Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-02-25

ing the summer and even after he again resumed his official duties at Washing ton with the noted big game hunters and naturalists who have devoted years of study to Central Africa and its fauna. Men who have spent any length of time in that part of Africa which he intends visiting were welcome visitors at Saga more Hill, and from these he gained valuable information. This was the Hosue, and among those whom he en- tertained there were Bishop Hartzell who has spent many years as missionary bishop of tine Methodist Episcopal church in Africa, and Sir Harry II. Johnston, the noted English naturalist and author, who has had twenty-five years experience in Central Africa and was the discoverer of the Okapi. Sir Harry, after his visit to the president, said he was surprised to find MT. Roose- welt so well informed on Africa and its fauna and declared that the president was able to tell him things about it of which he had no knowledge. Mum erous other persons who have been to Uganda and British East Africa the president has consulted and, as a result, he has gathered store of information not to be obtained from books.
 It was to Secretary Walcott of the Smithsonian Institution, that MT. Roos- cvelt first unfolded the tentative plans for his African trip. In letter to the secretary he made known his project of going. after his term of office expired, to Africa for the purpose of hunting and travelling in British and German East Africa, crossing Uganda and work ing down the Nile with side trips after animals and birds. He declared then that he is "not in the least a game buteher,'' saying: "I like to do a certain amount of hunting, but my real and main interest is the interest of 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 ists and taxidermists 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 to 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 for the naturalists and their kit and the curing and transport of the spec imens for the museum. All he desired to keep would be few personal tro- phies 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 president s proposition, Secretary Walcott immedi- ately set to work selecting men to form the party. He decided that three men should form the Smithsonian Institu- tion s portion of the party. The neces- sary funds for the Smithsonian 's share of the expense were secured from source which has not been revealed. It is stated that no part of these funds was derived from any government ap- propriation or the income of tho Smith sonian Institute. That it was advanced by some one interested in science there is no doubt, and there have been re- ports that it was donated by Mir An drew Carnegie.
 In selecting the four men. to accom- pany MT. Roosevelt the best men in the scores of naturalists of the country were selected. It was decided that Major Edgar A. Mearns of the Medical Corps of the United States army, a re- tired officer who has had twenty-five years experience as a doctor in the army, should have charge of the Smith sonian portion of the party. His pro fessional services as a physician to the expedition will be of great value, not to speak of his ability as well.known naturalist and collector of natural his tory specimens. As an ornithologist, Major Mearns probably is one of the highest authorities, having made a spe- eialty of bird study for many years. The major was one of the founders of the American 0rnithologists Union and has written widely on bird sub jects. He is a member of the Linnaean Society of Natural History of New York, of the National Geographical Society, of the Biological Society of Washington, of the American Associa- tion for the Advancement of Science and patron of the American Museum of Natural History of New York. He is ffty-three years of age.
 As field naturalist, MT. ]. Loring Alden lis probably the most efficient and experienced man in the party. He has made a speciality of the smaller mammals and it is said of him that, where other traps and baits fail, be can devise trap and select bait that will lure any of tha am maller wild craa