REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 19 



tesy of Governor Grebuitski, iu command of these islands, a number of 

 additional collections were received. 



Dr. Stejneger also received from Captain Hunter some skins and 

 skeletons of the mountain sheep of Kamtschatka, filling an important 

 desideratum. 



AlaslM. — As in previous years, the additions to our knowledge of the 

 natural history and ethnology of Alaska have been very considerable, 

 owing to the continuation of explorations of the different parts of that 

 extensive Territory. The station of the Signal Service at l!f ushagak, on 

 Bristol Bay, which was so well worked up by Mr. C. L. McKay, was 

 subsequently re-established after his death by drowning, by Mr. J. W. 

 Johnson, from whom a collection of birds was lately received, which 

 was specially noteworth}' as containing specimens of the Alaska wil- 

 low wren and of the yellow wagtail, representing a locality many hun- 

 dreds of miles further south than St. Michael's, the place of previous 

 record. 



Lieut. T. Dix Bolles, on board the U. S. S. ^'Adams," during its pe- 

 riod of service at Sitka, used all opportunities in his x>ower to enrich 

 the National Museum by his contributions, and became so much inter- 

 ested iu his work that he sought and obtained a transfer, through the 

 favor of the Navy Department, to the steamer " Pinta," which replaced 

 the "Adams" during the past summer. At latest advices he was still 

 engaged in his scientific work. 



Mr. John J. McLean, of the Signal Service, stationed at Sitka, has 

 secured many ethnological objects of great rarity. 



Mr. W. J. Fischer, who is stationed by the Coast Survey at Kodiak, 

 has used many opportunities both there and in the adjacent regions to 

 continue his important Avork ; this, including much information in re- 

 gard to the manners and characteristics of the native tribes. 



From the Kev. J. Loomis Gould a collection of Indian carvings and 

 other tirticles of ethnology were obtained, representing some quite new 

 forms of aboriginal construction. 



British Columbia and Washington Territory. — For the purpose of in- 

 creasing material for the needs of the National Museum and its repre- 

 sentation at the New Orleans Exposition, the services of Mr. James 

 G. Swan, of Port Townsend, were secured to visit various parts of 

 Alaska and British Columbia. His collections, as received so far, have 

 been, as usual, very interesting and important. During a visit to Vic- 

 toria in the interest of this service, he was invited to deliver a lecture 

 before the legislature uj^on his observations made iu 1S83 in Queen 

 Charlotte Islands, and having obtained permission from the Institution 

 for the purpose, he complied with the request. 



The specialties of Mr. Swan's collection consist of very full illustra- 

 tions of the whaling apparatus and outfit, including boats, &c., used 

 by the Haidah Indians. 



