Field Museum 

 of Natural History 

 Bulletin 



Published by 



Field Museum of Natural History 



Founded 1893 



President: Willard L. Boyd 



Editor/ Designer: David M. Walsten 

 Production Liaison: Pamela Stearns 

 Staff Photographer: Ron Testa 



Board of Trustees 



Richard M. Jones 



Chairman 

 Mrs. T. Stanton Armour 

 George R. Baker 

 Robert O. Bass 

 Gordon Bent 

 Mrs. Philip D. Block HI 

 Willard L. Boyd 

 Henry T. Chandler 

 Worley H. Clark 

 Frank W. Considine 

 Stanton R. Cook 

 William R. Dickinson, Jr. 

 Thomas E. Donnelley II 

 Thomas J. Eyerman 

 Marshall Field 

 Ronald J. Gidwitz 

 Clarence E. Johnson 

 John James Kinsella 

 Hugo J. Melvoin 

 Leo F. Mullin 

 Earl L. Neal 

 James J. O'Connor, 

 Robert A. Pritzker 

 James H. Ransom 

 John S. Runnells 

 Patrick G. Ryan 

 William L. Searle 

 Robert H. Strotz 

 Mrs. Theodore D. Tieken 

 E. Leland Webber 

 Blaine J. Yarrington 



Life Trustees 



Harry O. Bercher 

 Bowen Blair 

 Mrs. Edwin J. DeCosta 

 Clifford C.Gregg 

 William V. Kahler 

 William H. Mitchell 

 Edward Byron Smith 

 John W. Sullivan 

 J. Howard Wood 



CONTENTS 



April 1986 



Volume 57, Number 4 



April Events at Field Museum 



Stephen C. Simms as a Collector of 

 North American Indian Material Culture 



by James VanStone 



Curator of North American Archaeology and Ethnology 



Spring Wildflowers of the Chicago Area 11 



by Floyd A. Swink 



Robert H. Denison, In Memoriam 19 



by Rainer Zangerl, Curator Emeritus, 



and William D. Turnbull, Curator of Fossil Mammals 



Painters at Field Museum 



by David M. Walsten 



20 



Field Museum Tours for Members 



26 



COVER 



American bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) . This lifelike diorama 

 is one of 1,200 portable exhibits available on loan to Chicago- 

 area schools. Under the auspices of the Department of Educa- 

 tion's N. W. Harris Public School Extension, some 5,000 

 loans of such portable natural history exhibits were made to 

 schools in the Chicago area in 1985. This community service 

 has been provided by Field Museum for more than 70 years. 

 Photo by Diane Alexander White. 



Ninth Annual Spring Systematics Symposium 



Saturday, May 10, 8:50am to 4:30pm 



This year's symposium topic is "Evolution of Human 

 Hunting" and features ten invited speakers. The pre- 

 registration fee (until April 10) is $10. Registration after 

 that date is $15. Registration forms may be obtained by 

 writing Dr. H. M. Nitecki at Field Museum; they may 

 also be obtained at the Museum on the morning of May 

 10 before the talks begin. 



Field Museum of Natural History Bulletin (USPS 898-940) is published monthly, except combined July/August issue, by Field Museum of Natural History. Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive. 

 Chicago, IL 60605-2496. Subscriptions: $6.00 annually. $3.00 for schools. Museum membership includes Bulletin subscription. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and do not necessarily 

 reflect the policy of Field Museum. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome. Museum phone: (312) 922-9410. Notification of address change should include address label and be sent to Membership 

 Department. Postmaster: Please send form 3579 to Field Museum of Natural History, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive. Chicago, IL 60605-2496. ISSN: 0015-0703. Second class postage paid at 



