FAUNAL CONDITIONS IN THE CANAL ZONE 



247 



trip the shutter of the cam- 

 era which was fastened in 

 a manner to command the 

 trail. A thread attached to 

 a bait and stretched out 

 before the camera, fired the 

 flash when the animal pulled 

 it. 



Series of the rodents r.nd 

 the smaller mammals ^\ x re 

 secured for the Museum col- 

 lections and for the most 

 part are of species not hith- 

 erto represented. The time 

 was too limited to secure 

 many of the larger mammals 

 which are found in the Zone. 



The expedition was great- 

 ly helped by assistance from 

 the Canal Commission. 

 Colonel Goethals issued 

 special permits allowing collections to be 

 made and at every turn we were assured 

 the cooperation of the Zone authorities. 

 Aside from the help received through 

 official channels the members of the ex- 

 pedition were tendered assistance by the 



Photograph by George Shiras, !^d 

 Flash-light photograph of one of several varieties of opossums 

 encountered in the Canal Zone. The particular opossum shown 

 is the commonest species and by reason of its abundance and 

 its omnivorous appetite, it proved a serious obstacle to flash- 

 light photography. Probably seventy-five per cent of the 

 flashes fired were sprung by opossums who found and fired the 

 camera shortly after dusk before better game was moving 



residents. They found such a friendly 

 spirit that many of the inconveniences 

 of foreign travel disappeared, and it was 

 with genuine regret that we left that bit 

 of the States transplanted into Panama 

 and known as the Canal Zone. 



Lake end of Gatun locks looking out over Gatun Lake. Three different stages in filling the 

 locks are shown, the lock at the left being empty, the one in the lower right-hand corner half full 

 and the one in the upper right hand corner full. Emergency dams are seen in the background. 

 Four locomotives similar to the one shown are to be used for each ship, two being in front and two 

 in the rear 



