REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 27 



During April, at the invitation of Capt. G. Allan Hancock, Dr. 

 Schmitt participated in a reconnaissance of the marine fauna of the 

 north coast of South America and some of the adjacent islands. 

 Stops were made in the Kepublic of Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, 

 and the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as at some of the 

 smaller and lesser known islands in that region. A considerable col- 

 lection of Crustacea and other marine forms was made. The 

 macruran and anomuran crustaceans, about 7,000 in number, were 

 brought back to the Museum for study and report. 



As in past years, Capt. Kobert A. Bartlett made a summer cruise 

 to West Greenland and the adjacent Arctic regions. Captain Bart- 

 lett has always most generously cooperated with the Museum and has 

 brought back from his cruises an extensive series of marine inver- 

 tebrates and fish life from these northern waters. This year was no 

 exception, and about 400 specimens came to the Museum as a result 

 of the cruise. A commercial otter trawl was used successfully for 

 collecting specimens not otherwise obtainable. 



Dr. Alexander Wetmore, Assistant Secretary, collected in March 

 and April in southern Veracruz, Mexico, and brought back valuable 

 collections, principally birds, from this region whence the Museum 

 has heretofore had little material. The work was entirely in the 

 tropical lowlands, with a base at the archeological camp of M. W. 

 Stirling near Tres Zapotes. W. M. Perrygo, H. Deignan, and G. 

 Rohwer collected in Kentucky from September 15 to November 15, 

 1938, and obtained important material especially of mammals and 

 birds. The work was renewed in the spring of 1939 when Perrygo 

 and Rohwer spent about 3 months in the field in North Carolina. 



Dr. Leonard P. Schultz, assisted by E. D. Reid, continued his 

 study of the fresh-water fish fauna of Virginia by three field trips 

 during the summer of 1938. Several rare and interesting species 

 were collected and unexpected facts relating to geographical 

 distribution were obtained. 



Dr. Schultz left Washington on March 25, 1939, for an extended 

 expedition to the South Pacific as naturalist on a naval vessel, the 

 plan being to collect fishes and what other material time might per- 

 mit. He had not returned at the close of the fiscal year. 



Austin H. Clark continued a survey of the butterfly fauna of 

 Virginia. Two forms new to the State were found during the last 

 half of the summer of 1938 and a third in the spring of 1939. One 

 species described from "Virginia" in 1789 was found in what is pre- 

 sumably the type locality after a lapse of 150 years. Many other 

 interesting facts relating to distribution and habits were discovered. 



E. P. Killip, Associate Curator of Plants, spent about 3^ months 

 in Colombia from January to early May 1939, for the purpose of 

 collecting in little-explored parts of that country in connection with 



