D.-Addressed packages received by the Smithsonian Institution, &c.—Continued. It is gratifying to be able to state that the interest in the subject of natural history, which received so material a check in 1861, and showed symptoms of revival in 1862, has continued to manifest itself still more strongly during the year 1863. No better indication of this could be found than in the increase in the number of collections received by the Institution, which amounted to 264 distinct donations in 1863, while, in 1862, there were but 124. Among the collections received have been many specimens of great interest; some, the results of special explorations under the auspices of the Institution for developing the natural history of portions of this continent; others, the spontaneous offerings of correspondents; and others, again, exchanges received in return for donations of specimens on the part of the Institution. No additions have been made by purchase, the Institution not having funds at its command for this purpose. It has, nevertheless, been found that a given amount of money can be better applied in meeting the expenses of explorations in particular regions than in buying collections already made. The results thus obtained are usually more varied in their character, and more important, from having been accomplished under definite instructions, and with special reference to the acquisition of facts and information additional to that which would be furnished by the specimens themselves. It is not merely specimens of natural history that are secured in the course of the several explorations, but information is obtained respecting the habits of animals, the ethnological peculiarities of human races, the meteorology, the physical geography, the geology of the country, &c. EXPLORATIONS. Among the explorations wholly or partially carried on under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution, and furnishing results of more or less interest, may be mentioned the following: Explorations by Mr. Kennicott.-A brief mention was made in the last report of the return of Mr. Kennicott, late in 1862, after an absence of nearly four years in the north, his movements while there having previously been indi No. of packages. cated in the reports of 1859, 1860, and 1861. By the arrival of all his collections, and those of gentlemen connected with the Hudson's Bay Company, who have so liberally aided him and the Institution in the effort to develop a knowledge of the natural and physical history of the north, we are now enabled better to realize the magnitude of the results of these operations. The collections received in 1863 (which include some which should have arrived in the end of 1862) filled forty boxes and packages, many of them of large size, and weighing, in the aggregate, about 3,000 pounds. They embraced thousands of kins of birds and mammals, eggs of nearly all the birds nesting in the north, numerous skulls and skeletons of animals, fishes in alcohol and preserved dry, insects, fossils, plants, &c. Not in any way inferior in interest and importance to the natural history collections were those relating to the ethnological peculiarities of the Esquimaux and different tribes of Indians inhabiting the Arctic regions. It is believed that no such series is elsewhere to be found of the dresses, weapons, implements, utensils, instruments of war and of the chase, &c., &c., of the aborigines of Northern America. The cataloguing and labelling of the specimens last received is now nearly completed, and Mr. Kennicott will then proceed to make a detailed report of the scientific results of his operations, as well as those of the various gentlemen of the Hudson's Bay service who co-operated in the work. The materials at his command will serve to fix with precision the relationships of the arctic animals to those of more southern regions, their geographical distribution, their habits and manners, and other particulars of interest, and to extend very largely the admirable records presented by Sir John Richardson relative to arctic zoology. The Institution has already acknowledged, in many ways, its indebtedness to the Hudson's Bay Company, as well as to its officers, for their numerous favors the company itself, through its secretary, Mr. Thos. Fraser, of London; the governors, Sir George Simpson and Mr. Dallas; Mr. E. M. Hopkins, the secretary at Montreal; the chief factors, Governor Wm. McTavish, Mr. George Barnston, Mr. John McKenzie, Mr. J. A. Grahame, Mr. Wm. Sinclair; the chief traders, Mr. B. R. Ross, Mr. W. L. Hardisty, Mr. R. Campbell, Mr. Jas. Lockhart, and others, together with Mr. R. W. MacFarlane, Mr. L. Clarke, Mr. S. Jones, Mr. J. S. Onion, the Rev. W. W. Kirkby, Messrs. Andrew and James Flett, Mr. C. P. Gaudet, Mr. John Reid, Mr. Harriot, and others—all have lent their aid towards the accomplishment of the work-every possible facility was given to Mr. Kennicott, every privilege granted within the rules of the company. At all the posts he was an honored guest, and he and his collections and outfit were transported from point to point in the company's boats and sledges without charge. In addition to collections from the region traversed by Mr. Kennicott in his four years' exploration, some valuable specimens have been received from other points of British North America. Conspicuous among these is a series of birds and eggs from Rigolette, in Labrador, gathered by Mr. Henry Conolly, of the Hudson's Bay Company's service, and brought to Boston, without charge, by Mr. J. W. Dodge. This collection embraced specimens of the rare Labrador falcon, and others of much interest. A collection of birds and other objects of natural history, made at Moose Factory, for the Institution, by Mr. John McKenzie, has reached London by ship from Hudson's Bay, and may shortly be expected in Washington. Exploration of Western Mexico by Mr. Xantus.-In my last report I mentioned that Mr. John Xantus, so long and so well known in connexion with explorations about Fort Riley, Kansas, Fort Tejon, California, and Cape St. Lucas, was about proceeding to a new field of operations. He left New York on the 11th of December, 1862, for Manzanillo, Mexico, the Panama Railroad Company and the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, with that liberality they have so steadily exhibited in their transactions with the Institution, having given free passage over their respective routes to himself and his outfit. Mr. Xantus arrived at Manzanillo early in January, 1863, and making this and Colima his principal points of departure, extended his explorations in various directions, especially among the mountain regions. He is still occupied in his labors, the field being very extensive and of varied interest. Many of his collections have already been received, and found to contain numerous species of birds, reptiles, fishes, shells, &c., new to science, while others throw much light on the geographical distribution of the plants and animals of Mexico and Central America. Explorations in Costa Rica. For some time past much attention has been directed by naturalists toward the natural history of Costa Rica, a region which, from its peculiar physical conformation, indicated a fauna quite different from that of the adjacent states. The birds were particularly sought after owing to the many remarkable forms, brought to light by travellers. It was, therefore, with no little gratification that a collection of birds, made by Dr. A. Von Frantzius, an eminent naturalist and physician, resident in Costa Rica, aided by the Hon. C. N. Riotte, United States minister, and Mr. J. Carniol, was received a few months ago at the Institution. A careful examination of these specimens proved that the peculiar interest of the fauna had not been overestimated, a large proportion of the species being either new, or but recently described. Additional collections, shortly expected from Dr. Von Frantzius, will, it is hoped, increase still more our knowledge of the species. Miscellaneous explorations in Mexico.-For several years past a highly valued meteorological correspondent of the Institution, Dr. Charles Sartorius, of Mirador, has made contributions of specimens of the natural history of his vicinity. During the year several collections were received from him of much interest and importance, especially certain species of Mexican deer, recently described, and but little known. As Dr. Sartorius, aided by his son, Mr. Florentin Sartorius, is now engaged in preparing an account of the animals of eastern Mexico, with special reference to their habits, &c., it is a source of gratification to us to have it in our power to aid him by identifying the species from his specimens, which his remoteness from large collections and libraries prevents him from doing for himself. Prof. F. Sumichrast, of Orizaba, has also made valuable contributions of birds and mammals of Mexico, and proposes to renew these whenever the condition of the internal affairs of Mexico will allow of the transmission of his collections. Dr. G. Berendt, of Tabasco, is also occupied in a similar manner in the interest of science and of the Institution. Explorations in Guatemala and the west coast of Central America.—Mr. Osbert Salvin, an eminent English ornithologist, who has spent many years in the exploration of Guatemala, has transmitted to the Institution a second collection of the birds of that region. As these contain specimens of most of his new species, and all have been carefully compared, as far as practicable, with the types, his series of birds is of especial value, as furnishing standards for the identification of other collections. Additional collections of much interest continue to be sent to the Institution by Captain J. M. Dow, of the Panama Railroad Company, so frequently mentioned in my previous reports. Certain rare birds and fishes collected by him are especially noteworthy. Trinidad.-A collection of nearly fifty species of birds of Trinidad was presented by Mr. Galody, United States consul at Antigua, embracing many species not formerly in possession of the Institution. Jamaica.—Mr. W. T. March, from whom the Institution has already received extensive collections in Jamaican zoology, has again made an important contri bution of an extensive series of birds' nests and eggs, the materials upon which he based a memoir on the birds of Jamaica, transmitted to the Institution, to be published by the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, and printed in its proceedings for November, 1863. Cuba.-Additional collections were received during the year from Mr. Charles Wright and Professor F. Poey, embracing new and rare species of birds, shells, reptiles, and fishes. Some collections, transmitted by Dr. J. Gundlach, have not yet reached us. Ecuador.-The Hon. C. R. Buckalew, now United States senator, while United States minister, resident at Ecuador, made quite an extensive collection of the birds of that country, which he has lately presented to the Institution. Nearly all of the species thus obtained were new to the cabinet. No collections of magnitude, from regions or localities other than American, have been received during the year. It is not the intention or expectation of the Institution to make general collections of the natural history of the globe, neither its space nor available funds warranting so broad a field of operations. By limiting its labor to America, a hope may be entertained of possessing, in time, a complete series of the animals of the continent. Exotic collections, as far as they are spontaneously offered, and especially such as are necessary to illustrate the characters of American species, are always acceptable, and the specimens gathered by the government exploring expeditions, of which the Smithsonian Institution is the custodian, will always be carefully preserved; but any especial efforts towards the increase of the museum may advantageously be confined, as a general policy, to the New World. The most important additions, it will be readily scen, relate to the class of birds. Desirous of extending the observations upon the birds of North America, as published in the ninth volume of the Pacific railroad report, a circular was issued by the Institution, which has been distributed by the State Department to the consular and diplomatic officers of the United States in the foreign portions of America, asking aid in completing the collection of birds; and important additions are expected from the request thus extended. The materials received will be used, in connexion with those already in possession of the Institution, in the preparation of catalogues and monographs relative to American ornithology. Among the specimens received by the Institution during the year should especially be mentioned the great Ainsa or Tucson meteorite. This meteorite was first discovered by the Jesuit missionaries in Sonora, by whom it was considered a great curiosity, exciting much speculation as to its origin. In 1735 the "Gran Capitan de las Provincias del Occidente, Don Juan Baptista Anza, was induced to visit the ærolite," and found it at a place called "Los Muchaches," in the Sierra Madre, and, struck with its appearance, undertook to transport it to San Blas, then the nearest port of entry, with the view of carrying it to Spain. With this object it was brought as far as the Presidio, near Tucson, in Arizona, and left there on account of the difficulty of carrying it any further. After the withdrawal of the Spanish garrison it was taken into the town of Tucson, set up vertically, and used as a kind of public anvil, of which it bears marks at the present time. In this condition it was seen and reported upon by various travellers; among others it was visited by John R. Bartlett, July 18, 1852, at the time Commissioner of the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey. Mr. Bartlett gives a short account of it, (Personal Narrative, volume II, p. 297,) accompanied by a figure, (the lower one on the plate,) where it is represented as resting upon two legs, owing to the lower part of the ring, of which it consists, being buried in the ground. His estimate of six hundred pounds as its weight falls far within the actual amount. |