20 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 59 
the Division of Plants in the National Museum, who had been detailed 
to assist in the work with the main object of collecting ferns and lower 
cryptogams. Extensive collections were made in the Canal Zone by 
both these botanists, from Culebra as headquarters along the fifty- 
mile stretch of the Panama Railroad, various trips being made into 
the surrounding jungle and torest. Several days were spent also in 
the region of Porto Bello, on the Atlantic Coast, to the east of the 
Canal Zone. The most interesting trip undertaken was one of 
between five and six weeks’ duration to the mountain region of 
Chiriqui, that portion of Panama adjacent to Costa Rica, and a region 
almost wholly unexplored hotanically. The month of March was 
spent here, with headquarters at the small town of El Boquete which 
lies at the immediate southern base of the interoceanic divide. From 
this point several trips were made to the higher peaks, meluding 
the ascent of the Chiriqui Volcano, an isolated peak of over 11,000 
feet, not previously visited by botanists. The region is especially 
rich in ferns, and much valuable material was secured, a considerable 
number of the species being hitherto unreported from Panama. 
Mr. Maxon returned to Washington on April 18, accompanied by 
Prof. Pittier, who returned to Panama about May 1, and continued 
his investigations there until Feb. 29, 1912. 
A large part of the work thus far accomplished has been necessarily 
of a preliminary character. Enough has been done, however, to 
indicate very clearly that an adequate investigation of the flora of 
Panama as a whole must of necessity extend over a period of several 
years. The reasons for this lie not only in the diversity of the plant 
associations, but also in the great number of species encountered in 
most localities and the need of studying many of these (particularly 
the trees) at different times in order to secure specimens illustrating 
seasonal changes. 
NATURAL HISTORY OBSERVATIONS IN, LOWERs CALIFORNIA 
The National Museum participated in another expedition to 
Mexican territory in tg1I. Beginning in the latter part of the 
winter of 1910-1911, the Bureau of Fisheries in conjunction with 
the American Museum of Natural History, which paid a part of the 
expenses, conducted an exploration along the west coast of Mexico, 
the steamer Albatross being used for the purpose. By invitation, 
the National Museum detailed two members of its staff to participate 
in the expedition, Dr. J. N. Rose, Associate Curator of Plants, and 
Dr. Paul Bartsch, Assistant Curator of Mollusks. 
