100 THE AMKRICAX MCSKl'M JOCRXAI. 



and the other under Messrs. Lanj: and ("hapin in the Congo; also the 

 Stefansson-An(k*rs()n Expedition along the Arctie borders of British America 

 will he maintained. Xew expeditions are projected in the West InrlieS; in 

 Colombia and Venezuela. Another whaling expedition will be sent to the 

 coast of Japan in November. Altogether 862,900.03 has already been 

 subscribed or pledged toward the exploration work of the Museum during 

 the coming year in various parts of the Avorld. 



EXPEDITION TO LOWER CALIFORNIA 



THROUGH a fortunate cooperation between the American Museum 

 of Natural History and the United States Bureau of Fisheries, 

 the large government steamer Albatross sailed from San Diego, 

 February 25, on a two months' collecting expedition to Lower California. 

 Dr. Charles H. Townsend, Acting Director of the Museum, is in command 

 of the expedition. He is well acquainted with the region, having previously 

 made several zoological and fishery trips in this part of the Pacific; also he 

 knows well the work of the steamer Albatross since he was the naturalist 

 of the vessel on .several voyages, and even participated in this vessel's deep- 

 sea investigations under the late Professor Agassiz. 



Dr. Townsend is accompanied by seven investigators and collectors, 

 certain of them representing the United States National Museum at Wash- 

 ington, the New York Zoological Society and the New York Botanical 

 Gardens all of which bear a share of the burden of the expense of the trip 

 and participate in the collecting. 



Dr. Townsend will begin the work with a line of deep-sea dredgings to 

 Guadalupe Island some two hundred and fifty miles from San Diego. 

 The dredging will extend even to depths of two and one-half miles. Mr. 

 G. C. Bell of the preparation department of the American Museiun is a 

 member of the staff of the expedition and Avill make molds of the various 

 deep-sea fishes and invertebrates as soon as they are collected. Deep-sea 

 species have preNnously been known by the public only in the form of 

 unattractive alcoholic material and if successful plaster antl glue molds 

 can be obtained and lifelike casts made, the triumph will be great for the 

 preparator's skill and a work will be done that has ne\er before been at- 

 tempted. 



From Guadalupe Lsland the Albatro.ss will work eastward to begin a 

 fishery survey of the Peninsula of Lower California. The fishery resources 

 of the region will be studied with a view to the establishment of closer fish- 

 ery relations with Mexico, and if possible, to opening the way for fishery 

 trade and the utilization of the important fish and oyster resources in our 



