502 THE NATURAL HISTORY REVIEW. 



Baird's report for the year 1863, which is contained in the volume 

 now before us, gives us the gratifying intelligence that the ''interest 

 in the subject of Natural History, which received so material a check 

 in 1861, and showed symptoms of revival in 1862, has continued to 

 manifest itself still more strongly during the year 1863." Amongst 

 other explorations, w^iolly or partially carried on by the Smithsonian 

 Institution, with the main object of working out the Zoology and 

 Botany of the North America continent. Professor Baird speaks of 

 Mr. Kennicott's expedition to Arctic America, which has resulted in 

 the acquisition of a very large quantity of valuable material. " The 

 collection received in 1863, filled forty boxes and packages, and 

 weighed in the aggregate, about 3000 pounds." 



Another well known Smithsonian collector, Mr. John Xantus, 

 had left for the West Coast of Mexico, and was making extensive 

 collections in that quarter. Large series of natural objects had 

 also been received from Dr. Van Frantzius in Costa Bica, Dr. Sar- 

 torius and Professor Sumicrast in Mexico, Captain J. M. Dow in 

 Panama, Mr. W. T. March in Jamaica, and the Hon. C. B. 

 Buckalew in Ecuador — not to mention numerous other collections 

 of more or less importance. These materials are worked out by 

 different Naturalists to whom they are submitted for that purpose, 

 and the results published in the Smithsonian " Contributions to 

 Knowledge," and " Miscellaneous Collections " — to different papers 

 in which we have already on several occasions called our readers' 

 attention. We must all acknowledge that the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion is worthily carrying out the views of its founder, " to increase 

 and diffuse knowledge among men." 



Lastly, we have Professor Agassiz's Annual Beport on the 

 Museum of Comparative Zoology, at Cambridge, of which we have 

 before spoken in this journal,* and which is a third institution, 

 young as yet, but also likely, as it progresses, to do good service 

 in the cause of science. Here again we hear of large accessions of 

 specimens from every quarter, and of improvements in internal 

 arrangements likely to conduce to the future welfare of the Museum. 

 " The publications of the Museum " have, it is allowed, "proceeded 

 very slowly," and Professor Agassiz acknowledges some disappoint- 

 ment with certain of his collaborateurs, whose investigations, made 

 under his direction, have been " without his knowledge 23ublished 



* Nat. Hist. Rev. 1863, p. 524. 



