80 



THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



March 28, "Katydids, Crickets and Other 

 Insect People," R. L. Ditmars. 



Dr. p. J. Oettinger has presented to the 

 Museum his entire collection of ores gathered 

 through a lifetime spent in Mexico and vari- 

 ous other parts of the mining world. The 

 collection consists of about thirteen hundred 

 specimens of silver, gold, lead and zinc ores. 



Dr. H. J. Spinden of the department of 

 anthropology is carrying on archaeological 

 explorations in Central America. 



Mr. W. DeW. Miller has recently 

 published a paper of seventy-three pages on 

 a Review of the Classification of the Kingfishers 

 which makes notable changes in the arrange- 

 ment of the various species, dividing the 

 family into three subfamilies instead of the 

 two commonly recognized. The changes are 

 based on both external and internal charac- 

 ters and also have the corroborative support 

 of geographic distribution. 



Our common belted kingfisher is the 

 representative of one subfamily, Cerylince, 

 the only one of the three whose members are 

 found in both hemispheres, but we shall 

 know him no more under the name Ceryle 

 for this proves to be the exclusive property 

 of the African black and white bird. The 

 beautiful little European kingfisher, the 

 Alcedo or Alcyon of the ancients, the har- 

 binger of fair weather, typifies another sub- 

 family, Alcedinince. It is restricted to the 

 eastern hemisphere and with the exception 

 of one genus does not occur in the Australian 

 region. The third and largest group, Dace- 

 lonince, containing the greatest number and 

 variety of species is, with the exception of 

 two genera, confined to the Axistralian and 

 Indian regions. It includes those species 

 having the habits of flycatchers and those 

 that feed largely on small reptiles. 



The cover photograph of this number of 

 the Journal is from the painting "Tiger 

 and Cobra" by Charles R. Knight. The 

 March number will contain reproductions 

 in black and white of a long series of his 

 canvases and a reproduction in color of one 

 'of his notable fish paintings. 



Dr. Henry E. Crampton has just returned 

 fiom a month's stay in Forto Rico where he 



placed the project of a complete scientific 

 survey of Porto Rico before the Governor and 

 other officials of the island with a view to se- 

 curing the cooperation of the insular govern- 

 ment in the work. He also conducted a 

 general scientific and a special zoological re- 

 connaissance preparatory to future intensive 

 work in characteristic localities. During the 

 course of the reconnaissance more than 1300 

 miles of motoring and railroad travel were 

 accomplished. Indian engravings were ex- 

 amined and photographed at several locali- 

 ties, notably inland from Utuado and along 

 the Rio Blanco north of Naguabo. The 

 general geology of the island was worked out 

 as far as the peripheral sedimentary rocks, 

 the inner limestones and the central igneous 

 formations are concerned. Limestone cav- 

 erns in three places — Corozal, Aguas Buenas 

 and Ciales — were explored and photo- 

 graphed. Fossil-bearing strata were re- 

 corded in several localities and representative 

 specimens secured. Also zoological coUect- 

 tions were brought back from various caves, 

 meadows, forests and plantations. 



Those interested in the work of Mr. 

 Vilhjdlmur Stefdnsson, for four years con- 

 nected with the American Museum in the 

 Stefansson-Anderson Arctic expedition and 

 now leader of the Canadian Arctic expedition, 

 will be glad to learn definitely that the report 

 is false which appeared in the newspapers in 

 November stating the loss of the "Mary 

 Sachs," one of the vessels of the expedition. 

 The news that the "Mary Sachs" together 

 with the "Alaska" is safe in winter quarters 

 at CoUinson Point, fifty miles from Flaxman 

 Island, arrived December 23 from Dr. R. M. 

 Anderson, second in command of the expedi- 

 tion, and finally from the explorer himself 

 when he cabled the New York Times,"... 

 On December 14 I reached Collinson Point 

 and found both schooners safe wintering in 

 the bay," and again in speaking of the 

 spring plans for the ships, "I shall proceed 

 with both [the 'Alaska' and the 'Mary 

 Sachs'] to Herschel whenever possible. . . 

 The 'Alaska' will proceed to ' Coronation 

 Gulf and the ' Sachs ' will undertake the work 

 of the 'Karluk' if the 'Karluk' is not reported 

 by the time of the first opportunity to sail 

 from Herschel." 



