PPE DITIONS: ORGANIZED OR PARTICIPATED: EN (BY. 
hE SVITASONTAN INSTI LUTION 
IN 1910 AND tort. 
The Smithsonian Institution has been concerned in numerous 
scientific expeditions and collecting trips during the last two years. 
Some of these were new enterprises, while others were for the con- 
tinuation of work initiated in earlier years. The resources of the 
Institution not being sufficient to enable it to plan extensive investi- 
gations in the field, or to maintain a corps of collectors, it is compelled 
to concentrate its efforts on special work of limited scope, but of 
such a character that the results shall, as far as possible, have an 1m- 
mediate bearing on the progress of science. In recent years, as in the 
whole of.its past history, the Institution has had the aid of public- 
spirited citizens and the codperation of other institutions and of the 
several branches of the United States government. It has, in turn, 
cooperated with other organizations in the explorations which they 
have conducted, being itself benefited thereby and benefiting those 
with which it has been associated. 
The National Museum has participated in most of these enter- 
prises, sometimes furnishing equipment or supplies, and at other times 
detailing members of its scientific staff to conduct investigations or 
to make collections. 
In recent years, opportunities have been afforded for participating 
in exploring and hunting expeditions organized by private enterprise, 
whereby scientific collections of great importance have been obtained. 
These collections, with those from other sources, are preserved in 
the National Museum for exhibition to the public, or for promoting 
scientific studies. 
The field of these activities of the Institution has been world- 
wide, but in the last two years attention has been concentrated on 
Africa rather more than on any other region. Scarely had the 
Smithsonian African Expedition returned from the field, with its 
great zoological collections, than another opportunity occurred 
through the generosity of Mz. Paul J. Rainey, of New York, to secure 
specimens for the National Museum from the same region to supple- 
ment and to supply deficiencies in the earlier collection. 
SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 59, No. 11 
