44 TENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF 



the greatest interest in the geographical distribution of manj^ forms 

 ■were obtained, especially in determining the existence west of the 

 Cascade mountains of the genera Coregorius, Siredon and Scaphiopus. 

 Dr. Newberry brought with him a donation to the Institution by 

 Dr. W. 0. Ayres^ of San Francisco, of a series of types of his new 

 species of California fishes, which will prove of very great value for 

 comparison. 



The exploration under Lieut. J. G. Parhe in California has also re- 

 turned to Washington with important collections, mainly in geology 

 and botany, made by Dr. Antisell. The expedition under Capt. Pope, 

 for the purpose of testing the question of artesian boring on the plains, 

 is still in the field, where Capt. Pope is engaged in continuing the nat- 

 ural history explorations commenced by him in previous expeditions. 

 No specimens have, however, been received from him during the year. 



Survey in Texas of Capt. R. B. 31arcy. — The collections made by 

 Dr. Shumard during this survey, referred to in 1854, were not received 

 until the present year, having been detained for many months at Fort 

 Smith by low water in the Arkansas. They consist of many interest- 

 ing specimens of vertebrates, insects, and plants, with full series of 

 the minerals and fossils of that region. 



Collections made by Dr. Anderson, U. S. A., at Fort McKavit, 

 Texas^ have served to illustrate still further the zoology of this State. 



Lieut. W. P. Trowbridge. — The researches of Lieut. W. P. Trow- 

 bridge, U. S. Engineers, superintendent on the Pacific coast of the 

 tidal stations of the U. S. Coast Survey, have been vigorously con- 

 tinued since last year, as shown by the record of his donations, con- 

 sisting of many specimens of vertebrates and invertebrates from dif- 

 ferent points, as Cape Flattery, Astoria, San Francisco, the Faral- 

 lones, and San Diego. No one explorer, unaided by government 

 resources, has done so much in the way of collections in American 

 zoology as Lieut. Trowbridge accomplished by his own personal labor, 

 assisted by Messrs. James Wayne, T. A. Szabo, and Andrew Cas- 

 sidy, tidal observers under his command. It is thus that the oper- 

 ations of the Coast Survey, under the liberal countenance of its chief, 

 have tended to advance the knowledge of the natural history of our 

 coast to a degree only second to that of its physical features. 



To Richard D. Cutts, esq., in charge of a surveying party of the 

 Coast Survey, the Institution is indebted for specimens of the mam- 

 mals, birds, reptiles, and fishes of California, of rare excellence of 

 preservation and scientific interest. 



Another exploration made by a party of the U. S. Coast Survey 

 was conducted by Mr. Grustavus Wiirdemann, in continuation of former 

 efforts of similar character on the coasts of Louisiana and Texas. Mr. 

 Wtirdemann's operations were carried on at Indian river, Florida, on 

 the St. John, and on the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina, at 

 which places he gathered many interesting specimens of animals. 



Dr. J. F. Hammond, U. S. A., stationed at Fort Reading, sent in 

 some valuable collections from that part of California. Specimens 



