2 BULLETIN 56, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



and 14 saddle ponies. Various changes in the personnel and trans- 

 portation facilities occurred subsequently. In addition, the commis- 

 sion was provided, hj direction of the War Department, with a mil- 

 itary escort to accompany the expedition as a protection against In- 

 dians or other marauders. The military escort consisted of detach- 

 ments of infantry for camp and guard duty, cavalry for patrol, 

 courier and mail service, and a detachment of the Hospital Corps, 

 accomj^anied by a Red Cross ambulance for the care and transporta- 

 tion of the sick. The soldiers were provided Avith the usual army 

 facilities for transportation, including water wagons. Beginning 

 with 50 enlisted men, in January, 1892, the number of soldiers was 

 increased to 88 in November, 1892, and afterwards gradually reduced 

 to 13, in August, 1894. 



To carry out the work of the American commission conveniently, 

 the whole force was subdivided as follows: (1) A main supply camp, 

 with the connnissioners and field office, hospital, draftsmen and field 

 maps, photographer, and head mechanics, such as blacksmith, wheel- 

 wright, masons, and carpenters, together with the greater part of the 

 military escort; (2) an astronomical party, for determining latitude 

 and azimuth; (3) a tangent party, for running the tangents; (4) a 

 topographical party, and (o), lastly, a Monument-Building Party, 

 which w^as not organized until August 6, 1892, but remained in the 

 field until the last monument was set up on the edge of the Pacific 

 Ocean, on October 3, 1894, several months after the remaining parties 

 had completed their operations and disbanded. 



ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BIOLOGICAL SECTION OF THE SURVEY. 



I was detailed bj^ the War Department to act as medical officer of 

 the Commission, and reported for duty as such at El Paso, Texas, on 

 February 1, 1892. By previous correspondence with Lieut. Col. 

 J. W. Barlow, senior commissioner, I had obtained authority to 

 establish a biological section of the survey, provided this could be 

 accomjDlished without additional cost to the appropriation allotted 

 to the International Boundary Commission. This was effected 

 through the cooperation of the United States National Museum, 

 with the friendly assistance of the War and State Departments. No 

 special appropriation was at any time made by the United States 

 Government for the prosecution of biological research or the publi- 

 cation of reports on the collections made by the International 

 Boundary Commission. 



My services with the Commission extended from January, 1892, to 

 September, 1894, excepting a few months, during wdiich I was 

 assigned to duty at Fort Clark, Texas. This interruption did not, 

 however, prevent me from covering the entire Boundary Line, as I 

 was able, by joining the monument jjarty at a later period, to take up 



