262 ANNUAL RECOKD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



scientific interest, but of great importance in the administra- 

 tion of Indian affairs. For the eastern portion of the United 

 States this work had been accomplished, first, by the unofficial 

 labors of the Hon. Albert Gallatin, and subsequently by the 

 Hon. Henry R. Schoolcraft, as an officer of the government; 

 and some additions had been made to this work by various 

 persons for scientific purposes. This work has been renewed 

 by Professor Powell, and has been pushed with all the en- 

 ergy possible with the funds at his command, and a large 

 amount of material has been collected by himself and by 

 members of his corps, and by residents in and travelers 

 through the country. In addition to this, a large amount 

 has been collected by the Smithsonian Institution through 

 various channels materials as yet unpublished. The officers 

 of that Institution have placed all this matter in the hands 

 of Professor Powell, to be combined with his own collections. 

 In the preparation of the results of these collections for pub- 

 lication, he has the assistance of J. Hanmiond Trumbull, 

 Professor F. L. O. Roehrig, and Mr. W. H. Dall. The first 

 volume of the reports on this subject will soon be issued. It 

 treats of the tribes of Alaska, the western half of Washing- 

 ton Territory, and Northwestern Oregon, and is accompanied 

 by maps exhibiting the geographic distribution of the tribes 

 of these regions. A second volume, on the tribes of Califor- 

 nia, has also been sent to the government printer, which will 

 be succeeded by others as rapidly as they can be prepared. 



Dr. Elliott Cones, U. S. A., is engaged on a " Report on 

 the Birds of the Valley of the Colorado," based primarily on 

 the collections made by the several parties under Professor 

 Powell's direction. This report was sent to the government 

 printer early in the spring, and about 200 pages have already 

 been set up. 



Mr. L. F. Ward, the botanist of the corps, assisted by sev- 

 eral gentlemen of scientific ability in this department, has 

 been engaged during the entire year in the preparation of a 

 " Report on the Botany of the Valley of the Colorado," which 

 is now nearly ready for publication. 



EXPLORATIONS IN 1876 OF LIEUT. GEOEGE M. WHEELER, U. S. E. 



The expedition of 1876 was delayed in its departure for 

 the field because of the lateness of action by Congress in 



