30 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



study of tropical life. But our commission to obtain birds for skeleton- 

 izing brought us into conflict with wise restrictions on the use of guns, 

 and made it necessary for us to go elsewhere for such collecting. 



Through the cooperation of Dr. Herbert C. Clark, director of the 

 Gorgas Memorial Laboratory in Panama City, and the expert boat- 

 manship and harpoon work of Ernest Stahler of Balboa, C. Z., we 

 obtained eight specimens of one of the several species of porpoise 

 that inhabit the Gulf of Panama. Two individuals, adult and immature, 

 of this animal swimming near the surface of calm water, between 

 Pedro Gonzales Island and Taboga Island, are shown in the very 

 unusual photograph contributed by Otis Barton (fig. 32). The 

 handling and preparing of these bulky specimens were made easy by 

 the facilities of the Gorgas Laboratory and the unfailingly efficient 

 cooperation of Dr. Clark and the members of his staff. It was also to 

 Dr. Clark that we owed the planning of our trip to the Pearl Islands, 

 on the motor boat operated by R. O. Shuey. 



In the small but interesting zoological garden conducted by D. D. H. 

 March at Old Panama I had an unusual opportunity to observe the 

 manner in which a tame spider monkey stood and walked in the upright 

 position. This manner of walking for considerable distances, often 

 resorted to by some individuals, but less frequently by others, seems to 

 be peculiar to the spider monkeys among those members of the tribe 

 that occur in Panama. I, at least, have never seen it except in this one 

 kind. When walking erect a spider monkey uses its foot in the same 

 manner as a chimpanzee or a gorilla ; that is to say with the great toe 

 widely separated from the other toes and serving as one of the prongs 

 of a fork w T hen the heel muscles pull the back part of the foot upward 

 during the forward step, or when the foot is resting flat on the ground. 

 The photograph at the right of figure 30 shows how different this is 

 from the action of the human foot with all its toes working nearly 

 parallel with each other. 



Again I want to record my appreciation of the man}- opportunities 

 and facilities for collecting that Colonel Godfrey and Dr. Clark- 

 arranged and for the many comforts and conveniences they provided. 

 Mr. Wheeler's untiring enthusiasm and industry combined with his 

 biological interest and knowledge made his volunteer contribution an 

 essential part of the success of the trip. 



As the result of our work we brought home about 480 mammals, 

 about 150 each of birds and reptiles, and about 250 plants. In addi- 

 tion there are a few interesting mammals presented by Dr. Zetek, and 

 about 50 mammal skulls and skeletal parts presented by Dr. Clark. 

 On Taboga and Taboguilla we collected numerous samples of the 

 Indian artifacts that are to be found at the aboriginal village sites. 



