20 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



Dr. J. F. Bransford, a surgeon in the Navy, under the auspices of 

 both the Ethnological Bureau and the Smithsonian Institution, made 

 a special visit to Copan by way of Guatemala, and also spent a portion 

 of his time in Costa Rica and elsewhere. In his work he was able to 

 secure the hearty co-operation of Mr. Keith, the engineer of the Costa 

 liica railroad, who kindly furnished some very valuable archaeological 

 specimens for investigation. The collections of Dr. Bransford have 

 been also of very great value, especially in objects manufactured of 

 jade. Much of Dr. Bransford's work on the Gulf of Nicoya, a region 

 previously but little known to us, is very interesting. He is now engaged 

 in the preparation of an elaborate report of his travels, which will be 

 published at an early day. 



Mr. C. C. Nutting, of Illinois, was sent by the Institution to explore 

 especially the fauna of the Gulf of Nicoya and Costa Rica, and with 

 the help of Seuor Jos6 C. Zeledon, a long-tried collaborator of the Insti- 

 tution, he was able to make some interesting collections both on the 

 coast and in the interior of Costa Rica. No new species were brought 

 to light, but many rare and interesting forms were secured. 



Mr. Nutting returned from the work of the winter of 1881-'82 in April, 

 and went back again by the steamer of the 20th December, to continue 

 liis researches on the northern border of Costa Rica and the eastern 

 ■coast of that state and Nicaragua. 



Mr. Zeledon himself has furnished some interesting additions to the 

 very large collections of Costa Rica vertebrates previously received from 

 liim, among them some new species of birds. 



It is but proper to state that the labors of Mr. Nutting and Dr. Brans- 

 ford were very greatly furthered by the hearty co-operation of Capt. John 

 M. Dow, the agent of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company at Panama, 

 ■who has been so well known for many years as a coadjutor in all re- 

 searches of a scientific nature, whether under the auspices of Americans 

 or foreigners. No man is better known along the Isthmus; and a sim- 

 ple request secures his assistance to scientific enterprise at whatever 

 point in Central America it may be in the course of prosecution. 



Mr. Gustav Eisen, a correspondent of the Institution, formerly a resi- 

 dent of California, but during the past year living in Guatemala, has 

 made important researches among the antiquities of Copan, Santa Lucia, 

 &c. An extended memoir by him has been prepared for publication 

 by the Smithsonian Institution. He has also supplied some interesting 

 collections of natural history. 



The Isthmus of Panama itself has been represented by the collec- 

 tions of reptiles sent by Dr. Nelson, of the English Mail Steamer serv- 

 ice, and of fishes by Mr. Gilbert. 



The report upon the work of 1880 and 1881 contained an account of the 

 labors of Mr. Charles H. Gilbert in the way of ichthyological investiga- 

 tions along the western coast of America. This gentlemen returned to 



