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New Taxidermy Method Applied to Cassowary Preserves Life Colors

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New Taxidermy Method Applied to Cassowary Preserves Life Colors News Pvblished Monthly by Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago Vol. 6 JANUARY, 1935 No. 1 NEW TAXIDERMY METHOD APPLIED TO CASSOWARY PRESERVES LIFE COLORS By Karl P. Schmidt River, was skinned and preserved. The Museum's taxidermy staff, into an exhibit Assistant Curator of Reptiles brightly colored fleshy wattles on the neck, which really presents the natural appear- A new specimen of the large flightless bird and the horny casque filled with spongy ance of one of these extraordinary birds. called the cassowary was recently placed on bony tissue, were especially difficult to The Walters process consists in an exact exhibition in the systematic collection of preserve in the humid tropical climate. In reproduction in cellulose-acetate of the outer birds in Hall 21. It is of especial interest the dried skin now in the collection, these layers of skin or horn in question, and this because of the use of the so-called "celluloid" structures have lost every vestige of their is made in a mold from the original animal. method in its preparation By the admixture of the which renders its highly proper pigments in the dis- colored naked parts in veri- solved cellulose-acetate, the similitude to life. coloration is exactly repro- Cassowaries differ con- duced, and as the pigment is spicuously from the other distributed in a translucent large flightless birds by the medium, the degree of trans- development of a horny lucence can be controlled to casque on the head, and by represent exactly the con- the presence of brightly dition of the living original. colored wattles and exten- Since, furthermore, the sive areas of brilliantly col- colored cellulose-acetate cast ored bare skin on the neck, is finished when it is taken as well as in various other from the mold, and requires anatomical characters. Their no additional painting, the nearest relatives are the surface detail of the original emus of the Australian is retained without loss. plains; and they are more In the case of the casso- distantly related to the wary in question, molds were African ostriches and South made of the head and neck American rheas. The casso- and of the legs and feet, and waries are forest inhabitants, the cellulose-acetate replicas and share with other forest of these parts were assembled birds the tendency (especially with the original skin of the exemplified by the birds of body. The feathers on parts the New Guinean region) to of the head and neck were brilliant coloration. The transferred to the new cel- specimen now placed on lulose-acetate "skin" by the exhibition belongs to a simple but extremely ingeni- species confined to the island ous process of embedding of Jobi, off the coast of north- them in the wax mold until western New Guinea. their bases were held in the Other specimens of casso- newly applied cellulose- waries in Field Museum were acetate layer which consti- collected by the Cornelius tutes the cast. Subsequently Crane Pacific Expedition in the wax was removed. This 1929, and some are preserved transfers each feather to the in the reference collection. new material in exactly its One of these was a half- The Cassowary original position. obtained at "The of cellu- grown bird, Strange flightless bird of the New Guinean region, exhibited in Hall 21. The head and the application Madang, New Guinea. Its legs are reproduced in cellulose-acetate, representing the first use on a bird of this new taxidermy loid-like materials in mu- flesh was eaten by the party method developed in recent years for work on reptiles and hairless mammals. Staff Taxidermist seum preparation was Leon L. Walters, originator of the process, and Edgar G. Laybourne, prepared the specimen. and crew on Mr. Crane's developed by Mr. Walters yacht, Illyria, and it proved to meet the problem of mak- to be of extremely good flavor, somewhat brilliant coloration and the horny layers ing life-like models of reptiles and am- intermediate in character between fowl and of the casque have split so as to lose their phibians. It has proved equally satisfactory beef. natural translucence. in the production of exhibition specimens of These birds are much hunted by the native It was such difficulties that made the hairless and thin-haired mammals, and is Papuans for food, and there is even a word acquisition of a fresh full-grown specimen now applied for the first time to a large bird. for cassowary, "mooruk," in their "pidgin in the flesh by the Museum an especially Field Museum is indebted to Floyd S. English," all other birds being known notable event in bird taxidermy, since such Young, Superintendent of the Lincoln simply as "pigeons." A full-grown speci- a specimen could be converted by the Park Zoological Gardens, for the gift of men obtained from native hunters by the application of the unique celluloid process the cassowary, which had been in captivity Museum party at Marienberg, on the Sepik invented by Leon L. Walters of Field in the park for several years. CHINESE DINNER SERVICE large bowls, four or five of which are placed bone, bamboo, wood plain or lacquered, A recent addition to the Chinese ethno- on the table at a time, and from which each horn, and silver. Scabbards to hold these, himself from them and also logical exhibits in Hall 32 consists of a guest helps by dipping knives, used by travelers, are ex- with his complete dinner set for eight persons, which chopsticks. hibited. A special silver pair of chopsticks, It is a fact that nations includes one hundred and fifty pieces. The noteworthy most connected by a chain, are symbolical, being exhibit shows all the utensils used by the of Asia still eat with their fingers, and the used by a bride and groom on their wedding Chinese in taking their meals at home or Chinese were the first who introduced good day. giving a formal dinner party. Each person table manners by the invention and use of is provided with a teacup, a rice bowl, a chopsticks. Albino birds and mammals of many soup bowl, and a small dish of condiments. A wide variety of chopsticks is displayed, species constitute a special exhibit in the The heavy courses are served in various made of various materials such as ivory, Department of Zoology. Page 2 FIELD MUSEUM NEWS January, 19S5 Field Museum of Natural History NORTH AMERICAN BIRD SERIES in Iraq were the Kurds, fierce-looking moun- tain of whom 750 submitted to Founded by Marshall Field. 1893 IN HALL 21 COMPLETED tribesmen, the anthropologists' calipers and cameras, Roosevelt Road and Lake Michigan, Chicago With the installation recently of a new and the Yezidis, fanatical devil worshipers, exhibit of cuckoos, parrots, whip-poor-wills, 300 of whom cooperated by acting as scien- THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES hummingbirds, swifts, kingfishers, and their tific specimens. Forty separate measure- Sewell L. Avery William H. Mitchell relatives, the collection of North John Borden Frederick H. Rawson systematic ments and observations were made on each American birds in Hall 21 has been com- WiLUAM J. Chalmers George A. Richardson individual. Living in tents as guests of Joseph N. Field Fred W. Sargent pleted. The hall now has on display every C. Sihms Sheikh Agil, great desert chieftain of the Marshall Field Stephen important species of bird found in North Stanley Field James Simpson Shammar Beduins, the members of the America north of the Rio Grande River— Ernest R. Graham Solomon A. Smith expedition were enabled to measure 450 Albert W. Harris Albert A. Spragub an of more than 700 species, aggregate members of his tribe. Samuel Insull, Jr. Silas H. Strawn according to Rudyerd Boulton, Assistant Cyrus H. McCormick Leslie Wheeler The expedition made an archaeological Curator of Birds. Preparation of the series John P. Wilson survey of the North Arabian Desert, crossing has been under for the OFFICERS way steadily past from Bagdad to Trans-Jordan Palestine and nine years. Mounting of the birds has Stanley Field PresiderU Syria, and thence returning to Iraq. During Albert A. Sprague First Vice-President practically all been the work of one man. this trip a large number of prehistoric fiint Jambs Simpson Second Vice-Prendent Staff Taxidermist Ashley Hine, and it is Albert W. Harris Third Vice-President implements testifying to the existence of the only comprehensive collection of its kind Stephen C. Simms Director and Secretary early man in this area were collected. in the can thus be A. Smith. .Treasurer and Assistant country which designated Solomon Secretary After five months in these areas, the as a "one-man show." expedition proceeded to Persia, where The last addition contains forty-four FIELD MUSEUM NEWS anthropological studies were made of some specimens, including a number of rare and Stephen C. Simms, Director of the Museum Editor 250 individuals. After completing its work unusual birds. Among them is the extinct CONTRIBUTING EDITORS in that country, the expedition entered the Carolina paroquet which formerly was Paul S. Martin Acting Curator of Anthropology U. S. S. R. at Baku, and traveled through found at times in Illinois; the ruby-throated B. E. Dahlgren Curator of Botany the Caucasus to Kiev, Moscow and Lenin- Henry W. Nichols . Curator of Geology hummingbird which is still seen in Chicago, grad. In the mountains of the Caucasus Wilfred H. Osgood Curator of Zoology and ten of its relatives of the far southwest; H. B. Harte Editor some 200 men and women were studied. Managing and the is not a night hawk (which really The Mr. Field was but a that expedition, reports, hawk, whip-poor-will) frequently full and Field Museum is of the greatly assisted by the cooperation open every day year during hovers over buildings in Chicago in summer.
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