Science: Specimen

Far afield, natural-historical collectors last week reported captures. From East Africa, Dr. William M. Mann in command of the Smithsonian-Chrysler expedition to restock the National Zoo at Washington (TIME, Mar. 8), wrote that he had in custody a dik-dik—pigmy antelope, standing but 15 inches high. Also, a pigmy mouse—bumble-bee size. From Brazil, George K. Cherrie in command of the Field Museum's expedition (which includes Mrs. Marshall Field, Mrs. Grace Thompson Seton—TIME, July 5) announced that a wolf-spider had been taken, so enormous that it could capture and devour small birds. The hunters, of whom Mrs. Field was not least active and able, had also taken glass snakes (lizards with rudimentary feet); millipedes; and a rare species of mouse opossum, tiny marsupial (pouched mammal) only 5 in. long when mature.