38 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1921. 



to investigate a reported find of some fossil bones in that vicinity. 

 These proved to be the remains of an extinct species of whale of 

 Miocene age, but were incomplete and too badly damaged to make 

 possible the recovery of a sufficient number for an exhibition mount. 



Two other important field expeditions were undertaken by Mr. 

 Gidley, the first as the result of reports from Mr. Kirk Bryan, of 

 the United States Geological Survey, who had discovered some 

 promising localities for fossil vertebrate remains while making an 

 extensive survey of the underground water resources of the San 

 Pedro Valley of Arizona. Mr. Gidley spent two months or more in 

 the Arizona field, visiting three localities in the San Pedro Valley 

 and one in Sulphur Springs Valley. The last yielded only frag- 

 mentary remains of Pleistocene mammals, but much better results 

 were obtained in the San Pedro Valley, where two localities, one 

 about 2 miles south of Benson, the other at the Curtis ranch, about 

 14 miles south of Benson, yielded remains of about 30 species, mostly 

 mammals, which seem to represent a new or little-known Pliocene 

 fauna. Mr. Gidley shipped 21 boxes, with an aggregate weight of 

 about 4,630 pounds. A portion of this material will be suitable for 

 exhibition, the most important being remains sufficiently complete 

 to form the basis of skeleton restoration of a rare species of mastodon 

 and a large edentate. Other remains represent extinct species of 

 camels, carnivorous animals, rodents, turtles, and birds. 



The second expedition, entirely under Museum auspices, included 

 a trip to Agate Springs, Nebr., where was secured a large slab, or 

 block of limestone, containing remains of the little rhinoceros, 

 Diceratlierium cooki. This will be cleaned and exhibited with the 

 bones in situ. 



Mr. C. W. Gilmore was detailed in April to visit a fossiliferous 

 area some 36 miles north of Santa Fe, N. Mex., for the purpose of 

 making collections of paleontological material, and for determining 

 the advisability of reserving certain lands for national monument 

 purposes. A skull, lower jaws, and other bones of an extinct rhi- 

 noceros, various limb and foot bones of a camel, and a small collection 

 of miscellaneous specimens were obtained as a result of this trip. 



Other expeditions in which the Museum was interested are briefly 

 described in the first part of this report which relates to the affairs 

 of the Smithsonian proper. 



MEETINGS AND CONGRESSES. 



The accommodations afforded by the auditorium and committee 

 rooms in the Natural History Building were utilized on many occa- 

 sions. A course of evening lectures on the history and nature of 

 international relations, extending from October to May, was given 

 under the auspices of the school of foreign service of Georgetown 



