PREFACE 



In the furtherance of the Institution's researches in various branches 

 of science — notably biology, geology, anthropology, and astrophys- 

 ics — field expeditions play an important part in providing new ma- 

 terial and new data. From its own limited resources the Institution 

 is able to pay the expenses of but a few of these expeditions ; for the 

 others it must depend on the generosity of friends of the Institution or 

 on cooperative arrangements with other institutions interested in the 

 same lines of scientific investigation. The accounts in the present 

 pamphlet for 1932 are in the nature of preliminary announcements of 

 the purpose, methods, and results of the season's field-work. The 

 scientific results are published in full later, after the new material has 

 been thoroughly studied, in one of the technical series issued by the 

 Institution. 



Owing to present economic conditions, which have materially re- 

 duced the funds available for publication, it has been necessary to re- 

 duce this book to approximately one half its normal size. It is hoped, 

 however, that enough is presented to show the purpose and scope of 

 the Institution's investigations in the field, as well as something of 

 the interest of scientific exploration. 



W. P. True, 

 Editor, Smithsonian Institution. 



