Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-22

expired, to Africa for the purpose of
hunting and travelling in British and
German East Africa, crossing Uganda
and working down the Nile with side
trips after animals and birds He de-
clared then that he is mot in the least
game butcher" saying: Il like to do
a certain amount of hunting, but my
real and main interest is the interest
of a faunal naturalist"
In his letter he expressed the opinion
that this trip opened the best chance
for the United States National Museum
to get fine collection, not only of the
big game beasts, but of the smaller
mammals and birds of Africa, and
ought not to be neglected.
= The President offered to take with
him several professional field natural
lists and taXdermists who should pre-
pare and send back the specimens he is
to collect, the collection to go to the
National Museum. The President said
that as an eX-President he should feel
that that institution is the museum 80
which his collection should go. While
he would pay the expenses of himself
and his son. he felt that he had not the
means that would enable him to pay
the curing and transport of the speci-
mems for the museum. All he desired
to keep would be a few personal
trophies of little scientific value which
for some reason he might like to keep
He said the actual hunting of big game
he would want to do himself or have
his son do.
Seeing the value of the Presidents
proposition Secretary Walcott immedi-
ately set to work selecting men to form
the party. He decided that three men
should form the Smithsonian Institu-
TONS portion of the party. the neces-
sary funds for the SmithSOnian'S share
of the expense We're secured from a
source which has not been revealed. 1t
is stated that no part of these funds
was derived from any government APP
preparation or the income of the
Smithsonian Institution. That it was
advanced by some one Interested in
science there is no doubt, and there
have been reports that it was donated
by Mr.. Andrew Carnegie.
In selecting the four men to accom-
pany Mr.. Roosevelt the best men in the
scores of naturalists OF the country
were selected. 1t was decided that
Major Edgar A. MearnS Of the Medical
Corps of the United States Army, i
retired officer who has had twenty-five
years experience as a doctor IN the
Army should have charge of the
Smithsonian portion of the party. His
professional services as physician to
the expedition undoubtedly will be OF
the greatest value, not to speak OF his
ability as a Well-known naturalist and
collector OF natural history specimens.
AS an ornithologist, Major Mearna
probably is one of the highest authOrl-
ties. having made a specially of bird
study for many years. The major was
one OF the founders of the American
Ornithologists' Union and has written
widely on bird subjects. He is
member of the Linnaean Society Of
Natural History OF New York, OF the
National Geographical Society, of the
Biological Society of Washington, oil
the American Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science and a patron OF
the American Museum of Natural His
tory of New York He is fifty-thrcc
years of age.
As a field naturalist, Mr.. }. Lorlns
Alden is probably the most efficient
ard experienced man in the party lie
has made a specially of the smaller
mammals and it is said of him that,
where other traps and bait fail, he can
devise a trap and select bait that
will lure any of the smaller wild crea-
lures into captivity. His training com
rriscs service in the biological survey
OF the United States Department of
Agriculture and in the New York Zoo
logical Gardens in Bronx Park, New
York City, as well as on numerous col
lecting trips through British America,
Mexico and the United States. He is
about tnirty-eight years old, of ardent
temperament, and intensely energetic.
In August, September and October,
1895, he made the highest record for
travelling collector, having sent to the
United States National Museum 800
well prepared specimens of small
mammals in the three months journey
from London; through Sweden, Ger
many. switzerland and Belgium. His
home is in Cwego, n. Y.
OF the party the only one who has
lad previous experience in that sec
ton of Africa through which the eX-
petition will journey is Mr.. Edmund
Heller. lie was associated Will Ilo-
fessor Carl f.. Akeley and Mr.. Il. ID.
G.. Eliot in the expedition of the Field
Columbian Museum of Chicago, which
in 1900, visited the same portions OF Al
RIGA that the Roosevelt expedition will
cover Mr. Heller is graduate OF
stanford University of California and
is a thoroughly trained naturalist,
whose special work with this eNpedi-
ton will be the preparation and pre-
scrvaticl of the specimens of large all
imals Having gone over the ground
once he is valuable asset to the eNpe-
Giton In order that he might accom-
pany Mr. Roosevelt his release from the
rosition of assistant curator of the
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology of the
University of California was secured
Nv the Smithsonian Institution. Mr..
Heller had had large experience in AMI
nal collecting in Alaska, British CO.
lumbia, United States. Mexico, Central
America and South America. In 1888
he made n collection trip Of eleven
months to Galapagos Islands, star
ting FROM San Francisco. He is an en-
thusiastic collector as well as native
~ equipped naturalist OF numerous
scientific papers on mammals, birds,