The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1912-02-22
.D0|NGs Of A FROG.
New Group in New York National
History Museum. /.
Work Represents About Two Years
Study and Preparation by Mary
Cynthia DIckerson-Everythino
10 Shown, Even Cracking.

New York.-The last word In frog
sociology is the way Prof. Bashford
Dean describes the new bullfrog group
which has just been installed in the
east tower of the second floor Of the
American museum of natural history.
The bullfrog. group represents y July
scene typical of southern New Eng
land and is unique inasmuch as 1t is
the first group with descriptive labels
to be placed on view in a public mu-
scum showing the general biology Of
the frog. Its swimming. croaking. Its
food habits in connection with small
mammals, snakes and fish and also the
metamorphosis from a tadpole.
The bullfrog group represents about
two years of study and preparation by
Mary Cynthia Dickerson. of the mu.
scum staff. and is novel in that it has
a transparent porous background
curved in panoramic fashion and made
Of fine and durable linen. The back.
ground was painted by Hobart Mich
OILS and Albert Operti and is in trans
parent colors. the high lights on the
front, the shadows on the back In an
effort to obtain a realistic woodland
scene with shifting light in and
through 1t as in nature.
The light at the back of the canvas
has been kept at the minimum and
balanced or the canvas in front by q
weak indirect light, while q relative.
ly strong direct light has been focused
on the foreground as If from the west
ern sky. To help the perspective in a
minor degree. the arranger OF the
group has resorted to various small
devices. For instance. the foreground
slopes upward to meet the back
ground; tall shrubs in the front are
made to lead into others less tall far
ther back, while the large leaf plants
such as alder and birch have been
placed In the immediate foreground.
The story of the group tells itself
at sight. One frog is moulting its
skin in typical frog fashion; a second
Is dashing from the water to catch q
white footed mouse descending from
a sparrow's nest; another Is croaking
and a fourth is demonstrating how
large a mouthful Of young water
snakes a bullfrog can master. A
smaller bullfrog. giving his attention
to a chickadee just alighted on a birch
branch above his head, and %oblivious
OF danger, Is about to fall a prey to q
b~lacksnake. A swimming frog is send.
ing up a stream OF bubbles from her
nostrils, showing that the lungs are
emptied Of air as the skln comes into
play for breathing.
In addition to the buIlfrog group
there have been put on view recently
a Monitor group and various smaller
exhibits. The modelling OF these
groups In form life; all work on both
form and color is done from the living
animal, the New York geological park
and the New York aquarium having
lent many living specimens for study
News has been received OF the
Congo expedition Of the museum,
which is being conducted in Africa I'm.
del the leadership OF Herbert Lang.
The expedition has been unusually
successful among the Mangbetu.
The collection In anthropology now
consists of some 1.4O0 specimens, &C.
cording to MIR. Lang, and is unique not
only on account Of its numbers, but
especially by reason Of the selection
that has been made throughout the
territory Inhabited by the Mangbetu
n other tribes. The expedition has
travelled with a caravan of 1870 men
and in the report 2,4OO mammals are
listed. 1900 reptiles and 1850 birds
Specimens include a white rhtnoceros
two elephants, a black rhinoceros and
two buffaloes.