At the American Museum 
would guarantee delivery of a fully 
frozen fish, and a rotten coelacanth 
is far worse than no coelacanth at 
all. 
“It was back to square one,” says 
Dingerkus. “Here we had this frozen 
fish of great scientific value, and no 
way to get it.” After several more 
weeks of haggling, he finally con- 
vinced the airline to transport the fish 
for its usual shipping costs — about 
$5,000. The fish will be packed in 
120 pounds of dry ice and crated. 
If all goes well, it might be in the 
Museum’s freezer next month, sharing 
quarters with a frozen rhinoceros, a 
pile of frozen sharks, and other frozen 
animals. 
The thawing of the coelacanth, Din- 
gerkus explained, will be a major sci- 
entific event. “A fair number of sci- 
entists will be flying in from different 
parts of the country to work on the 
fish. As it thaws from the outside, 
we will begin dissecting when it is 
semifrozen, semisquishy. It is more 
critical to get certain things out fast. 
Everyone will get a piece.” 
But with shipping difficulties con- 
tinuing, Dingerkus thinks this may all 
be wishful thinking. “I’ll only believe 
and dispels many of the fears and prej- 
udices associated with growing old. Spon- 
r sored by the Education Department, the 
free film will be shown on Sunday, May 
3, at 2:00 p.m. in the Auditorium. 
M i 
African Diaspora 
African Diaspora: Caribbean Expres- 
sion, a series of films on African traditions 
that were brought to the New World, 
will be shown on two Wednesday eve- 
nings. May 20 and 27, at 7:00 p.m. in 
the Auditorium. The series, presented by 
the Education Department, will explore, 
in particular, African religious systems 
found in the New World, such as the con- 
domble of Brazil and the voodoo of Haiti. 
ft I 
Traditional Voices 
Versions of the Traditional, a series 
of poetry readings and songs sponsored 
by the Education Department and the 
Touchstone Center, includes two free pro- 
grams in May. The first, on May 6, will 
present readings of the Nuer of Ethiopia; 
the second, on May 20, will be on Eskimo 
poetry. 
we’ve got it when I see it sitting in 
our freezer.” 
If the fish ever arrives, it will be 
the Museum’s third coelacanth. In 
1961, the first coelacanth sent to 
North America arrived at the Mu- 
seum in a large coffin. The local Com- 
oros fishermen had carried it to a hos- 
pital, where one of the surgeons 
recognized it and emptied his hospital 
of Formalin (a solution similar to em- 
balming fluid) to preserve it. 
The fish was finally dissected by 
a team of Museum scientists in 1972. 
To everyone’s astonishment, out 
popped five fully-formed young, im- 
mediately settling the question of 
whether the coelacanth lays eggs or 
bears live offspring. The American 
Museum sent one of the young to the 
Paris Museum of Natural History and 
received an adult male in return, thus 
rounding out the collection. 
This pregnant female was, not sur- 
prisingly, the heaviest coelacanth ever 
caught. The frozen fish that the Mu- 
seum is trying to acquire is almost 
as heavy and thus may also be preg- 
nant. Says Dingerkus, “We’re secretly 
keeping our fingers crossed.” 
Douglas J. Preston 
From Russia with Lme 
On Sunday, May 10, the graduating 
class of the High School of the Perform- 
ing Arts will present Panorama of Dance, 
featuring a variety of dance forms from 
Russian classics to contemporary Ameri- 
can. The free dance concert, presented 
by the Education Department, will be 
given in the Auditorium at 2:00 P.M. 
Museum Highlights 
Every day in the Museum, free tours 
of selected exhibition halls are available 
for individuals, families, and groups of 
up to twenty people (although not for 
school or day-care groups). Check in at 
any Information Desk when you visit to 
find out about tours available on that 
day. For more information on personal- 
ized group tours, including some for non- 
English-speaking visitors, contact the Vol- 
unteer Office at (212) 873-1300, ext. 538. 
For more information about programs, 
call the appropriate department: Mem- 
bership Office (212) 873-1327; Education 
Department (212) 873-7507; Planetarium 
(212) 873-1300, ext. 389. 
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