REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 51 



NORTH AMERICA. 



BEITISII AMEIUCA. 



Canada.—Among tbe objects received from the various provinces of 

 Canada were bird-skius, minerals, ores, mammals, photographs of nat- 

 ural scenery, ethnological material, etc. 



A large series of fossils, from the St. John group, was i)resented by 

 Mr. W. D. Hamilton. 



Mr. G. ¥. Matthews presented hfty-three specimens of Cambrian fos- 

 sils irom the St. John group. 



UNITED STATES. 



Alahania. — Interesting mineralogical and ethnological collections have 

 been received from S. E. Johnson and Frank Burns, of the U. S. Geo- 

 logical Survey, as well as various ores and minerals sent for examina. 

 tion and report. 



AJasla. — From Fort Alexander, Mr. J. W. Johnson, Signal Service 

 observer, sent an important collection of bird-skins (one hundred and 

 live specimens) including skins of the recently discovered P?C6'fro^;/i(?»aj7 

 hyperborcuSj also a collection of (piaternary fossils in clay concretions, as 

 well as stone implements and objects illustrating the domestic life of 

 the Eskimo. 



From Lieut. T. Dix Bolles, II. S. Navy, come an Eskimo mask, and 

 various imi)lements and carvings, taken from graves of Shuani in south- 

 eastern Alaska. 



From Henry D. Woolfe, in charge of the coaling station at Cape 

 Lisburne, Alaska, belonging to the Pacific Steam "Whaling Company, 

 have been received collections of great interest and of varied character, 

 tull lists being given in Part Y; not the least interesting are the nests 

 and eggs of several species of birds which breed in this remote locality. 



jNIr. Charles H. Townsend,an assistant of the U. S. Fish Commission, 

 was sent to Alaska by the Commission to make some invesiigations 

 into the fur-seal fisheries on the Pribyloft' Islands, and during his stay, 

 through the courtCvSy of Captain Ilealy, he accompanied the United 

 States revenue steamer Corivin to Ilotham Iidet. Thence in the steam- 

 launch Mr. Townsend proceeded, under the guidance of Lieutenant 

 Cantwell, to the mouth of the Kowak, and up the river to the head of 

 navigation. On this occasion a large collection* of fishes, birds, mam- 

 mals, and i)lants, together with a valuable series of ethnological ob- 

 jects, was secured. 



The collection of birds is especially valuable, and among the rarest 

 species may be mentioned : Tringa dmuacensis, an Asiatic sandpiper, new 

 to the North American fauna ; Plcetrophcnax hjpcrhorcus, which was 

 found breeding on Hall Island, in Bering Sea; a good series of thoUna- 



* Accession 1G914. 



