f 
Pile 
UNITED STATES 
NAVAL MEDICAL RESEARCH UNIT No. 3 
c/o AMERICAN EMBASSY 
CAIRO, EGYPT 
25 Oc^ober 1955 
Dr. W, L. Schmidt 
Head Curator 
Department of Zoology 
Smithsonian Institution 
U.S. National fiiiseum 
y,'ashington 25, D.C. 
Dear Dr. Schmidt: 
This is a very rapid reply to your letter of 20 October that has 
just arrived. The caption on the NG pictiore v/as over editorialized. 
The pots are generally used as coffee carafes (and will lose their 
earthy taste if filled with fresh water over a couple of weeks period) 
generally, but in really arid places are also used as ab/lution jars, 
especially where away from a mosque at prayer time. 
I trust your film will be successful and am looking forward to 
seeing you and your pictures sometime next year. 
we enjoyed Setzer's short visit here. The health and sanitation 
people in Libya are giving him excellent help and we have sent a fine 
assistant to help him. He is disturbed because we could not forward 
his unlicensed guns through customs but the Captain is trying to ge 
them to him. They should never have been brought here in the 
place. Anyway, the important mammal work in this area is done 
traps and spades and the Air Force and other people shoijld be glad 
to loan him guns and ammunition till his oyoi comes along, so he should 
not make out too badly. 
dth best regards. 
Harry Hoogstreal, Head 
Department of Medical Zoology 
