50 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1912. 



for the use of Mr, C. B. Eobinson in the preparation of manuscript 

 for the "North American Flora"; Vittaria, to assist Mr. R. C. 

 Benedict, who is making an extended investigation of the ontogeny, 

 morphology, and taxonomy of the tribe Vittarieae; Hawaiian ferns 

 for a synoptical review of the Pteridophyta of these islands by Miss 

 W. J. Robinson; and ferns of the genus Lomaria for a synoptical 

 treatment of the North American species of the genus by Miss Jean 

 Broadhurst. Specimens of Viola were also sent to Dr. Ezra Brainerd, 

 of Middlebury,, Vt., to be used in a contribution to the " North 

 American Flora." 



Explorations. — Though having only very limited means for ex- 

 plorations, the Museum profited greatly through a number of im- 

 portant natural history expeditions in which, by the generosity of 

 friends, it was given the opportunity to participate, or to share in 

 the returns. Such of these expeditions as were completed within 

 the 3'ear brought valuable additions to the collections, as recorded 

 on preceding pages, while from others satisfactory results had been 

 announced at the time this report was written. Briefly summar- 

 ized, they and the field work carried on directly by the Museum were 

 as follows: 



Having planned an extended hunting trip to east Africa, prin- 

 cipally with the object of testing the value of American bearhounds 

 in stalking lions, Mr. Paul J. Rainey, of New York, offered to 

 present to the Institution and Museum such natural history speci- 

 mens as were obtained, provided some one skilled in tlieir preser- 

 vation could be detailed to accompany him. Mr. Ednumd Heller, 

 who had been one of the naturalists on the Smithsonian African 

 Expedition, was appointed to this position. The expedition sailed 

 from New York February 18, 1911, and was absent about a year, 

 Mr. Heller leaving Nairobi, British East Africa, homeward bound, 

 about February 15, 1912. The route of travel was somewhat to the 

 north and east of that taken by the Smithsonian expedition, and 

 passed through the country lying between the northern part of 

 British East Africa and southern x4.byssinia. Arrived at Mombasa, 

 the party proceeded toward the north, across the Gabba Plains dis- 

 trict, along the east side of the Horerti and Koroli deserts, by the 

 Lorain swamp, and thence along the west side of the desert to 

 Nairobi. The coast stations of the Uganda Railroad were then 

 visited by Mr. Heller, and afterwards various localities about Lake 

 Victoria Nyanza. The collection received at the Museum consists 

 of about 3,400 mammals, of which over 700 are large game, besides 

 371 birds and 523 reptiles and batrachians, and as the material came 

 from regions not covered by the earlier expedition, and to some 

 extent from remote localities never before visited by naturalists, it 

 is of exceptional interest and contains many new forms. 



