NO. 3 SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, 1915 57 
holothurians, annelids, crustaceans, moilusks, and ascidians. Col- 
lections were alse made on land whenever opportunities offered, in- 
cluding insects, mollusks, reptiles, and batrachians. 
This expedition has enriched the collections of the National Mu- 
seum by about five thousand specimens, which it is hoped will 
throw considerable light on the correlation of these islands in the 
West Indian complex. 
CACTUS INVESTIGATIONS IN BRAZIL AND ARGENTINA 
Dr. J. N. Rose, associate in botany, U. S. National Museum, 
(at present connected with the Carnegie Institution of Washington 
in the preparation of a monograph of the Cactaceae of America), 
accompanied by Mr. Paul G. Russell, of the U. S. National Museum, 
continued the botanical exploration of South America during the 
summer of 1915, spending over five months in travel and field work 
in Brazil and Argentina. 
Jahia, Brazil. was the first place visited, which city served as a 
base for collecting trips into the interior of the State of Bahia. 
One of these was to the town of Joazeiro, located about three 
hundred miles north northwest of Bahia, and lying 1n a typical cactus 
desert, although this region is traversed by the large Rio Sao 
Francisco. Notwithstanding the fact that this stream is full the 
entire year, little or no attempt is being made to use the water for 
irrigation purposes. The country is of that type known as “ catinga, ” 
and resembles in a remarkable way the deserts of the West Indies ; 
indeed, the genera of plants are in many cases the same, though the 
carnuba,’ or wax palm, 
ve 
species are distinct. Here was seen the 
from which is obtained the wax utilized in making records for phono- 
graphs. Near Joazeiro is the Horto Florestal, or “ forest garden,” 
a government experiment station in charge of Dr. Leo Zehntner, who 
rendered great assistance in the study and collection of the cactuses of 
the region. 
After making short stops at various stations in returning to Bahia, 
a trip was made to Machado Portella, a small town about 175 miles 
west and a little south of Bahia, the terminus of a little narrow gauge 
railway. This is also a semiarid region, and proved exceedingly 
interesting botanically. The next side trip was to Toca da Onc¢a, 
still farther south, on the edge of a thick tropical forest, and in a 
region much more humid than the northern part of the state. 
About six weeks were then spent in beautiful Rio de Janeiro and 
vicinity. Here, even in the city itself, a botanist finds a great deal 
to interest him, for the trees are covered with epiphytic cactuses, 
