HIGHLIGHTS OF BOTANICAL EXPLORATION IN THE NEW WORLD 245 



the original visits of Robert H. Schomburgk and Richard Schomburgk, 1838- 

 1842, during which period Robert "discovered" Mount Roraima, the highest 

 of the eastern block-mountains, at the tricorners of Venezuela, British Guiana, 

 and Brazil. In fairly rapid sequence Roraima was visited by Appun (1864), 

 im Thurn (1884), McConnell and Quelch (1894 and 1898), and by Ule 

 (1909-1910). The primary materials of these explorations (except Ule's) are 

 at Kew and the British Museum. 



The second phase of exploration of the region of the Roraima sediments 

 was occupied by the three remarkable expeditions of George H. H. Tate, of 

 the American Museum of Natural History, to Mount Roraima in 192 7-1928, 

 the initial exploration of Cerro Duida in 1928-1929, and finally of Auyan- 

 tepui on the Gran Sabana in 1937-1938. The plants of these expeditions were 

 studied by H. A. Gleason at The New York Botanical Garden, where the 

 original sets are preserved. 



The third and contemporary phase of exploration of Guayana has been 

 carried on chiefly by Bassett Maguire and John J. Wurdack and their as- 

 sociates Richard S. Cowan, D. B. Fanshawe, L. Politi, W. M. C. Bagshaw, 

 and others. Since 1944 eighteen expeditions to some twenty-five strategically 

 located tabular mountains or otherwise prominent regions have been accom- 

 plished. Separately, Julian A. Steyermark in 1944, in the employ of the 

 Cinchona Mission, visited Mount Roraima and Cerro Duida. The following 

 year, for the Chicago Natural History Museum, he made the initial explora- 

 tion of Ptari-tepui on the Gran Sabana. In 1953 Wurdack and Steyermark 

 separately visited opposite sides of Chimanta-tepui, and in January of 1955 

 The New York Botanical Garden and Chicago Museum combined forces, 

 sending Steyermark and Wurdack back for a joint exploration of Chimanta- 

 tepui. In the current season of 1957-1958, Maguire and Wurdack expect 

 again to be in the field in Amazonian Guayana. 



During the past decade and a half, Captain Felix Cardona, for the govern- 

 ment of Venezuela, has traveled widely in Guayana doing geographical sur- 

 vey. As a part of his activity Cardona has made many collections of plants 

 which add greatly to the floristic record of the region. Tobias Lasser and his 

 colleagues from the Servicio Botanico, actively engaged in botanical explora- 

 tion throughout Venezuela, have sent several expeditions to Guayana, the 

 last being that of Vareschi to Auyan-tepui, completed in 1956. The orig- 

 inal sets of the Maguire and Wurdack collections are at New York; those of 

 Steyermark are at Chicago ; and the recently acquired materials of the Servicio 

 Botanico are at Caracas and New York. 



Over a period of years, William H. Phelps, Jr., of Caracas, has carried on 

 ornithological exploration in Guayana. Kathleen D. Phelps (Mrs. William H. 

 Phelps, Jr.), often with Charles B. Hitchcock, director at the American Geo- 

 graphical Society, served as botanist of the expeditions, collecting important 

 series of plants which are on deposit in New York and Caracas. 



