INTRODUCTION. IX 



■waters; being fitted for deep-sea dredging and general natural liistory 

 work. A large room was set apart, on the starboard side of the gun- 

 deck, for the use of the naturalists — a very unusual concession to science 

 on a man-of-war. 



On the 9th of December, the day of the transit, and fully three months 

 before the Swatara could reasonably be looked for back again, the Mo- 

 nongahela arrived most unexpectedly, having been ordered to take the 

 party off. Fortunately for the natural-history work, the astronomers 

 detained the ship until January 11; but it is greatly to be regretted that 

 the original programme was not carried out, and that the months of 

 January and February were lost in so interesting a locality. Both 

 the English and German parties remained at their stations, intending 

 not to leave until about the middle of Februarj'. The Mouongahela 

 proceeded to Cape Town, arriving February 5, and the collections were 

 sent thence by sailing-bark to New York. 



According to Dr. Coues' determinations, the collection contains 

 twenty-one species of six families — Procellariidce eleven, Spheniscidce 

 four, Laridce three, Phalacrocoracidce, Anatidce, Cliionididce, each, one. 



