THE ROOSEVELT EXPEDITION TO SOUTH 



AMERICA 



NEWS OF THE MUSEUMS OTHER SOUTH AMERICAN WORK 

 By Frank M. Chapman 



THE Museum's zoological explorations in South America, which 

 during the past two years have produced such interesting results 

 in the northern parts of that continent, now promise to be even 

 more effectively prosecuted in southern South America, under the leadership 

 of Colonel Theodore Roosevelt. 



Colonel Roosevelt will sail for South America on October 4, and after 

 delivering lectures in Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile, 

 will penetrate the interior of southern Brazil to study the country, its 

 mammals and birds. There is no big-game hunting in the region which 

 Colonel Roosevelt proposes to visit, and his expedition serves to emphasize 

 his keen interest in natural history even more strongly than did his recent 

 trip to Africa. Mr. George K. Cherrie and Mr. Leo E. Miller, both tried 

 members of American Museum expeditions, will accompany Colonel 

 Roosevelt as field assistants. 



THE mountainous region at the headwaters of the Orinoco is, zoologi- 

 cally, one of the least known areas in South America. Various 

 attempts have been made to penetrate it but the obstacles presented 

 by climate and transportation have not been wholly overcome. 



Mr. L. E. Miller, who recently headed an American Museum expedition 

 to this terra incognita, has more nearly achieved success than any of his 

 predecessors, but through no fault of his, he was obliged to retreat just as 

 he was about to reap the reward of two months' constant exertion and ex- 

 posure to the dangers incident to travel on the Orinoco. 



Mr. Miller, accompanied by Mr. F. X. Iglseder, as assistant and carto- 

 grapher, left Ciudad Bolivar on December 17, 1912, in a small sloop bound 

 for San Fernando de Atabapo. After a number of narrow escapes and the 

 loss of one man, this remote settlement was reached January 28. On Febru- 

 ary 3, he reembarked with a mandioca-hunter, whom he was fortunate 

 enough to encounter, for his destination, Mt. Duida, farther up the Orinoco. 

 This mountain being unscalable from the Orinoco side (site of the now 

 abandoned village of Esmeraldas), it was proposed to attack it from the 

 west by ascending the Cunucunuma, a small river which flows into the Ori- 

 noco about twenty miles west of the junction of the Orinoco and Cassiquiare, 

 and on March 4, camp was established at Boca Sina, some eight miles from 

 the mouth of the Cunucunuma, and but two miles from the base of Duida. 



Work was now begun on a trail through the forest to the mountain, but 

 before it was completed Mr. Iglseder fell desperately ill with a complication 

 of beriberi and malaria, and in order to save his life Mr. Miller was com- 

 pelled to return with him to San Fernando and eventually to Cristobal- 

 Colon. 283 



