Museums

New Columbian Bird Species

Adult and juvenile Antioquia Brush-Finches. Painted by Robin Restall According to Donegan, T. M. 2007b. “A new species of brush finch (Emberizidae: Atlapetes) from the northern Central Andes of Colombia.” Bulletin British Ornithological Club 127: 255-268, there is a new species of Atlapetes based on the discovery of 3 old skins, one each at three different Colombian collections, previously labeled as A. schistaceus from remnant forest patches in the n. Central Andes of Colombia. Searches by Donegan and others at and near the type locality have not revealed any additional specimens. Only one of the three has a date (1971), [...]

Search for Thylacines: “A Triumph of Hope…”

The Science Show has published a transcript of their recently broadcast program on “Tasmanian Tigers.” The program description details what is covered: “Catherine Medlock describes the Tasmanian Museum’s collection of young Thylacine, or Tasmanian Tigers. The museum has five of the nine specimens in existence. They were extinct on the mainland 5,000 years ago and were only found in Tasmania until more recent times despite reports that they are sighted from time to time. Nevertheless, there is no evidence they persist. The last Thylacine died in the Tasmanian zoo in 1936.” As their interview concludes, Catherine Medlock, Curator of Vertebrate [...]

Yeti At McGill

The Year of the Yeti continues. Amazingly, my last Friday introduction of the classic film The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas and the new hardbound release of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Abominable Snowmen: Legend Come to Life at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City, is being mirrored (skeptically) with something quite similar occurring tomorrow in Quebec. At McGill University, in Montreal, Quebec, there will be a screening of the same film, preceded by an intriguing lecture. Here’s the announcement from McGill: The Redpath’s ever-popular Freaky Fridays series hits the New Year running, or at least ambling with a [...]

Year of the Yeti Begins Now!

This Friday will be the official launch of the new publication of the reasonably-priced hardback edition of Ivan T. Sanderson’s classic book, Abominable Snowmen: Legend Come to Life, from Cosimo Classics. This new printing contains a new preface I’ve written, and I will have a few copies, hot off the press, literally, for sale at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City. I also will have copies of two other books I’ve written that contain large sections about the Yeti: Tom Slick: True Life Encounters in Cryptozoology and The Field Guide to Bigfoot and Other Mystery Primates Worldwide [...]