10 ANN HAT, EEPOET SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1921. 



has heretofore been but scantily represented in the Museum, and, 

 second, the remarkable fauna of that continent is rapidly being ex- 

 terminated through various causes. During the year two shipments 

 were received from Mr. Hoy containing a total of 440 mammals well 

 prepared, several of which were hitherto unrepresented in the collec- 

 tion, together with series of skeletal and embryological material; 

 570 bird skins, with 24 additional examples in alcohol, and smaller 

 collections of reptiles, amphibians, insects, marine specimens, etc. 



MALACOLOGICAL FIELD-WORK IN CALIFORNIA AND THE HAWAIIAN 



ISLANDS. 



On the way to the First Pan-Pacific Scientific Congress, held in 

 Honolulu, August 2 to 20, 1920, Dr. Paul Bartsch, curator of mol- 

 lusks, United States National Museum, spent one day on ship worm 

 investigation at Mare Island, Calif. A tug was placed at his dis- 

 posal by the commandant of the station in order to make every 

 minute of the brief visit count, and the investigation resulted in the 

 discovery that the mollusk which caused damage to the extent of 

 some $25,000,000 last year is a new species of Teredo, which Dr. 

 Bartsch named Teredo leachi, in honor of the commandant of Mare 

 Island. 



In the Hawaiian Islands, collections of mollusks were made at 

 several localities, and dredgings were made in Pearl Harbor, where 

 the commandant placed a dredge at the disposal of Doctor Bartsch 

 and Mr. John B. Henderson. Here also a new species of shipworm 

 was discovered, which was named Teredo parksi, in honor of Ad- 

 miral Parks. 



An interesting observation made at the southeast point of Ha- 

 nouma Bay was the finding of an existing marine flora and fauna 

 at a considerable elevation above the level of the sea. Regarding 

 this occurrence, Doctor Bartsch says: 



This flora and fauna consist of algae, quite a number of species of mollusks. 

 crustaceans, echinoderms, and other marine organisms, which occupy pools 

 and puddles kept ever moist and supplied with fresh water by the spray from 

 the breaking surf, which incessantly pounds that shore. I consider this an 

 important observation, since the occurrence of fossiliferous laminae bearing 

 marine organisms between sheets of lava has been held to indicate that they 

 were deposited at or below sea level, and their occurrence above this has 

 been held as evidence of elevation. We have here an instance which indicates 

 that this is not necessarily the cnse, for such a lamina would be produced if 

 a new outpouring of lava were to cover up the place mentioned. 



BOTANICAL RESEARCHES IN THE ORIENT. 



Dr. A. S. Hitchcock, custodian, section of grasses, United States 

 National Museum, left Washington the last of April for several 

 months' botanical work in the Orient under the auspices of the 



