ZOOLOGICAL EXPLORATION IN SOUTH AMERICA 



hjl FnutI: M. Cliti/ni/dii 



TIlJ'l report coiiics of the snt'c ;iri-i\;il of Mr. W . I). Ilicliiird^oii, who 

 siiilcd from NCw ^ ork OctolxT 17 to collect liinls iiiid iininiiiials 

 for tlie Miiseuin in the ('aiica \ alley of southerii ( OloiiiKia. ile 

 writes with enthusiasm of the opportunities olfereil in this |)art of South 

 America which has been little e\|)lore(l. Mr. iviehard^on heiian work on 

 the western slo|)e of the coast ran^i'c of the .Viides. This has the re|)utati()n 

 of beinf,' one of the most indiealthful portions of South .\meriea and for this 

 reason, in connection with the fact that the region is lun'nhabited and is 

 covered with hea\y forest lirowth, it has heretofore been unworked by eol- 

 lectors. .Vd\ices from Hucna\ cntura, the port of this part of ( 'olombia, 

 state that Mr. Hiehard.son's first shipment was made on December .31 

 In this connection it may be added that while waitintr the departure of 

 the steamer from I'anama for liuenax'cntura, Mr. liichardson made a col- 

 lection of one himdred and thirty birds and mammals and his second ship- 

 ment, therefore, was started l)eforc he had been al)sent from the Museum 

 for three months. The American Museum is to be congratulated on having 

 an acti\c collector in this e.\ceptionall,\ pi-oiiiising part of South America 

 and it is greatly to !>(> hojicd that work can be j)r()secuted so thoroughly 

 that the institution will recei\e material to form a basis for a study of tiie 

 distribution of life in this part of South America. 



The .Vmerican Museum is not the oidy American institution i-epresented 

 in South America which, as a matter of fact, is at present claiming greater 

 attention from American zoologists than at any pre\ ions time. Among 

 the .\merican expeditions now in South .Vmeriea are the following: 



Firxt. that of tlie V . S. NatiDiial Musnmi whicli lias i-cccutly initiated a l)i<)l()^'ical survoy 

 of the Panama Canal zone. 



fieroiiJ. an expedition under the cliarge of Mr. WillVcd H. Osgood, of tlie Field Museum, 

 which sailed from New York on Deeemher .'it. 1!M0, lor Maraeaiho in northwestern Vene- 

 zuela. 



Thin), an expedition of the Carnegie Museum of Pittshurt;. inidir the charfre of Mr. 

 M. A. Carriker. who is now at work in northern Venezuela. 



Fourth, an expedition from the Academy of Sciences in Philadeli)liia under the eliarge 

 of Mr. Stewardson Brown, who sailed from New York on December 2(). liUO, for Trinidad. 



Fifth, an expedition under the charfje of Mr. S. N. lihoads. who is afflliated with the 

 .\cademy of Sciences. I'hiladelpliia. which jilans to sail from New York on neceml)er 21. 1911, 

 for Ecuador. 



It is obvious, thercfoH', that so far as .\merican /.(x'ilogists are con- 

 cerned, the twentieth century is .South .Vinerica's, and it is \-ery greatly 

 to l)e hoped that the .\mcrican Museum may take a leading i)art in the 

 zoological exploration of this still little-known continent. 



