210 Field Museum of Natural History — Reports, Vol. X 



ica, were found feeding in great numbers on a forest tree with small 

 blue fruits in the lowland forest near Puerto Barrios, and an ample 

 series of specimens, together with photographs and plant acces- 

 sories, was obtained. In the cloud-forest zone of Tajumulco, the 

 rare and exceptionally brilliant trogon called quetzal was collected. 

 This is the national bird of Guatemala, now protected by the govern- 

 ment, and special permission was granted the expedition to take 

 specimens for exhibition in Field Museum. These will be mounted 

 in association with a branch hung with orchids and other epiphytic 

 plants, and shown against a background of tree ferns, representing 

 the typical habitat of the quetzal. The third group will demon- 

 strate the nesting habits of the giant oriole of Central America 

 whose hanging nests, from four to six feet in length, are grouped in 

 colonies of hundreds in the tallest, most conspicuous trees, form.- 

 ing one of the characteristic elements in the tropical landscape. 



Scientific collections obtained by the expedition will make possible 

 important contributions to the knowledge of Guatemalan mammals, 

 birds, reptiles, and amphibians. The total collections include 523 

 mamm.als, 876 birds, 1,003 amphibians, 844 reptiles, 125 fishes, and 

 1,621 insects and other invertebrates. Mr. Clark, who contributed 

 his own time and expenses to the expedition, presented to Field 

 Museum the 176 birds he collected. 



The Field Museum Anthropological Expedition to the Near 

 East, conducted by Mr. Henry Field, Assistant Curator of Physical 

 Anthropology, and Mr. Richard Martin, in addition to its work for 

 the Department of Anthropology, made valuable zoological col- 

 lections, including 142 mammals, some 50 birds, and 559 amphibians 

 and reptiles. 



A limited amount of research was carried on, but this was cur- 

 tailed by absences in the field and increased curatorial requirements. 



Assistant Curator Colin C. Sanborn made a preliminary study 

 of the mammals obtained by the Leon Mandel Guatemala Expedi- 

 tion, among which several new forms were discovered and, through- 

 out the year, from time to time, he made additions to an index of the 

 literature pertaining to the bats of the suborder Microchiroptera. 



Associate Curator Charles E. Hellmayr, working in Vienna and 

 elsewhere in Europe, made much progress with the large work 

 Catalogue of Birds of the Americas. Part VH, a book of some five 

 hundred pages, was corrected and published, the manuscript for 

 Part Vni was finished and sent to press, and preparation of Part IX 

 was concluded. 



