F. GEOGRAPHY. 201 



all over the world for the richness and variety of their verte- 

 brate fossils. These eminent gentlemen were most successful, 

 and obtained a vast quantity of valuable material, which will 

 be embodied in a series of memoirs, illustrated with plates, 

 which will form Vol. I. of the 4to series of final reports. 



Professor Leo Lesquereux, our great authority on fossil 

 botany, made a careful study of the coal regions of the West, 

 and procured a mass of valuable information, which will form 

 a portion of Vol. II. on the "Extinct Flora of the West." 



Mr. F. B. Meek, assisted by Mr. H. M. Bannister, of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, was engaged for several months along the 

 line of the Pacific Railroad. He procured much evidence from 

 the fossil invertebrata. He is preparing Vol. III. on the " In- 

 vertebrate Fossils of the West." 



Professor Cyrus Thomas spent the entire season investiga- 

 ting the agricultural resources of the Northwest. He also 

 made large collections in entomology. He has just comple- 

 ted an important memoir entitled " Synopsis of the Acrididce 

 of North America," which will constitute Part I., Vol. V., on 

 the zoology and botany of the survey. 



Very valuable collections in all departments were made, 

 which are now deposited in the National Museum. 



MARINE ZOOLOGY OF THE BAY OF FDNDY. 



In the Januarv number of the American Journal of Sci- 

 ence Professor Verrill gives a detailed account of the re- 

 searches prosecuted by him and his associates into the ma- 

 rine zoology of the Bay of Fundy and the adjacent region, 

 in connection with the operations of Professor Baird, United 

 States Commissioner of Fisheries. He remarks that the 

 special subjects to which he and his immediate party direct- 

 ed their attention were : First, the exploration of the shore 

 and shallow waters, for the purpose of obtaining the shore 

 fauna and flora, and studying the habits of the animals. Sec- 

 ond, the extension of similar observations, by means of the 

 dredge, trawl, tangle, etc., into the deepest waters of the Bay 

 of Fundy. Third, the determination of the depth and tem- 

 perature of the waters, and the preparation of lists of the an- 

 imals and plants in special localities. Fourth, to investigate 

 life on the surface of the waters, by means of hand and tow- 

 ing nets. Fifth, to preserve the specimens in the best man- 



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