KEPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 23 



Mr. Gushing has also been enabled to obtain many interesting speci- 

 mens of the handiwork of the Indians, both ancient and modern, and 

 has visited some of the mines from which minerals valued by them as 

 precious stones were obtained. In addition to the general inquiry into 

 the history of the Indians, Mr. Gushing has been instructed to take the 

 census of the Zuiii village, at the request of Major Powell. 



Dr. F. M. Endlich, the mineralogist of the Institution, received, in 

 January last, leave of absence, for the purpose of visiting, as an agent 

 of the Treasury Department, certain sugar-producing islands of the 

 West Indies and Demerara, with a view of investigating the mode of 

 preparation of sugars, intended especially for exportation to the United 

 States. During his stay in the West Intlies, as also in South America, 

 he made some interesting collections for the National Museum, among 

 them specimens of curious aboriginal pottepy. 



Dr. Endlich returned to Washington, after an absence of several 

 months, but was occupied for some months in completing his report; 

 receiving then an appointment in charge of certain mining operations 

 in Arizona, he resigned his position in the National Museum. The work 

 of the department of which Dr. Endlich had charge was then placed in 

 the hands of Dr. F. W. Taylor of Washington, as will be seen by his 

 report, given elsewhere. 



The services to natural science, of Gapt. Gharles Bendire, of the First 

 Gavalry, have been appreciated for many years past by scientific men, 

 this officer, whose military record is understood to be entirely satisfac- 

 tory, devoting his leisure time to collecting specimens in all branches 

 •of natural history and making very full notes in regard to the man- 

 ners, habits, and peculiarities of various Indian tribes. Ilis succes- 

 sive assignments to military duty have taken him into the most 

 inaccessible and least-known portions of the American Gontinent, in- 

 cluding portions of Arizona, Galifornia, Oregon, &c., which have been 

 thoroughly explored by him. Several questions having arisen during 

 the year in reference to the character of certain species of salmonidse 

 in Oregon and Washington Territory, the acquisition of specimens of 

 which was considered very desirable in the interest of fish culture and 

 the fisheries, Gaptain Beudire expressed his willingness to undertake 

 a journey to the localities involved, provided the necessary authority 

 and orders could be obtained from the War Department. Application 

 to General Sherman and to the Secretary of War resulted in the comple- 

 tion of the necessary arrangements, by which Gaptain Beudire was 

 instructed to prosecute some desired reconnoissances and inquiries, in 

 which he would have the necessary opportunities for natural history 

 research. Under this arrangement he left Fort Walla Walla with a 

 portion of his command, and after an interval of several months spent 

 in the field, returned with rich results, consisting of very complete col- 

 lections of the fishes of the rivers and lakes of the interior of the 

 country, and with other objects of natural history, which have been re- 



