14 EEPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



Whatever of value may attach to these specimens is insignificant by 

 comparison with the importance of the very extended notes Dr. Merriam 

 was enabled to make concerning the breeding habits of the hooded 

 seal, and upon the structure and nature of their peculiar inflatible pro- 

 boscis or " hood," which is wrongly figured and described in all the 

 published accounts. 



Greenland. — Previous reports make mention of the expectation of in- 

 teresting collections in natural history and ethnology on the part of 

 Lieutenant Greely and his Signal Service expedition to Lady Frank- 

 lin Bay, as tbey took with them a very complete outfit of apparatus 

 and supplies for natural history work. In the failure of the relief par- 

 ties of 1882 and 1883 to reach them, we are, of course, unable to form 

 any idea of what they have accomplished. It is to be hoped, however, 

 that the measures about to be taken for their assistance will be suc- 

 cessful, and that they will be found in the enjoyment of good health 

 and with ample results of their ex pi orations. 



It is generally known, of course, that the steamer Proteus was char- 

 tered by the United States Signal Office to carry Lieutenant Garling- 

 ton and his party to the north for the purpose of establishing con- 

 nection with Lieutenant Greely and his companions, and of bringing 

 them back to the United States. The Navy Department, at the re- 

 quest of the Secretary of War, furnished the steamer Yantic, under 

 Commander Wilde, as convoy and aid. Two naval ensigns, Messrs. 

 H. G. Dresel and A. Ackerman, who had been assigned to duty at the 

 National Museum, volunteered their services to accompany the Yantic, 

 and were ordered to her by the Navy Department as natural history 

 assistants. They were placed somewhat under a disadvantage by the 

 necessities of the service, but succeeded in making some very interest- 

 ing and acceptable collections ; Mr. Dresel devoting himself more par- 

 ticularly to natural history, and Mr. Ackerman to mineralogy and geol- 

 ogy. A number of well-filled boxes were brought back, and their con- 

 tents have been duly sorted and distributed in the collections. 



Both these gentlemen were ordered again to the National Museum, 

 where Mr. Dresel is still engaged. Mr. Ackerman, however, volun- 

 teered for duty with the Albatross in her proposed expedition to the 

 Caribbean Sea, and is now on board that vessel. 



Arctic Coast.— -The most important exploration that has ever been 

 prosecuted directly on the Arctic coast of the United States is that of 

 the Point Barrow party, under Lieutenant Ray, sent up in 1881 by the 

 Chief Signal Officer for the purpose of taking part in the international 

 system of certain polar meteorological stations. Lieutenant Ray was 

 accompanied by Messrs. J. E. Murdock and Middleton Smith, as civil- 

 ian assistants in meteorology and magnetism, and also as collectors and 

 observers in natural history. 



The expedition was organized in San Francisco, the last member of 



