lxxxviii GENERAL SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC AND 



parties will be found in the chapter on Geography, and to 

 that we refer our readers for fuller information. 



An important reconnoissance was made during the past 

 year by General Custer with a large force into the region of 

 the Black Hills. He was accompanied by several scientists, 

 who prosecuted the necessary examination into the natural 

 history and geology of the region. Nothing of any special 

 scientific value was ascertained beyond the occurrence of 

 a rich body of vegetation and a considerable variety of 

 animal life. The question whether gold occur there in pay- 

 ing quantity is still in dispute. 



Professor Stoddard, of the Wooster University, headed a 

 party during the past summer in exploration in Colorado, 

 and succeeded in obtaining some fine collections of minerals, 

 several hundred species of plants, and many skins of animals. 



During the winter of 1873-74 an expedition was fitted out 

 for exploration in Central Florida by The Forest and Stream 

 newspaper of New York, Mr. Frederick Ober being placed in 

 charge, and being accompanied by Dr. Edward Palmer and 

 Professor J. W. P. Jenks. The special object of Mr. Ober was 

 to explore Lake Okeechobee, which was but little known, 

 and about which many questionable stories were prevalent; 

 among them that of the existence of remarkable animals, as 

 also of ruined cities showing a former high state of civiliza- 

 tion. Nothing of the kind was detected ; the lake was found 

 to be forty miles long and twenty-five wide, and but scantily 

 supplied with animal life. 



Professor Marsh, the indefatigable paleontologist, has been 

 again discovering new fields for exploration in the form of 

 bone beds in the Mauvaise Terres, not far from the Red 

 Cloud Agency. He started in the month of November for 

 this region, but was at first materially interrupted by the 

 jealousy of the Indians, who could not believe he was in 

 search of bones and not of gold ; but finally the Indians be- 

 came pacified, and a number of them accompanied the Pro- 

 fessor both as escort and as spies. He has returned with 

 a rich harvest, estimated at several tons of these precious 

 treasures. 



The survey of the northern boundary of the United States, 

 of which Mr. Archibald Campbell was commissioner, and 

 Major W.J. Twining chief astronomer, has been completed 



