24 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



is a southern species which occasionally strays northward as far as 

 Cape Cod, but it is very rare in museums. A very closely allied species 

 (Astroscopus y-grcecum) is said to possess electrical powers in life. 



From station No. 2, at Point Judith, Rhode Island, Mr. Herbert M. 

 Knowles, keeper, was received a specimen of the "lumpfish." The 

 "lumpfish" as a rule is an inhabitant of colder waters than that in 

 which it was found. The "flute mouth" (Fistularia serrata), from the 

 same station, is a very rare species on our coast. The angel -fish (Pom- 

 acanthus aureus) taken at Barnegat City, N. J., has not been known 

 hitherto north of Florida. 



In several cases, too, the keepers of the light-houses have rendered 

 services similar to those of the officers of the life-saving stations, nota- 

 bly Mr. Burnham, of the Cape Canaveral light-house, who, at the request 

 of General O. E. Babcock, light-house inspector, collected the skulls and 

 bones of a large number of sperm whales, and transmitted them to the 

 Institution. The keeper of the light-house at Monoinoy Point, on Cape 

 Cod, enabled the Institution to secure the first specimen recorded on the 

 coast of the United States of the small fin-backed whale, Balamoptera 

 rostrata. 



Mexico. — Since the completion of the railway lines on the southern 

 border of the United States, and extending into Mexico, access has 

 been easy to an extremely interesting region hitherto more or less 

 inaccessible, and several parties have asked and obtained assistance 

 of the Smithsonian Institution in carrying on their researches. Among 

 these Mr. H. H. Busby, of New Jersey, with quite a large party, visited 

 various parts of Mexico and Arizona, more particularly in search of 

 botanical novelties. He made a large collection of photographs of the 

 ancient ruins, of which a series has been presented to the National Mu- 

 seum. The facilities extended by the Institution consisted principally 

 in the way of free passes, obtained especially for the occasion, and of 

 transportation of specimens from various points to Washington. 



Another expedition of a similar character has been arranged for dur- 

 ing the year, under the direction of Mr. C. G. Pringle, of Charlotte, Vt. 

 This gentleman, who is well known as a botanist, will visit Northern 

 Mexico, and in return for the facilities extended him by the Institution 

 will supply a series of his duplicates* 



Yucatan. — Mr. George F. Gaumer, formerly of Santa Fe, N. Mex., 

 but more recently of Kansas City, Mo., resided for a number of years in 

 Yucatan, engaged for the most part in making collections of specimens 

 of natural history. He returned to New York with a large collection, 

 especially of birds, many of which proved to be of new species. Mr. 

 Gaumer has recently been appointed United States consular agent at 

 Cainpeche, to which point he will proceed early in the coming year, and 

 it is hoped to secure his services in completing the collections of the nat- 

 ural history of Yucatan already in possession of the National Museum. 



