28 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1962 



party began its work on that island early in May, continuing the ac- 

 quisition of specimens and data for a coral-reef group being planned 

 for the new Hall of Oceanic Life. They were successful in obtaining 

 an adequate supply and variety of corals to reconstruct a typical New 

 Caledonian reef. Other representative elements of the fauna were 

 also obtained and shipped back to the Museum. 



For approximately 9 weeks between January and April, a Smith- 

 sonian Institution party conducted field work in the interior of 

 British Guiana for the purpose of obtaining data, specimens, and 

 models for the construction of a rain-forest life group in the proposed 

 Hall of Plant Life. Dr. Eichard S. Cowan, associate curator of 

 phanerogams, served as leader of the expedition and teclinical adviser 

 to the group, which consisted of Dr. Thomas R. Soderstrom, associate 

 curator of grasses; Reginald J. Sayre, of the office of exhibits; and 

 Paul Marchand, modelmaker. In addition to a large number of col- 

 lections of plant materials, 2,500 color slides were made and 5,000 feet 

 of 16-mm. film were exposed by Dr. Soderstrom. Mr. Marchand pre- 

 pared numerous life-size models of different species of plants which 

 can be duplicated as desired for use in the life group. Mr. Sayre made 

 field sketches and paintings of many of the items that will be used in 

 the exhibit, as well as a scale painting of Kaieteur Falls that will serve 

 as a guide in preparing the background of the group. Numerous plant 

 materials were preserved to serve as specimens from which to make 

 additional models. In the time that was available from the exhibit 

 functions of the trip. Dr. Cowan and Dr. Soderstrom obtained ample 

 material of about 500 species of plants for scientific purposes. 



In April and May Dr. Velva E. Rudd, associate curator of phanero- 

 gams, visited museums in Trinidad, Venezuela, and Panama, in con- 

 tinuation of her studies of Oimiosia and other Leguminosae. She 

 conducted field studies at certain interesting botanical localities, in- 

 cluding Colonia Tovar, El Avila, and Parque Nacional Henri Pittier 

 in Venezuela, as well as the Canal Zone Biological Area in Panama. 



In April Dr. John J. Wurdack, associate curator of phanerogams, 

 began extended botanical field work in Peru. After assembling his 

 supplies and equipment in Lima he traveled to Chachapoyas in north- 

 ern Peru, headquarters for the first part of the trip. At the end of 

 the fiscal year Dr. Wurdack reported that his work was progressing 

 satisfactorily and that he was amassing large collections for the 

 Smithsonian's department of botany. One of his objectives is to re- 

 collect some of the species very inadequately known through the pio- 

 neering collection of the British botanist Mathews nearly a century 

 ago. Many species obtained at that time have not been rediscovered, 

 primarily because travel in the mountains of northern Peru is difficult. 

 Dr. "Wurdack will particularly emphasize research collections of his 

 own specialty, the family Melastomataceae. 



