12 IOWA STUDIES IN NATURAL HISTORY 
coming facts. Now, however, the way seemed open, and my 
companions were equally enthusiastic about extending our field 
of operations to include New Zealand as well as Fiji, and none 
of us had cause to regret this decision. 
Of course, we already had most effective contact with Fiji 
in a valued and tried friend, Mr. Fell, and that was sufficient 
for our purpose, as we were confident that through him we could 
secure all available information regarding the characteristics 
of the Fiji group, as well as every facility that could reasonably 
be granted by the Colonial Government. The extension of our 
visit to New Zealand offered more serious problems, and it was 
decided that official connections with the Dominion Government 
would be left to myself while Professor Wylie would undertake 
to communicate with the scientists of New Zealand and to as- 
certain the best way for us to utilize the limited amount of time 
at our disposal. 
Through President Jessup we secured letters from Secretary 
Hughes of the Department of State, and Senator Kenyon un- 
dertook to secure a letter from the British Ambassador at Wash- 
ington to the Dominion Government of New Zealand. Previous 
experience had made it evident that such letters of introduction 
are of vital importance in the ease of scientific parties. The 
Colonial and Dominion Governments of the British Empire so 
far as my experience goes, have always been alive to the import- 
ance of encouraging scientific expeditions when they are prop- 
erly introduced through official channels. These governments 
have the power, moreover, to waive regulations regarding duties 
on scientific equipment, and to grant official aid to a far greater 
extent than seems possible for American official representatives 
in out-of-the-way places like our own West Indian Islands, 
the Virgin Islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix. President 
Jessup also wrote a letter to Mr. A. Cecil Day, Official Secre- 
tary to his Excellency, Viscount Jellicoe, Governor General of 
New Zealand, stating the objectives of our visit and bespeaking 
the official aid of the Dominion Government. As it usually takes 
at least two months, sometimes three, to receive answers to let- 
ters to New Zealand, time was an element of importance and there 
was none to spare. Letters officially notifying the Colonial 
Government at Fiji of our intended visit were also sent by 
3 Narrative of Barbados-Antigua Expedition, 1919, p. 250. 
