Bill Mann Reminisces 
Ant Hill Odyssey. By William M. 
Mann. Boston. 1948. Little, Brown and 
Company. 338 pages. Illustrated. $3.50. 
One of our favorite people is Bill 
Mann, Director of the National Zoolog¬ 
ical Park, so, perhaps, we should imme¬ 
diately disqualify ourself as a reviewer of 
his autobiography. This we refuse to do 
because we are certain that every reader 
will enjoy this book as much as we have 
done, and will follow his early roamings 
over the face of the earth with as much 
fascination and secret envy. Bill Mann 
seemed destined so to roam, and he never 
failed to egg his destiny on; never over¬ 
looked an opportunity. 
Bill Mann’s interest in Nature was as 
inborn as it is in most hoys, but where 
the majority set it aside as they grow 
older, his interest only became more in¬ 
tensified. He started his roaming under 
the impression that he had done some¬ 
thing criminal when he brought in a herd 
of cows late for milking, so departed his 
Helena, Montana, home and turned up as 
an all-around, although youthful, hand 
on the ranch of Ed Skinner. Ed finally 
penetrated to the facts of Willy Mann’s 
origin and restored him to his mother. 
Then came a period of Staunton Military 
Academy, punctuated by as much time as 
could be devoted to Nature, including 
several summer weeks cleaning cages at 
the National Zoo, which later he was to 
head. 
Wherever Bill Mann went he was col¬ 
lecting, insects in general and ants in 
particular these last being his first and 
enduring love. From a period of ranching 
-and collecting-in Texas-he gravitated 
to Washington State College, then to 
Stanford and, finally, to Harvard. Trips 
afield took him to Brazil, Haiti, the Holy 
Land with the late John C. Phillips, to 
Fiji, and other far places followed, with 
ill ever avidly collecting for himself and 
others. The informal stories of his experi- 
ences carry the reader along from place 
o place as a vicarious member of his 
party, or as his companion. 
These were years rich in adventure and 
m accomplishment and Bill Mann tells 
of them in a free and friendly style that 
is characteristic of the man. And his ant 
hill odyssey ends when he decides to take 
an examination “and commence the high¬ 
ly paid, carefree life of a government em¬ 
ployee.” Thus this book is only the first 
volume, we certainly hope, of the biogra¬ 
phy of William M. Mann. He has not 
stopped roaming about the world, and his 
years as Director of the National Zoo 
ave been as full, as varied and as fasci¬ 
nating as his earlier ant hill explorations. 
Ant Hill Odyssey leaves the reader eager 
or the rest of the story, and thankful for 
t le first installment. Exploring with Bill 
Mann is a virulently contagious disease, 
it° RWW miSS the ° PP ° rtUnity t0 contract 
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Koaa^ivv€ 
GULLIVER AMONG THE ANTS .... Dr. 
William E. Mann, an entomologist connected with 
the National Zoological Park, has spent a lifetime 
in study of tropical insect life, but custom has in no 
way staled his excitement over the adventures of sci¬ 
ence. Since he has also an unquenchable zest for 
travel and the odd places of the world, his Ant Hill 
Odyssey ($ 3 . 50 ), which combines a chronicle of 
his journeyings along with fascinating discussions of 
insect and animal life—ants are his special passion— 
is excellent reading. It is lively, well written, humor¬ 
ous, and communicates the excitement of the author 
in his quest for scientific knowledge. 
CPai> Afew>s 
