NO. 30 SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, IQI2 15 
in the forests on the summits of these high ranges. After leaving 
the Taita Mountains he continued down the Uganda Railroad to the 
station of Maji-ya-chumvi in the Tarn Desert, a region very little 
known owing to its dryness and lack of game animals. Many small 
mammals were secured, most of which were new to the national col- 
lection. Another month was spent in the moist coast belt, which 
has quite a distinct fauna from the Tarn Desert or the highlands. 
At the beginning of 1912 collections were made in the Kakumega 
Forest which lies on the northeast side of the Victoria Nyanza. 
It represents the easternmost extension of the Congo Forest, which 
pushes its way across Uganda and along the northern shore of the 
Victoria Nyanza to the Kakumega district. A great many Congo 
mammals were secured here, the most remarkable forms being the 
sloth-like tailless lemur, the Congo forest duiker, the Congo Colobus 
monkey, and several rare forest monkeys. Mammals and reptiles 
were found very abundant in the forest, and great numbers of speci- 
mens were preserved. 
The zoological work done by the expedition added about a dozen 
genera and many species to the National Museum, and_ supple- 
mented the work done by the Smithsonian African Expedition to 
an important degree. The described new species number about 
forty. Many new facts concerning the distribution of animals 
were secured by the exploration of new fields which Was made pos- 
sible by Mr. Rainey’s liberality. In all, some 4,000 specimens of 
mammals were secured. Of these about 400 are large or may be 
counted as “big game.” Birds were collected only in the unex- 
plored territory, but the collection consists of some .400 specimens. 
The reptiles number more than 1,000, and the landshells are about 
equally numerous. Some 200 specimens of plants were also col- 
lected as accessory material in the study of the distribution of the 
fauna. The gathering of so large a collection was made possible 
through the large corps of native assistants which was furnished 
Mr. Heller by Mr. Rainey. 
THE SMITHSONIAN EXPEDITION TO ALGERIA FOR THE STUDY 
OF TEE EEA OF MEL Ea SUN 
Mr. C. G, Abbot, director of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Obser- 
vatory, was engaged for five months in an astronomical expedition 
to Bassour, Algeria, with the object of confirming or disproving 
the supposed variability of the sun. The Astrophysical Observatory 
has been for seven years making observations on Mt. Wilson, in 
2 
