REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 21 



lie was granted leave to retiTru to Washington. In March, 1878, Mr. 

 Turner again proceeded to Alaska, under orders from the signal serv- 

 ice, to establish meteorological stations at Saint Paul's Island, Attn 

 Island, Atkha Island, Belkovsky on the peninsula of Aliaska, and at 

 ;N"ushagak on Bristol Bay. During the year he visited, through the 

 kindness of the Alaska Commercial Company, the stations at Kuskokvim 

 Elver, Ugashik, Tugiuk, Nushagak, Port Moller, Akootan, and Saa- 

 nak Island, spending the winter at Iliulink, on Unalashka Island. 

 He passed the summer of 1879, at Atkha Island, collecting many nat- 

 ural history specimens : spent the winter at Unalashka Island; and in 

 June, 1880, went to Attu Island, remaining there till May, 1881. 



During the leisure hours at his disposition he collected for the Na- 

 tional Museum one hundred and sixty species of birds — some of which 

 were for the first time ascertained to occur within our limits, thirty 

 species of fish, several species of mammals, nearly thirteen thousand 

 specimens of insects, a good series of the land and marine shells, 

 several thousand specimens of plants — embracing over two hundred 

 species; and paid especial attention to collecting a complete series 

 of implements and other articles of ethnological and archaeological 

 character embracing over three thousand specimens, some of which 

 were for the first time obtained. Much attention was given to the 

 study of linguistics of the TJnaleet and Malemut Orarians, Nulato, Ing- 

 alet, and TJnalashkan Aleuts. The vocabularies are comprehensive, con- 

 taining not only a list of words, but much of etymologic value, stories, 

 history, and other valuable information concerning these people, of whom 

 little was previously known. 



Mr. E. W. Nelson, also under orders from the signal service, as a 

 meteorological observer in Alaska, was authorized by co-operative ar- 

 rangement between that bureau and the Institution, to i)rosecute inves- 

 tigations during his intervals of official leisure, for the advancement of 

 scientific knowledge. He reached the Aleutian Islands in May, 1877, 

 and for about a month availed himself of the opportunity of making 

 collections in Unalashka of bird skins and of fishes. He also procured 

 ethnological specimens, both recent and from the ancii^nt village sites, 

 of which considerable numbers are found along the shore. Visiting Sa- 

 nak Island (to the eastward of Unalashka,) he made various interesting 

 notes on the life and habits of the sea-otter, this curious animal being 

 particularly abundant in this locality. Leaving in June, 1877, for Saint 

 Michael's, iSTorton Sound, Mr. Nelson occupied his spare time for a year 

 in making collections of mammals, birds, fishes, and insects. The field 

 among the Eskimo of this region was also very rich in ethnological ma- 

 terial and observations. Most friendly and valuable assistance in these 

 researches was rendered by the agents of the Alaska Commercial Com- 

 pany, and by the fur traders connected with it. 



During the winter of 1878-'70, Mr. Nelson made a dog-sledge journey 

 of over a thousand miles in the country between the Lower Yukon and 



