1850 TO 1865 299 



Lt. Couch U. S. A. left in January for a trip in Northern Mexico. 

 He expects to stay a year and to make huge collections of all sorts of 

 critters. He has already sent in to us some valuable things from New 

 Orleans and Matamoras. 



I lost my dinner to-day in giving Lieut. Trowbridge, U. S. A., 

 lessons in birdstuffing. He goes out to the Pacific coast in a week, to 

 take charge of certain Coast Survey operations. His duties call him 

 along the coast, back and forwards between San Diego and the mouth 

 of the Columbia River. He will have several permanent stations 

 between these two points, where his men will have abundant oppor- 

 tunities. Amply fortified with copper kettles of my patent; alcohol, 

 arsenic, tartar emetic, etc., he will collect, and I will get the critters 

 of the whole Pacific Coast. . . . 



Capt. Marcy goes out in the summer to Salt Lake City. After 

 spending the winter, he crosses to the Colorado, which he will descend 

 to its mouth, passing through the unknown region of the Great Cen- 

 tral Basin. He goes armed with all appliances. 



Dr. Evans makes a Geological tour through Oregon with nets 

 etc., to catch fish and the like. But I must stop this, or you will get 

 tired, though I am scarcely half through. Of private expeditions, 

 there are hosts, scattered all over the country, and engaged in col- 

 lecting grist for my mill. 



As to parties, already out and the results more or less received, we 

 have in tow, 1st. the Mexican Boundary Survey, with hundreds of 

 new species of vertebrate animals, 2d. Gilliss's Chilian things; most 

 valuable they are and with much more that is nondescript, jd. Lt. 

 Herndon's specimens from the Amazon. 4th, Capt. Marcy's col- 

 lections made up Red River; 5th, Reptiles of the U. S. Exploring 

 Expedition; 6th, Woodhouse's gatherings while under Capt. Sit- 

 greaves on the Zuni and Colorado Rivers, etc. etc. For all these I 

 have to prepare or procure reports, and for many have funds where- 

 with to get drawings made in highest style. 



All these and more, too, in addition to the regular operations, in 

 the same line, of the Institution. Don't you think there is a fair pros- 

 pect of our having a collection soon ? But I won't say any more about 

 these things, I only commenced to give you an idea of some of my 

 extra-ordinary avocations. 



We are getting along very well in the Smithsonian Institution, 



