74 ANNUAL EEPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1933 



As the field expedition under C. W. Gilmore, curator of vertebrate 

 paleontology, extended well into the present year, only brief mention 

 was made of it in last year's report. This expedition in the Oligocene 

 of Montana, western Nebraska, southeastern South Dakota, and 

 eastern Wyoming brought gratifying results in the acquisition of a 

 large and representative collection of this important fauna. Out- 

 standing among many valuable specimens is a nearly complete skeleton 

 of an eagle of a type distinct from any hitherto known. 



An important accomplishment of the department of biology was the 

 organization of the Johnson-Smithsonian Deep-Sea Expedition, under 

 the direction of Dr. Paul Bartsch, curator of mollusks and Cenozoic 

 invertebrates, and the successful completion of the first of a series of 

 cruises planned for oceanographic work. Eldridge R. Johnson in the 

 fall of 1932 placed his palatial yacht Caroline at the disposal of the 

 Smithsonian Institution for the purpose of deep-sea exploration, to- 

 gether with funds for equipment of the vessel, necessary gear and 

 instruments, and an adequate scientific staff. At the suggestion of 

 Dr. Bartsch an oceanographic survey of the Puerto Rican Deep was 

 undertaken. Various agencies of the Government interested in 

 oceanographic work, including bureaus in the Navy, Agriculture, and 

 Commerce Departments, rendered valuable assistance in the way of 

 suggestions and material, as did the authorities of the Carnegie 

 Institution of Washington, the Oceanographic Institution of Woods 

 Hole, the American Museum of Natural History, Dr. WilUam Beebe, 

 and others. The gathering of equipment and its installation began in 

 October, and on January 21, 1933, the Caroline left New York. 



The program for the cruise was carried out successfully, and on 

 March 14 the Caroline returned to Wasliington loaded with valuable 

 collections, embracing many forms of life unknown to science, and 

 with extensive observations in the various branches of oceanography, 

 all of which are now in the hands of specialists for study. During 

 the cruise more than 900 soundings were made, and serial gatherings 

 of water samples and temperatures were taken down to 3,200 fathoms. 

 Collections were made at 109 stations, mostly at depths below 200 

 fathoms, with gear ranging from tangles to dredges, beam trawls, 

 otter trawls, and intermediate nets. Several cores were taken, and 

 morning and evening observations of air draft were made by means 

 of pilot balloons observed through a theodohte. It is planned to 

 continue the work during another cruise in the same general area. 

 Another important marine expedition was that of Dr. Waldo L. 

 Schmitt, curator of marine invertebrates, to the Galapagos Islands on 

 the yacht Velero III, through invitation of Capt. G. Allan Hancock, 

 owner of the ship and leader of the expedition. Dr. Schmitt em- 

 barked at Los Angeles on December 28, 1932, and returned on March 

 25, 1933. Fully equipped for scientific work both on land and sea 



