* DRAFT FOR LETTER TO MIC THORNTON, BukaAru, Belgian Congo 
Mr. Mark Evans, local radio and TV commentator, spoke most 
enthusiastically of your services to a party of which he was a 
member during a three weeks tour of the Belgian Congo. Therefore 
we write you for advice and estimates regarding an expedition of 
somewhat longer duration in which the Snithsonian Institution is 
interested. 
The party of five people from the States, consisting of the 
sponsor of the expedition and his wife, two invertebrate aoologists 
representing the Smithsonian, and a physician-photographer, expects 
to assemble in Leopoldville on or about the middle of April, to re- 
main in the Congo for a month, or at most forty-five days, A hunter- 
guide like yourself would be needed for the National Parks part of 
the trip as it is hoped some effective motion pictures of the 
characteristic larger, African animals can be taken there. No mem- 
ber of the party is interested in game hunting or shooting birds. 
The studies to be made in the field are to be of shrimps and crabs 
and the smaller animal life of the area, much of which can be secured 
with native help especially at their local fisheries; also to be 
collected are mites and ticks living on small vertebrates, to catch 
the latter live traps will be brought along; bats and some birds 
also will have to be taken or shot to see what they carry in the 
way of external parasites. It is anticipated that the Smithsonian 
can secure the necessary permits for taking the specimens desired, 
including plants tdiich are hosts to mites, too, Wiere would need 
to be an intelligent assistant, native or otherwise, to help the 
