72 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



Dr. F. "W. True and Mr. D. W. Prentiss, jr., obtained natural history 

 material, including about 80 specimens of reptiles and batrachians in 

 Maine. 



Dr. George P. Merrill, during his visit to Russia in the summer of 

 1897, collected some interesting geological material. 



Mr. Charles Schuchert, assistant curator of the Division of Strati- 

 graphic Paleontology, accompanied an expedition under the direction 

 of Lieutenant Peary, U. S. N., in July, for the purpose of gatliering 

 fossils and other natural history material in the region of Noursoak 

 Peninsula, Greeidand, and with a view especially to obtaining speci- 

 mens Irom the vicinity of Disko Island, to serve as a basis of compari- 

 son with related material gathered from the Cretaceous of the United 

 States. Mr. David White, of the U. S. Geological Survey, accom 

 panied Mr. Schuchert. A large collection of Cretaceous and Tertiary 

 plants was secured; also some interesting specimens of fishes and 

 mollusks. 



About 1,300 specimens of pottery and other relics from the vicinity 

 of Tucson, Arizona, have been received from Dr. J. W. Fewkes as a 

 further result of his explorations in that region. Dr. Walter Hough, 

 assistant curator of the Division of Ethnology, accompanied Dr. Fewkes 

 in the summer of 1897. 



A number of unique ethnological specimens obtained by Mr. J. B. 

 Hatcher in Patagonia were received from the Bureau of Ethnology. 



Material of great value obtained by the exploring parties of the 

 Bureau of Ethnology has also been received. 



Collectors^ outfits. — Outfits have been furnished to the following per- 

 sons, who have undertaken to collect material for the National Museum : 

 Mr. Edward J. Brown, Lemon City, Florida; Mr. John G. Webb, 

 Osprey, Florida; Rev. D. W. Snyder, for collecting in Africa; Dr. 

 Edgar A. Mearns, U. S. A., Fort Clark, Texas; Hon. J. D. Mitchell, 

 Victoria, Texas; Prof. A. E. Verrill, Yale College, New Haven, Con- 

 necticut; Mr. George D. Wilder, Pekin, China; Mr. J. A. Loring, Owego, 

 New York, for collecting in European countries; Mr. J. S. Holmes, 

 Bowman's Bluff, Henderson County, North Carolina. 



Several members of the Museum staff have also been furnished with 

 collecting outfits, as follows: Mr. Charles Schuchert, Mr. David White, 

 Doctor F. W. True, Miss M. J. Rathbun, Mr. William Palmer, Dr. 

 Walter Hough, and Mr. Robert Ridgway. 



In addition to the collecting trips undertaken by members of the 

 Museum staff", several of the curators and assistants were absent from 

 time to time during the year on other business pertaining to the 

 Museum. Some were temporarily in the employ of other departments 

 or bureaus of the Government. 



Thus Mr. F. A. Lucas was absent for several months during 1897, 

 having been detailed by the President to visit Alaska as a member of 

 the Fur Seal Commission. Dr. Stejneger was also a member of this 



