XOTL'S 



407 



inanuftn'ture of gunstoeks. Tiinbor for aoro- 

 plaiio propellers must be absolutely straight- 

 grainetl, not too hard or too heavy, capable 

 of standing the enormous air resistance in- 

 volved in revolutions up to fifteen hundred 

 or more a minute. No other wood meets 

 these requirements except mahogany, and to 

 import this would necessitate the use of 

 ships which cannot well be spared. Although 

 black walnut trees are widely distributed 

 over the United States, from the Atlantic to 

 the Pacific, they are likely to occur only in 

 small scattered groups. It is important that 

 all these walnut stands be discovered at the 

 present time; to aid in this work President 

 Wilson has called upon the Boy Scouts of 

 America to report to the United States For- 

 est Service every black walnut tree which 

 they are able to locate. Also, in order that 

 the demands of war may not destroy our 

 forests, farmers and boy scouts are urged 

 to plant new trees in the places of those 

 removed. 



An appeal recently came to the American 

 Museum from the War Council of the Young 

 Men's Christian Association for lantern 

 slides which would help to give expression 

 in France to the true character of America 

 and Americans. Largely through volunteer 

 service on the part of the assistants in the 

 educational department of the Museum, 

 about four thousand slides of geographic 

 and industrial subjects have been prepared. 

 The collection was shipped at once to 

 France, where it is now being used in both 

 the American and French armies. In addi- 

 tion to these miscellaneous slides the depart- 

 ment has completed four illustrated lectures 

 for army use and delivered two sets of each 

 with their accompanying slides to the Young 

 Men's Christian Association. The American 

 Museum bears the cost of preparing these 

 lectures and making the first two sets of 

 slides. The expense thereafter is borne by 

 the Young Men's Christian Association. 



Ix the May drive to obtain funds for the 

 Eed Cross, the American Museum contrib- 

 uted to the full extent of its force, 313 

 members. 



At the general meeting of the Linnean 

 Society of London held on April 18, Profes- 

 sor J. P. Hill, F.K.S., F.L.S., gave an ac- 

 count of his expedition to Brazil in 1913 to 

 obtain material for studying the develop- 

 ment of American marsupials, in particular 



the opossum. It was desired to settle cer- 

 tain conllicting statements about these ani- 

 mals and to determine the development of 

 those genera regarded on anatomical grounds 

 as nearest the base of the didelphyd series, 

 namely, Mar7)wsa and Fcramys, two small 

 rat like creatures, remarkable for the entire 

 absence of the pouch so characteristic of 

 other members of the order. The party ar- 

 rived at Eio de Janeiro on July 6, 1913, well 

 equipped with traps, tents, preservatives, 

 and provisions. By permission of the Bra- 

 zilian Minister of Agriculture, and at the 

 invitation of Dr. J. C. Willis, then director 

 of the Jardim Botanico at Rio, use of the 

 large laboratory attached to the gardens was 

 obtained. Collecting started immediately 

 and dissecting began with the first specimen 

 obtained — the Brazilian opossum, Didelphys 

 aurita. Five species of didelphyds, belong- 

 ing to four genera, were secured within 

 range and sound of the electric tramways of 

 Rio de Janeiro and about eight miles from 

 the center of the city. Other specimens were 

 taken on the Itatiaia Range at the borders 

 of Sao Paulo, and northward in the states 

 of Espiritu Santo and Minas Geraes. The 

 party afterward visited Therezopolis, in the 

 Serra dos Orgaos north of Rio, about 900 

 meters altitude, an ideal spot, with fine 

 bracing climate, rich fauna, and beautiful 

 scenery. 



The American Museum Building Folder 

 Series, No. 5, contains complete plans and 

 illustrations of the new type of ward for 

 wounded soldiers, designed by Professor 

 Henry Fairfield Osborn. The plans, which 

 were suggested through the remarkable re- 

 sults obtained in the First Eastern General 

 Hospital of Cambridge, England, in effect- 

 ing rapid cures by direct exposure of the 

 wounded to air and sunshine, are presented 

 to the country as one of the contributions 

 of the American Museum to the national 

 service. 



In the Sixth National Textile Exposition, 

 held in the Grand Central Palace, New 

 York, from April 29 to May 11, the Ameri- 

 can Museum was represented by a case of 

 prehistoric Peruvian garments and cloth and 

 two cases of clothing from various primitive 

 peoples. The specimens selected for this 

 purpose have been favorites with profes- 

 sional designers who visit the Museum's 

 collections for inspiration. The influence 



