444 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1956 



The Smithsonian's earliest collections for the area are recorded in 

 the National Museum's fish and invertebrate divisions as having beeu 

 received from Theodore N. Gill, who collected extensively in Trinidad 

 and Barbados in 1857-58. 



These expeditions, undertaken and underwritten for the purpose 

 of broadening the Institution's coverage of the animal and plant life 

 of the world, do much to increase its knowledge of their kinds and dis- 

 tribution and their representation in the study and reference collections 

 of the U. S. National Museum. 



The Smithsonian-Bredin party, besides Mr. Bredin and the writer, 

 included Dr. Fenner A. Chace, Jr., carcinologist and marine biologist ; 

 Dr. J. F. Gates Clarke, 2 entomologist and microlepidopterist ; and 

 Dr. Albert C. Smith, botanist and specialist on the flowering plants — 

 all then members of the professional staff of the U. S. National 

 Museum. 



Desmond Nicholson captained our chartered yacht, the Freelance, 

 out of Antigua, which served as our floating laboratory. His school- 

 days acquaintance with the seashore life of the British Isles, his skill 

 and experience with the underwater face mask and snorkel, and his 

 untiring efforts afloat, ashore, and under water materially enhanced 

 the collections of marine animals taken in the course of the expedition. 

 Supporting the captain was the Freelancers cooperative, able crew of 

 native Antiguans, all five experienced sailors — "Kennet" Potter, cook, 

 a man who commanded universal respect and who also took over as 

 first mate in the captain's absence or whenever his services were needed ; 

 Smith, the engineer, who saw to it that the yacht's twin auxiliaries, 

 the generator, motorboat, and outboard functioned properly and when 

 wanted ; Danny Thomson and Miguel, deck hands ; and Thomas, cabin 

 boy. Among them, all our wants were well attended, even to trudging 

 miles overland, assisting the botanist with his plant collecting. Haul- 

 ing seines or cracking rocks and coral heads for the contained borers 

 and other life harbored in their crevices and interstices was all in the 

 day's work for the crew. No matter what other work was being 

 carried on, there was always a line, hook, and spinner or two trolling 

 off either quarter while the ship was under way. The cry of "fish" 

 always called forth speedy action. Everyone but the man at the 

 wheel dropped what he was doing and ran aft either to take a look 

 or to lend a hand getting the line aboard. Most of these interim 

 catches of fish were eaten, if not wanted for specimens or for the 

 parasites attached to them. 



1 Desirous of spending more time on the island of Dominica than the planned 

 itinerary of the expedition would have permitted, Dr. Clarke flew to Dominica 

 while the rest of the party proceeded to Port of Spain, Trinidad. Dr. Clarke 

 joined the expedition at Roseau. Pertinent notes on insects and plants were 

 supplied by Drs. Clarke and Smith, respectively. 



