
unique. 

In  an  office  adjacent  to  Dr.  Carnes,  for 
example,  Barbara  Reque,  Museum 
resource  consultant,  develops  "resource 
sheets"  for  teachers,  community  group 
leaders,  and  parents — including  special 
materials  for  parents  of  preschool 
children.  These  materials  are  designed 
to  increase  the  value  of  a  Museum  visit 
by  encouraging  people  to  begin  their 
learning  experiences  before  they  come 
to  the  Museum,  and  to  continue  them 


afterwards.  To  accomplish  this,  the 
resource  sheets — some  of  which  are 
translated  into  Spanish — suggest 
activities  and  projects  to  be  done  both 
at  home  and  at  the  Museum.  They  zero 
in  on  specific  topics,  with  titles  such  as 
"The  Insect  Hunt,"  "The  Seasons,"  and 
"Visiting  People  of  Other  Places,  Other 
Times." 


With  the  materials  for  a  program  which 
Mrs.  Reque  has  titled  "Animal  Insides 
and  Outsides,"  children,  directed  by 
a  parent  or  group  leader,  would  look 
at  pictures  of  skeletons,  then  feel  their 
own  bones  and  draw  pictures  of  their 
own  skeletons,  before  coming  to  the 
Museum,  They  would  be  shown  the 
Museum's  skeleton  exhibits  and 
encouraged  to  visualize  and  draw  entire 
animals  on  the  basis  of  their  skeletons. 

The  children  compare  and  draw  features 
such  as  legs,  observing  different 
locations  of  the  knee,  ankle,  and  heel; 
and  they  make  a  comparative  study  of 
teeth,  to  determine  whether  an  animal 
was  a  meat-  or  plant-eater.  Suggested 
after-visit  activities  include  making 
charts  or  books  with  their  drawmgs 
and  making  skeleton  models. 

Slide  programs  for  adults  show  how 
preschoolers  can  learn  at  the 
Museum;  and  how  children  visiting  the 
current  "Contemporary  African  Arts" 
exhibit  can  produce  similar  art  in  their 
classrooms.  Another  program  presents 
an  exercise  in  how  to  look  at  Museum 
exhibits. 


Mrs.  Reque's  office  is  also  the  source  of 
printed  instructions  on  various  African 
crafts  such  as  tie  dyeing,  and  on  how 
children  can  set  up  mini-museums  in 
their  homes  with  items  they  make  or 
collect.  They  might  choose  to  make  "A 
Museum  About  Myself." 


A  new  program  being  offered  this  fall 
coordinates  learning  experiences  for 
persons  who  plan  to  visit  both  the  >■ 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


Lincoln  Park  Zoo  and  the  Museum,  Like 
another  program  already  offered  in 
cooperation  with  nearby  Shedd 
Aquarium,  it  enables  visitors  to  benefit 
from  studying  certain  features  in  living 
animals,  then  taking  a  closer  look  at 
these  same  structures  in  preserved, 
nonmoving  specimens.  Mrs.  Reque  is 
also  engaged  in  the  development  of 
these  programs. 


In  addition  to  some  Outreach  programs 
already  noted,  there  is  another  that 
utilizes  the  Museum's  collections.  In 
less  than  one  year,  231  craft  workshops, 
directed  by  Crafts  Instructor  Phillip 
Cotton,  have  been  presented  to  4,158 
urban  children  and  senior  citizens  and 
462  group  leaders.  Participants  in  the 
workshops,  which  consist  of  two 
two-hour  sessions,  study  the  designs 
in  Museum  artifacts,  and  learn  about  the 
origins  of  the  designs  and  the  cultures 
that  created  them.  They  then  create 
their  own  designs  in  pottery,  weaving, 
tie  dye,  or  batik.  Cotton's  workshops  are 
still  another  means  by  which  the 
Museum  reaches  out  to  ensure  that  its 
resources  are  made  available  to  greater 
numbers  of  people. 


Community  Outreach  also  includes  a 
program  that  has  benefited  both  the 
Museum  and  the  community  for  many 
years.  The  volunteer  program  has 
provided  not  only  much-needed 
assistance  for  virtually  every  Museum 
department,  but  it  has  also  given  many 
persons,  including  senior  citizens,  an 
opportunity  to  engage  in  productive 
activity  and  be  of  service  to  the  Chicago 
community.  These  volunteers  contribute 
their  time  as  instructors,  clerks,  typists, 
cataloguers,  and  research  assistants. 
They  may  be  preparing  insects  for  the 
study  collection:  or  leading  a  group 
tour:  or  typing  a  scientific  report;  or 
selling  souvenirs  in  the  shop;  or 
photographing  and  cataloguing 
artifacts.  Under  the  direction  of  Carolyn 
Blackmon,  coordinator  of  special 
educational  services,  dozens  of 
community  and  social  agencies  are 


contacted  in  an  effort  to  obtain  this  vital 
assistance,  with  the  gratifying  result  that 
approximately  190  persons  are  currently 
participating  in  the  volunteer  program. 


Through  the  efforts  of  John  K.  White, 
part  Cherokee  and  the  Museum's 
coordinator  of  Native  American 
programs,  cultural  materials  from  the 
Museum's  collection  are  being 
reintroduced  to  the  contemporary  scene 
with  presentations  in  Chicago's 
Northside  Indian  community.  He  is 
attempting  to  integrate  and  perpetuate 
the  traditions  revealed  in  these  artifacts 
with  today's  Native  American  traditions. 


But  much  of  White's  energies  and 
thoughts  these  days  are  focused  on  a 
site  about  sixty  miles  northwest  of 
Chicago,  There,  he  sees  an  Eastern 
Woodland  Indian  village  of  reed  mat-  or 
bark-covered  wigwams  and  longhouses, 
and  a  ceremonial  building.  Nearby, 
Native  Americans  are  tending  squash, 
corn,  and  bean  crops  under  a  gentle 
sun,  thinking  ahead  to  the  Green  Corn 
Dance  they  will  perform  when  the 
community  corn  crop  reaches  the 
"roasting  ear"  stage.  White  hears  the 
shouting  and  laughter  of  others  engaged 
in  the  sports  of  stickball  and  shinny.  At 
the  log  trading  post,  he  sees  visitors 
buying  craftwork  made  in  the  village. 


A  scene  from  America's  history?  Yes, 
although  this  particular  village  never 
existed,  and  may  never  except  in 
White's  mind.  The  Museum  is  still 
seeking  funds  for  his  ambitious 
three-year  project  called  "Native 
American  Culture  of  the  Eastern 
Woodlands."  Native  Americans  would 
participate  in  an  integrated  program  of 
seminars,  workshops,  field  trips,  and 
other  activities,  and  construct  the 
village.  They  would  live  in  the  village, 
too,  much  as  their  ancestors  did, 
becoming  proficient  in  crafts,  performing 
rites  and  ceremonies,  and  tending  the 
communal  garden.  Through  this  project, 
numerous  educational  materials  would 


be  produced  for  schools,  organizations, 
and  the  media. 


If  realized,  this  experience  for  Native 
Americans  would  be  the  most  ambitious 
Community  Outreach  program  to  date. 
But  only  financial  aid  can  turn  dr-eams 
and  good  intentions  into  reality.  Funding 
for  the  various  Outreach  programs  so 
far  has  come  from  sources  such  as  the 
National  Endowment  for  the  Arts,  the 
Ray  A.  Kroc  Environmental  Fund,  the 
Illinois  Arts  Council,  the  N.  W.  Harris 
Public  School  Extension  fund,  the 
Wieboldt  Foundation,  the  Woods 
Charitable  Fund,  Inc.,  the  Albert 
Kunstadter  Family  Foundation,  and  the 
W.  Clement  and  Jessie  V.  Stone 
Foundation.  Government  grants  usually 
have  been  matched  with  money  from  the 
Museum's  operating  fund.  But,  as  of 
September  1,  funds  were  still  being 
sought  to  continue  the  African  and 
crafts  workshop  this  fall.  The  Native 
American  program,  too,  is  threatened 
with  termination  unless  funds  become 
available. 

"It  is  unrealistic  to  be  confident  that  these 
sources  alone  will  provide  all  the  support 
needed  for  our  continuing  and  hoped-for 
Outreach  projects,"  Dr.  Carnes  says. 
"We  do  realize  that  this  support  is 
considerately  and  generously  provided; 
but  at  the  same  time  we  feel  the  need,  we 
have  the  ambition,  and  we  have  the  tools 
for  making  a  much  greater  impact  on 
the  community  for  which  this  Museum 
exists.  We  could  not  have  progressed 
as  far  as  we  have  with  Outreach  had  it 
not  been  for  our  current  supporters, 
and  this  continuing  support  is  crucial  to 
the  program.  But  if  Outreach  is  to  grow 
significantly,  new  channels  of  support 
must  be  found  and  opened." 


Nonetheless,  the  Museum's  ambitious 
Community  Outreach  program  is  already 
a  long  reach  toward  providing  the 
services  a  contemporary  community 
has  come  to  expect  from  the  institutions 
it  supports,  which  in  turn  are  dedicated 
to  their  ultimate  benefit,  d 


October  1974 


-t-. 


Rebirth  of  a  Prairie 


The  main  ring  of  National  Accelerator  Laboratory 
encloses  664  acres,  which  one  day  may  become 
the  largest  reconstructed  prairie  In  the  United 
States, 


by  Joyce  Marshall  Brukoff 


THE  prairie  Is  coming  back  to  a 
land  that  has  seen  the  full  cycle  of 
human  encroachment  upon  a 
virgin  enrivonment. 


A  664-acre  parcel  of  land  owned  by  the 
federal  government — a  part  of  the  Fermi 
National  Accelerator  Laboratory,  or 
"FermiLab."  near  Batavia — is  on  its  way 
to  becoming  the  largest  reconstructed 
prairie  in  the  United  States.  Long  ago, 
the  area,  35  miles  west  of  Chicago's 
Loop,  played  host  to  Indian  and  settler; 
followed  in  turn  by  suburbanite  and 
corporate  developer. Now,  in  a  rare  and 
wise  gesture,  FermiLab  administrators 
have  decided  to  restore  the  land  to  the 
way  it  was  before  the  coming  of  the 
pioneers,  and  to  reestablish  a 
midwestern  prairie. 


It  won't  be  easy.  The  first  step  is  the 
establishment  of  a  ten-acre  seed  nursery 
at  the  laboratory.  From  this  facility,  lab 
personnel  and  volunteers  hope  to  bring 
forth,  in  the  middle  of  the  giant,  circular 
accelerator,  the  second  largest  prairie  in 
the  state.  (The  largest  is  Goose  Lake 
Prairie.)  The  nursery  will  help  to  provide 
the  seeas  to  start  the  prairie.  The  nursery 
plants,  themselves,  will  be  grown  from 
seeds  gathered  from  the  Morton 
Arboretum,  from  existing  prairies  in  the 
Chicago  area,  and  from  along  railroad 
tracks  where  prairie  plants  can  still  often 
be  found. 


All  this  requires  a  great  deal  of  time  and 
effort.  Among  the  dedicated  workers 
instrumental  in  development  of  the 
FermiLab  prairie  are  Ray  Schulenberg, 


curator  of  the  herbarium  at  Morton 
Arboretum  ;  and  Robert  Betz,  a  biology 
professor  at  Northeastern  Illinois 
University  (and  associate  curator  at  Field 
Museum),  now  on  a  sabbatical  leave  to 
study  prairies.  The  two  serve  on  an 
advisory  committee  to  FermiLab,  along 
with  Cindy  Stein  and  John  Taggart  of  the 
Illinois  Chapter  of  the  Nature 
Conservancy.  FermiLab  personnel  and 
volunteers  provide  the  necessary  labor 
for  collecting,  processing,  and  planting 
the  tens  of  thousands  of  seedlings. 

Seeds  are  being  collected  from  within  a 
75-mile  radius  of  the  Laboratory.  All  of 
the  plants,  then,  will  be  native  to  the  ► 

Joyce  Marshall  Brukoff,  a  frequent  contributor 
to  the  Bulletin,  Is  an  Evanston  writer  with  a 
special  interest  in  environmental  problems. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


area.  In  1 975,  it  is  hoped  that  several 
acres  will  be  seeded  from  the  nursery. 
Each  year  thereafter,  additional  land  will 
be  seeded,  until  the  entire  circular  area 
has  been  planted.  Within  the  prairie  will 
be  a  core  of  white  oak  woods — a  haven 
for  animals,  plants,  and  even  insects 
indigenous  to  the  region. 


The  land  within  the  accelerator's 
perimeter  is  partly  rich  topsoil  and  partly 
"raw"  subsoil  exposed  by  construction 
work  on  the  accelerator  rim.  Although  the 
remnants  of  virgin  prairies  in  Illinois  are 
usually  on  good  soil,  they  occur  for  the 
most  part  on  steep  hillsides,  along 
railroads,  in  pioneer  cemeteries,  or  other 
locations  not  suitable  for  cultivation  or  for 
building  construction.  Betz  believes  that 
a  large  prairie  on  "first  class"  land  will  be 
important  to  scientists  of  the  future, 
enabling  them  to  conduct  specialized 
ecological  studies  and  to  gauge  man's 
impact  on  the  environment. 


It  is  hoped  that  the  FermiLab  prairie  wil 
support  a  variety  of  flowering  plant 


species,  including  for  example  members 
of  the  Compositae  family  (asters, 
sunflowers,  goldenrod,  coneflower,  and 
blazing  star),  and  the  Graminae  (grasses) 
and  Leguminosae  (pea)  families.  Weedy 
plants,  as  a  rule,  do  not  occur  on  virgin 
prairies,  and  it  is  hoped  that  once 
established,  the  tight  root  systems  of 
prairie  plants  will  prevent  weeds  from 
growing.  With  few  exceptions,  prairie 
plants  are  relatively  long-lived 
perennials.  The  prairie  will  also  be  large 
enough  to  support  various  bird  and 
animal  species,  such  as  prairie  grouse, 
upland  plover,  and  Franklin's  ground 
squirrel — all  of  which  require  extensive 
open  areas. 


The  word  "prairie,"  which  derives  from 
the  French  for  "meadow,"  was  first 
applied  in  the  1600s  by  French  explorers 
who  came  upon  the  large  grasslands 
west  of  Lake  Michigan.  Some  of  the 
place  names  given  by  those  early 
travelers,  such  as  southwestern 
Wisconsin's  Prairie  du  Chien  ("Dog 
Meadow")  and  Prairie  du  Sac  ("The  Sauk 
Tribe's  Meadow  "),  have  continued  to  this 


Robert  Betz  (rt. ).  a  botanist 
who  has  been  instrumental  in 
the  development  of  FermiLab 
Prairie,  works  with  volunteers 
as  they  transplant  prairie 
flowers   Here,  shooting  stars 
are  being  removed  from  a 
prairie  remnant  in  nearby 
Calumet  City  prior  to 
relocation  to  FermiLab. 


day.  The  French  term  evolved  earlier 
from  the  Latin  Pratum,  which  referred  to 
treeless,  grassy  tracts  common  in 
oak-pine  forests  near  the  Mediterranean. 


The  meadows  as  seen  by  those  early 
French  travelers  are  now  almost  gone. 
Few  pristine  grasslands  exist,  and  those 
only  in  remnants.  The  midwestern 
prairie — also  known  as  the  tall-grass, 
eastern,  or  "true"  prairie — is  only  one  of 
several  types.  Other  North  American 
prairie  types  include  the  mixed-grass 
prairie  of  the  high  plains,  the  palouse 
prairie  of  the  Pacific  Northwest,  the 
valley  grassland  of  California,  the  coastal 
prairie  of  Texas,  and  the  arid 
southwestern  prairie  known  as  desert 
plains  grassland.  Generally,  the  North 
American  prairie  has  been  described  by 
Betz  as  a  "natural  North  American 
grassland,  composed  of  native  perennial 
grasses  and  other  herbaceous  plants,  in 
which  the  grasses  contribute  much  of  the 
vegetative  cover." 


After  the  Indians  had  roamed  the 


12 


October  1974 


prairieland  of  the  Middle  West  for 
thousands  of  years,  with  little  or  no  effect 
on  the  native  vegetation,  the  arrival  of 
White  settlers  presaged  its  doom.  Crops 
replaced  primeval  vegetation.  In  some 
areas,  plowing  with  a  wheel-mounted 
plow  pulled  by  as  many  as  eight  to  ten 
oxen  "broke"  the  prairie.  Other  prairies 
were  "grazed  out"  and  trampled  by  large 
numbers  of  confined  cattle.  Towns 
developed,  then  cities,  and  finally  the 
sprawling  metropolis ;  in  most  areas 
native  prairie  became  only  a  memory. 


The  destruction  of  the  grassland  was 
rapid,  especially  after  Illinois  inventor 
John  Deere  introduced  his  steel  plow  in 
the  late  1830s.  As  early  as  1909,  Henry 
Allen  Gleason,  a  botanist  and 
environmentalist,  remarked. 
"Unfortunately  for  the  ecologist,  the 
prairies  of  Illinois  were  converted  into 
cornfields  long  before  the  development  of 
ecology  and  phytogeography  in  America, 
thus  forever  prohibiting  satisfactory 
investigation."  Obviously,  the  condition 
of  our  native  grassland  has  not  improved 
since  then. 


Grasses  such  as  big  blue  stem,  northern 
drop  seed,  and  Indian  grass  have  been 
replaced  by  plants  carried  in  deliberately 
or  accidentally  from  Europe  and  Asia. 
Such  annual  weeds  readily  adapt 
themselves  to  earth  that  has  been 


overturned.  Public  awareness,  until 
recently,  has  been  reduced  to  a  level 
where  unsightly  front  yards  and  urban 
lots  overgrown  by  this  "immigrant" 
vegetation  are  carelessly  called  prairies. 


But  for  those  who  have  seen  and  who 
know  the  beauty  of  a  prairie  as  it  swells 
through  the  season  in  two  high  periods  of 
magnificent  bloom,  the  restoration  of  a 
large  grassland  has  a  special  aesthetic 
value.  In  the  early  spring,  flowering 
plants  are  usually  no  more  than  several 
inches  high,  but  by  late  summer,  those  in 
flower  may  stand  five  or  six  feet  tall. 


From  the  diminutive  yellow  star-grass 
(Hypoxis  hirsuta).  a  spring  bloomer  only  a 
few  inches  high,  to  the  six-foot-high 
spikes  of  prairie  dock  (Silphium 
terebinthinaceum)  that  burst  forth  late  in 
the  season,  the  prairie  continues  to  be  an 
unforgettable  sight. 


Groups  and  individuals  have  already 
attempted,  with  varying  success,  the 
restoration  of  prairies — albeit  on  a  small 
scale.  In  the  1 930s,  James  Curtis  of  the 
University  of  Wisconsin  used  a 
hundred-acre  tract  of  mostly  bluegrass 
(commonly  grown  today  in  lawns)  to 
determine  if  a  weedy  tract  could  be 
restored  to  a  prairie-like  condition.  For  a 
number  of  years,  the  tract  was 


alternately  burned  and  seeded ; 
eventually  the  native  vegetation  began  to 
dominate,  and  Curtis's  experiment 
demonstrated  that  it  was  indeed  possible 
to  recreate  a  prairie.  Morton  Arboretum's 
Ray  Schulenberg  began  a  similar  study  in 
1962  on  fifteen  acres  of  old  farmland. 
Ten  years  after  he  began  his  experiment 
he  had  produced  a  ten-acre  tract  of  high 
quality  grassland.  More  recently,  David 
Blenz — the  late  director  of  Camp 
Sagawau,  a  preserve  in  the  Cook  County 
forest  preserve  system — restored  several 
acres  to  high  quality  prairie  by  means  of  a 
seeding  machine. 


Of  course,  none  of  these  attempts 
yielded  a  virgin  Illinois  grassland,  nor  will 
the  FermiLab  project  achieve  that  goal 
within  the  immediate  future.  As  John 
Taggart  observes,  "For  a  truly  native 
grassland  to  be  formed,  hundreds  of 
years  would  be  necessary  for  the 
components  (plants,  animals,  soil,  etc.) 
to  arrange  themselves  naturally  within 
the  created  environment."  Yet,  the 
FermiLab  restoration  will  be  a  sizeable 
link  with  Illinois'  past. 


Justification  for  saving  a  prairie  seems 
ample  in  a  civilization  which  imbeds  itself 
in  artificiality.  As  a  rare  wild  place  in  a 
world  of  manmade  contrivance  and 
complexity,  it  is  something  to  be  visited, 
studied,  and  cherished,  d 


Transplanting  the  liny  plants 
to  their  new  FermiLab  home 
IX  back-breaking  work   Each 
year,  several  additional  acres 
will  be  seeded  or  planted. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


our  environment 


Lake  Superior  Lampreys 
Continue  Decline 


Long  the  scourge  of  commercial  fishing  in 
tfie  Great  Lakes,  tfie  sea  lamprey.  Pelro- 
myzon  marinus,  Is  far  less  common  in  Lake 
Superior  today  tfian  thirteen  years  ago  when 
controlled  population  study  was  initiated.  A 
record  low  catch  of  1.911  adult  lampreys  for 
early  April  through  mid-July.  1974.  compares 
with  nearly  51,000  trapped  during  the  same 
period  in  1961.  Catches  for  each  year  since 
then  have  averaged  7.200.  The  lampreys — 
which  parasitize  lake  trout  and  other  large 
species — are  trapped  at  barriers  near  the 
mouths  of  streams,  which  they  enter  for  the 
purpose  of  spawning. 

The  sea  lamprey  is  originally  a  marine  fish, 
but  in  historic  times  the  species  wandered 
into  Lake  Ontario,  where  it  easily  adapted  to 
the  freshwater  habitat.  It  was  first  observed 
in  Lake  Erie  in  1921.  In  1934  it  was  found 
in  Lake  St.  Clair,  in  1936  in  Lake  IVIichigan. 
in  1937  in  Lake  Huron  (although  presumably 
it  had  entered  Huron  before  Michigan).  In 
1945  the  first  lamprey  was  caught  in  Lake 
Superior  and  by  the  following  year  it  was 
known  to  occur  in  all  parts  of  all  the  Great 
Lakes, 

The  lamprey  feeds  on  host  fishes  by  attach- 
ing to  them  by  means  of  an  oral  sucking 
disc;  within  the  disc  are  sharp  teeth.  Saliva 
dissolves  the  tissues,  which  are  then  ab- 
sobred  by  the  lamprey  Even  if  a  victimized 
fish  survives  the  attack,  it  remains  perma- 
nently scarred  and  unfit  for  market 

In  1946,  after  Lake  Huron's  lake  trout  pop- 
ulation had  been  severely  reduced  by  the 
parasite,  the  IVIichigan  Conservation  Com- 
mission ordered  a  thorough  investigation. 
TFI\/I,  a  chemical  that  selectively  kills  lamprey 
larvae  was  first  tried  in  Lake  Superior's  trib- 
utary streams  in  1958;  within  three  years  the 
adult  lamprey  population  in  that  lake  was 
reduced  80  percent.  By  that  time  lake  trout 
had  virtually  disappeared  from  Lakes  Michi- 
gan and  Huron,  and  in  Lake  Superior  had 
been  reduced  by  90  percent  Whilefish,  deep- 
water  ciscoes,  and  walleyes  were  also  se- 
verely affected  by  the  lamprey,  (In  more  re- 
cent years,  the  overabundance  of  alewives  is 
largely  attributable  to  the  drop  in  populations 
of  lake  trout  and  other  species  that  prey  on 
alewives.) 

Although  lamprey  control  and  heavy  plant- 
ings of  hatchery-reared  stock  have  restored 


lake  trout  abundance  to  pre-lamprey  levels 
in  a  few  areas  of  Lake  Superior,  the  trout  are 
just  now  showing  faint  signs  of  becoming 
self-sustaining.  Naturally  produced  trout  in 
Lake  Superior  now  make  up  5  to  6  percent 
of  the  catch.  Additional  reasons  for  optimism 
exist  with  the  recent  evidence  of  lake  trout 
spawning  in  Lake  Michigan 

Total  eradication  of  the  lamprey  from  the 
Great  Lakes  by  present  methods  is  unlikely, 
since  lampreys — notorious  for  their  ability  to 
adapt  to  unfavorable  conditions — are  able  to 
maintain  their  life  cycle  in  bays  and  inlets 

While  lamprey  populations  have  been  greatly 
reduced,  the  remaining  ones  are  getting  big- 
ger, reports  Bernard  Smith,  director  of  the 
lamprey  eradication  program  centered  in 
Marquette,  tVlich.  "They're  larger  than  any- 
thing we've  ever  seen  before,  even  when  they 
first  came  into  the  lakes  in  the  1930s  and 
40s,"  said  Smith, 


"Trash"  Fish  for  Cheap  Protein 

As  trout,  whitefish,  and  walleyes  are  strug- 
gling for  a  comeback  against  the  lamprey, 
researchers  have  found  that  underutilized 
fish,  such  as  suckers,  burbot,  and  alewives 
can  be  made  acceptable  for  consumers.  The 
latter  three  species  are  not  popular  because 
they  often  have  a  muddy  or  fishy  taste.  Suck- 
ers and  burbot  are  also  considered  "ugly," 
and  suckers  simply  have  too  many  bones  to 
suit  the  average  palate. 

But  food  scientists  at  the  University  of  Wis- 
consin have  discovered  that  these  unpopular 
species  are  rated  as  "very  acceptable"  by 
consumers  when  canned,  smoked,  or  pick- 
led, or  when  processed  into  frozen  fillets  or 
fish  sticks. 

Wisconsin  researchers  R.  C.  Lindsay,  D, 
Stuiber,  and  V.  L.  Carlson  found  that  smoked 
and  pickled  suckers  were  rated  as  "quite  ac- 
ceptable." and  suckers  with  the  bones  re- 
moved were  popular  when  minced  and 
smoked  or  as  fish  sticks.  Burbot  was  accept- 
able as  frozen  fillets,  fish  sticks,  and  poached 
chunks.  Smoked  alewives  are  comparable 
to  sardines,  the  researchers  found. 

The  availability  of  these  species,  however,  is 
seasonal.  Burbot  and  suckers  can  generally 
be  harvested  only  during  spring  spawning. 
Burbot  are  common  only  locally,  as  in  the 
Green  Bay  area,  Alewives,  which  are  abun- 


dant, are  not  ordinarily  caught  in  the  winter- 
time. Natural  stocks  of  burbot  and  suckers 
are  greater  in  Canadian  lakes  than  in  the 
Great  Lakes. 

Currently  alewives  are  used  only  for  oil  and 
in  meal  for  animals.  Suckers  are  sometimes 
marketed  as  "fresh  water  mullet," 


Aldrin  Suspended  by  EPA 

The  manufacture  of  the  pesticide  aldrin  or 
its  metabolite  dieldrin  was  suspended  on 
August  2  by  the  Environmental  Protection 
Agency  (EPA).  On  the  basis  of  tests  with 
laboratory  animals,  EPA  Administrator  Rus- 
sel  E.  Train  has  determined  that  "the  pres- 
ent estimated  average  human  dietary  intake 
of  dieldrin  subjects  the  human  population 
to  an  extremely  high  cancer  risk." 

As  a  result  of  the  suspension,  production 
of  some  10  million  pounds  of  aldrin — 
scheduled  for  sale  in  1975 — has  been 
halted.  The  chemical  has  been  used  prin- 
cipally against  corn  pests. 

The  aldrin  ban  is  the  first  such  action 
against  a  pesticide  upon  an  "imminent  haz- 
ard" determination  and  without  complete 
hearings  of  petitions  to  permanently  ban 
the  chemical,  "To  await  the  twenty  to  thirty 
years  of  exposure  to  dieldrin  necessary  to 
determine  the  ultimate  effect  is  only  to  wait 
until  the  damage  to  an  entire  generation  of 
humans  is  complete,"  remarked  Train.  "We 
reject  the  'body  count'  approach  to  protec- 
tion against  cancer  or  other  long-term 
threats  to   public  health," 

.  .  .  but  asbestos  dumpings  continue  into 
Lake  Superior 

Meanwhile  a  known  carcinogen — asbestos 
— continues  to  be  dumped  into  Lake  Su- 
perior, thus  contaminating  the  water  sup- 
plies of  some  200,000  area  residents.  The 
pollutant  is  present  in  residues  from  the 
processing  of  taconite — a  low-grade  iron 
ore  that  is  being  processed  at  Silver  Bay, 
Minnesota,  on  Lake  Superior's  north  shore. 
Reserve  Mining  Company  is  owner  of  the 
plant.  The  effects  of  oral  ingestion  of  asbes- 
tos fibers  has  not  been  demonstrated,  al- 
though it  is  known  that  the  fibers  have  the 
ability'to  pass  through  the  walls  of  the  gas- 
trointestinal tract. 


Oclober  1974 


Publication  cost  of  this  section 
on  Our  Environment  has  been 
underwritten,  in  part,  by  the 
Ray  A.  Kroc  Environmental  Ed- 
ucation Fund. 


Persecuted  Coyotes 
Continue  to  Thrive 

Although  the  coyote  has  been  "persecuted 
more  than  any  other  animal  in  the  United 
States."  according  to  a  wildlife  biologist, 
"they  are  now  probably  more  widespread 
than  at  settlement  time  "  Bob  Chesness,  area 
game  manager  for  the  Minnesota  Department 
of  Natural  Resources,  describes  the  coyote 
as  "the  most  adaptable  predator  in  the  na- 
tion." 

In  f\yiinnesota.  the  coyote's  range  is  reversed 
from  that  in  the  early  1900s,  While  their  num- 
bers decreased  in  southern  Minnesota  prai- 
ries, they  expanded  into  the  northern  woods 
after  fires  and  logging  operations  opened  up 
new  areas  for  them. 

In  recent  years  between  750  and  1.000  coy- 
otes are  trapped  annually  in  Minnesota,  Un- 
til 1965  an  average  of  some  1 ,400  were  taken 
annually.  In  that  year  a  coyote  bounty  was 
discontinued.  Chesness's  studies  refute 
claims  that  coyotes  have  an  effect  on  overall 
deer  mortality  Although  48  percent  of  the 
925  coyote  stomachs  examined  by  Chesness 
contained  evidence  of  deer,  most  of  the 
flesh  had  been  consumed  as  carrion.  The 
other  animals  most  commonly  eaten  by  coy- 
otes were  mice,  porcupine,  livestock,  and 
hare.  Less  than  5  percent  of  the  coyote 
stomachs  contained  sheep  or  poultry,  re- 
ported Chesness 


Noise  as  Shark  Repellent 

Sharks  can  be  repelled  by  certain  low- 
pitched  sounds,  reports  a  University  of  Mi- 
ami marine  biologist.  A.  A.  Myrberg,  Jr ,  of 
the  University's  Rosenstiel  School  of  Ma- 
rine and  Atmospheric  Science,  has  found 
that  sounds  similar  to  a  cow's  "moo"  will 
repel  sharks;  but,  he  adds,  the  sounds  can 
also  attract  them. 

At  a  distance  of  15  miles  offshore,  research- 
ers played  tape  recordings  of  various  low- 
freqency  sounds  for  the  silky  shark,  which 
is  abundant  off  the  Florida  coast.  Certain 
sound  combinations  repelled  the  sharks, 
while  other  combinations  attracted  them.  The 
reasons  for  these  reactions  are  still  un- 
known, says  Myrberg,  and  he  adds  that  it 
may  be  years  before  sound  can  be  used  as 
a  reliable  shark  repellent.  The  whir  of  heli- 
copter blades,  he  noted,  might  serve  as  a 
shark  attractant  and  thus  complicate  rescue 
operations  at  sea. 


Whale  "Suicides" 
Due  to  Parasites? 

The  mass  "suicide"  of  whales — by  stranding 
themselves  in  shallow  coastal  waters — has 
long  puzzled  zoologists.  A  plausible  explana- 
tion for  the  phenomenon  has  now  been  put 
forward  by  James  G.  Mead  of  the  National 


Leit.  coyotes  have  lillle  fear  in  allacking  the 
seemingly  invulnerable  porcupine,  one  ol  their  chief 
prey  Ouills  are  commonly  found  in  the  stomach 
lining  ol  coyotes,  but  infection  seldom  occurs. 


Museum  of  Natural  History.  Parasitic  damage 
to  the  whales'  inner  ears.  Mead  reports, 
interferes  with  their  echolocation  systems; 
they  may  thus  wander  onto  beaches  or  into 
shallow  tidal  basins  where  they  are  trapped 
when  the  tide  goes  out. 

Masses  of  roundworm  parasites  (Nasitrema 
and  Stenurus  species)  were  found  by  Mead 
in  the  sinuses  and  ear  cavities  of  sixty  pilot 
whales  that  had  beached  themselves  on  the 
Carolina  coast  Mead  suggests  that  the  para- 
sites infest  fish  and  squid  that  are  eaten  by 
the  whales.  The  worms  then  cluster  in  the 
inner  ears  of  the  new  host. 


Wolf    Transplant 
Project  Threatened 

The  wolf  "transplant"  to  the  woods  of  Michi- 
gan's Upper  Peninsula,  reported  in  the  July/ 
August  Bulletin  (p.  15),  has  suffered  two  seri- 
ous setbacks  recently.  The  two  male  wolves, 
of  the  four  animals  transferred  to  Michigan 
from  Mmnesota  last  winter,  are  both  dead. 
The  first  male  was  struck  and  killed  by  an 
automobile,  the  second  was  shot.  The  body 
of  the  latter  was  discovered  near  Sagola,  in 
Iron  County,  where  it  was  presumably  taken 
after  being  killed,  A  $1,000  reward  for  infor- 
mation leading  to  conviction  of  the  wolf's 
killer  has  been  offered  by  Dr,  Harry  Frank, 
of  Flint,  Mich, 

Meanwhile.  William  Robinson,  coordinator  of 
the  wolf  transplant  project,  is  awaiting  ship- 
ment of  another  male  from  Minnesota.  At  last 
report  the  two  females  that  were  flown  to 
Michigan  in  March  were  still  roaming  the  for- 
est, but  in  separate  areas. 


Erratum 

"The  Timber  Wolf  on  Trial,"  which  appeared 
in  the  July/August  Bullelin,  contained  (p.  13) 
the  statement  ".  .  data  collected  as  recently 
as  June.  1973,  by  Mech  and  Frenzel  .  .  . 
shows  an  estimate  of  9.9  to  10.9  wolves  per 
square  mile."  This  should  have  been  trans- 
posed to  read  "  .  one  wolf  per  9  9  to  10.9 
square  miles."  Our  thanks  to  Museum  Mem- 
ber F,  B,  Hubachek  for  pointing  this  out. — Ed. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


"In  beauty  it  is  begun." 


Horses 

They  were  the  fastest  animal 

That  roamed  on  the  prairies 

They  roamed  as  free  as  the 

Wind  in  numbers  like  flowers 

All  over  the  prairies  with  colorful 

Coat  and  shiny  hair  blowing 

High  on  the  hills,  but  where 

Have  all  the  prairies  with  horses  gone? 

— This  poem  by  thirteen-year-old  Jo- 
seph Romero,  a  Navajo  boy  from  Taos, 
New  Mexico,  is  among  a  collection  of 
poems,  paintings,  and  other  art  works 
by  Native  American  children  that  will 
be  on  view  at  Field  Museum  beginning 
October  1.  The  exhibit,  entitled  "In 
Beauty  It  Is  Begun,"  is  the  largest  of  its 
kind  ever  produced.  Media  include 
drawings,  paintings,  prints,  examples  of 
beadwork,  and  poetry.  Among  the 
groups  represented  are  Iroquois,  Cher- 
okee, Ojibwa,  Winnebago,  Mic-Mac, 
Arapaho,  Navaho,  Hopi,  Pueblo,  and 
Eskimo.  The  works  range  from  a  de- 
lightful stick-drawing  self  portrait,  "Me," 
by  a  five-year-old  Seminole  girl  to 
"Bird  of  Prey,"  a  remarkably  sophisti- 


cated representation  of  a  hawk  by  a 
fifteen-year-old  Seneca  boy. 

The  title  of  the  show,  "In  Beauty  It  Is 
Begun,"  is  taken  from  traditional  Navajo 
poems  and  prayers  and  evokes  the  Na- 
vajo belief  in  the  need  for  man  to  live 
the  correct  way,  in  balance  and  har- 
mony with  Nature.  It  also  suggests  the 
particular  freshness  and  clarity  of  the 
young  Native  Americans'  expressions 
which  form  this  collection. 


The  traveling  exhibit  was  organized  by 
Native  North  American  Artists  in  coop- 
eration with  the  Metropolitan  Museum 
of  Art,  is  being  circulated  by  the  Smith- 
sonian Institution  Traveling  Exhibition 
Service,  and  has  been  funded  by  Xerox 
Corporation,  Native  North  American 
Artists  was  formed  in  1970  to  promote 
American  Indian  art,  and  its  primary 
activity  has  been  to  bring  together  Na- 
tive American  artists  and  their  works 
for  exhibitions  and  workshops. 


"In  Beauty  It  Is  Begun"  is  on  view  in 
Hall  9,  October  1  through  December  1. 


Above  "White  Cloud  Kachina."  by  Dominic 
Arquero.  age  15,  Cochiti,  New  Mexico:  left: 
Eagle  Dancer."  by  Lambert  Pino,  age  15.  Laguna. 
New  Mexico:  below  right:  'Beadwork  Rosette.  "  by 
Wanda  Bekis.  age  13.  Navajo.  Colorado.  Page  17. 
lop  left:  "Flowers."  by  Shelly.  Eskimo.  Alaska 
{Alaska  State  Museum  Collection  ),  Lower  left: 
"Girl."  by  Roger.  Eskimo.  Alaska  {Alaska  State 
Museum  Collection  ),  lower  right  "The  Bird."  by 
Joseph  P  Romero,  age  14.  Taos.  New  Mexico: 
top  right  Bird  of  Prey.  "  by  Don  Conklin.  age  15. 
Seneca.  New  York 


October  1974 


!>?/ 


Field  Museum  Bulletin  17 


field  briefs 


Mummy  ol  Harwa,  overseen  ol  the  storehouses  ol  a 
wealthy  estate:  22nd  dynasty  (9th-8th  century. 
B  C  ).  Cat    No    31839. 


The  Case  of  the 
Screaming  Mummy 


Gerda  Frank's  article  on  "Pharaoh"  Hatshep- 
sut,  which  appeared  in  the  September,  1974, 
Bulletin,  brought  to  mind  the  following  inci- 
dent related  by  Henry  Field,  a  Field  Museum 
curator  in  physical  anthropology  from  1926 
to  1941: 

"Those  who  work  in  museums  have  strange 
experiences.  One  wintry  night  the  guard 
making  the  rounds  was  startled  by  a  blood 
curdling  scream  in  the  Egyptian  Hall  in  the 
basement.  He  switched  on  the  lights  in  the 
hall  and  blew  his  whistle  for  help.  The  guards 
came  rushing  downstairs  No  one  was  in  the 
hall, 

"They  walked  about  flashing  their  lights  into 
the  sarcophagi.  In  one  deep  case,  about  125 
feet  long,  a  line  of  mummies  is  chronolog- 
ically arranged.  A  single  door  gives  access. 
It  is  always  locked;  it  was  locked  on  this 
night.  To  prevent  moths  or  other  pests  from 
destroying  the  mummies,  this  case  is  air- 
tight and  always  kept  poisoned. 

"One  of  the  guards  peered  into  this  case.  He 
shouted,  "Look  here,  this  mummy  is  off  its 
base."  One  of  the  naked  withered  bodies  had 
fallen  from  its  base  and  was  lying  face  down 
on  the  linoleum  inside  the  poisoned  case.  I 
studied  it  carefully  the  next  morning.  The 
base  extended  at  leas't  four  inches  on  each 
side  of  the  dried  skin  and  bones.  No  living 
person  could  have  entered  the  poisoned 
case.  No  vibration  in  the  building  could  have 
knocked  it  off  the  base  without  rending  the 
walls,  for  the  museum  floats  on  an  island  of 
concrete,  there  being  no  hardpan  on  the 
filled-in  land  along  the  lake  front. 

"There  is  still  no  explanation  of  the  scream 
or  of  the  fallen  mummy  It  is  just  one  more 
example  of  things  we  cannot  explain." 

— The  Track  ol  Man,  by  Henry  Field,  Double- 
day  &  Co.,  ®  1953,  p.  233. 


Stanley  Field  (1875-1964) 

October  28  will  mark  the  tenth  anniversary  of 
the  death  of  Stanley  Field  (1875-1964).  who 
served  as  president  of  Field  Museum  for  more 
than  56  years.  As  its  chief  administrator 
during  that  extraordinary  length  of  time,  he  is 
recognized  as  the  most  important  single 
individual  in  the  institution's  development. 


Stanle'^  Field 

Born  in  England,  Stanley  Field  came  to 
Chicago  in  1893  to  work  at  Marshall  Field  & 
Company,  of  which  his  uncle  was  founder  and 
president  Although  he  remained  associated 
with  the  company  for  the  rest  of  his  life,  Field 
resigned  as  vice  president  of  the  store  in  1918 
to  allow  himself  more  time  for  the  Museum. 
Having  been  made  a  Museum  trustee  in  1906, 
he  was  elected  president  two  years  later.  It 
was  during  his  tenure  that  the  Museum,  a 
small  and  relatively  unknown  institution  when 
he  began  its  guidance,  grew  to  maturity  and 
worldwide  distinction.  His  monetary  gifts  to 
the  Museum  exceeded  $2  million,  but  he  gave 
of  himself  in  even  greater  measure. 

The  largest  responsibility  Field  assumed  for 
the  Museum  was  the  construction  of  the 
present  building,  which  was  opened  to  the 
public  in  1921.  When  his  uncle's  original 
bequest  of  $4  million  proved  to  be  far  short  of 
the  amount  required,  Stanley  Field  personally 
assumed  the  responsibility  of  securing  the 
additional  funds  required.  Later,  when  he  saw 
an  outstanding  need  at  the  Museum  for  which 
funds  were  not  available,  he  often  authorized 
the  expenditure  and  paid  the  cost  out  of  his 
own  "pocket," 

Today,  more  than  half  a  century  later,  the 
Museum  is  again  faced  with  the  need  for 
enlarged,  improved  facilities:  and  it  is  toward 
this  end  that  the  Museum's  $25  million  Capital 
Campaign  is  directed.  So  it  is  a  good  time  to 
reflect  on  how  one  man  gave  of  himself 
toward  the  Museum's  betterment.  Stanley 
Field's  gifts  to  the  Museum,  as  well  as  his 
wisdom  and  guiding  influence,  will  be  felt  asi 
long  as  the  institution  endures. 


October  1974 


Museum  Members  Urged  to  Help  Bring 
Capital  Campaign  to  Successful  End 


The  Museum's  $25  Million  Capital  Campaign 
Is  "heading  home"  —  In  more  ways  than  one. 


It  was  announced  recently  that  the  Museum 
has  raised  $11,3  million  of  Its  $12.5  million 
share  (to  be  matched  with  $12.5  million  from 
the  Chicago  Park  District,  through  Its  bonding 
authority).  Thus,  with  $1.2  million  yet  to  be 
raised  by  the  Museum  before  the  year's  end, 
the  three-year  drive  is  In  the  home  stretch. 

Of  the  funds  already  obtained,  almost  half  has 
been  raised  by  members  of  the  Corporate  and 
Foundation  Division  of  the  campaign,  headed 
by  Museum  President  Blame  J.  Yarrington, 
and  the  balance  by  members  of  the 
Individuals  Division,  co-chaired  by  Marshall 
Field  and  William  Mitchell. 

But  that  last  million  dollars  Is  the  hardest. 
Thus,  the  Capital  Campaign  Is  directing  Its 
efforts  Inward  —  home  to  the  Museum  and  Its 
Members.  The  effort  to  contact  Members  and 
explain  the  Museum's  needs  has  been 
Intensified.  During  the  past  month,  the 
campaign's  general  chairman,  Nicholas  Gal- 
Itzlne,  has  brought  the  Capital  Campaign 
needs  to  the  attention  of  all  Museum 
Members.  Each  Member  has  received  a 
proposal  and  a  request  for  his  personal 
support. 

Members  of  the  Women's  Board,  too,  are 
participating     in     this    final     stage     of     the 


campaign  At  several  note-writing  sessions  — 
at  the  Museum  and  at  the  homes  of  Mrs. 
Thomas  E  Donnelley  II  and  Mrs.  William  A 
Brown  Jr.  —  they  have  penned  personal  notes 
to  their  friends  on  the  Museum's  Membership 
roster,  urging  them  to  help  In  bringing  the 
campaign  to  a  successful  conclusion. 

Women's  Board  members  who  wrote  notes  to 
Museum  Members  are:  Mrs.  Bowen  Blair, 
Mrs,  William  J.  Bowe,  Mrs.  Arthur  S. "Bowes, 
Mrs  William  A.  Brown,  Jr.,  Mrs.  Robert  Wells 
Carton,  Mrs.  Herschel  H.  Cudd,  Mrs.  Elliott 
Donnelley,  Mrs.  Thomas  E.  Donnelley  II,  Mrs. 
R  Winfield  Ellis,  Mrs.  Gaylord  A.  Freeman, 
Mrs  Robert  C  Gunness,  Mrs,  Harold  F. 
Grumhaus,  Mrs.  Burton  W.  Hales,  Mrs. 
Corwith  Hamill,  Mrs.  Chapin  LItten,  Mrs. 
Frank  D.  Mayer,  Mrs.  Henry  W.  Meers,  Mrs. 
John  T.  Moss. 

Also:  Mrs,  Charles  F.  Nadler,  Mrs.  Patrick  L. 
O'Malley,  Mrs.  Charles  S.  Potter,  Mrs, 
Howard  C.  Reeder,  Mrs,  Frederick  Roe,  Dr, 
Muriel  S  Savage,  Mrs,  Leo  H,  Schoenhofen, 
Jr  ,  Mrs,  Arthur  W.  Schultz,  Mrs.  William  L. 
Searle,  Mrs.  John  R,  Siragusa,  Mrs.  Edward 
Byron  Smith,  Mrs.  Hermon  Dunlap  Smith, 
Mrs.  Gardner  H.  Stern,  Mrs.  Joseph  L. 
Strauss,  Jr.,  Mrs.  Edward  F,  Swift,  and  Mrs. 
Henry  P    Wheeler. 

"We  are  hoping  to  convey  to  every  Museum 
Member  that  all  gifts,  from  the  smallest  to  the 
largest,    are    Important    for    continuing    and 


expanding  the  Museum's  research  and 
services,  which  Improvements  to  the  building 
will  make  possible,"  said  Galitzine.  "I  |ust 
wish  I  could  personally  talk  to  each  Member  to 
tell  him  of  the  importance  of  his  contribution 
to  this  effort." 


Among  Women's  Board  members  wtio  wrote 
personal  notes  were  [from  left]  Mrs.  Leo  H. 
Schoent)olen,  Jr..  I\^rs  Robert  C  Gunness.  Mrs. 
Harold  F  Grumtiaus,  and  Mrs  Wallace  D 
Mackenzie 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


OCTOBER  a,  Held  M 


useum 


EXHIBITS 

Opens  October  1 

In  Beauty  It  Is  Begun,  a  display  of  more  than  150  drawings,  paint- 
ings, beadwork,  and  poetry  by  Native  American  children,  (See  p.  16.) 
Through  Dec    1    Hall  9 

Continuing 

Contemporary  African  Arts  Festival,  the  first  comprehensive  pro- 
gram of  Its  kind  in  the  United  States,  features  the  work  of  artists, 
including  painters,  printmakers.  sculptors,  and  fabric  designers,  as 
well  as  films,  and  a  shop  Through  Nov  3,  Hall  27, 

Films  in  Studio  in  exhibit  area 


New  Images,  Abuja  Pottery.  East  African 

Wood  Carver,  and  Talking  Drums 

The  Hadza  and  Bitter  Melons 

The  Tuareg.  Nawi.  and  Masai  Warrior 

The  Dry  Season  and  African  Village:  Guinea 

Malawi:  Two  Young  Men  and  Women  Up  in  Arms 

Ancient  Africans  and  In  Search  of  Myseff 

The  Creative  Person:  Leopold  Sedar  Senghor 

and  The  Swamp  Dwellers 

Gelede.  Africa  Dances,  and  Heartbeat  of  Africa 

New  Images.  Abuja  Pottery,  East  African 

Wood  Carver,  and  Talking  Drums 

4.  7:30  p  m  .  Ousmane  Sembene's  film,  Emitai 


Daily 

at  1  3 

Oct 

1-4: 

Oct 

5 

Oct 

6 

Oct, 

7- 

Oct 

8 

Oct, 

9: 

Oct 

10 

Oct, 

11: 

Oct 

12 

Friday.  Oct 

Weaving  Demonstration  by  members  of  the  North  Shore  Weavers' 
Guild  from  10:00  am,  to  12  noon  on  tvlondays,  Wednesdays,  and 
Fridays  Spinning  is  also  shown  on  the  first  and  third  Mondays  of 
each  month    South  Lounge 


CHILDREN'S  PROGRAM 

Continuing 

Fall  Journey  for  Children,  "Fossils  in  the  Floor."  a  free,  self-guided 
tour,  routes  youngsters  to  museum  areas  for  a  fascinating  study  of 
ancient  animals  All  boys  and  girls  who  can  read  and  write  may 
participate  in  the  program.  Journey  sheets  in  English  and  Spanish 
available  at  entrances  Through  Nov  30 


MEETINGS 

Oct,  4.  7:30  p  m  . 
Oct,  8,  7:30  p  m  , 
Oct,  9.  7:00  p  m  . 
Oct,  9,  7  30  p  m  , 

Oct,  10.  7:00  p  m. 


Chicago  Astronomical  Society 
Nature  Camera  Club  of  Chicago 
Chicago  Ornithological  Society 
Windy  City  Grotto.  National 
Speleological  Society 
Chicago  Mountaineering  Club 


SPECIAL  PROGRAMS 

Ayer  Adult  Illustrated  Lecture  Series  resumes  with  "Expeditions 
Unlimited  1974-75"  at  7:30  pm  Fridays  and  2:30  p,m  Saturdays 
in  Lecture  Hall,  Seating  limited  to  225  persons  For  reservations  call 
Field  Museum.  922-9410,  Ext   230 

Oct,  18  and  19' 

"Contemporary  African  Artists."  by  Maude  Wahlman 

Oct,  25  and  26: 

"In  Search  of  Sea  Serpents,"  by  Harold  Voris 


Ray  A.  Kroc  Environmental  Education  Program 

Advance  registration  is  reguired  for  participation  in  the  current 
series,  "Natural  and  Managed  Environments,"  A  $4  per  person  fee 
(non-refundable)  covers  lunch  and  transportation  for  adult  and 
family  trips  Children's  workshops  are  $2  per  person.  For  further 
information  call  Carolyn  Blackmon  at  Field  Museum,  922-9410,  Ext. 
361  or  363 

Programs  for  Young  People  (Ages  9  through  11) 

Oct   5:  Weeds'',"  workshop  and  walking  tour, 

Oct,  12:        "Naturegrams.  "  workshop  devoted  to  making  pholograms 

Oct    13:       "Naturegrams,"  repeat. 


COMING    IN   NOVEMBER 

Ayer  Adult  Illustrated  Lecture  Series  continues  with  "Expeditions 
Unlimited  1974-75"  at  7:30  p.m,  Fridays  and  2:30  p  m,  Saturdays 
in  Lecture  Hall,  Seating  is  limited  to  225  persons.  For  reservations 
call  Field  Museum,  922-9410,  Ext   230 

Nov,  1  and  2: 

"Endangered  Cloud  Forests  of  Costa  Rica,"  by  William  Burger 

Nov  8  and  9 

"A  Native  American  Looks  at  Anthropology,"  by  John  White 

Nov,  15  and  16- 

'Lost  Cities  of  Indonesia,"  by  Bennet  Bronson 

Nov,  22  and  23: 
"To  Inca  Land  and  Beyond  for  Birds  "  by  Emmet  Blake 


MUSEUM   HOURS 

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November 
1974 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  Bulletin 


Field  Museum 
of  Natural  History 
Bulletin 

Volume  45,  Number  10 
November  1974 


CONTENTS 


COYOTE 

by  Cleveland  Amory 


OUR  ENVIRONMENT 


8 


Managing  Editor  G.  Henry  Ottery 
Editor  David  M.  Walsten 
Staff  Writer  Madge  Jacobs 
Production  Oscar  Anderson 


THE  GREAT  GATOR  TRANSPLANT 

by  David  M.  Walsten 


ARMS  AND  ARMOR  OF  THE  GILBERT  ISLANDS 

By  Christopher  Legge 


10 


12 


FIELD  BRIEFS 


16 


A  GIFT  FOR  ALL  SEASONS 


17 


'PHOTOGRAMS" 


18 


CAPITAL  CAMPAIGN 


19 


NOVEMBER  AT  FIELD  MUSEUM 
Calendar  of  Coming  Events 


back  cover 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Director  E.  Leiand  Webber 


Board  of  Trustees 

Blaine  J.  Yarringlon. 

President 
Gordon  Bent  • 
Harry  O.  Bercher 
Bowen  Blair 
Stanton  R.  Cook 
William  R.  Dickinson,  Jr. 
Thomas  E  Donnelley  II 
Mrs.  Thomas  E.  Donnelley  I 
Marshall  Field 
Nicholas  Galitzine 
Paul  W.  Goodrich 
Remick  McDowell 
Hugo  J.  Melvoin 
J.  Roscoe  Miller 
William  H.  Mitchell 
Charles  F.  Murphy,  Jr. 
Harry  M.  Oliver,  Jr. 
John  T.  Pirie,  Jr. 
John  S.  Runnells 
William  L.  Searle 


Edward  Byron  Smith 
Mrs.  Hermon  Dunlap 

Smith 
John  W.  Sullivan 
William  G,  Swartchild,  Jr 
E.  Leiand  Webber 
Julian  B.  Wilkins 

Life  Trustees 

William  McCormick  Blair 
Joseph  N.  Field 
Clifford  C.  Gregg 
Samuel  Insull,  Jr. 
William  V.  Kahler 
Hughslon  M.  McBain 
James  L.  Palmer 
John  G.  Searle 
John  M.  Simpson 
Louis  Ware 
J.  Howard  Wood 


COVER 

Flowers  of  Bomarea  in  a  pendant  umbel.  These  climbing  plants, 
\Nh\ch  are  members  of  the  amaryllis  family,  commonly  occur  in 
the  cool  cloud  forests  of  mountainous  regions  in  Central  and 
South  America,  They  usually  grow  at  forest  edges  in  low 
shrubbery  and  in  second  growth.  Photo  by  William  Burger, 
associate  curator  of  botany  and  president  of  the  Nature  Camera 
Club  of  Chicago,  On  November  1  and  2  Dr.  Burger  will  deliver  an 
illustrated  lecture  on  the  endangered  cloud  forests  of  Costa  Rica, 
as  part  of  the  Ayer  Illustrated  Lecture  Series.  For  details,  see 
"November  at  Field  Ivluseum,"  back  cover. 


Art  and  photo  credits 

Cover.  William  Burger;  p  3,  UPI  Compixi  4,  5.  Warren  Garst/Tom  Stack 
&  Associates,  6,  UPI  Compix.  9.  drawing  by  Marion  Pahl,  10.  UPI 
Compix;     12    (rt.),     D      Walsten.    17,  drawing  by  Gene  Olson 


Field  Museum  ol  Natural  History  Bulletin  is  published  monthly, 
except  combined  July/August  issue,  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  Illinois  60605. 
Subscriptions:  $6  a  year;  $3  a  year  for  schools.  Members  of  the 
Museum  subscribe  through  Museum  membership.  Opinions 
expressed  by  authors  are  their  own  and  do  not  necessarily  reflect  the 
policy  of  Field  Museum.  Unsolicited  manuscripts  are  welcome. 
Postmaster:  Please  send  form  3579  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  Illinois  60605, 
ISSN:  0015-0703.  Second  class  postage  paid  at  Chicago,  III. 


CChOTE! 


by  Cleveland  Amory 


My  favorite  animal?  I'll  take  the  coyote. 
Pronounce  him  "ki-oat"  or  "ki-o-tee," 
either  is  correct,  and  he  won't  care.  But 
mark  him  well,  and  do  not  allow  the 
mystery  and  marvel  of  him  to  be  lost  in 
familiarity. 

All  right,  he  is  familiar.  He  has  been 
located  in  virtually  every  state  in  the 
Union  and  he  even  appears  regularly, 
usually  along  with  the  Late  Late  Show,  in 
Los  Angeles'  backyard. 

He  is  famous  the  world  over  as  perhaps 
the  most  "American"  of  all  wild 
animals — indeed,  he  sometimes  seems 
the  very  symbol  of  the  American 
West — but,  like  so  many  other  animals 
nowadays,  he  needs  your  help  and  he 
needs  it  now. 

Highly  photogenic,  with  an  eerie, 
never-to-be-forgotten  howl — one  with 
which  he  sings  to  the  sun,  to  the  moon 
and  in  heartbreaking  relays  to  his  own 
kind — he  is  the  little  brother  of  the  wolf, 
yet  a  close  cousin  of  the  dog.  If,  on  the 
one  hand,  he  is  incredibly  quick, 
sharp-witted,  cunning  and 
resourceful — no  other  animal  has  all 
three  senses,  sight,  smell  and  hearing  as 
keen  as  his — on  the  other,  he  is  loyal, 
playful,  humorous  and  even 
philosophical,  v 

—  from  MAN  KIND?  Our  Incredible  War  on 
Wildlife  Copyright  ®  1974  by  Cleveland 
Amory:  Harper  &  Row,  publishers. 

Cleveland  Amory  is  chief  critic  for  TV  Guide 
and  "Curmudgeon  at  Large"  for  Saturday 
Review/World  He  is  the  author  of  The  Proper 
Bostonians,  The  Last  Resorts,  and  VJtio  Killed 
Society''  In  1967  he  founded  The  Fund  For 
Animals,  an  anticruelty  society,  of  which  he  is 
the  president. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


Basically  monogamous,  coyotes  mate,  if 
not  for  life,  for  long  periods.  And,  if  two 
unmated  males  are  figfiting  for  the  same 
unmated  female,  after  it  is  all  over  sfie  is 
likely  to  choose,  not  the  one  who  won, 
but  the  one  who  lost. 

When  the  pups  come,  they  are  taught  to 
hunt,  at  the  age  of  two  months,  not  by  the 
mother  but  by  the  father.  And  discipline  is 
severe.  It  is  not  unusual,  for  instance,  to 
see  a  father  coyote  returning  to  his  den 
and  his  pups  rushing  out  to  meet  him, 
but,  no  matter  how  far  away  the  father  is, 
at  a  certain  invisible  line — obviously  the 
greatest  distance  they  are  permitted  to 
go  from  the  den — the  pups  will  stop 
short. 

"Next  to  God,"  goes  the  Mexican  saying, 
"the  coyote  is  the  smartest  person  on 
earth.  '  Even  if  this  is  exaggerated — the 


coyote  is,  after  all,  far  too  smart  to  be,  by 
human  standards,  "brave" — the  fact 
remains  that  he  is,  if  not  the  most 
intelligent  of  all  animals,  certainly  the 
cleverest.  He  would  have  to  be 


Man  has  made  his  very  name  suspect. 
The  second  definition  for  the  word 
"coyote"  in  the  new  American  Heritage 
Dictionary  is,  .  ,  .  "contemptible  sneak.  ' 
For  two  hundred  years,  the  coyote  has 
faced  a  steadily  increasing  campaign  to 
eradicate  him  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 
Many  animals  have  faced  such 
campaigns,  but  against  no  other  animal 
save  possibly  the  coyote's  big  brother, 
the  wolf,  has  the  campaign  reached  such 
heights  of  insane  cruelty  and  brutality. 
Some  time  ago,  for  example,  in  Liberty, 
Kansas,  one  T.G.  Castleberry  caught  553 
coyotes  in  59  days — then  draped  every 


carcass  on  his  barn,  literally  covering  its 
entire  front. 

In  the  old  days,  the  coyote  was  hunted  for 
his  pelt.  Then,  when  pelts  dropped  in 
price,  he  was  hunted  because  he  was 
supposed  to  be  a  cattle  killer.  Then,  when 
it  was  proven  he  wasn't  a  cattle 
killer — he  lives  almost  exclusively  on 
mice,  moles,  rabbits,  insects  and 
snakes,  and  even  eats  fruit  for 
dessert — he  was  hunted  because  he  was 
supposed  to  be  a  sheep  killer.  Finally, 
when  it  was  proven  he  wasn't  a  sheep 
killer,  he  was  hunted  because  he  was  a 
lamb  killer.  And  when  even  that  was 
found  to  be  enormously  exaggerated,  he 
was  hunted  because  he  was  supposed  to 
kill  what  man  wanted  to  hunt.  Not  hunt  to 
eat,  of  course,  but  for  "sport"  hunting. 
The  coyote  is  classed,  simply,  as  a 
"varmint." 

As  such,  there  is  no  season  on  him — for 
on  him  it  is  always  open  season.  Virtually 
alone  among  all  animals  too,  for  him 
there  are  literally  no  rules  of  even  basic 
decency,  let  alone  fair  play.  He  is  hunted 
by  land,  he  is  hunted  by  air  and,  if  he 
ventured  on  the  sea,  he  would 
undoubtedly  be  hunted  here.  Again, 
virtually  alone  among  animals,  he  has 
learned  that  the  air  can  be  dangerous, 
and  when  he  even  hears  a  plane,  let 
alone  sees  one,  he  takes  cover  and,  like 
a  trained  guerrilla  fighter,  camouflages 
himself. 

The  coyote  is  regularly  jack-hunted,  by 
light,  by  night — something  forbidden  by 
law  for  most  animals.  Not,  however,  in 
the  case  of  the  coyote.  "Most  hunters," 
says  one  hunting  magazine  about  the 
"sport,"  "clamp  a  powerful  light  directly 
to  their  guns  and  keep  it  on  at  all  times." 
In. the  winter,  snowmobiles  hunt  the 
coyote  down,  with  the  hunters  signaling 
to  each  other  by  walkie-talkies.  In  the 
summer  trained  hunting  dogs  run  him 
down  in  relays.  Often,  indeed,  the  coyote 
is  chased  by  dogs  riding  in 
automobiles — then,  when  he  begins  to 
tire,  the  automobiles  stop  and  the  dogs 
are  released. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  coyote  will  eat 
anything  that  doesn't  eat  him  first.  As  we 


November  1974 


have  seen,  this  is  not  true.  But  courage 
he  has,  and  far  more  than  that  with  which 
he  has  been  credited.  Curiosity  is  his 
Achilles  heel,  wariness  his  secret 
weapon.  Stones  of  coyotes  outwitting 
hunters  are  legion.  Coyotes  will  work  in 
teams,  alternately  resting  and  running  to 
escape  dogs  set  upon  them.  They  have 
even  been  known  to  jump  on  automobiles 
and  flat  cars  to  escape  dogs.  And  they 
have  also  successfully  resisted  bombing. 
Lewis  Nordyke  reports  that,  once  when  a 
favorite  coyote  haunt  in  Texas  became  a 
practice  range  for  bombing,  the  coyotes 
left — temporarily.  Soon  they  were  back 
to  investigate,  and  finding  that  the 
bombing  at  least  kept  people  out, 
decided  to  stay,  meanwhile  learning  the 
bombing  schedule  and  avoiding  the 
bombs  as  well  as  possible. 

Some  coyotes  have  gotten  along  with 
their  lower  jaws  shot  off.  Joe  Van 
Wormer  reports  that  an  agent  in  Idaho 
captured  a  coyote  whose  mouth  had 
been  cruelly  wired  shut.  It  was  able  to 
open  it  only  half  an  inch,  but  nonetheless 
had  been  able  to  survive.  A  coyote  in 
Montana  also  had  her  jaw  wired 
shut — she  was  used  by  a  hunter  to 
"train"  his  dogs.  And  a  female  coyote 
killed  in  Tule  Lake  in  northern  California 
was  found  to  have  four  healthy  pups  in 
her  den.  She  had  managed  to  fend  for 
them  although  she  herself  had  been  shot 
in  both  eyes  with  a  shotgun  and  was 
totally  blind  .... 

When  the  coyote  is  not  hunted,  he  is 
trapped.  For  the  coyote,  there  are 
especially  horrible  traps — to  match  his 
ingenuity.  So-called  "passion"  bait  is 
soaked  in  a  piece  of  wool  and  put  under  a 
pan.  When  the  coyote  investigates,  the 
slightest  pressure  releases  the  deadly 
steel  leghold. 

Once  the  coyote  is  caught,  he  will  often 
gnaw  off  his  leg  rather  than  remain  in  the 
trap.  Literally  thousands  of  coyotes  have 
existed  for  life  on  three  legs.  But  there 
are  thousands  more,  too,  amazingly, 
two-legged  coyotes.  One  female  coyote 
in  Michigan  had  only  stubs  for  front 
legs — she  ran  like  a  kangaroo — and  yet, 
when  killed,  was  bearing  five  unborn 


pups.  A  coyote  in  Colorado  existed  for 
more  than  a  year  missing  two  feet — the 
left  front  and  right  hind.  In  New  Mexico  a 
coyote  got  along,  somehow,  with  both 
feet  missing  from  his  right  side,  and  still 
managed  to  raise  a  family.  .  .  . 

I  have  on  my  desk  something  called  a 
"Humane  Coyote-Getter,"  which  is 
advertised  as  the  "Marvel  of  the  20th 
Century,"  Humane?  It  is  literally  a  trap 
gun.  A  bait  is  soaked  in  urine  and 
covered  with  a  jacket,  then  placed  over  a 
bullet  cartridge,  the  whole  being  set  in 
the  ground.  When  the  coyote 
investigates,  the  bullet  is  set  off  by  a 
spring  and  shoots  the  coyote  in  the  mouth 
with  sodium  cyanide.  This  in  turn,  on 
contact  with  the  coyote's  mouth,  or  eyes, 
or  wherever  it  hits  him,  releases  gas,  and 


the  coyote  gasses  himself  to  death.  Or 
perhaps  just  blinds  himself. 

This  Coyote-Getter  is,  by  coyote-getting 
standards,  actually  humane — at  least 
compared  to  the  more  general  way  of 
killing  coyotes.  That  is,  plainly  and 
simply,  by  poisoning  them.  Texas  alone, 
for  example,  put  out  in  one  recent  year 
300,000  strychnine  tables — tablets  which 
are  slipped  into  an  inch  square  of  sheep 
suet.  The  death  from  strychnine  is  slow 
and  cruel — and  the  people  who  put  it 
down  admit  that  at  least  70  percent  of  the 
baits  are  picked  up  by  "other 
animals" — but  it  goes  on. 

Even  strychnine,  horrible  as  it  is,  is  as 
nothing  compared  to  the  dread 
Compound  1080,  or  sodium   ► 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


The  advent  of  the  airplane  proved  a  real  boon  to  the 
coyote  /(///ers  The  hunter  above  displays  132 
coyotes  and  foxes,  killed  with  a  shotgun  as  they  ran 
ahead  ol  his  plane  In  their  helicopter,  the  hunters 
at  left  fly  over  fleeing  coyotes  and  dangle  a  rope. 
Instinctively,  the  coyotes  bite  the  rope,  then 
continue  to  hang  on  as  they  are  lifted  from  the 
ground.  At  about  100  feet  they  are  dropped  to  their 
death. 


November  1974 


monofluoroacetate.  This  is  a  poison  so 
lethal  that  there  is  no  known  antidote.  It  is 
chain  reacting — thus,  when  a  meadow 
mouse  eats  it  and  is  in  turn  eaten  by  a 
larger  animal  who  is  in  turn  eaten  by  a 
coyote  who  is  in  turn  eaten  by  a  mountain 
lion — well,  1080  will  have  poisoned  them 
all. 

Perhaps  the  most  horrible  thing  about 
Compound  1 080  is  that  it  is  administered 
in  small  doses.  Not  because  it  is 
expensive — unfortunately  it  is  not ;  it  is 
cheap.  But  It  is  administered  in  small 
doses  so  that  the  coyote  will  get  as  far 
away  from  the  bait  as  possible  before  he 
dies,  and  thus  not  be  able  to  warn,  by  his 
body  lying  there,  other  possible  victims. 
Coyotes  have  been  known  to  travel  as  far 
as  twenty  miles  to  die — in  incredible 
agony.  .    . 

The  coyote  has  had  its  defenders. 
Montana  State  Senator  Arnold  Rieder 
early  came  to  the  aid  of  what  he  called 
"this  gallant  little  animal."  "We 
wonder,"  he  asked,  "if  this  creature  of 
nature  was  not  meant  to  have  a  fairer  life. 
By  a  twenty-five-to-one  ratio,  the 
coyote's  deeds  have  been  beneficial  to 
man."  So  did  Oklahoma's  Senator  Gil 
Graham,  who  spent  a  lifetime  among 
Indians  and  animals.  "I  consider  the 
coyote,"  he  said,  "the  most  unjustly 
accused  of  all  animals."  Paul  fvlaxwell, 
another  coyote  friend,  not  only  aided 
orphaned  and  wounded  coyote  pups  in 
his  own  house  but  also  quoted  his  friend 
Jimmy  Siebert.  "I  ranched  sheep  for  fifty 
years,"  Siebert  told  him,  "and  I  never 
had  a  single  sheep  killed  by  a  coyote    " 
Then  too  there  was  Texas  rancher  Arthur 
Lytton,  who  for  forty  years  ran  a 
twenty-thousand-acre  spread.  "I  would 
never,"  he  said,  "allow  a  predator  to  be 
killed  on  my  land.  They  are  necessary  for 
the  balance  of  nature.  Kill  them  and 
you're  in  for  nothing  but  trouble — from 
rabbits  and  rodents  and  everything." 

But  the  vast  majority  of  the  sheepmen 
turned  deaf  ears  to  such  voices.  Their 
fury  against  the  coyote  knew  neither 
bounds  nor  even  sanity.  Frank  Dobie  told 
the  story  of  a  sheepman  who  liked  to  saw 
the  lower  jaw  of  a  trapped  coyote  and 


then  turn  him  loose  for  his  dogs  to  tear  to 
pieces.  Stories  of  skinning  coyotes  alive 
are  common  ;  coyotes  have  also  been 
scalped  alive.  In  Washington  State  not 
long  ago  a  case  was  reported  to 
Raymond  Davis  in  the  Defenders  of 
Wildlife  office  of  some  men  who  had 
trapped  a  coyote  and  then  burned  it  alive. 
In  the  same  state,  Les  Boyd,  a  Whitman 
County  farmer,  finding  a  dead  coyote 
nailed  to  a  fence  post,  posted  a  sign  to 
the  same  fence.  "Attention,"  he  wrote, 
"This  semi-tame  coyote,  who  was 
eradicating  mice  from  the  fields,  is  the 
victim  of  a  thoughtless  act  by 
man — which  is  supposedly  a  reasoning 
animal." 

Farmer  Boyd  was  not  joking.  Research 
by  wildlife  management  student  Peter 
Black  at  the  University  of  Idaho  indicated 
clearly  that  mice,  not  sheep,  was  the 
coyote's  favorite  food.  Black's  coyote 
autopsies  turned  up  as  many  as 
twenty-seven  mice  in  one  coyote,  and  his 
findings  revealed  that  of  the  stomach 
contents  of  coyotes  examined  mice 
constitute  90  percent.  .  .  . 


On  December  15,  1971 ,  under  the 
chairmanship  of  Senator  Gale  McGee  of 

Wyoming,  a  hearing  was  held  on  the 
subject  of  this  poisoning.  I  was  merely 
one  of  a  dozen  or  more  witnesses  against 
It,  but,  testifying  for  both  The  Fund  for 
Animals  and  the  Defenders  of  Wildlife,  as 
well  as  for  the  World  Federation  for  the 
Protection  of  Animals,  I  achieved  at  least 
one  distinction.  "Gentlemen,  "  I  began, 
"on  the  question  before  us  .  .  ."  Senator 
McGee  stopped  me.  "I  think,"  he  said, 
"you  could  be  accused  of  undue 
influence  on  the  chairman  of  this 
committee."  At  this  the  sheepmen  in  the 
rows  behind  stirred  comfortably.  They 
were  certain  that  I  would  be  brought  up 
short.  I  did  not  know  what  was  coming. 
"Last  night,"  continued  Senator  McGee, 
"my  daughter  attempted  to  shake  me 
down  for  fifty  cents  for  a  button  for  your 
organization.  Furthermore,  I  paid."' 

At  this  the  sheepmen  became  very  quiet" 
again.  I  thanked  him  and  continued.  "On 
this  question,'"  I  proceeded,  "there  is  a 


man  who  has,  literally,  written  the  book.  I 
would  like  your  permission  to  place  into 
testimony  and  put  in  the  record  his  entire 
book." 

My  request  was  granted   It  was  a  book 
entitled  Slaughter  the  Animals.  Poison 
the  Earth,  and  it  was  written  by  a  man 
named  Jack  Olsen,  well-known  author 
and  senior  editor  of  Sports  lllustrated- 
Mr.  Olsen  is  a  rugged  six-foot-twoer  who 
at  that  time  lived  on  a  mountain  top  in 
Colorado,  from  whence  he  could  survey 
vast  stretches  of  land — land  on  which,  as 
his  book  described  in  an  utterly 
unforgettable  way,  the  United  States 
Government  was  engaged  in  a  poison 
program  of  such  dimensions  that  even  to 
read  about  it  and  not  do  anything  to  help 
stop  it  seemed  a  criminal  offense.  I  finally 
corralled  Mr.  Olsen  by  telephone  and 
asked  him  to  come  first  to  New  York  and 
then  to  Washington.  "Listen,  bud,"  he 
told  me,  "there's  only  one  way  I'll  come 
to  New  York,  and  that's  handcuffed  to  a 
Federal  marshal.  Since  I  discovered 
fresh  air,  I  don't  even  like  talking  to  New 
York  on  the  telephone.  It's 
contaminating. 

"When  you  live  at  nine  thousand  feet, 
you  don't  get  many  animals,"  Mr.  Olsen 
told  me.  "But  some  nights  we  get  as 
many  as  eleven  coyotes  that  come 
around.  I  put  out  Purina  dog  chow  for 
them  and  they  really  turn  out  for  it. 
Racoons  come  too.  They  love  Purina. 
People  should  know  that  if  they  live  in 
wild  places,  even  where  there  aren't 
many  animals,  if  they'd  put  out  maybe 
five  bucks  worth  of  food  a  month,  they'd 
get  plenty  of  animals.  And,  particularly 
for  the  coyotes,  it  would  help  them  in 
their  tough  periods — those  starving 
times. 

"There's  one  thing  about  coyotes, 
though.  They're  so  smart.  If  you  try  to  get 
out  to  see  them,  even  it  you  click  the 
front  door,  t  hey  re  gone   Once  they  even 
went  when  I  clicked  my  camera  from 
inside  \he  house."  Mr.  Olsen  paused.  He 
was  obviously  thinking  about  his  coyotes. 
"Yes,"  he  said  slowly,  "smart.  I  guess 
that"s  why  they"re  surviving." 

(continued  on  p.  15) 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


our  environment 


Third  of  Four  Wolf  Transplants 
Killed  in  Upper  Michigan 

The  attempt  to  restock  Michigan's  Upper 
Peninsula  with  a  self-sustaining  wolf  popula- 
tion Is  close  to  failure.  Of  the  two  male  and 
two  female  wolves  flown  to  Michigan  from 
northern  Minnesota  last  winter,  only  one 
female  survives.  The  first  male  was  struck  and 
killed  by  an  automobile.  The  second  male  was 
presumably  caught  in  a  trap  then  shot.  The 
female  was  caught  in  a  snagline  trap  intended 
for  coyotes,  then  shot.  The  trapper  stated  that 
he  had  killed  the  wolf  out  of  self-defense. 
Under  federal  regulations  self-defense  is  the 
only  legal  justification  for  killing  a  wolf.  The 
transplant  project  is  funded  by  the  Huron 
Mountain  Wildlife  Foundation,  the  National 
Audubon  Society,  and  Northern  Michigan 
University 

In  Minnesota,  an  endangered  species  act 
went  into  effect  on  August  1 ,  following  which 
three  wolves  were  taken  in  areas  where  wolf 
predation  on  livestock  was  allegedly  a 
problem  The  state  endangered  species  act 
allowed  the  taking  of  wolves  only  for  the 
"prevention  of  injury  to  persons  or  property  " 
On  September  6,  however,  the  state  law  was 
superseded  by  the  Federal  Endangered 
Species  Act. 

Steel  Shotgun  Ammo 
Being  Field-Tested 

Tens  of  thousands  of  ducks  and  geese  die 
each  year  from  lead  poisoning,  caused  by  the 
ingestion  of  spent  shotgun  pellets.  The  most 
practical  solution  yet  suggested  for  this 
problem  is  the  substitution  of  steel  for  lead  in 
the  composition  of  the  shotgun  pellets 

This  fall  the  new  ammunition  is  being 
field-tested  in  twenty-four  national  wildlife 
refuges  located  in  each  of  the  four  migratory 
waterfowl  flyways  (Atlantic,  Mississippi,  cen- 
tral and  Pacific).  Smaller-scale  tests  were 
held  in  some  refuges  in  1972  and  1973 

In  1972  the  number  of  birds  bagged  by  each 
hunter  using  steel  shot  was  very  close  to  the 
number  expected  if  lead  had  been  used. 
Downed  but  unretrieved  birds  occurred  with 
about  the  same  frequency  as  expected  for 
lead  shot.  There  were  indications  that  more 
shots  were  fired  for  each  bird  bagged  with 
steel  loads  than  would  have  been  the  case 
with  lead. 

In  1973  the  effectiveness  of  lead  and  steel 


shot  for  ducks  was  again  nearly  identical  Too 
few  geese  were  included  in  the  samples  to 
show  significant  differences  between  lead  and 
steel  shot.  The  results,  however,  suggest  that 
lead  was  more  effective  as  124  geese  were 
dropped  per  1 ,000  shots  fired  with  steel  and 
163  geese  per  1 ,000  shots  of  lead. 

Public  hearings  on  steel  shotgun  ammunition 
will  be  held  In  St.  Louis  on  November  4  in  the 
county  library  auditorium,  and  In  Denver  on 
November  6  in  the  Denver  Post  Office 
auditorium  Hearings  are  also  to  be  held  in 
Washington,  D.C.  and  in  San  Francisco. 


Manatees  and  Dugongs  Faring 
Poorly,  Despite  Protection 

Manatees  and  dugongs,  large  and  odd-looking 
marine  mammals  of  the  Atlantic,  Indian,  and 
Pacific  Oceans  and  several  major  continental 
rivers,  are  not  faring  as  well  as  they  should  in 
many  areas.  Poaching,  accidental  netting 
during  large-scale  fishing  operations,  and  law 
enforcement  difficulties  all  contribute  to  their 
plight 

Of  the  three  species  of  manatees,  the  Florida 
manatee  population  seems  to  be  least 
troubled  A  1972-73  aerial  survey  of  Florida's 
coasts  and  rivers  found  the  population 
numbering  between  800  and  1,300 — a  figure 
that  has  remained  stable  for  several  years 
with  some  local  increases.  No  figures  on  the 
other  species  are  available,  but  historically 
manatees  were  seen  in  tens  of  thousands  of 
areas  where  they  are  rarely  seen  today. 

The  dugong,  native  to  the  coastal  waters  of 
the  Indian  and  Pacific  Oceans,  seems  faced 
with  near  extinction.  Although  once  abundant 
enough  to  support  a  large  commercial  dugong 
fishery,  its  numbers  have  declined  drastically 
in  recent  years  Stable  populations  exist  only 
near  the  coast  of  northern  Australia  The 
dugong  has  been  completely  extirpated  in 
separate  coastal  areas  of  western  India  and  is 
now  rarely  seen  in  the  Red  Sea  and  nearby 
gulfs. 

There  are  three  subspecies  of  manatees — the 
African,  Amazonian,  and  Florida  All  are 
subtropical,  plant-eating  mammals,  whose 
range  includes  the  coastal  waters  and  rivers 
of  Africa,  North  America,and  South  America. 
Appearances  vary,  but  In  general  manatees 
are  spindle-shaped,  heavy-bodied  creatures 
sometimes  weighing  nearly  half  a  ton.  They 
have  blunt  heads  with  prominent,  whiskered 
noses  and  flippered  forelimbs.  Instead  of  hind 
limbs  they  have  a  flat,  rounded  tail 


The  sluggish  manatee  is  a  night  browser  of 
aquatic  plants  Although  not  yet  proven,  it  Is 
believed  that  manatees  must  return  to  fresh 
water  to  drink  Except  for  the  relationship 
between  mother  and  offspring,  manatees  do 
not  have  strong  bonding  instincts.  Males 
travel  in  groups  during  the  female's  breeding 
season,  but  following  this  season  the  groups 
disperse  and  the  mammals  lead  a  solitary 
existence. 


Dugongs  resemble  manatees,  but  have  a 
broadly  notched  tail.  They  are  found  only  in 
the  tropical  and  subtropical  coastal  waters  of 
the  Indian  and  Pacific  Oceans,  on  the  east 
coast  of  Africa  and  along  the  northern  coast  of 
Australia.  Unlike  the  manatee,  dugongs 
occasionally  travel  in  groups  with  as  many  as 
SIX  members.  In  centuries  past,  they  moved 
about  in  large  herds  of  several  hundred 
animals. 

For  decades,  hunters  pursued  manatees 
during  night  hunts,  using  harpoons  and  guns. 
Manatees  were  killed  primarily  for  their  meat, 
but  also  for  their  hides,  which  were  used  to 
make  crude  shields  and,  in  later  years, 
machine  belts  and  water  hoses.  Currently, 
manatees  have  legal  protection  worldwide, 
consequently,  hunting  has  declined. 

Dugongs  were  hunted  throughout  their  range 
also.  Their  meat  is  similar  to  veal  or  pork  and 
"keeps  "  tor  a  long  time.  Dugongs  have  also 
provided  oil  similar  to  cod  liver  oil  and  leather 
hide  especially  suitable  for  sandals.  Today, 
hunting  pressures  have  been  greatly  reduced, 
in  part  due  to  the  dugong's  decline  and  also 
because  it  is  protected  by  law  in  most  of  its 
currently  inhabited  areas. 

Both  manatees  and  dugongs  are  plagued  by 
boats,  particularly  those  with  large  keels  and 
propellers  which  inflict  mortal  wounds  to 
thousands  each  year.  To  date  the  only  positive 
action  taken  to  prevent  such  accidents  is  the 
regulation  of  boat  speeds  in  Florida  in  a 
manatee  wintering  area.  A  high  death  rate  is 
also  attributed  to  accidental  nettings  which 
cause  the  air-breathing  mammals  to  drown. 
The  use  of  herbicides  to  control  weeds  in 
congested  waterways,  as  well  as  accidental 
industrial  pollution,  not  only  deplete  the  food 
supply  but  can  be  directly  responsible  for 
many  of  these  marine  mammal  deaths. 

Although  manatees  and  dugongs  are  pro- 
tected by  law  in  some  areas  only  regulated 
hunting  is  allowed  in  others,  poaching  is  still  a 
major  problem  and  their  meat  continues  to 
show  up  in  foreign  markets. 


November  1974 


Publication  cost  of  tiiis  section 
on  Our  Environment  has  been 
underwritten,  in  part,  by  thie 
Ray  A.  Kroc  Environmental  Ed 
ucation  Fund. 


J 


The  use  of  manatees  tor  weed  control  has 
been  suggested  as  a  possible  solution  for 
plant-infested  waters.  The  domestication  of 
manatees  for  meat  also  has  been  suggested, 
but  reduced  populations  and  a  low  reproduc- 
tive rale  make  this  prospect  unlikely. 


California  Pelicans 
Staging  Comeback 

California's  only  colony  of  brown  pelicans 
{Pelecanus  occidentalis).  which  appeared  to 
be  in  serious  trouble  as  recently  as  1970,  is 
apparently  responding  to  efforts  in  its  behalf. 
The  Wildlife  Management  Institute  reports  thai 
305  brown  pelicans  were  hatched  at  the 
colony  in  1973,  compared  to  1  in  1970.  The 
colony's  nesting  sites  are  located  on  West 
Anacapa  Island,  Santa  Cruz  Island,  and  other 
nearby  islands  generally  south  and  southeast 
of  Santa  Barbara. 

The  nesting  success  is  attributed  to  recent 
action  by  the  National  Park  Service,  closing 
West  Anacapa  to  public  access  during  mating 
season;  diminished  ocean  pollution  by  DDT 
may  also  be  a  factor.  The  insecticide  affects 
nesting  success  by  reducing  eggshell 
thickness- 


200,000  Porpoises  Killed 
Annually  by  Tuna  Fishermen 

Regulations  that  will  determine  the  fate  of 
more  than  200,000  porpoises  killed  each  year 
by  tuna  fishermen  are  currently  being 
considered  by  the  National  Marine  Fisheries 
Service  (NMFS). 

Since  the  1960s,  fishermen  operating  in 
the  eastern  Pacific  have  caught  yellowfin  tuna 
by  fishing  "on  porpoise  "  This  technique  was 
developed  because  the  tuna  swim  with 
schools  of  porpoises,  mainly  the  spotted 
porpoise  {Stenella  grattmani)  and  the  spinner 
porpoise  (S.  longirostris).  Fishermen  in 
motorboats  herd  hundreds  of  porpoises  into  a 
tight,  circling  school,  then  set  a  purse-seine 
net  on  the  school,  trapping  porpoises  and  tuna 
alike.  As  the  net  is  drawn  together,  the 
porpoises  panic,  tangle  in  the  net,  and  drown. 
It  is  estimated  that  between  200,000  and 
400,000  porpoises  died  this  way  annually  from 
1970  to  1972. 

Despite  the  use  of  nets  with  "safety  panels" 
for  the  porpoise  and  a  method  for  allowing 
them  to  escape  over  the  nets,  approximately 
200,000  of  the  animals  were  killed  in  1973. 


Bad  weather  conditions,  poorly  set  nets, 
poorly  trained  operators,  and  old  equipment 
have  been  blamed  for  the  high  casualty  rate. 

The  Marine  Mammal  Protection  Act  of  1972, 
which  imposed  a  moratorium  on  the  killing, 
capture,  and  harassment  of  marine  mam- 
mals, granted  a  two-year  exemption  to 
commercial  fishermen  who  catch  porpoises 
"accidentally"  during  their  fishing  operations. 


Lake  Erie  Fish  Catch 
on  the  Increase 

The  commercial  fish  catch  from  Lake  Erie  was 
a  rather  impressive  one  in  1973,  considering 
the  lake  has  been  variously  described  as 
"dead"  or  "dying."  The  total  commercial  fish 
catch  from  the  lake  in  that  year  was  48  million 
pounds:  40  million  pounds  were  netted  by 
Canadian  fishermen,  about  8  3  million  pounds 
by  Americans.  The  total  catch  compared  to  a 
1972  harvest  of  about  39  million  pounds — an 
increase  of  more  than  20  percent. 

Yellow  perch  and  smelt  are  the  predominant 
species  caught  by  Erie's  north  shore  fisher- 
men— 35  million  pounds,  collectively,  in 
1973.  The  commercial  catch  of  white  bass, 
largely  by  US,  commercial  fishermen,  was 
2  4  million  pounds  That  amount  was  double 
the  catch  of  any  previous  year  for  this 
species.  The  western  section  of  Lake  Erie, 
including  Sandusky  Bay,  supplied  6.1  million 
pounds  (74  percent)  of  the  total  U.S.  landings 
m  1973,  reflecting  the  relatively  high  produc- 
tivity of  this  small  area  of  the  lake 


Be  Kind  to  a  Fish  Today: 
Give  Him  an  Old  Tire 

Old  tires  make  good  fish  reefs,  especially  in  a 
salt  water  environment,  report  T.B.  Stone, 
C  C.  Buchanan,  and  F  W  Steinle,  Jr  ,  of  the 
National  Marine  Fisheries  Serivce.  Scrap  tires 
are  cheap,  abundant,  easily-handled,  non- 
toxic, last  more  or  less  indefinitely  in 
seawater,  and  provide  excellent  substrate  for 
rapid  development  of  lush  growths  of 
attachment  organisms.  Auto  tire  reefs  have 
also  been  shown  experimentally  to  cause,  by 
the  latter  means,  net  increases  in  biological 
production  (carbon  fixation)  in  sea  water. 
Because  of  their  relatively  inert  chemical 
nature,  and  of  their  properties  as  suitable 
substrate  for  attachment  organisms  that  lead 
to  rapid  encrustment  and  early  camouflage  by 
nature,    scrap  tires   have  a    high  degree  of 


ecological  compatibility  with  the  ocean 
environment 

Stone,  Buchanan,  and  Steinle  estimate  that 
nearly  a  billion  old  tires  could  be  used  to  build 
artificial  reefs  in  waters  off  the  east  coast  of 
the  United  States  to  attract  fish.  This  is 
predicated  partly  on  the  fact  that  more  than 
200  million  tires  are  discarded  each  year  in 
this  country,  posing  a  waste  disposal  problem 
for  most  communities.  Use  of  large  numbers 
of  scrap  tires  to  build  reefs  appears  to  offer  at 
least  a  partial  or  temporary  solution  to  the 
problem  while  benefiting  fisheries  resouces. 

While  the  economics  of  reef  construction  will 
vary  among  localities,  the  costs  of  reef 
construction  appear  to  compare  favorably 
with  disposal  fees  being  charged  at  landfills 
for  tires  (0.25-$1.00  per  tire)  Until  more 
efficient  methods  are  proven  for  the  recovery 
of  energy  or  materials  for  tires,  artificial  reef 
construction  now  appears  to  be  a  viable 
method  of  tire  disposal.  It  seems  likely, 
however,  that  scrap  tires  will  in  a  few  years 
become  too  valuable  for  chemical  reclama- 
tion or  as  fuel  to  be  used  in  reef  construction. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


The  Gteat  GatorJansplant 


The  storied  exploits  of 
"Bring-Em-Back-Alive"  Frank  Buck 
seem  not  nearly  so  spectacular  wtien 
compared  to  a  recent  gator-catching 
spree  on  the  Louisiana  coast.  On  several 
nights  in  mid-July,  500  thrashing 
American  alligators  {Alligator 
mississipiensis).  ranging  from  two  to  ten 


feet  long,  were  captured  by  wildlife  and 
conservation  specialists  of  the  National 
Audubon  Society.  They  were  then 
trucked  to  Mississippi  and  southern 
Arkansas  for  subsequent  release.  The 
purpose  of  the  project  was  to  restock 
areas  where  the  natural  population  of  this 
endangered  species  had  declined  or 


vanished.  Areas  to  be  restocked  include 
public  and  private  lands  in  six  Arkansas 
counties  and  twenty-three  Mississippi 
counties. 

In  addition  to  Louisiana,  Mississippi,  and 
Arkansas,  the  American  alligator  occurs 
today  in  eastern  Texas,  southeastern 


November  1974 


by  David  M.  Walsten 

Oklahoma,  Alabama,  Georgia,  North  and 
South  Carolina,  Florida,  and  possibly 
Virginia.  A  1970  alligator  census  showed 
a  population  of  about  50,000  alligators  in 
six  southeastern  states.  The  alligator's 
close  relative,  the  American  crocodile 
{Crocodylus  acutus)  occurs  just  in 
Florida,  where  only  about  300  are 


believed  to  survive.  Curiously,  the 
International  Trade  Commission  places 
the  American  alligator  in  a  more 
endangered  category  than  the  American 
crocodile. 

Marsh  Island  Refuge,  in  Cameron  Parish, 
and  Rockefeller  Refuge,  in  Iberia  Parish, 
were  the  sites  of  the  capture  operations, 
directed  by  W.  Carlyle  Blakeney,  Jr. , 
Audubon  s  southeastern  regional 
representative  (Atlanta).  In  addition  to 
Audubon  personnel,  Louisiana, 
Arkansas,  and  Mississippi  state  wildlife 
agents  also  assisted  in  the  project. 

The  alligators  were  caught  from  boats  by 
means  of  pole  snares  and  with  bare 
hands.  Their  snouts  were  then  banded 
with  strong  rubber  bands  and  the  animals 
tagged,  marked,  and  placed  in  moist 
burlap  sacks  to  prevent  dehydration 
during  the  long  trip  north. 

About  200  of  the  captured  alligators 
averaged  4V2  to  5V2  feet  long.  About  300 
averaged  about  3  feet  in  length.  The  sex 
ratio  was  approximately  1:1.  Despite  the 
great  care  taken  by  the  captors  to 
safeguard  the  alligators,  three  of  the  500 
animals  died  from  injuries ;  nevertheless, 
this  was  an  extremely  low  mortality, 
considering  the  hazards  of  the  operation. 
Equally  remarkable  was  the  absence  of 
injuries  among  the  men  who  caught  the 
reptiles :  one  man  suffered  a  slightly 
bitten  thumb. 

Previous  alligator  transplant  operations 
included  a  joint  three-year  program  of  the 
U.S.  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service  and  the 
Georgia  Game  and  Fish  Commission,  n 


Violators  Arrested  in  Illegal 
Shipment  of  Alligator  Hides 

One  of  the  biggest  arrests  ever  made  in 
the  illegal  shipment  of  American  alligator 
hides  occurred  on  September  17  at  the 
Adams  Tanning  Corp.,  in  Newark,  N.J. 
Six  persons  were  arrested  and  more  than 
500  hides  seized  by  special  agents  of  the 
US  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service.  On 
August  18,  a  similar  operation  in  New 
Orleans  resulted  in  criminal  charges 
being  filed  against  three  men  and  the 
seizure  of  about  260  alligator  hides. 

The  American  alligator  is  protected  by 
the  Endangered  Species  Act  of  1973, 
which  prohibits  the  interstate  transporta- 
tion or  sale  of  endangered  animals.  The 
Lacey  Act  also  prohibits  the  interstate 
transportation  of  illegally  taken  wildlife. 
Violation  of  the  Endangered  Species  Act 
carries  a  maximum  penalty  of  one  year  in 
jail  and  a  $20,000  fine  for  each  violation. 
The  hides  seized  in  the  Newark  case  had 
been  transported  to  New  Jersey  from 
New  Orleans.  The  skins  averaged  five 
feet  long  and  were  estimated  by  the 
government  agents  to  be  worth  more 
than  $45,000. 

The  shipment  seized  in  New  Orleans  was 
valued  at  more  than  $15,000.  Agents 
also  seized  a  40-foot  refrigerated  tractor- 
trailor  which  had  been  used  to  carry  the 
hides  from  North  Carolina.  The  two 
principles  in  the  New  Orleans  case  were 
charged  with  a  total  of  1 8  counts  each  for 
violations  of  the  Endangered  Species  Act 
and  the  Lacey  Act.  Both  men  are  liable 
for  a  $300,000  fine  and  18  years  in 
prison. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


\^ 


by  Christopher  Legge 

As  you  turn  a  certain  corner  in  Hall  F  of 
Field  Museum's  ground  floor,  you  may 
suddenly  find  yourself  eyeball-to-eyeball 
with  a  six-foot  Micronesian  warrior.  He 
grips  a  shark-tooth  dagger  that  is  long 
enough  to  skewer  your  liver,  and  his 
resolute  gaze  would  frost  the  heart  of  the 

most  intrepid  Ivluseum  guard. ^j,^. 

But,  rest  assured,  he  stands  immobile, 
forever  imprisoned  in  a  glass  case. 
As  if  further  reassurance  were  needed, 
this  stalwart  warrior,  dressed  in  the 
curious  battle  garments  of  the  Gilbert 
Islands,  is  made  of  wax. 

The  Gilbert  archipelago,  consisting  of 
sixteen  coral  atolls,  straddles  the  equator 
just  west  of  the  International  Date  Line  in 
the  Pacific.  It  has  been  aptly  described 
by  H.E.  Maude,  a  Pacific  historian,  as 
"the  very  citadel-heart  of  the  South  Seas, 
the  least  known,  least  visited,  and  least 
exploited  of  all  the  major  groups  of  the 
Pacific."  Other  observers  have  often 
described  the  natural  beauty  and  tranquil 
appearance  of  these  islands.  One  is 
therefore  surprised  to  learn  that  in  the 
Museum's  Gilbertese  ethnological 
collections,  weapons  and  pieces  of 
armor  greatly  outnumber  those  used  in 
peaceful  pursuits. 

The  Gilbert  archipelago  is  named  after 
Thomas  Gilbert,  a  British  sea  captain 
who  sailed  through  the  group  from 
Australia  to  Canton,  China,  in  1 788.  Little 
attention  was  paid  to  them,  however, 
until  World  War  II,  when  they  suddenly 
assumed  a  strategic  importance.  The 
islands  were  seized  by  the  Japanese  in 


1941  and  two  years  later  they  came 
under  control  of  Allied  forces. 
The  first  detailed  observation  of 
Gilbertese  arms  and  armor  was  by 
Charles  Wilkes  who,  in  1841 ,  visited  the 
islands  as  commander  of  an  official 
"United  States  Exploring  Expedition"— a 

Christopher  Legge  recently  retired  trom  the 
position  of  custodian  of  collections, 
anthropology  ^ 


12 


November  1974 


four-year  venture  that  took  its  members 
around  the  world : 

The  arms  and  legs  of  a  large  proportion 
of    the    natives    exhibited    numerous 
scars,     many    of     which     were     still 
unhealed.  These  had  been  made  with 
shark's-teeth  swords.  .   weapons  which 
are  calculated  rather  to  make  severe 
gashes  than  dangerous  wounds.   The 
spears  are  equally  formidable,  and  four 
rows  of  shark's  teeth  are  inserted  in 
them:    some   are   of   the    uncommon 
length   of   twenty   feet,    but    they   are 
usually  about  eight  or  ten  feet  long,  and 
have  prongs  projecting  from  their  sides 
also  armed  with  teeth    .   .   In  order  to 
guard  against  the  destructive  effect  of 
these  arms,  they  had  invented  a  kind  of 
armour,  which  was  almost  an  effectual 
defence   against   their   weapons,    and 
accounted  at  once  for  their  arms  and 
legs  being  the  only  parts  where  scars 
were  seen.  This  consisted  of  a  sort  of 
cuirass,  covering  the  body  as  far  down 
as  the  hips,  and  rising  above  the  back 
of  the  head  three  or  four  inches.  This, 
when  taken  off  and  set  upon  the  deck, 
somewhat    resembled    a    high-backed 
chair.   It  was  made  of  plaited  cocoa- 
nut-husk  fibres,  woven  into  as  solid  and 
compact  a  mass  as  if  it  had  been  made 
of  board  half  an  inch  thick,  and  was  as 
stiff  as  a  coat  of  mail.  For  the  legs  and 
arms,   they  have  also   a   covering   of 
netted   sennit   of   the   same   material, 
which  they  put  on.   That  for  the  legs 
resembles  a  pair  of  overhauls,  such  as 
sailmakers  use,  with  straps  over  the 
shoulders.  The  coverng  for  the  arms  is 
drawn  on  in  like  manner.  The  appear- 
ance of  the   body  was  as   if   it  were 
clothed  in  pantaloons  and  jackets  of  a 
deep  brown  colour    This  they  must  find 
a  very  inconvenient  covering  for  their 
hot    climate.     However    singular    the 
body-dress  is,  that  of  the  head  is  still 
more  so:  it  consists  of  the  skin  of  the 
procupine-fish,  cut  open  at  the  head, 
and  stretched  sufficiently  large  to  admit 
the  head  of  a  man    It  is  perfectly  round, 
with  the  tail  sticking  upwards,  and  the 
two  fins  acting  as  a  covering  and  guard 
for  the   ears:    its   colour   is   perfectly 
while,  and  by  its  toughness  and  spines 
affords   protection    against    the    native 
weapons. 

Robert  Louis  Stevenson,  who  spent 
several  months  in  1 889  in  the  Gilbert 
Islands,  wrote :  "In  the  last  decade  many 
changes  have  crept  in.  .  .and,  fire-arms 
being  introduced,  the  spear  and  the 
shark-tooth  sword  are  sold  for 
curiousities." 

The  costumery  of  Field  Museum's 


Gilbertese  warrior  has  a  number  of 
remarkable  features.  The  extension  of 
the  cuirass,  which  forms  a  protective 
shield  for  the  back  of  the  neck  and  head, 
is  unique.  Apparently,  the  main  purpose 
of  this  extension  was  to  protect  the 
wearer  against  misdirected  chunks  of 
coral  thrown  by  the  women  who  attempted 
to  pelt  the  enemy  as  they  stood  behind 
their  men.  Although  this  explanation  may 
seem  far-fetched,  it  is  the  one  offered  by 
the  Gilbertese  themselves. 

Another  noteworthy  feature  of  the  cuirass 
IS  that  it  is  decorated  with  human  hair 
woven  into  horizontal  rows  of  black 
diamonds,  which  are,  in  fact,  stylized 

dolphins. 

In  place  of  the  porcupine  fish  head 
covering  described  by  Commander 
Wilkes,  Field  Museum's  warrior  displays 
a  skull  cap  of  plaited  coir  twine  vaguely 
reminiscent  of  an  early  aviator's  helmet. 
Tufts  of  human  hair  are  woven  into  the 
top  and  in  front  of  the  ear  guards. 

According  to  Ralph  Linton,  formerly  a 
Field  Museum  ethnologist,  "a  broad  belt 


of  fibre  or  ray  skin  was  often  worn  about 
the  waist,  over  all ;  sometimes  gauntlets 
were  worn.  The  complete  suit  weighed 
from  fifteen  to  twenty  pounds  and  made 
the  wearer  so  unwieldly  that  each 
armored  man  was  attended  in  battle  by 
an  unarmored  squire,  who  passed  him 
weapons  and  otherwise  aided  him." 

Adjacent  to  the  case  containing  the 
coir-suited  warrior  is  another  which 
displays  various  types  of  Gilbertese 
weaponry.  It  is  not  for  the  faint  of  heart. 
The  swords,  daggers,  and  spears  are 
embellished  with  rows  of  gleaming 
shark's  teeth  or  with  sharp-pointed  snail 
shells  designed  to  inflict  the  most 
gruesome  of  wounds.  In  the  midst  of 
these  instruments  of  mayhem  is  a  rather 
fetching  necklace — fashioned  of  human 
teeth. 

The  weapons  are  a  glimpse  into  the 
Gilbert  Islands'  past.  Today  the 
Gilbertese  are  peace-loving  and 
domestic.  Among  the  arts  which  they 
have  retained  is  a  vigorous  style  of 
dance — as  fulfilling,  it  is  hoped,  as  their 
martial  arts  of  yesteryear. 


Gilbertese  warriors  stalking  the  enemy  Tne  spears  and  dagger  are  armed  wiin  shark's  teeth  The  man  at  left 
wears  a  helmet  made  from  the  skin  of  a  porcupine  fish  (From  Charles  Wilkes.  Narrative  of  the  United  States 
Exploring  Expedition,  1845.) 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


13 


This  style  of  Gilbertese  armor  afforded  marvelous  protection 
tor  the  face  and  head,  but  greatly  limited  the  warrior's  vision. 
(From  Friedrich  Ratzel.  Volkerkunde,  1885-88  ) 


Natives  ol  the  Caroline  Islands,  far  to  the  west  o/  (he  Gilberts,  wore  b.jllle  costume  sliikmgly  similar  to 
that  ot  the  Gilbertese    (From  Alphonse  Bertillon.  Les  Races  Sauvages.  1882.) 


November  1974 


COYOTE   (continued  from  p.  7) 

.  .  .  One  remarkable  defense  of  the 
coyote  occurred  in — of  all  places — the 
State  of  tvlaine.  In  1973,  State 
Representative  Roswell  Dyar,  a  hardware 
and  hunting-goods  storekeeper,  put  a  bill 
into  the  Maine  Legislature  asking  for  a 
$50  bounty  on  the  coyote.  It  was, 
seemingly,  the  right  state  for  it.  In  t\/1aine, 
so  strong  is  the  "hunting  ethic"  that  even 
bounties  on  bears  were  not  challenged 
until  out-of-state  hunters  began  valuing 
the  bears  more  as  trophies  than  as  game. 
The  state  has  had  a  bounty  on  bobcats 
since  1 922 ;  at  $1 5  per  cat,  it  had  paid 
out  more  than  $400,000  for  dead 
bobcats.  What  chance  then  for  the 
coyote? 

It  soon  appeared  he  had  much  chance. 
"Dyar  and  Company,"  wrote  John  Cole, 
editor  of  Maine  Times,  "had  badly 
underestimated  both  the  number  and  the 
variety  of  the  state's  coyote  defenders. 
The  new  voices  were  coming  from 
quarters  that  Dyar  and  his  people  had 
never  anticipated.  The  formerly 
invincible,  rural,  agricultural,  hunting, 
fishing,  farming  Maine  citizen — the 
descendant  of  the  settler,  the  clearer  of 
the  forest  and  the  builder  of  barns  and 
bridges — this  patriot  was  being  contested 
in  his  own  land.  Incredibly  a  varmint  was 
being  defended  :  a  four-legged  outdoor 
demon  had  been  recast  as  a  sympathetic 
hero."  Fighting  for  his  bill  on  the  floor  of 
the  Maine  House,  Dyar  shouted,  "These 
anti  people — and  when  I  say  anti,  I  mean 
they  are  anti  war,  anti  motherhood,  anti 
work,  and  anti  you-name-it — they  are  all 
against  this  legislation!" 

But,  as  Cole  makes  clear,  it  was  not  the 
"anti"  voices  that  proved  most  effective 
in  killing  the  bill.  Rather  it  was  an  elderly, 
weatherbeaten  gentleman  named  Frank 
Gramlich,  Maine  State  Supervisor  for  the 
Division  of  Wildlife  Services — the  very 
government  agency  which  had  for  so  long 
been  entrusted  with  the  attempted  official 
extermination  of  the  coyote  in  the  West. 
Mr.  Gramlich's  testimony  was  delivered 
in  quiet,  clipped  tones; 

For  fifty  years,   my  service  has  shot, 
poisoned,  trapped  and  clubbed  tens  of 


thousands  of  coyotes.  None  of  it 
worked  , 

In  Nevada  we  put  out  more  than  one 
million  poisoned  baits,  which  killed 
other  animals  too,  and  we  clubbed 
hundreds  of  coyote  pups.  There  was  no 
significant  reduction. 

In  California,  we  spent  $8,000  to  trap 
one  covote.  And  we  could  spend  $15 
million  in  the  state  of  Maine  and  we  still 
could  not  exterminate  the  coyote 
population 

Our  department  is  against  bounties 
now,  all  our  previous  experience  tells 
us  they  do  not  work.  It  is  an  archaic 
practice  And  with  the  growing  forces 
in  this  coutry  against  the  blood  sports, 
with  the  eco-awareness  of  the  '70s, 
enacting  a  bounty  would  only  accele- 
rate those  forces  and  hurt  the  hunter 

Something  that  would  hurt  the  hunter! 
Obviously  the  bill  would  have  to  be 
defeated.  In  the  long  run,  some  coyote 
friends  believe  the  only  answer  is  to  make 
a  pet  of  him — and  there  has  been  signal 
success  in  this  regard,  the  coyote's 
charm  and  loyalty  overcoming  all 
difficulties  save  one.  This  one, 
unfortunately,  is  the  law  itself.  In  Kansas 
City,  for  example,  when  young  Greg 
Rhodus  brought  home  a  baby  coyote 
whose  mother  had  been  killed  by  a  plow, 
the  Rhodus  family  fed  it  from  a  bottle  and 
raised  it  with,  among  other  things, 
poodles.  The  coyote  never  acted  wild  or 
bit  anyone  and  when  partly  crippled  by 
being  hit  by  an  automobile,  even  came 
through  that.  The  only  thing  that  finally 
hurt  it  was  a  law  the  Rhodus  family  did 
not  know  existed.  A  conservation  officer 
appeared,  seized  the  coyote  and  shot  it. 
The  Rhodus  family  learned,  too  late,  that 
wildlife  can  be  kept  legally  as  pets  only  if 
purchased  from  a  licensed  wildlife 
breeder  and  a  "wildlife  hobby  license"  is 
purchased  from  the  state.  Otherwise 
anyone  who  rescues  a  wild  animal  has,  at 
least  according  to  the  Missouri 
Conservation  Commission,  three 
alternatives — he  can  turn  it  loose,  place 
it  in  a  zoo  or  destroy  it. 

Or,  presumably,  he  can  take  it  out  and 
hunt  it  and  injure  it  again.  In  my  case,  the 
Kansas  City  Dog  pound  refused  to  abide 
such  cruelty.  When  a  coyote  arrived  at 
the  pound  and  was  slated  for 


extermination,  no  one  in  the  pound  would 
do  the  job.  Today  the  coyote  is  still  the 
mascot  of  the  pound  and  regularly  visits 
schools  and  colleges  for  educational 
purposes. 

Still  another  answer,  some  believe,  is  to 
meet  the  coyote  literally  halfway.  Have 
him,  in  other  words,  as  he  is,  half  pet  and 
halt  wild.  One  who  believes  this  is  Los 
Angeles'  Gerald  Coward,  a  man  who,  on 
a  lonely  walk  up  a  canyon  a  few  years 
ago,  managed  toTnake  a  lasting  friend  of 
a  coyote.  Coward,  a  photographer  and 

writer,  gave  up  his  job  and  from  that  day 
on,  for  two  and  a  half  years,  he  walked  up 
his  canyon.  And  every  day,  for  two  and  a 
half  years,  his  coyote  faithfully  met  him. 
All  day  they  played,  romped  and  explored 
together,  learning  about  each  other — and 
then,  at  the  end  of  each  day,  they  said 
goodbye.  When  the  coyote  mated,  he 
even  brought  his  companion  to  Coward  at 
the  same  rendezvous.  It  was  a 
remarkable  idyll  that  existed  until  the 
terrible  Los  Angeles  fire — when  Mr. 
Coward  saw  his  coyote  no  more.  "The 
coyote,"  he  said,  "is  the  greatest  animal 
there  is."  n 


Ownership  and  Circulation 

Filing  date:  Sept.  6,  1974.  Title:  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History  Bulletin    Frequency  of  publication: 
monlhly     except     combined     July/August     issue 
Ollice    Roosevelt  Rd.  at  Lake  Shore  Dr.,  Chicago, 
III    60605 

Publisher:  Field  Iwluseum  of  Natural  History  Editor: 
David  M  Walsten  Known  bondholders,  mortga- 
gees, and  other  security  holders:  none  Nonprofit 
status  has  not  changed  during  preceding  12 
months 


Av    No 

Actual  No 

Copies 

Copies 

Each  Issue 

Single  Issue 

Preceding 

Nearest  to 

12  fvlonths 

Filing  Dale 

Total  copies  printed 

27.060 

27,000 

Total  paid  circulation 

21,438 

21.498 

mail  subscriptions 

21.438 

21,498 

Free  distribution 

1,719 

1,411 

Total  distribution 

23.157 

22  909 

Office  use.  left-over 

3.903 

4,091 

Total 

27.060 

27,000 

I  certify  that  the  statements  made  by  me  above  are 
correct  and  complete — Norman  W.  Nelson.  Asst. 
Dir  ,  Admin, 


Field  fvluseum  Bulletin 


15 


field  briefs 


Bennet  Bronson,  Asian  Curator, 
Returns  from  Sumatra 


Bennet  Bronson.  assistant  curator  of  Asiatic 
archaeology  and  ettinoiogy,  has  recently 
completed  a  three-month  archeological  pro- 
ject in  Sumatra,  a  part  of  Indonesia  which  is 
as  famous  among  naturalists  and  ethno- 
graphers as  it  is  unknown  to  archeologists. 
The  purposes  of  the  expedition  were  (1)  to 
locate  the  capital  of  the  great  ancient 
sea-kingdom  of  Srivijaya,  known  from  his- 
torical writings  but  never  actually  found,  and 
(2)  to  obtain  data  on  relationships  between 
man  and  the  rain  forest  environment  during 
prehistoric  times  Bronson  reports  that  the 
excavations  were  highly  successful  with 
respect  to  this  second  goal.  The  group  under 
his  direction  discovered  and  excavated  a 
splendid  early  cave  site  high  in  the  jungle- 
covered  mountains  of  central  Sumatra,  But  in 
terms  of  the  first  goal,  he  describes  the 
project  as  "an  utter,  if  fascinating,  failure." 
While  a  whole  series  of  previously  undis- 
covered ancient  cities  was  located,  none  of 
them  were  nearly  old  enough  to  be  Srivijaya 


finding  the  Srivijayan  capital  (it  is  a  critically 
important  negative  discovery)  as  he  is  at 
finding  his  prehistoric  cave.  Harold  Voris, 
assistant  curator  of  reptiles  and  amphibians, 
IS  equally  pleased  since  Bronson  also 
managed  to  locate  several  patches  of  virgin 
ram  forest  containing  large  numbers  of 
lizards,  snakes,  and  frogs.  Voris  will  make 
collections  in  some  of  these  places  during  his 
own  Sumatran  expedition  scheduled  to  begin 
in  December. 


Recent  Staff  Appointments 

Among  Field  Ivluseum  departments  with  new 
personnel  are  the  Department  of  Zoology,  the 
Book  Shop,  and  Building  Operations.  John  J. 
Pizzimenti,  who  was  awarded  a  Ph.  D.  in 
evolutionary  biology  this  year  from  the 
University  of  Kansas,  has  been  named 
assistant  curator  of  mammals.  He  is  a  native 
of  New  York  City  and  received  his  under- 
graduate degree  from  California  State  Univer- 
sity, Northridge,  Cal. 


Bronson  claims  to  be  almost  as  pleased  at  not  Carol    C     Jones,    a    doctoral    candidate    in 


Geology  at  Harvard  University,  has  been 
appointed  assistant  curator  of  invertebrates. 
She  is  originally  from  Baltimore  and  got  her 
bachelor's  degree  at  Bryn  fulawr.  Most 
recently,  Ms  Jones  taught  at  Tufts  University. 

Virginia  T.  Elmer,  who  was  recently  manager 
of  Kroch's  and  Brentano's  at  Oakbrook  is  the 
Museum's  new  Book  Shop  manager.  Joseph 
D  Taylor  has  been  named  assistant  to 
building  superintendent  Norman  Radtke. 


Galapagos  Program 
for  Nature  Camera  Club 


The  November  12  program  of  the  Nature 
Camera  Club  of  Chicago,  which  meets  at 
7:30  p.m.  in  the  Museum,  will  feature  a 
special  program  by  world  traveler  Lester 
Peterson.  His  "Wildlife  of  the  Lava  Islands  of 
Galapagos  "  is  the  result  of  three  trips 
Peterson  has  made  to  the  islands.  He  spends 
about  six  months  every  year  photographing 
wildlife  around  the  world. 


Native  American  Cfiildren's  Art  on  View  in  Hall  9  tfirough  December  2 


16 


November  1974 


Announcing 


The  Christmas  Gift 


For  All  Seasons! 


A  Membership  in  Field  Museum 


A  Field  Museum  membership,  wliether  it 
be  Annual  ($1 5),  Associate  ($1 50),  or  Life 
($500),  is  a  partnership  that  becomes 
even  more  valued  and  meaningful  to  the 
Member  as  it  is  used.  When  you  give  a 
Field  Museum  membership  you  are 
giving  the  recipient  an  opportunity  to 
enjoy  a  variety  of  stimulating  programs: 
out-of-state  tours,  local  field  trips, 
illustrated  lecture  series  featuring  re- 
nowned scientists,  handicraft  demonstra- 
tions, and  numerous  other  educational, 
cultural,  and  scientific  programs.  Per- 
haps most  important  of  all:  Field 
Museum  members  have  the  satisfaction 
of  belonging  to  one  of  the  truly  great 
scientific  institutions  of  the  world. 


Members  also  receive: 

•  A  subscription  to  The  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History  Bulletin— ^^  issues  per  year, 
including  a  1975  appointment  calendar  with 
spectacular  nature  photos  in  color 

•  Tickets  to  a  gala  Members'  Night  Party 
featuring  entertainment,  refreshments,  and 
visits  to  beind-the-scenes  areas — w/here  ex- 
hibits are  created,  scientific  research  con- 
ducted, and  most  of  the  Museum's  13  million 
specimens  are  kept. 

•  Free  admission  to  the  Museum  at  any  time 
for  the  Member,  family,  and  Member's 
friends. 


•  A  10  percent  discount  on  Fieldiana 
publications.  Field  Museum's  continuing 
series  of  scientific  monographs. 


•  A  portfolio  of  beautiful  full-coJor  prints  of 
birds,  by  the  distinguished  American  artist 
Louis  Agassiz  Fuertes. 


•  A    to   percent  discount   on    all    purchases 
made  at  the  Museum's  crafts  and  book  shop. 


•  Invitations 
exhibits. 


to    special    previews    of    new 


Clip  and  mail  this  coupon  or  facsimile 


to     Field  Museum  of  Natural  History, 

Roosevelt  Rd.  at  Lk.  SHore  Dr.,  Chicago,  III.  60605 


I  wish  to  send  gift  memberships  to  the  following 


Gift  recipient's  name 


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state 


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n  Annual  $15   D  Associate  $150  D  Life  $500 
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Field  Museum  Bulletin  17 


"Photograms"  Courtesy  of 
Workshop  Participants 

Among  the  children's  workshops  offered  by 
Field  tVluseum's  Department  of  Education 
has  been  one  which  uses  natural  objects, 
such  as  those  shown  here,  in  an  intro- 
duction to  the  basics  of  photography.  The 
technique  is  remarkably  simple.  The  ob- 
ject is  placed  on  a  sheet  of  photographic 
contact  paper  in  the  dark,  a  light  is  turned 
on,  and  the  paper  is  then  developed  in 
regular  photographic  solutions.  By  means 
of  this  technique,  the  simplest  object  found 
on  the  lawn  or  in  the  garden  can  take  on  a 
magical  new  beauty.  Normally  photograms 
appear  white  on  a  black  background;  those 
reproduced  here  have  been  reversed. 


November  1974 


Your  Participation  in  Capital  Campaign  Needed  Now 

The  Capital  Campaign  has  drawn  to  within  $800,000  of  its  $12.5  million  goal.  The  full 
amount  —  through  private  subscription  —  must  be  react^ed  in  order  to  qualify  for  an 
additional  $12.5  million  from  the  Chicago  Park  District  Bonding  Authority.  To  achieve 
this,  your  help  is  needed  now. 

The  response  to  a  proposal  recently  sent  to  all  Field  Museum  members  was 
encouraging,  but  more  contributions  are  necessary  if  the  Capital  Campaign  goal  is  to  be 
reached  by  the  end  of  1974,  now  just  several  weeks  away.  If  you  have  not  yet  made 
your  contribution,  please  write  your  check  or  make  your  pledge  now.  Pledges  may  be 
paid  over  a  three-year  period. 


Projects  that  have  already  been  completed 
under  the  Museum's  $25  million  rehabilit- 
ation program  include  the  following: 


•  Jade  Hall 

•  Department  of  Exhibition 

•  Interior  freight  elevator 

•  Lock  security 

•  Eight  new  emergency  exits 

•  Boiler  room  renovation 

•  Heating  system  conversion 


•  Scanning  electron  microscope  laboratory 

•  Tuckpointmg 

•  Division    of    Invertebrates:     new    offices, 
laboratories,  library,  and  storage  areas 

•  f\/lalvina  Hoffman  sculpture  displays 

Construction  in  progress: 

•  Outside  stair  renovation 

•  Hall  18,  with  new  floor  areas  above 

•  Group  passenger  elevator 

•  Electrical  renovation  of  entire  building 


#'*'l/^^ 
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2 


^%^<^^ 


For  the  immediate  future: 

Contract  bidding  for  the  major  renovation  of 
the  ground  floor  is  now  in  progress,  with  work 
scheduled  to  begin  early  in  1975.  A  new 
cafeteria,  new  administration  offices,  theater 
renovation,  a  new  west  entrance  for  school 
groups,  and  new  education  areas  are  included 
in  the  ground  floor  rehabilitation  plans. 


At  left,  workmen  complete  the  steel  framework  tor 
the  renovation  of  Hall  18  The  hall's  new  ceiling 
provides  the  flooring  for  new  working  space  on  the 
third  floor ;  formerly  this  space  was  a  light  well.  The 
new  space  is  to  be  used  for  offices  and  laboratories 
in  the  Division  of  Insects,  and  lor  maior  storage 
areas  and  a  lecture/class  room  for  new  educational 
programs. 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


NOVEMBER  ai  Held  M 


useum 


EXHIBITS 


CHILDREN'S   PROGRAMS 


Through  November  3 

Contemporary  African  Arts  Festival,  the  first  comprehensive 
program  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States,  features  the  work  of 
artists,  including  painters,  printmakers,  sculptors,  and  fabric 
designers,  as  well  as  a  shop.  Hall  27. 

Continuing: 

In  Beauty  It  Is  Begun,  a  display  of  more  than  150  drawings, 
paintings,  beadwork,  and  poetry  created  by  Native  American 
children.  Through  December  2,  Hall  9. 

Field  Museum's  Anniversary  Exhibit  continues  indefinitely.  "A 
Sense  of  Wonder"  offers  thought-provoking  prose  and  poetry 
associated  with  the  physical,  biological,  and  cultural  aspects  of 
nature;  "A  Sense  of  History"  presents  a  graphic  portrayal  of  the 
Museum's  past:  and  "A  Sense  of  Discovery"  shows  examples  of 
research  conducted  by  Museum  scientists.  Hall  3. 


SPECIAL  PROGRAMS 

Ayer  Adult  Illustrated  Lecture  Series,  "Expeditions  Unlimited 
1974-75,"  at  7:30  p.m.  Fridays  and  2:30  p.m.  Saturdays  in  Lec- 
ture Hall.  Seating  is  limited  to  225  persons.  For  reservations  call 
Field  Museum,  922-9410,  Ext.  230. 

November  1  and  2: 

"Endangered  Cloud  Forests  of  Costa  Rica,"  by  William  Burger 

November  8  and  9: 

"A  Native  American  Looks  at  Anthropology,"  by  John  White 

November  15  and  16: 

"Lost  Cities  of  Indonesia,"  by  Bennet  Bronson 

November  22  and  23: 

"To  Inca  Land  and  Beyond  for  Birds,"  by  Emmet  Blake 


Weaving  Demonstration  by  members  of  the  North  Shore  Weav- 
ers'Guild  from  10:00  a.m.  to  12:00  noon  on  Mondays,  Wednes- 
days, and  Fridays.  Spinning  is  also  shown  on  the  first  and  third 
Mondays  of  each  month.  South  Lounge. 

December  26,  27  and  30 

Guided  tours  of  Museum  exhibit  areas  leave  from  north  infor- 
mation booth  at  2:00  p.m. 


Saturday,  November  16 

"Lizards,  Snakes,  Toads,  and  Salamanders,"  an  all-day  pro- 
gram featuring  live  animals,  is  offered  youngsters  ages  12-18  at 
Field  Museum  with  the  cooperation  of  the  Lincoln  Park  Zoo. 
Events  include:  10:00  am,  live  anima!  demonstration  and  film; 
1:00  p.m.,  workshop,  "The  Evolution  of  Reptiles";  and  1:00 
p.m.,  workshop,  "Reptiles  as  Pets."  Attendance  Is  by  preregis- 
tration  only.  For  information  phone  Field  Museum,  922-9410, 
Ext.  351. 

Through  November  30 

Fall  Journey  for  Children,  "Fossils  in  the  Floor,"  a  free,  self- 
guided  tour,  routes  youngsters  to  Museum  areas  for  a  fascinating 
study  of  ancient  animals.  All  boys  and  girls  who  can  read  and 
write  may  participate  in  the  program.  Journey  sheets  in  English 
and  Spanish  available  at  entrances. 


MEETINGS 

November  1,  7:30  p.m  , 
November  8,  8:00  p.m. 
November  10,  2:00  p.m  , 
November  12,  7:30  p.m. 
November  13,  7:00  p.m. 
November  13,  7:30  p.m 

November  14,  7:00  p.m. 
November  26,  7:30  p.m. 


Chicago  Astronomical  Society 
Chicago  Anthropological  Society 
Chicago  Shell  Club 
Nature  Camera  Club  of  Chicago 
Chicago  Ornithological  Society 
Windy  City  Grotto,  National 
Speleological  Society 
Chicago  Mountaineering  Club 
Nature  Camera  Club  of  Chicago 


COMING   IN   DECEMBER 

Ayer  Adult  Illustrated  Lecture  Series  continues  with  "Expedi- 
tions Unlimited  1974-75"  at  7:30  p.m.  Fridays  and  2:30  p.m. 
Saturdays  in  Lecture  Hall.  Seating  is  limited  to  225  persons.  For 
reservations  call  Field  Museum,  922-9410,  Ext.  230. 

December  6  and  7: 

"Grand  Canyon  Expedition,"  by  Matthew  H,  Nitecki 

Winter  Journey  for  Children,  "Cats,  the  Graceful  Hunters  ' 
begins  December  1 

MUSEUM   HOURS 

Open  9:00  a.m.  to  4:00  p.m.  Monday  througti  Thursday,  9:00  a.m.  to 
9:00  p.m.    Friday,  and  9:00  a.m.  to  5:00  p.m.  Saturday  and  Sunday. 

The  Museum  Library  is  open  9:00  a.m.  to  4:00  p.m.  Monday  through 
Friday.  Please  obtain  pass  at  reception  desk,  main  floor  north. 

Museum  telephone:  922-9410 


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Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  Bulletin 

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Field  Museum 
of  Natural  History 
Bulletin 


CONTENTS 


KEY  TO  BULLETIN  COVER 


Volume  45,  Number  1 1 
December  1974 


ENDANGERED  FAUNA  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  4 


Managing  Editor  G.  Henry  Ottery 
Editor  David  M.  Walsten 
Staff  Writer  Madge  Jacobs 
Production  Oscar  Anderson 


THE  WAR  AGAINST  DUTCH  ELM 


ON  THE  ROAD  TO  RECOVERY? 

by  David  M.  Walsten 


CAPITAL  CAMPAIGN 


7 


11 


APPOINTMENT  CALENDAR  FOR  1975 


12 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Director  E.  Leiand  Webber 


DECEMBER  AT  FIELD  MUSEUM 

Calendar  of  Coming  Events 


back  cover 


Board  of  Trustees 

Blaine  J.  Yarnngton. 

President 
Gordon  Bent 
Harry  O.  Bercher 
Bowen  Blair 
Stanton  R.  Cook 
William  R.  Dickinson,  Jr. 
Thomas  E.  Donnelley  II 
Mrs.  Thomas  E.  Donnelley  II 
Marshall  Field 
Nicholas  Galitzine 
Paul  W.  Goodrich 
Remick  McDowell 
Hugo  J.  Melvoin 
J.  Roscoe  Miller 
William  H.  Mitchell 
Charles  F.  Murphy,  Jr. 
Harry  M.  Oliver,  Jr. 
John  T.  Pirie,  Jr. 
John  S.  Runnells 
William  L.  Searle 


Edward  Byron  Smith 
Mrs  Hermon  Dunlap 

Smith 
John  W.  Sullivan 
William  G  Swartchild,  Jr. 
E.  Leiand  Webber 
Julian  B  Wilkins 

Life  Trustees 

William  McCormick  Blair 
Joseph  N.  Field 
Clifford  C.  Gregg 
Samuel  Insull,  Jr. 
William  V.  Kahler 
Hughslon  M.  McBain 
James  L.  Palmer 
John  G.  Searle 
John  M.  Simpson 
Louis  Ware 
J.  Hov^ard  Wood 


Photos 

Page  7,  Ron  Church/Tom  Stack  &  Associates,  8.  Tom  Myers/Tom  Stack 
and  Associates,  9,  Tom  Stack,  10,  UPI  Compix 

Note  Belated  thanks  to  Tony  Frelo  and  Tony  Donaldson,  wnose  line 
photographic  work  appeared  in  the  October.  7974  Bulletin  Mr  Frelo's 
aerial  photo  of  the  National  Accelerator  Laboratory,  at  Batavia.  Ill  .  was 
reproduced  on  p  11 ,  Mr  Donaldson  s  photos  of  Fermilab  volunteers 
appeared  on  pp    12  and  13 


Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  Bulletin  is  published  monthly, 
except  combined  July/August  issue,  by  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  Illinois  60605. 
Subscriptions;  $6  a  year;  S3  a  year  for  schools.  Members  of  the 
Museum  subscribe  through  Museum  membership.  Opinions 
expressed  by  authors  are  their>own  and  do  not  necessarily  reflect  the 
policy  of  Field  Museum.  Unsolicited  manuscripts  are  welcome. 
Postmaster.  Please  send  form  3579  to  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  Roosevelt  Road  at  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  Illinois  60605. 
ISSN:  0015-0703. 


Threatened,  Endangered, 
and  Extinct  Fauna: 
Key  to  Cover  Illustration 


Mexican  Grizzly  Bear  {Mexico) 

Wall  a  Ibex  {Ethiopia) 

Eskimo  Curlew  {Canada  to  Argentina) 

Giant  Panda  {China  and  Tibet) 

Labrador  Duck  {extinct) 

Steller's  Sea  Cow  {extinct) 

Dodo  (extinct) 

Bighorn  {North  America) 

Spanish  Lynx  {Spain) 

Passenger  Pigeon  {exinct) 

Tasmanian  Wolf  {Tasmania) 

Great  Auk  {extinct) 

Southern  Bald  Eagle  {North  America) 


\r~^j^^^^-^r^^ 


1. 

2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 

a. 

9 

n. 

12. 
13. 

14.  Peregrine  Falcon  {North  America) 

15.  Ivory-Billed  Woodpecker  {North 
America) 

16.  California  Condor  {North  America) 

17.  Kirtland's  Warbler  {North  America) 
18   Snow  Leopard  {Asia) 

19.  Rhinoceros  {Africa,  Asia) 

20.  The  Great  Whales:  Blue,  Bowhead, 
Finback,  Gray,  Humpback,  Right. 
Sei,  Sperm  {Oceanic) 

21.  Gorilla  {Africa) 

22.  Sonoran  Pronghorn  {North  America) 

23.  Orangutan  {Indonesia) 

24    Manatee,  Amazonian  and  West 
Indian  {South  America,  Caribbean, 
Gulf  of  Mexico) 

25.  American  Alligator  {North  America) 

26.  Giant  Otter  {South  America) 

27.  Cheetah  {Africa) 

28.  Tiger  {Asia) 

29.  Eastern  Timber  Wolf  {North  America) 

30.  Northern  Kit  Fox  {North  America) 

31 .  Whooping  Crane  {North  America) 

32   Black-Footed  Ferret  {North  America) 

33.  Mediterranean  Monk  Seal  {Black 
Sea,  Mediterranean) 

34.  Devil's  Hole  Pupfish  {North  America) 


COVER 

Patricia  J-  Wynne,  of  New  York,  rendered  this  montlis  cover  illustration  in 
recognition  of  trireatened,  endangered,  and  extinct  animal  species  In  this 
recreated  Peaceable  Kingdom  her  animals,  too.  gather  around  a  tree, 
perhaps  in  hopes  of  better  times  ahead 


Miss  Wynne's  work  is  represented  in  permanent  collections  in  Chicago, 
Detroit,  and  other  cities  She  has  exhibited  at  the  Art  Institute  of  Chicago 
and  at  numerous  other  galleries  and  art  centers  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


Endangered  Fauna  of  the  United  States 


The  number  of  vertebrate  animal  species 
currently  listed  as  "endangered"  by  ttie 
U.S.  Department  of  the  Interior  is  about 
106,  including  31  fish,  4  amphibians,  3 
reptiles,  17  mammals,  and  51  birds  (26 
endangered  U.S.  bird  species  are  to  be 
found  only  in  Hawaii,  the  remaining  25 
occur  in  the  continental  states).  The  list 
below  does  not  include  endangered 
whale  species  or  other  animals  confined 
to  a  marine  environment. 


The  Endangered  Species  Act  of  1973, 
which  supersedes  the  Endangered  Spe- 
cies Conservation  Act  of  1969,  includes 


the  following  changes:  the  law  now 
encompasses  all  species  of  the  animal 
and  plant  kingdoms;  two  categories  of 
endangerment  are  established — "endan- 
gered" species,  which  are  in  danger  of 
extinction  throughout  all  or  a  significant 
part  of  their  range,  and  "threatened" 
species,  which  are  likely  to  become 
endangered  within  the  foreseeable  future 
throughout  all  or  a  significant  part  of  their 
range. 

The  list  of  endangered  and  threatened 
species  is  subject  to  frequent  modifica- 
tion. Information  about  such  modifica- 
tions may  be  obtained  from  the  Office  of 


Endangered  Species  and  International 
Activities,  U.S.  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service, 
Washington,  D.C.  20240. 

The  animal  species  listed  below  are 
arranged  phylogenetically  by  class  and 
order,  and  alphabetically  within  each 
order  by  their  common  names.  The 
taxonomic  terms  "class"  and  "order" 
are  used  merely  for  organizational 
purposes.  The  common  names  used  are 
those  which  are  associated  with  a  given 
species  most  often,  but  these  have  no 
legal  significance.  The  legal  identification 
of  each  animal  listed  is  the  scientific 
binomial  or  trinomial  that  appears  after 
the  common  name. 


BONY  FISHES  (Class  Osteichthyes) 


Sturgeons  and  Paddlefishes 

Slurgeon.  Shortnose 


Trout,  Salmon  and  Relatives 

Cisco,  Longjaw 

Trout,  Arizona  (Apache) 

Trout.  Gila 

Trout.  Greenback.  Cutthroat 

Trout,  Lahontan  Cutthroat 

Trout,  Paiule  Cutthroat 

Carps,  Minnows,  and  Relatives 

Bonytail,  Pahranagat 

Chub,  Humpback 

Chub.  Mohave 

Cui-ui 

Dace,  Kendall  Warm  Springs 

Dace,  Moapa 

Squaw/fish,  Colorado  River 

Woundlin 

Silversides,  Topminnows,  and  Relatives 


Order  Acipenseriformes 
Acipenser  brevirostrum 

Order  Salmoniformes 

Coregonus  alpenae 

Salmo  sp 

S  g//ae 

S  clarki  stomias 

S  clarki  henshawi 

S  clarki  seleriins 

Order  Cypriniformes 

Gila  robusta  lordani 

G.  cypha 

Siphateles  mohavensis 

Chasmistes  cuius 

Rhinichthys  osculus  thermalis 

Moapa  Coriacea 

Ptychocheilus  lucius 

Plagopherus  argentissimus 

Order  Atheriniformes 


Sticklebacks,  Pipefishes,  and  Relatives       Order  Gasterosteiformes 

Stickleback,  Unarmored  Threespine  Gasterosterus  aculeatus  williamsoni 


Perches  and  Relatives 

Darter,  Fountain 
Darter.  Maryland 
Darter.  Okaloosa 
Darter,  Watercress 
Pike,  Blue 


Order  Perciformes 

Etheostoma  fonticola 

E  sellare 

E  okaloosae 

E  nuchale 

Stizostedion  vitreum  glaucum 


AMPHIBIANS  (Class  Amphibia) 


Salamanders 


Order  Urodela 


Salamander,  Desert  Slender 
Salamander,  Santa  Cruz  Long-Toed 
Salamander,  Texas  Blind 


Frogs 

Toad,  Houston 


Balrachoseps  aridus 

Ambystoma  macrodactylum  croceum 

Typhlomolge  rathbuni 


Order  Anura 


Bufo  houslonensis 


Gambusia.  Big  Bend 
Gambusia,  Clear  Creek 
Gambusia,  Pecos 
Klllifish.  Pahrump 
Pupfish.  Comanche  Springs 
Pupfish,  Devil's  Hole 
Pupfish,  Owens  River 
Pupfish,  Tecopa 
Pupfish,  Warm  Springs 
Topminnow,  Gila 


Gambusia  gaigei 

G   heterochir 

G  nobilis 

Empetrichythys  lalos 

Cyprinodon  elegans 

C  diabolis 

C  radiosus 

C  nevadensis  calidae 

C  nevadensis  pecloralis 

Poeciliopsis  occidentalis 


REPTILES  (Class  Reptilia) 


Crocodiles 


Order  Crocodilia 


Alligator,  American 

Lizard,  Blunt-Nosed  Leopard 

Snake,  San  Francisco  Garter 


Alligator  mississipiensis 

Crolaphytus  silus 

Thamnophis  sirtalis  tetrataenia 


December  1974 


BIRDS  (Class  Aves) 

Albatrosses,  Petrels,  and  Relatives  Order  Procellariiformes 

Pelrel.  Hawaiian  Dark-Rumped*  Pterodroma  phaeopygia  sandwichensis 


Pelicans 
Pelican.  Brown 

Ducks,  Geese,  Swans,  and  Relatives 

Duck.  Hawaiian  (Koloa)* 
Duck.  Laysan* 
Duck.  Mexican 
Goose.  Aleutian  Canada 
Goose.  Hawaiian  (Nene)' 


Order  Pelecaniformes 
Pelecanus  occidentalis 

Order  Anseriformes 

Anas  wyviUiana 

A-  laysanensis 

A   diazi 

Branta  canadensis  leucopareia 

B  sandvicensis 


Eagles,  Falcons,  Vultures,  and  Relatives 


Order  Falconiformes 


Condor.  California 

Eagle,  Southern  Bald 

Falcon.  American  Peregrine 

Falcon.  Arctic  Peregrine 

Hawk.  Hawaiian  (lo)* 

Kite.  Florida  Everglade  (Snail  Kite) 


Gymnogyps  californianus 

Haliaeetus  leucocephalus  leucocephalus 

Faico  peregnnus  anatum 

F  peregrinus  tundnus 

Buleo  solitanus 

Rostrhamus  sociabilis  plumbeus 


Perctiing  Birds:  Sparrows,  Larks.  Ttirushes, 

and  Relatives  Order  Passeriformes 

Crow.  Hawaiian  (Alala)*  Ccrvus  tropicus 

Honeycreeper.  Akiapolaau*  Hernignathus  wilsoni 

Honeycreeper.  Crested  (Akohekohe)*  Palmeria  dolei 

Honeycreeper.  Hawaii  Akepa  (Akepa)*  Loxops  coccinea  coccinea 

Honeycreeper.  Kauai  Akialoa*  Hernignathus  procerus 

Honeycreeper.  Maui  Parrotbill*  Pseudonestor  xanthorphrys 

Honeycreeper.  Maui  Akepa  (Akepuie)*  Loxops  coccinea  ochraceu 

Honeycreeper,  Molokai  Creeper  (Kakawahie)*  L   maculata  llammea 

Honeycreeper.  Oahu  Creeper  (Alauwahio)'  L    rnaculata  maculata 

Honeycreeper.  Ou'  Psittirostra psittacea 

Honeycreeper.  Palila*  P.  bailleui 

Honeycreepers.  Layson  and  Nitioa  Finches*  P  cantans 

Honeycreepers.  Kauai  and  Maui  Nukupuus*  Hernignathus  lucidus 

Honey-eater.  Kauai  Oo  (Go  Aa)*  Moho  braccatus 

Sparrow.  Cape  Sable  Ammospiza  maritima  mirabilis 

Sparrow.  Dusky  Seaside    A   maritima  nigrescens 

Sparrow.  Santa  Barbara      Melospiza  melodia  graminea 

Thrush.  Large  Kauai*  Phaeornis  obscurus  myadestina 

Thrush.  Molokai  (Olomau)*   P.  obscurus  rutha 

Thrush.  Small  Kauai  (Puaiohi)*    P  palmeri 

Warbler.  Nihoa  Millerbird*             Acrocephalus  l<ingi 

Warbler  (Wood),  Bachman's       Vermivora  bachmanii 

Warbler  (Wood).  Kirtlands           - Dendroica  kirtlandii 


MAMMALS  (Class  Mammalia) 


Pheasants,  Grouse,  Curassows,  and  Relatives       Order  Galliformes     ^^'^  Order  Chiiroptera 

Prairie  chicken.  Attwaler's  Greater                            Tympanuchus  cupido  attwaleri     Bat.  Hawaiian  Hoary  Lasiurus  cinereus  semotus 

Quail.  Masked  Bobwhite                                                   Colinus  virginianus  ridgwayi     Bat.  Indiana       Myolis  sodalis 

Cranes,  Rails,  Bustards,  and  Relatives                      Order  Gruiformes      Rodents  Order  Rodentia 

Coot.  Hawaiian*  Fulica  americana  alai      Kangaroo  Rat.  Morro  Bay     Dipodomys  heermanni  morroensis 

Crane.  Mississippi  Sandhill                                                        Grus  canadensis  pulla      Mouse.  Salt  Marsh  Harvest Reittirodontomys  raviventris 

Crane.  Whooping                                                                                       G   americana      Prairie  Dog.  Utah                       Cynomys parvidens 

Gallinule,  Hawaiian*                                                 Gallinulachloropus  sandvicensis     Squirrel.  Delmarva  Peninsula  Fox          Sciurus  niger  cinereus 

Rail.  California  Clapper  Rallus  longirostris  obsoletus 

Rail,  Light-Fooled  Clapper                                                          R  longirostris  levipes      ^  ^  _.      ^ 

□  -,„„,                                                               D  ,            ;                           Carnivores  Order  Carnivora 

Rail,  Yuma  Clapper  R  longirostris  yumanensis 

Cougar.  Eastern                           Fells  concolor  cougar 

Ferret.  Black-Footed                    Mustela  nigripes 

Plovers,  Snipes,  Gulls,  and  Relatives                Order  Ctiaradriiformes      fox.  San  Joaquin  Kit Vulpes  macrotis  mutica 

Panther.  Florida           Felis  concolor  coryi 

Curlew.  Eskimo                                                                                 Numenius  borealis      Wolf.  Eastern  Timber  Canis  lupus  lycaon 

Stilt.  Hawaiian*                                                        Himantopus  himantopus  knudensi      Wolf.  Northern  Rocky  Mountain  C  lupus  irremotus 

Tern.  California  Least                                                                Sterna  albifrons  browni      Wolf.  Red  C  rulus 


Parrots,  Parakeets,  and  Relatives 
Parrot,  Thick-Billed 


Order  Psittaciformes 


Rhynchopsitta  pachyrhyncha 


Dugongs  and  Manatees 


Manatee,  West  Indian  (Florida) 


Order  Sirenia 
Trichechus  manatus 


Woodpeckers,  Puffbirds,  Barbets,  and  Relatives     Order  Piciformes 

Even-Toed  Ungulates 

Campephilus  principalis 
Dendrocopus  borealis      q^^,   Columbian  White-Tailed 

Deer.  Key 

*Hawaii  only,  but  may  also  occur  outside  U.S.  Pronghorn.  Sonoran 


Woodpecker.  Ivory-Billed 
Woodpecker,  Red-Cockaded 


Order  Artiodactyla 

Odocoileus  virginianus  leucurus 

O   virginianus  clavium 

Aniilocapra  americana  sononensis 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


THE  WAR  AGAINST  DUTCH  ELM 


Not  much  headway  has  been  made  against 
Dutch  elm  disease,  that  scourge  of  parks, 
boulevards,  and  shaded  lawns,  which  began 
attacking  elms  in  North  America  about 
forty-five  years  ago.  The  disease  had  first 
been  described  in  the  Netherlands  in  1921, 
and  is  thought  to  have  been  brought  to  this 
continent  in  a  shipload  of  lumber.  Not  too 
many  years  ago  it  struck  Champagne-Urbana, 
III.,  with  dramatic  intensity.  In  its  first  year 
there  the  disease  destroyed  more  than  4 
percent  of  that  city's  elms;  by  the  second 
year  15  percent  of  the  trees  had  to  be 
removed.  By  the  eleventh  year,  only  100  of 
the  city's  original  20,000  elms  survived 

In  1973  the  City  of  Chicago  planted  40,000 
elms  to  replace  those  stricken;  this  year 
about  30.000  will  be  planted  Meanwhile,  the 
disease  is  working  its  way  further  westward 
and  northward.  In  1972  it  made  its  first  major 
penetration  of  Minnesota;  the  following  year, 
more  than  3,000  elms  were  known  to  have 
been  killed.  This  year  there  was  an  increase  of 
about  20  percent  in  the  number  of  trees 
stricken  in  that  state. 

The  insect  vector,  or  carrier,  of  the  fungus 
that  causes  the  disease  (Ceratocystis  ulmi)  is 
the  elm  bark  beetle.  There  are  two  species, 
the  European  bark  beetle  (Scolytis  multi- 
striatus)  and  the  native  bark  beetle  (Hylur- 
gopinus  rufipes).  The  European  form  is  the 
important  vector  in  Illinois  and  most  other 
affected  parts  of  the  United  States,  The  native 
bark  beetle  is  the  more  common  vector  in 
northern  areas,  including  Minnesota,  northern 
Wisconsin,  and  Ontario.  Advances  against  the 
disease  are  being  made  on  three  principal 
fronts;  development  of  resistant  elms,  control 
of  the  fungus,  and  control  of  the  beetle. 


Disease-resistant  elm  hybrids 

Perhaps  the  most  encouraging  news  is  from 
horticulturists  who  have  been  developing  elm 
hybrids  with  some  degree  of  resistance  to  the 
disease.  In  1958,  two  University  of  Wisconsin 
botanists,  E.B.  Smalley  and  D.T.  Lester, 
received  some  elm  seeds  from  Hokkaido 
University,  in  Japan.  The  seeds  had  report- 
edly been  taken  from  a  Siberian  elm  {Ulmus 
pumila)  growing  in  Hokkaido  University's 
botanical  garden,  at  Sapporo.  Smalley  and 


Lester  did  controlled  hybridization  experi- 
ments on  progeny  derived  from  the  seeds, 
concluding  that  they  represented  a  hybrid 
between  U.  pumila  and  U.  japonica.  the 
Japanese  elm.  The  common  name  they  gave 
the  hybrid  is     Sapporo  Autumn  Gold. 

The  tree  derived  from  the  Japanese  seed  is 
now  sixteen  years  old  and  is  expected  to  grow 
to  a  full  height  of  about  sixty  to  sixty-five 
feet —  intermediate  between  the  height  of  the 
parents.  It  is  densely  foliated  and  has  a 
vase-shaped  crown  similar  to  that  of  the 
American  elm  (U.  americana).  The  tree  is 
named  for  the  tall  leaf  color,  described  by 
Smalley  and  Lester  as  a  "vivid,  semitrans- 
parent,  pale  greenish  yellow.  .  .to  light 
greenish  yellow  (which)  often  holds  well  for 
many  days  prior  to  leaf  drop." 

Smalley's  and  Lester's  tree  "began  flowering 
intensely  at  five  years  of  age,  somewhat 
earlier  than  is  expected  for  either  plant 
species."  (American  elms  usually  do  not 
flower  until  they  are  ten  to  fifteen  years  old.) 
For  now,  cuttings  from  the  hybrid  are 
available  only  to  experiment  stations,  but  by 
1975  they  may  be  available  to  the  public  from 
commercial  sources. 

Another  elm  hybrid — the  so-called  Urban 
Elm — with  an  apparent  strong  resistance  to 
Dutch  elm  disease,  is  being  tested  in  various 
parts  of  the  United  States,  including  Massa- 
chusetts, New  York,  Ohio,  North  Dakota,  and 
Illinois.  The  Urban  Elm  is  descended  from 
three  species;  Ulmus  hollandica.  U.  carpini- 
tolia.  and  U.  pumila:  seedlings  have  been 
tested  since  1958. 

This  elm  is  characterized  by  a  profuse  upright 
branching  habit;  it  has  dense  foliage  and  a 
compact  crown.  The  leaves  are  intermediate 
in  size  between  that  of  the  parents,  dark  green 
and  smooth.  Unlike  Sapporo  Autumn  Gold, 
the  Urban  Elm  retains  its  foliage  and  dark 
green  color  until  relatively  late  in  the  season 
The  trees  growth  rate  has  been  described  by 
Its  developers  as  moderate  to  rapid.  They  also 
claim  that  it  has  a  wide  range  of  environmental 
adaptability.  A  fourteen-year-old  Urban  Elm 
had  attained  a  height  of  twenty-five  feet  and 
had  a  form  which  appeared  suitable  for  tree 
lawns  and  planting  next  to  buildings.  Propa- 
gating material  for  the  Urban   Elm   may  be 


obtained  by  writing  the  Shade  Tree  and 
Ornamental  Plants  Laboratory,  P.O.  Box  365, 
Delaware,  Ohio  43015. 


Fungicidal  treatment 

A  fungicide  known  as  benomyl,  or  Benlate, 
developed  by  duPont,  has  been  shown  to  be  of 
some  value  in  the  control  of  Dutch  elm 
disease.  It  is  applied  to  the  leaves  or  is 
injected  into  the  trunk  under  pressure,  the 
latter  method,  however,  has  not  yet  been 
approved  by  the  Environmental  Protection 
Agency  (EPA).  Only  trained  arborists  may 
apply  the  chemical 

The  primary  value  of  Benlate  is  as  a  disease 
preventive.  Curative  effects  can  be  achieved 
if  less  than  5  percent  of  the  tree's  crown 
shows  the  characteristic  yellowing  and 
wilting.  An  important  advantage  of  Benlate  is 
the  fact  that  it  is  "considerably  less  toxic  than 
aspirin,  "  according  to  the  University  of 
Wisconsin  Cooperative  Extension  Service, 
and  no  ill  effects  on  wildlife  have  been 
observed. 


Sex  attractant 

Another  weapon  against  the  disease  Is  aimed 
at  the  fungus  vector,  or  carrier — the  bark 
beetle.  This  is  a  sex  attractant,  used  to  lure 
bark  beetles  to  their  death.  In  nature,  the 
attractant  is  released  by  virgin  females  as 
they  bore  into  the  elm  wood.  The  chemical  is 
termed  an  "aggregating  pheromone"  because 
it  attracts  both  sexes  for  the  purpose  of 
mass-attacking  the  host  tree,  breeding,  and 
feeding. 

One  type  of  beetle  trap  consists  of  a  square 
section  of  coarse-meshed  screen  and  a  vial. 
The  beetles  are  attracted  by  a  small  amount  of 
pheromone  placed  in  the  vial,  and  they 
become  permanently  attached  to  the  screen 
— coated  with  a  sticky  substance — when  they 
approach.  The  pheromone  was  first  synthe- 
sized and  tested  by  scientists  at  the  State 
University  of  New  York,  at  Syracuse,  and  by 
researchers  at  the  U.S.  Forest  Service 
Northeastern  Forest  Experiment  Station, 
Delaware,  Ohio.  —  Ed 


December  1974 


In  many  regions  the  walrus  continues  to  thrive,  in  the  Barents.  Kara,  and  White  Seas,  however,  herds  are  close  to  extinction. 


by  David  M,  Walsten 

THE  WALRUS,  the  sea  otter,  and  the 
polar  bear — all  of  which  have  suffered 
greatly  from  human  intrusion  into  their 
habitats — appear  to  be  staging  a 
comeback,  according  to  the  U.S.  Fish 
and  Wildlife  Service. 


While  close  to  extinction  in  some  areas, 
the  walrus  is  recovering  in  others.  The 
range  of  the  two  races — the  Atlantic  and 
the  Pacific — encircles  the  polar  basin, 
but  there  are  far  more  Pacific  walrus  than 
Atlantic.  The  differences  between  the  twc 
are  the  longer  tusks  and  larger  body  of 
the  Pacific  walrus. 

In  the  Pacific,  where  the  walrus 
numbered  40,000  to  50,000  as  recently 


as  the  early  1950s,  it  is  estimated  there 
are  now  about  140,000,  and  biologists 
believe  these  numbers  are  increasing. 
They  warn,  however,  that  this  will  not 
continue  if  the  annual  Siberian  and 
Alaskan  native  kill  of  5,000  to  6,000  a 
year  in  Alaska  and  the  Soviet  Union  is 
increased.  The  entire  Pacific  walrus 
population  winters  in  the  pack  ice  of  the 
Bering  Sea,  with  spring  migration  north 
through  the  Bering  Strait  as  the  ice 
breaks  up. 

In  the  Atlantic,  the  latest  figures  estimate 
the  walrus  population  to  be  on  the  order 
of  25,000  in  two  groups — from  the  Kara 
Sea  to  eastern  Greenland  and  from 
western  Greenland  to  eastern  Canada. 
They,  too,  migrate  north-south  with  the 
edge  of  the  ice  cap.  The  average  annual 


Eskimo  and  native  kill  of  Atlantic  walrus  is 
now  about  2,700,  and  the  reproductive 
rate  is  estimated  to  be  just  a  little  more 
than  that,  at  around  3,000  to  5,000  a 
year.  Any  increase  in  kills  would 
jeopardize  this  subspecies.  Herds  in  the 
Barents,  Kara,  and  White  Seas  are  close 
to  extinction  now. 

Since  1956  the  U.S.S.R.  has  prohibited 
all  hunting  of  Atlantic  and  Pacific  walrus 
except  that  necessary  for  Eskimo 
survival.  Atlantic  walrus  hunting  is  limited 
by  Denmark  to  Greenland  residents  using 
boats  under  40  tons ;  hunting  areas  and 
dates  are  regulated.  Canada  restricts 
hunting  to  Eskimos  and  a  few  white 
residents.  Trophy  hunting  of  the  Pacific 
walrus  in  Alaska  was  stopped  by  the 
Marine  Mammals  Protection  Act  of  1972.* 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


Walruses  feed  mainly  on  clams  but  also 
eat  snails,  crabs,  and  worms ; 
occasionally  an  adult  male  will  eat  seal 
flesti.  They  have  a  greater  specific 
gravity  than  water  and  must  rest  on  ice  or 
land  frequently,  although  they  have 
inflatable  pouches  which  enable  them  to 
sleep  while  afloat. 

Calves  are  dependent  on  their  mothers 
for  eighteen  to  thirty  months.  Most 
females  do  not  begin  to  breed  until  six  or 
seven  years  of  age.  Mating  occurs  during 
February  and  March.  Growth  of  the  fetus, 
which  is  delayed,  does  not  begin  until 
about  June ;  the  actual  growth  period  is 
about  ten  months.  Most  cows  do  not 
breed  again  until  the  year  following  the 
birth  of  their  previous  calf. 

The  Atlantic  and  Pacific  walruses'  eating 
habits  could  pose  ecological  problems  for 
the  mammals  if  offshore  drilling  for  oil  in 
the  Bering  Sea  or  Arctic  Ocean  is 
undertaken,  or  if  the  extensive  clam  beds 
in  these  areas  are  subject  to  dredging. 


The  sea  otter  will  continue  to  make  a  comeback  only  it  strict  hunting  curbs  are  maintained  On  parts  of  the 
California  coast,  in  which  state  it  is  a  completely  protected  species,  the  sea  otter  is  viewed  as  a  threat  by 
abalone  fishermen 


THE  SEA  OTTER  {Enhydra  lutrls).  within 
its  present  range,  is  probably  more 
abundant  now  than  it  has  been  for 
centuries.  Because  of  its  exquisite  fur, 
the  animal  played  a  major  role  in  the 
history  of  Alaska,  and  from  the  1  740s 
until  the  beginning  of  this  century  was 
hunted  to  the  point  of  extinction.  The 
early  Russian  settlement  of  Alaska  was 
largely  a  result  of  the  sea  otter  industry. 
When  the  United  States  bought  Alaska  in 
1 867.  the  sea  otter  was  diminished  in 
numbers,  but  hunting  continued. 

Finally,  in  191 1 ,  the  animals  were  given 
full  protection  under  the  Fur  Seal  Treaty 
signed  by  the  United  States,  Great 
Britain,  Russia,  and  Japan.  In  the  years 
since,  the  animal  has  increased  its 
numbers  in  some  parts  of  its  range  to  the 
point  that  it  has  created  serious  conflicts 
with  commercial  and  sport  fishing 
interests. 

The  animal's  range  is  limited  to  the 


northern  waters  of  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Its 
populations  are  resident,  showing  no 
migratory  behavior.  Sea  otters  seldom 
range  offshore  beyond  the  180-foot  depth 
curve.  In  North  American  waters,  these 
mammals  are  found  from  central 
California  north  to  Alaska's  Prince 
William  Sound  and  west  along  the  chain 
of  the  Aleutian  Islands.  On  the  other  side 
of  the  Pacific,  sea  otters  are  found 
among  the  Soviet  Union's  Commander 
Islands,  along  the  southern  edge  of  the 
Kamchatka  Peninsula,  and  among  the 
Kurile  Islands  north  of  Japan. 

In  1 956  the  world  population  of  sea  otters 
was  estimated  to  be  about  23,000  to 
35,000.  No  current  figures  are  available 
for  populations  in  waters  off  the  Soviet 
Union,  but  surveys  in  American  waters 
reveal  sizable  increases.  A  1 973  census 
of  Alaskan  waters  estimated  sea  otter 
numbers  there  to  range  from  100,000  to 
120,000.  This  contrasts  with  a  1956 
estimate  of  25,000  sea  otters  in  Alaskan 
waters.  Off  the  coast  of  California  sea 
otters  numbered  about  150  in  1938,  and 


in  mid-1973  the  population  was  estimated 
at  about  1,600  to  1,800. 

Sea  otters  are  actually  members  of  the 
weasel  family  and  are  related  to  mink  and 
land  otters  rather  than  to  seals,  sea  lions, 
and  walruses.  Unlike  seals,  which  rely  on 
a  heavy  layer  of  blubber  for  insulation  in 
the  cold  waters  of  the  northern  Pacific 
Ocean,  the  sea  otter  must  depend  upon 
air  trapped  in  its  fine  dense  fur  to 
maintain  its  body  temperature.  Hence, 
these  animals  are  extremely  vulnerable 
to  oil  spills. 

Various  problems  have  arisen  since  the 
sea  otter's  recent  comeback.  In  some 
Aleutian  Island  areas  the  overpopulation 
has  depleted  the  animal's  food  resources 
to  the  danger  point.  Off  the  coast  of 
California  the  sea  otter  continues  to 
expand  its  range  both  north  and  south 
and  preys  on  commercially  valuable 
abalone  and  clams   Pressure  from 
commercial  and  sport  fishing  interests 
is  mounting  for  population  control  of  sea 
otters  and  the  establishment  of  refuge 


December  1974 


areas  away  from  fishing  areas.  The  sea 
otter  is  protected  by  the  fvlarine 
tVlammals  Protection  Act  of  1 972  and  in 
California  it  is  listed  as  a  completely 
protected  species. 


Survival  chances  for  the  polar  bear,  the 
scarcest  of  the  three  species,  have  been 
recently  enhanced  by  a  five-nation 
agreement  on  more  restrictive  hunting 
practices.  In  addition,  the  five  nations 
(U.S..  Canada,  Norv^^ay,  Denmark,  and 
the  U-S,S-R.)  have  agreed  to  sponsor 
intensified  research  programs  on  the 
polar  bear.  In  order  to  better  understand 
the  animal's  role  in  the  environment  and 


Its  requirements  for  survival.  On  the  other 
side  of  the  ledger,  more  hunting  Is 
expected  In  Canada  ;  and  Fish  and 
Wildlife  experts  are  nervous  about  the 
potential  threat  of  human  activity  on 
Alaska's  north  slope,  where  female  polar 
bears  den  each  year  to  have  their  cubs. 

Polar  bears  today  live  in  seven  clearly 
Identifiable  areas  of  the  Arctic 
circle — from  the  Soviet  Union's  Wrangel 
Island  to  western  Alaska  ;  along  the 
northern  coast  of  Alaska  ;  across 
northern  Canada  ;  In  the  Hudson  Bay 
area:  in  Greenland;  around 
Spitsbergen-Franz  Josef  Land ;  and  in 
central  Siberia.  They  are  most  abundant 
at  the  southern  edge  of  the  sea  ice  and 
make  extensive  north-south  migrations 


according  to  the  position  of  the  edge  of 
the  Ice. 

Only  very  general  world  population 
estimates  are  available,  with  the  most 
commonly  cited  figures  ranging  from  a 
low  of  10,000  to  a  high  of  20,000.  In 
Alaska,  the  kill  by  native  and  trophy 
hunters  averaged  250  a  year  until  the 
passage  of  the  Marine  tvlammals 
Protection  Act,  which  permits  hunting 
only  by  natives  for  subsistence.  Seven 
were  killed  in  1973  and  forty  in  1974.  Last 
winter,  an  increase  in  the  number  of 
bears  was  reported  along  Alaska's  north 
coast. 

Soviet  experts  believe  polar  bear 
populations  in  the  Soviet  Arctic  declined  >■ 


Polar  bears  occur  m  Arctic  regions  of  live  nations— me  US.  trie  U  S  S  R  .  Canada,  Denmarlf.  (Greenland),  and  Norway-^which  have  recently  agreed  to  stricter 
taunting  regulations  and  itensified  researcti  programs 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


I  .  )i/  V  i 


Who's  that  fellow  with  all  the  double  chins  and  why  Is  he  laughing''  He's  a  seal,  of  course— and  he's  not 
laughing,  singing,  yawning,  or  even  saying  "ahhh"  for  the  zoo  veterinarian  He's  asking,  as  politely  as  he 
knows,  lor  another  fish  please 

About  32  species  of  seals  (Including  seallons  and  the  walrus)  are  known.  Only  the  Mediterranean  monk  seal 
(Monachus  monachus)  /s  currently  listed  as  endangered,  but  a  number  of  other  species  are  threatened  or 
have  experienced  marked  population  declines. 


during  the  first  half  of  the  century  but  that 
they  had  stabilized  since  hunting  was 
stopped  there  in  1 956.  A  few  cubs  may 
be  caught  each  year  for  zoos.  The 
average  annual  harvest  in  Norway's 
Spitsbergen — about  300  prior  to  1 970 — 
has  been  reduced  to  an  estimated  five  or 
six  by  a  five-year  moratorium  on  hunting. 
In  Danish-owned  Greenland,  Eskimos  kill 
from  1 25  to  1 50  bears  per  year  for 
subsistence  purposes.  Annual  harvests  in 
Canada  approached  600  during  the  early 
1960s  and  is  now  about  500,  although 
permit-hunting  under  a  quota  system  is 
being  encouraged  in  the  Northwest 
Territories. 

Polar  bears  live  an  average  of  twenty-five 
years.  They  are  solitary  most  of  the  year, 
except  in  the  spring  breeding  season 
when  males  actively  seek  out  females. 
They  are  polygamous  :  a  male  will  remain 
with  a  female  for  a  relatively  short  time, 
then  seek  out  another.  Females  den  in 
the  autumn  along  coastal  areas, 
sometimes  on  pack  ice,  and  give  birth  in 
December,  Litters  of  two  are  most 
common.  They  remain  in  the  den  until 
late  March  or  early  April,  when  they 
break  out  from  beneath  the  snow  pack. 
Cubs  remain  with  their  mother  for  about 
twenty-eight  months,  then  they  separate 
and  the  female  breeds  again.  The  polar 
bears'  diet  consists  primarily  of  freshly 
killed  seals,  although  they  occasionally 
eat  carrion  of  whales,  walruses,  and 
seals. 

In  November  1 973,  the  United  States,  the 
Soviet  Union,  Canada,  Denmark,  and 
Norway  drafted  an  agreement  on  the 
conservation  of  polar  bears,  which  allows 
bears  to  be  taken  only  in  areas  where 
they  have  been  taken  by  traditional 
means  in  the  past,  and  prohibits  the  use 
of  aircraft  and  large  motorized  vessels  as 
aids  in  taking.  The  agreement  also  calls 
for  both  national  research  and 
cooperative  international  research  and 
management,  especially  in  populations 
occurring  on  the  high  seas  or  within  more 
than  one  national  jurisdiction.  It  provides 
protection  for  ecosystems  of  which  polar 
bears  are  a  part,  and  seeks  special 
protection  from  hunting  for  denning 
females,  females  with  cubs,  and  cubs,  a 


December  1974 


Members  Responding  to  Appeal 
For  Capital  Gifts.  Have  You? 

Capital  Campaign  General  Chairman  Nicholas 
Galitzine  reports  that  the  appeal  to  Museum 
Members  to  bring  the  $25-mlllion  fund  drive  to 
a  successful  conclusion  by  December  31  Is 
meeting  with  enthusiastic  response  from 
many.  He  added  his  hope  that  those  who  have 
not  yet  responded  will  do  so  this  month. 

"This  is  the  season  for  giving,"  he  noted. 
"When  our  friends  consider  the  immense 
contributions  in  education  and  science  made 
by  the  Museum  to  individuals  and  the 
nation — indeed,  to  the  world — throughout 
each  year,  many  of  them  will  provide  gifts  for 
the  Museum  as  they  would  any  cherished 
friend  at  this  time." 

Mrs  Isabel  B.  Wasson  of  River  Forest  agrees. 
In  a  letter  accompanying  her  check,  she  says, 
"It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  make,  what  is 
for  me,  a  substantial  gift  toward  your  Capital 
Campaign.  I  am  a  great  believer  in  the 
contribution  that  the  Field  Museum  is  making 
not  only  in  Chicago,  but  in  the  U.S.A.,  and  in 
the  world. 


"I  have  taken  my  students  in  natural  sciences 
from  the  River  Forest  Public  Schools  on 
innumerable  trips  to  your  Museum  to  study 
geology.  I  myself  have  attended  Saturday 
lectures,  special  exhibits,  and  Members' 
Nights  over  many  years." 

It  is  not  the  first  gift  the  Museum  has  received 
from  Mrs.  Wasson.  Earlier,  she  had  provided 
a  substantial  collection  of  rocks  and  minerals, 
which  she  and  her  husband  collected,  to  the 
Museum's  Raymond  Foundation  for  use  in  its 
educational  programs. 

Member  Cherelynn  Elliott  of  Palos  Park 
caught  the  spirit  of  the  Museum's  massive 
rehabilitation  and  renovation  program.  Her 
letter  is  reproduced  below 

If  Mrs  Wasson  and  Miss  Elliott— and  all  other 
donors — were  to  visit  the  Museum  today, 
they  would  see  many  instances  in  which  their 
gifts  are  already  being  put  to  work  to  improve 
Museum  services  to  visitors,  educators,  and 


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scientists.  They  would  notice  the  rebuilding  of 
the  entrance  stairs,  the  renovation  of  exhibit 
halls,  the  installation  of  a  group  passenger 
elevator,  and  other  activities  described  in 
previous  Bulletins.  Numerous  other  projects 
will  be  underway  in  the  near  future. 

Member  Eleanor  Curliss  of  Berwyn  is  helping 
to  make  it  happen,  too.  In  the  letter  enclosed 
with  her  check,  she  comments,  "The  Field 
Museum  has  my  high  regard  and  I  wish  I  could 
contribute  more.  My  means  are  modest, 
demands  for  contributions  come  from  all 
sides,  and  I  shall  be  retiring  in  a  few 
months  I'm  happy  to  do  my  little  bit.  Best 
Wishes." 

"We  wish  to  emphasize,"  said  Galitzine. 
"that  it  is  not  necessary  to  actually  present  a 
donation  at  this  time.  We  will  be  very  pleased 
to  receive  pledges  of  any  amount,  to  be  paid 
in  one  or  more  scheduled  payments  at  the 
convenience  of  the  donor." 

A  Phoenix  woman  decided  on  the  amount  she 
wished  to  give,  and  wrote  the  following  letter 
to  accompany  her  first  check: 

"Enclosed  is  my  check  in  partial  payment  of 
my  commitment  towards  the  Capital  Cam- 
paign. I  wish  I  could  do  more  but  I  am  really 
limited  on  a  retirement  income.  I  wish  you 
great  success  in  this  appeal.  We  have  a  great 
Museum  and  I  do  miss  the  Members'  Nights 
since  moving  to  Arizona.  You  have  some 
wonderfully  genuine  people  among  your 
volunteers." 

To  these  people  and  all  other  donors, 
Galitzine,  on  behalf  of  the  Capital  Campaign 
personnel  and  entire  Museum  staff,  extends 
his  sincerest  gratitude,  and  re-expresses  his 
hope  that  he  will  be  hearing  from  many  more 
members  before  the  end  of  the  month — and  of 
the  campaign! 


Field  Museum  Bulletin 


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FEBRUARY            1975 

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22  23  24  25  26  27  28 

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Field  Museum  hours: 
9  am  to  4  pm  Mondays 
through  Thursdays; 
9  am  to  9  pm  Fridays; 
9  am  to  5  pm  Saturdays 
and  Sundays 

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NEW  YEAR'S  DAY 
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1 

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CM 
CM 

CM 

JANUARY      EVENTS 

26    Free  "Ascent  of  Man  " 
dim  ;  Lower  than  the  Angels. 
2  pm. 

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CM 

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CM 

:((  JANUARY      EVENTS 

2  Winter  journey  (or  Chil- 
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16  17  18  19  20  21   22 

23  24  25  26  27  28  29 

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JANUARY                1975 
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19  20  21   22  23  24  25 
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Field  Museum  hours 
9  am  to  4  pm  Mondays 
through  Thursdays; 
9  am  to  9  pm  Fridays, 
9  am  to  5  pm  Saturdays 
and  Sundays 

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22  Free   Ayer    lllus.    lect.. 
Changing  Alaska  Eskimo  Cul- 
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23  Free  "Ascent  of  man" 
film  :  Music  of  the  Spheres,  2 
pm. 

28    Free   Ayer    lllus     lect., 
"Natural  History  of  Deep  Sea 
Fishes,"  7:30  pm 

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16  Showing  best  slides 
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pm 

21  Free  Ayer  lllus.  lect., 
"Changing  Alaska  Eskimo 
Culture,"  7:30  pm. 

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17 

CM 

FEBRUARY      EVENTS 

9  Shov^ing  best  slides 
from  30th  Chicago  Int'l  Exhi- 
bition of  Nature  Photog,.  2 
pm 

16  Free  "Ascent  of  Man" 
film  :  The  Hidden  Structure,  2 
pm 

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SJC    FEBRUARY      EVENTS 

2  Free  "Ascent  of  Man" 
film:  Harvest  of  the  Seasons. 
2  pm. 

3  9-week      training      for 
"Man   in    His    Environment" 
volunteers  begins 

9      Free  "Ascent  of  Man" 
film:   Grain  in   the  stone,   2 

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5  M     T   W     T     F    S 

12     3     4     5 

6  7     8     9  10  11   12 
13  14  15  16  17  18  19 
20  21   22  23  24  25  26 
27  28  29  30 

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28 

FEBRUARY            1975 

S    M     T   W     T     F     S 

1 

2     3     4     5     6     7     8 

9  10  11    12  13  14  15 

16  17  18  19  20  21   22 

23  24  25  26  27  28 

23     Free    "Ascent  of  Man" 
film  :  The  Ladder  of  Creation. 
2  pm 

28     Free  Ayer    lllus.    lect,. 
"Frog   Ecology   in   the   Con- 
go," 7:30 

29  Free   Ayer    lllus.    lect.. 
"Frog    Ecology    in    the   Con- 
go." 2  30 

30  Free  '"Ascent  of  Man" 
film :    World  within   World.    2 
pm 

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PASSOVER 

27 

Field  Museum  hours: 
9  am  to  5  pm  daily 
except  9  am  to  9  pm 
Fridays 

16      Free  "Ascent  of  Man" 
film  :  The  Drive  for  Power, '  2 
pm 

21  Free   Ayer    lllus.    lect., 
"'Veracruz,    Mexico:     Green 
Grow  the  Lilacs,"  7:30 

22  Free   Ayer    lllus.    lect., 
"Veracruz.    Mexico:     Green 

Grow  the  Lilacs,  "  2:30 

22     Members'        children's 

workshops.  10:30  &  1  :  30 

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9       Free  "Ascent  of  Man" 
film :     The    Majestic    C/oc/t- 
work.  2  pm 

14  Free   Ayer    lllus.    lect., 
"Wet  Snails  in  Dry  Deserts," 
7  30 

15  Free   Ayer    lllus.    lect., 
"Wet  Snails  m  Dry  Deserts," 
2  30 

15      Members'        children's 
workshops,  10  30  &  1  :30 

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7  Free  Ayer   lllus.    lect., 
"The    Tunguska     Explosion: 
Meteorite,   Comet,   or   Black 
Hole?"  7:30 

8       Free   Ayer    lllus,    lect., 
"The    Tunguska     Explosion: 
Meteorite,   Comet,   or   Black 
Hole'' "  2:30 

8  Members'        children's 
workshops.  10:30  &  1    30 

S            CO 

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17 

CM 

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1         Spring  Journey  for  Chil- 
dren begins 

1        Free   Ayer    lllus.    lect  . 
"Natural  History  of  Deep  Sea 
Fishes,  "   2:30 

1  Members'       children's 
workshops.  10:30  &  1  :30 

2  Free  "Ascent  of  Man  " 
film     The  Starry  Messenger.  " 
2  pm 

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11   12  13  14  15  16  17 
18  19  20  21   22  23  24 
25  26  27  28  29  30  31 

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MARCH                    1975 

S    M     T   W     T     F    S 

1 

2     3     4     5     6     7     8 

9  10  11   12  13  14  15 

16  17  18  19  20  21   22 

23  24  25  26  27  28  29 

30  31 

1-      CO 

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Field  Museum  hours: 
9  am  to  5  pm  daily 
except  9  am  to  9  pm 
Fridays 

$      Csl 

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19  Museum    Traveler    Day 
program       Journey     awards 
and    free    film    for    children, 
10:30 

20  Free  "Ascent  of  Man" 
film :   The  Long  Childnood.  2 
pm 

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12  Free   Ayer    lllus.    iect  . 
"Ancient  Ecuador."  2:30 

13  Free  "Ascent  of  Man" 
film :    Generation  upon  Gen- 
eration. 2  pm 

18    "Ancient  Ecuador:  Cul- 
ture.   Clay,    and    Creativity, 
3000-500  B,C  "  exhibit  opens 

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5  Free   Ayer    lllus.    Iect.. 
"Collecting  Mosses  in  South- 
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6  Free  "Ascent  of  man" 
film :    Knowledge   or   Uncer- 
tainly, 2  pm 

II     Free   Ayer    lllus.    Iect., 
"Ancient  Ecuador,"  7:30 

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jk    APRIL     EVENTS 

1  Ray  A,  Kroc  Environ- 
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4  Free  Ayer  lllus.  Iect.. 
"Collecting  Mosses  in  South- 
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22  23  24  25  26  27  28 

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20  21   22  23  24  25  26 
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2  Members' Night  at  Field 
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9  am  to  9  pm 
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10  11   12  13  14  15  16 

17  18  19  20  21   22  23 

24  25  26  27  28  29  30 

31 

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Field  Museum  hours: 
9  am  to  5  pm  daily 
except  9  am  to  9  pm 
Fridays  and  9  am  to 
6  pm     September    1 

$      CO 

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SEPTEMBER 
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15    "Botanical   Illustrations 
from   Kew  Gardens"  exhibit 
opens 

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5|<      SEPTEMBER 
EVENTS 

1  Ray  A-  Kroc  Environ- 
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field  trips  and  courses  re- 
sume in  September 

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dren begins 

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SEPTEMBER          1975 

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9  am  to  5  pm  daily 
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Fridays 

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■JtOCTOBER      EVENTS 

1  Ray  A  Kroc  Environ- 
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field  trips  and  courses  con- 
tinue 

9  Twelve-week  course  for 
volunteers  in  education  be- 
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DECEMBER            1975 

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THANKSGIVING 

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Field  Museum  hours; 
9  am  to  4  pm  Mondays 
through  Thursdays; 
9  am  to  9  pm  Fridays; 
9  am  to  5  pm  Saturdays 
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JANUARY               1976 
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CHRISTMAS  DAY 
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Field  Museum  hours 
9  am  to  4  pm  Mondays 
through  Thursdays; 
9  am  to  9  pm  Fridays, 
9  am  to  5  pm  Saturdays 
and  Sundays 

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^^.DECEMBER     EVENTS 

1      Winter  Journey  for  Chil- 
dren begins 

11     "Alaskan    Eskimo    Art" 
exhibit  opens 

29  Public  tour  at  2  pm 

30  Public  tour  at  2  pm 

31  Public  tour  at  2  pm 

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DECEMBER  at  Held  Museum 


EXHIBITS 

Continuing 

Field  Museum's  Anniversary  exhibit  continues  indefinitely.  "A 
Sense  of  Wonder"  otters  thought-provoking  prose  and  poetry 
associated  with  physical,  biological,  and  cultural  aspects  of  na- 
ture; "A  Sense  of  History"  presents  a  graphic  portrayal  of  the 
Museum's  past;  and  "A  Sense  of  Discovery"  shows  examples  of 
research  conducted  by  Museum  scientists.  Hall  3. 


SPECIAL  PROGRAMS 

Ayer  Adult  Illustrated  Lecture  Series  continues  with  "Ex- 
peditions Unlimited  1974-75"  at  7:30  p.m.  Friday  and  2;30  p.m. 
Saturday  in  Lecture  Hall.  Seating  limited  to  225  persons.  For  re- 
servations call  Field  Museum,  922-9410,  Ext.  230. 


December  6  and  7: 

"Grand  Canyon  Expedition," 

Nitecki 

December  26,  27,  and  30 


narrated  by  Dr.  Matthew  H. 


Guided  tours  of  Museum  exhibit  areas  leave  from  north  informa- 
tion booth  at  2;00  p.m. 

Through  December  20 

Weaving  demonstrations  by  members  of  the  North  Shore  Weav- 
ers' Guild  from  10:00  a.m.  to  12:00  noon  on  Mondays,  Wednes- 
days, and  Fridays.  Spinning  will  also  be  shown  on  December  2 
and  16.  South  Lounge. 


CHILDREN'S  PROGRAM 


Begins  December  1 

Winter  Journey  for  Children,  "Cats,  the  Graceful  Hunters,"  a 
free,  self-guided  tour  of  Museum  exhibit  areas,  focuses  on  the 
differences  and  similarities  of  cats,  from  the  domestic  variety  to 
its  larger  relatives  (lion,  tiger,  etc.).  All  boys  and  girls  who  can 
read  and  write  may  participate.  Journey  sheets  in  English  and 
Spanish  available  at  entrances.  Through  February  28. 


Chicago  Anthropological  Society 
Nature  Camera  Club  of  Chicago 
Chicago  Ornithological  Society 
Windy  City  Grotto,  National 
Speleological  Society 
Chicago  Mountaineering  Club 


MEETINGS 

Dec 

6, 

8:00  p.m.. 

Dec 

10 

7:30  p.m.. 

Dec 

11 

7:00  p.m.. 

Dec 

11 

7:30  p.m.. 

COMING  IN  JANUARY 

Weaving  demonstrations  resume  on  January  6. 

Ascent  of  Man,  a  series  of  one-hour  films,  opens  with  "Lower 
Than  the  Angels"  at  2:00  p.m.  Sunday,  January  26,  in  the  Lec- 
ture Hall.  The  films  cover  a  time  span  of  more  than  two  million 
years  and  explore  scientific  discoveries  that  have  shaped  hu- 
man history  They  will  be  offered  on  consecutive  Sundays 
through  April  20. 

MUSEUM  HOURS 

Open  9:00  am,  to  4:00  p.m  Monday  through  Thursday.  9:00  am  to  9:00 
p.m.  Friday,  and  9:00  a  m  to  5:00  p.m.  Saturday  and  Sunday 

The  Museum  Library  is  open  9:00  a.m.  to  4:00  p.m.  Monday 
through  Friday.  Please  obtain  pass  at  reception  desk,  main  floor 
north. 

Museum  telephone:  922-9410 


Dec.  12,  7:00  p.m..