Ixvi GENERAL SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC AND 



The year 18V3 will long be marked for tlie extent and im- 

 portance of tlie geographical and other explorations prose- 

 cuted in various j^arts of North America, the number being 

 so great that we can but briefly allude to the more impor- 

 tant. We have already referred to the hydrographic results 

 of Mr. Dall's labors in the Aleutian Islands ; and we may add 

 in continuation that some very important collections in the 

 line of geology, natural history, and archaeology were se- 

 cured. Complete collections of birds and their eggs, and 

 mammals, were obtained, as w^ell as invertebrates in very 

 great number and variety ; but perhaps the most interesting 

 of all were the prehistoric remains found in caves in Una- 

 lashka. 



Mr. Henry Elliott, to whose residence in the Pribalov, or 

 Fur-Seal Islands, in Behring Sea, as assistant treasury agent, 

 we referred in the Annual for 1872, remained there until 

 the summer of 1873, when he returned, bringing the results 

 of his labors. These consisted of numerous sketches illustrat- 

 ing the topography of the island, the natural history of the 

 seal and the walrus, and the incidents attendant upon their 

 capture, and, with the accompanying descriptive matter, fur- 

 nish very important and valuable information in regard to an 

 interest which brings a large income to the United States 

 government. This material has been put to press by the 

 Secretary of the Treasury, and Avill shortly be published. 

 Mr, Elliott brought back with him, in continuation of the la- 

 bors of 1872, large collections in natural history, especially 

 of the birds and their eggs, which, taken in connection with 

 what Mr. Dall has also done, leaves little more to be desired 

 as to a knowledge of the land vertebrates found in the Aleu- 

 tian Islands. 



In British North America, a great deal of activity has also 

 been manifested by our brethren of the Dominion. The la- 

 bors of the Geological Survey of Canada have been extended 

 far to the west. Vancouver Island was surveyed in consid- 

 erable part by Mr. George Richardson, resulting in the dis- 

 covery of important beds of iron, coal, and limestone. 



jNIr. Selwyn, the chief of the Geological Survey, has prose- 

 cuted a preliminary examination of the Hudson's Bay Ter- 

 ritory from Fort Gariy to the upper waters, to the north, of 

 the Saskatchewan, a distance of 105G miles, extending over 



