36 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



much attention, and has been attended with a commensurate amount 

 of beneficial results. Among the collections received during the past 

 year have been specimens of great interest, cither the results of 

 explorations, undertaken by the Institution, or of exchanges with 

 individuals or local societies. The materials thus collected belong 

 principall}- to two classes, namely, to specimens of new or rare forms 

 intended to advance natural history and duplicates of such as are to 

 be labelled and distributed for the purposes of education. Among 

 the former are the collections of Mr. Kennicott, whose explorations 

 have been mentioned in previous reports. They are of a very valu- 

 able character, illustrating the natural history and ethnology of the 

 northwestern portions of the continent of North America. The 

 specimens received in 1863, from this exploration, filled forty boxes 

 and packages, weighing, in the aggregate, 3,000 pounds. They em- 

 brace in the line of natural history thousands of skins of mammals 

 and birds, eggs, nests, skeletons, fishes, insects, fossils, plants, &c. 

 In the line of ethnology are skulls, dresses, weapons, implements, 

 utensils, instruments of the chase, in short, all the requisite material 

 to illustrate the peculiarities of the Esquimaux and different tribes of 

 Indians inhabiting the northwest regions. 



In addition to the collections obtained from the British possessions 

 in North America, by Mr. Kennicott, specimens have been received 

 from other points and other parties. Among these are a series of 

 birds and eggs from Labrador, gathered by Mr. Henry Connolly, and , 

 a large amount of new material from Mexico, collected by John Xantus, 

 under the auspices and at the expense of the Institution, consisting of 

 birds, fishes, reptiles, shells, &c. Another series from the same country ■ 

 has been presented by Dr. Sartorius, who has, for a number of years, 

 been one of the meteorological observers of the Institution. Inter- ■ 

 esting collections have been received, also, from Dr. A. Van Frantzius, 

 of Costa Rica; from Mr. Osbert Salvin, of Guatemala; from Captain i 

 J. M. Dow, of Panama; specimens from Cuba have been presented I 

 by Mr. C. "Wright and Prof. Poey; from Trinidad, by Mr. Galody, 

 United States consul; from Jamaica, by Mr. W. T. March; from Ecua- 

 dor, by the Hon. C. T. Buckalew, now of the United States Senate.. 

 A valuable contribution of birds and mammals has also been received 

 from Prof. Sumichrast, of Orizaba. These collections are all intended 

 to illustrate the natural history of the American continents, to the 

 investigation of w^hose extended regions the Institution has especially) 

 directed its labors. 



In order to facilitate the preparation of a work on the birds ofl 

 America, by Prof. Baird, a circular from the Institution was dis* 



