PROCEEDINOS 



WASHINGTON ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



Vol. II, pp. 13-30. March 14, 1900 



PAPERS FROM THE HARRIMAN ALASKA 



EXPEDITION. 



I. 



DESCRIPTONS OF TWENTY-SIX NEW MAMMALS 



FROM ALASKA AND BRITISH 



NORTH AMERICA. 



By C. Hart Merriam. 



In the early spring of 1899 Mr. Edward H. Harriman of New 

 York, in cooperation with the Washington Academy of Sciences, 

 organized, at his own expense, an expedition to Alaska. He 

 invited as his guests about twenty-five scientific men, represent- 

 ing various branches of research. The expedition sailed from 

 Seattle May 30, on the iron steamship ' Geo. W. Elder,' espe- 

 cially chartered for the purpose, and was gone just two months. 

 The details of the route and work were arranged by special 

 committees, and the vessel was equipped and operated in such 

 manner as to secure maximum results with a minimum expendi- 

 ture of time. 



Work was done at a large number of localities, from British 

 Columbia to Bering Strait, and extensive collections were made, 

 particularly in the fields of zoology and botany. The technical 

 results will appear from time to time in these Proceedings, and 

 later will be collected in a special report on the expedition. 

 Mr. Harriman will provide the illustrations. 



In studying the material brought back by the expedition, 

 comparisons have been made with material collected by others 

 in Alaska and adjacent parts of boreal America, and in some 



Proc. Wash. Acad. Sci., March 1900. * 13 



