48 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



impressed with the importance of a more extended exploration than 

 was at first contemplated, which, starting from the northern border 

 of the marine eocene, above Vicksburg, should proceed diagonally 

 across to the locality where petroleum has been found on the bor- 

 ders of Texas. So great was the interest manifested in regard to 

 these matters wherever he went in Louisiana, that, were the affairs 

 of the country at all settled, he has no doubt it .vould be easy to pro- 

 cure an appropriation or even subscription for the purpose. 



Mexico. — The regular correspondents of the Institution in this 

 country have continued their co-operation. Colonel Grayson, of 

 Mazatlan, has furnished specimens from the vicinity of that city, 

 and from other points in Western Mexico. At the joint expense of 

 the Smithsonian Institution and the Boston Society of Natural History, 

 he visited, last spring, the island of Socorro, one of the Revilligideo 

 group, some hundreds of miles southwest of Cape San Lucas, and 

 made an exploration of its natural history, obtaining several new 

 species of birds. Returning via San Bias, he met with a severe loss 

 in that city by the death of his son, the companion of his scientific 

 labors, who was murdered by some unknown persons. The result of 

 Colonel Grayson's investigations will shortly be published in the pro- 

 ceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History. 



Professor Sumichrast and Mr. Botteri, of Orizaba, and Dr. Sarto- 

 rious, of Mirador, have continued their valuable contributions, the 

 latter gentleman in addition furnishing meteorological records. 



Central America. — The collaborators in this part of the continent 

 still continue active. From Guatemala Mr. Henry Hague has sent 

 large collectiotis of birds and mammals, and Dr. Van Patten, of ver- 

 tebrata generally. From Costa Rica, the contributions of Dr. A. Yon 

 Frantzius, Mr. Endres, Jos6 Zeledon, and Mr. Juan Cooper embrace 

 ample series in certain branches of zoology, while Mr. F. Lehmann 

 has furnished an interesting collection of fossils and minerals. 



The last of the collections made in Yucatan by Dr. Arthur Schott, 

 during ^the exploration of that country instituted by Governor Salazar, 

 have reached the Institution, and with the first portions received, 

 furnish an excellent idea of the natural history of the northern part 

 of the peninsula, the southern part of which will be illustrated by 

 Dr. Berendt's researches. 



As mentioned in a preceding report. Dr. H. Berendt, who has 

 been many 3'ears one of our collaborators, undertook an exploration of 

 the little -known interior of the Peninsula of Yucatan, under the 

 auspices of the Institution, and at the expense partly of subscrip- 

 tions by various societies and individuals. He first passed up the 



