200 EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT OF 



region of the Upper Missouri. This gentleman, a graduate of the insti- 

 tutions at Princeton, had pu?'posed to visit the remote regions above 

 mentioned for the benefit of his health, and was provided by Professor 

 Baird with minute directions as to the preservation of specimens and 

 the objects which should particularly engage his attention. His jour- 

 ney was undertaken, and executed, under particularly favorable cir- 

 cumstances for exploration. He was accompanied by his brother, Mr. 

 Alexander Culbertson, ibr many years connected with the American 

 Fur Company, who was familiar with the whole country, and had him- 

 self sent valuable specimens of fossil mammalians to the Piiiladelphia 

 Academy of Natural Sciences. 



Mr. Culbertson first visited an interesting locality called the Mau- 

 vaises Terres, or Bad Lands, where his brother had previously found the 

 remains of the fossils sent to the Academy. He afterwards ascended 

 the Missouri, to a point several hundred miles above Fort Union. He 

 returned in August last in renewed health to gladden the hearts of his 

 parents and friends, with the prospect of long life and usefulness ; but 

 though he had withstood the privations and exposures of the wilder- 

 ness, he sank under an attack of a prevalent disease and died after a 

 lew weeks' illness. 



He left a journal of all the important events of his tour, which is 

 thought of sufficient importance to be appended to this Report. 



For a particular account of the interesting specimens which he pro- 

 cured, many of which are new and undescribcd, I must refer to the 

 appended report of Professor Baird. A part of the specimens, those 

 of the fossil remains, have been referred to Dr. Leidy, of Philadelphia, 

 who will present the result of his investigations lelative to them, for 

 publication in one ot"the volumes of the Smithsonian Contributions. 



A small appropriation has also been made to defray in part the expense 

 of exploration, relative to the erosions of the surface of the earth, espe- 

 cially by rivers, and for investigations relative to terraces and ancient 

 sea-beaches, under the direction of President Hitchcock. An abstract 

 of these investigations, as far as they have been made, has been 

 received by the Institution ; and a full account of the whole, it is 

 expected, will soon be ready for publication. 



An exploration lor the increase of the Smithsonian collection, 

 particularly in fishes and reptiles, of which our knowledge is most im- 

 perfect, was undertaken by Prot(?ssor Baird, accompanied by a number 

 ot" young gentlemen, his former pupils. The result of this expedition, 

 which cost the Institution little more than the price of materials and 

 transportation, was a large number of specimens, including numerous 

 species before unknown to science. 



Experiments. — A series of experiments has been made, during tlie 

 past year, under the direction of Professor Jewett, to test the value of 

 a new plan of stereotyping. If the result of these experiments be 

 liivorable, it is proposed to purchase the right to use the invention, for 

 the purposes of the Institution. Should the invention be found to pos- 

 sess the character to which it appears entitled, it will not only be of 

 much importance to the Institution, but to the world ; and we shall 

 have done good service to the cause of knowledge, by giving it our 

 countenance and assistance. Professor Jewett has found it especially 



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