May-June, 19^5 



CHICAGO NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM BULLETIN 



Page S 



AN UNUSUAL BIRD'S NEST 

 FROM NEAR-BY INDIANA 



By DESSIE p. morrow 

 volunteer assistant, division of birds 



In October of last year a nest of the red- 

 eyed vireo was found in a deep wooded 

 ravine at French Lick, Indiana. It was 

 hanging about five and one-half inches from 

 the ground in a maple sapling so close to a 

 bridle-path that it must have been touched 

 many times by the riders. 



The red-eyed vireo always chooses a 

 horizontal forked branch for its pensile nest 

 and there is remarkable uniformity in its 

 size and shape, but the use of materials 

 differs greatly, and therein lies the interest 

 of this nest, the outside of which is made 

 almost entirely of snake skins. Thirty- 



page of the National-Union Baptist Review, 

 published in Nashville, Tennessee, dated 

 January 2, 1943. Across the top was a 

 headline reading: "The Dove of Peace May 

 Hover Over the Universe in 1943." 



BIRD'S NEST OF SNAKE SKINS 



Found in a maple sapling in a forest ravine at French Lick, 



Indiana. Thirty-three bird species in the world have been 



listed as using snake skins for their nests, but this is the 



first known example of one made by the red-eyed vireo. 



three species of birds over the world have 

 been listed as using snake skins in nest 

 building, but the red-eyed vireo is not men- 

 tioned among them. 



The female does the building and she 

 must have found these cast-off skins in a 

 warm sunny spot where the snakes had 

 congregated in the early spring after their 

 winter hibernation. She started her nest by 

 hanging pieces of skin over the forked 

 branch, fastening them down firmly with 

 bleached threads of spider silk. This silk, 

 originally of spider webs or cocoons, is 

 pulled into fine threads by the bird. Thus 

 she forms the entire outside, weaving in a 

 few bits of fibrous material along with the 

 skins. Across the base, reaching from side 

 to side, is one solid strip of skin about one- 

 half inch wide, forming an exceptionally 

 firm nest. The inside is lined with bark or 

 grass fibers, usually of the wild grape-vine. 



It is a fancy to believe that birds use 

 snake skins with any premeditated thought 

 of warding off predatory animals. To them 

 it is only useful material. Nor can a bird 

 read, as we all know, but this fall in Lake 

 Forest, Illinois, I found a mourning dove's 

 nest built in its usually loose style, and under 

 the top layer of twigs was a large piece of 

 newspaper folded over many times and 

 firmly flattened down. It was the front 



A NEW "COMIC STRIP" 

 IN HALL OF INDIANS 



A new exhibit has been installed in Hall B, 

 under the title, "Where the Indians Came 

 From, When and Why." In place of a long 

 printed label, a comic strip of fifteen pictures 

 has been skillfully, tastefully and carefully 

 used. The whole saga is told by this picture 

 strip. 



It was recently reported in Time that 

 "facts presented in picture strips are (at 

 first reading) grasped 10 per cent to 30 per 

 cent more thoroughly than the same facts 

 presented in words alone." 



The Department of Anthropology was 

 recently confronted with the tagk of pre- 

 senting the story of the origin of the Ameri- 

 can Indians. We know fairly well the details 

 of this great trek of Mongoloids from Asia 

 to America and we know about when the 

 first migration took place (some 20,000 

 years ago). However, none of the tools, 

 equipment or gear of these first discoverers 

 of America have ever been found. Their 

 houses, tools, clothing and the like have 

 been lost for all time or have long since 

 turned to dust. Therefore, the only way 

 of telling this epic story was by means of 

 pictorial representation. 



This has been done by means of two large 

 maps — one of North America and one of 

 Eastern Asia. On the maps there is shown 

 the extent of glaciation at about 20,000 

 years ago, and drawings depict the extinct 

 animals which roamed the continents at that 

 time. Between the two continents is a 

 large plaque bearing fifteen pictures done 

 in the comic strip technique in color. These 

 pictures show why some of the Asiatics 

 were forced to leave Siberia, how they 

 crossed over to America, and how they 

 wended their way through a corridor in the 

 glacier until they finally reached the Great 

 Plains. 



CHANGING YOUR ADDRESS? 



Members of the Museum who 

 change residence are urged to 

 notify the Museum so that the 

 BULLETIN and other communi- 

 cations may reach them promptly. 

 A post card for this purpose is en- 

 closed. 



Members going away during the 

 summer may have Museum mat- 

 ter sent to their temporary 

 addresses. 



ORR GOODSON, ACTING DIRECTOR, 

 TO LEAVE THE MUSEUM 



Mr. Orr Goodson, Acting Director, under 

 whose supervision the Museum has been 

 operated since late in May, 1942 when Army 

 duties called Colonel Clifford C. Gregg, 

 Director, away from Chicago, is leaving the 

 Museum May 1. 

 He will return to 

 his former field of 

 activity — building 

 operation — having 

 accepted a position 

 as manager of a 

 large Loop ofiice 

 building. 



Coming to the 

 Museum as Assist- 

 ant to the Director 

 on July 1, 1941, 

 Mr. Goodson was 

 elected Acting Director when Director 

 Gregg's Army assignment required his 

 transfer from Chicago to other posts. 

 Under Mr. Goodson's direction, despite 

 reduced staff and abnormal conditions, the 

 Museum has not only maintained most of 

 its usual activities but has continued growth 

 and development comparing favorably with 

 those of prewar years. He leaves with the 

 good will and respect of all those who have 

 been associated with him. It is not known 

 when Colonel Gregg may be released from 

 the Army, but it is hoped his return to the 

 Museum may soon follow the departure of 

 Mr. Goodson. 



ORR GOODSON 



Dutch East Indies Exhibit 

 Scheduled for June 



The Chicago Natural History Museum, 

 in co-operation with the Netherlands 

 Information Service, is preparing to give 

 Chicago an opportunity of seeing an 

 extensive special exhibit relating to the 

 Netherlands East Indies. Present plans 

 call for this material to be placed on dis- 

 play here some time in June, to continue 

 for at least sixty days. 



The exhibit comprises material illustrat- 

 ing the natural history, ethnology, arts, 

 industries, military significance, and other 

 phases of life in the Jap-invaded Indies. 



At the time of going to press with this 

 issue of the Bulletin, full details Were 

 not available, but efforts are being made to 

 assure the opening of the special exhibit 

 not later than June 15. A full account will 

 appear in the next Bulletin. A special 

 preview is planned for members of the 

 Museum, at which it is expected to present 

 a troupe of native Balinese dancers. Mem- 

 bers will receive advance notification of 

 this eveiit. 



Wild pigs of various kinds, from Europe, 

 the Philippines, New Guinea, Celebes, 

 Africa, and South America, are the subject 

 of an exhibit in Hall 15. 



