138 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1951 



mammals and on the plants, particularly those that are used by birds. 

 Kobert M. Laughlin, student at Princeton University, came for an 

 extended stay and made many interesting observations. He dis- 

 covered the nest of the double-toothed kite not previously noted. Also, 

 he added the second-known record of the red-thighed dacnis. During 

 his stay he identified 96 species of birds. He also made observations 

 on eight of the mammals and took back with him about 500 moths and 

 other insects for further study. 



Dr. Serge Korff, professor of physics, New York University, and 

 Mrs. Korff, revisited the island, on their return from the Fifth South 

 American Congress of Chemistry, to continue their observations on 

 plants and animals. 



Robert Lewis Cumming, student at the University of Florida, spent 

 considerable time on the island during which he made a very thorough 

 study of the dragonflies and damselflies, increasing the number of 

 species previously recorded to 38, including a number new to science. 

 He made careful notes on the ecology of the Odonata. In addition 

 he added valuable data on the mammals and birds. 



Dr. Carl Kof ord, of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University 

 of California, and Mrs. Koford spent a week on the island en route 

 to Peru, where they will spend about a year in research work. Dr. 

 Koford was interested mainly in the vultures, and Mrs. Koford spe- 

 cialized on the bats. 



Dr. John H. Davis, professor of botany. University of Florida, 

 returning from New Zealand, visited the island to acquaint himself 

 with the flora of the humid American Tropics, particularly its ecologi- 

 cal aspects. He was so impressed with the plant life, and with the 

 facilities the island offers for study, that he plans to make it possible 

 for students of his university to study there. While at Barro Colo- 

 rado, he made a good collection of plants. 



Ross Robbins, botanist at the Auckland University, on transfer to a 

 similar post in the University College of the West Indies, in Jamaica, 

 accompanied Dr. Davis, to observe the tropical flora and, in particular, 

 to make a good collection of mosses, which are his special field. Both 

 he and Dr. Davis were greatly impressed with the opportunities for 

 research offered by the island. 



Dr. Francis J. Ryan, associate professor of zoology, Columbia Uni- 

 versity, and Mrs. Ryan, spent a short time on the island while en route 

 to the Fifth International Congress on Microbiology at Rio de Janeiro. 

 Their objective was to get acquainted with the plant and animal life 

 of the humid Tropics preparatory to a return later for more extended 

 research. 



Ledlie I. Laughlin, associate director of admissions to Princeton 

 University, came, with his son Robert, to observe the birds and mam- 

 mals of the Tropics in their natural environment. 



