220 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 
were astounded to find Dr. Anderson and one of his Eskimos there, re- 
covering from pneumonia. Fortunately flour had been among the supplies 
left at the house or the men never could have lived through. Fortunately 
too, polar bears have no appetite for flour. When Dr. Anderson arrived 
at the house he found that bears had broken in and devoured four boxes 
(500 Ibs.) of whale blubber, two slabs of bacon, spilled a ten-gallon can of 
aleohol and “knocked things about generally”; but the flour they had not 
disturbed. 
The letters report that in March all were “in fit condition, showing no 
serious after-effects,” and that Mr. Stefansson was expecting to start with 
his party during the first week in April for the Coppermine. 
The expedition is planning to come out of the field soon, and great 
interest at the Museum attaches to the time when the full results of the 
work will be known. Making a zodlogical survey in the Arctics is a pe- 
culiarly difficult task due largely to problems of transportation of outfit 
and accumulating specimens; and the collections with duplicate series 
which the expedition reports will be of great scientific value. With the 
close of this expedition, Mr. Stefansson will have five years’ knowledge 
of the Eskimo. He has accomplished much in getting records of songs and 
short. tales, working to ascertain definitely the presence and variations of 
certain folk tales throughout the tribes. He has complete lists of words 
used by the Shamans in ceremonials; and he has a large series of head 
measurements and many photographs. All results of the expedition will 
possess unusual value, representing as they do, work accomplished in spite 
of the almost insuperable obstacles set by the Arctic winter and by the 
necessity of “turning Kogmollik.” 
MUSEUM NEWS NOTES 
THE near future promises rapid development in the Museum’s instruc- 
tion for the blind owing to the Jonathan Thorne Memorial Fund. The 
work is under the supervision of the Department of Public Education 
which has long had an interest in Museum instruction for the blind, but 
outside of its regular lecture courses could do little because all permanent 
exhibits are of necessity within glass cases. It is hoped that future plans 
will allow close coéperation with the teachers of the blind throughout the 
city and that the unusual advantages which the Museum can give in the 
free handling of duplicate specimens from its store-rooms will be found 
valuable training for blind children. It is desired even that the Museum 
