b 
NATURAL 
HISTORY 
Vol. 90, A 'o. 12, December 1981 
American Museum of Natural History 
Robert G. Goelet, President 
Thomas D. Nicholson. Director 
I) 
2 Authors 
Alan Ternes, Editor 
Judith Friedman, Managing Editor 
Thomas Page. Designer 
Board of Editors: Carol Breslin, 
Sally Lindsay, Frederick Hartmann. 
Vittorio Maestro, Rebecca B. Finnell 
Florence G. Edelstein, Copy Chief 
Rita Campon, Copy Editor 
E. Kay Danzig, Art Asst. 
Kay Zakariasen, Picture Editor 
Lauren Krenzel, Photo Research 
Douglas J. Preston. Publications Editor 
Annie R.C. Finch, Editorial Asst. 
Lillian Berger 
Editorial Advisers: 
Malcolm Arth, James W. Alz, 
Niles Eldredge, Kenneth L. Franklin, 
E. Craig Morris, Norman Newell, 
Thomas D. Nicholson. Martin Prinz, 
Gerard Piel. Nina Root 
David D. Ryus, Publisher 
Bradford D. Smith, Business Manager 
Frederick E. Grossman, Production Mgr. 
Debra Buck McCord, Asst. Production Mgr. 
Ernestine Weindorf Administrative Asst. 
Elaine M. Callender, Advtg. Production Mgr. 
Cary Castle, Circulation Manager 
Ramon E. Alvarez, Asst. Circulation Mgr. 
Natural History (ISSN 0028-07 1 2), incorporating 
Nature Magazine, is published monthly by 
the American Museum of Natural History, 
Central Park West at 79th Street, New 
York, N.Y. 10024. 
Subscriptions: SI 5.00 a year. In Canada and alt 
other countries: $18.00 a year. Second-class 
postage paid at New York, N. Y. and at 
additional offices. Copyright ©1981 by 
American Museum of Natural History. AH rights 
reserved. No part of this periodical may be 
reproduced without written consent of Natural 
History. The opinions expressed by authors do 
not necessarily reflect the policy of the American 
Museum. Natural History is indexed in Reader's 
Guide to Periodical Literature. 
Advertising Offices: 
Natural History Sales 
488 Madison Avenue 
New York, N.Y. 10022 
President of Sales. Arthur Hill Diedrick 
Advertising Manager, Katherine Jose 
Telephone Numbers: 
Advertising Sales (212) 826-9467 
Museum Information (212) 873-4225 
Subscription Orders (800) 247-5470 
(800) 532-1272 (in Iowa) 
Change of address notices, undeliverable 
copies, orders for subscriptions, 
and other mail items are to be sent to 
Natural History Membership Services 
Box 4300 
Bergenfield, New Jersey 07621 
7 This View of Life Stephen Jay Gould 
Agassiz in the Galapagos 
16 Early Bird Photographers Worth Mathewson and 
Margaret Thompson Mathewson 
Mosquitoes, fleas, and perilous heights failed to daunt two boyhood friends 
at the start of a career in conservation. 
24 Sky Reporter Stephen P. Maran 
Stellar Togetherness 
30 Whales at Table Text and photographs by James W. Greenough 
For a herring dinner, humpback whales perform awesome acrobatics. 
36 Seduction on the Wing John Alcock 
A successful sexual strategy, for some male wasps, at least, is to treat the 
female to a good meal. 
42 Protean Beauty Illustrations and text by Willard K. Martin 
A family of plants disperses its seeds in diverse and beautiful ways. 
50 Survival in Space Bruce Webbon 
The smallest spacecraft is a carefully engineered suit. 
58 Yellowstone Buffalo Winter Photographs by Jeff Foott 
Three feet of snow pose grave problems for a hungry grazer. 
62 Llama Caravans of the Andes Terry L. West 
A 4,000-year-old system of transport and trade is disappearing. 
74 At the American Museum 
Meshie Mungkut 
80 Celestial Events Thomas D. Nicholson 
82 Books in Review Matt Cartmill 
Striger, Striger, Burning Dim 
90 Additional Reading 
92 A Matter of Taste Raymond Sokolov 
Endangered Pisces 
Cover: Edward H. White II, first American astronaut to "walk" in space, spent 
twenty minutes outside the Gemini space capsule in 1965. Photograph from NASA. 
Story on page 50. 
