V ?y"] Notes and News. 34 1 



and Smithsonian Institution. This will give him all needed facilities for 

 working up his large collections, which will doubtless be made the basis 

 of elaborate reports upon the natural history of the region traversed by 

 the Boundary Commission. 



On July 7, 1894, the steamship 'Miranda' sailed from New York for 

 Greenland, having on board a large party of scientists and pleasure 

 seekers, under the leadership of Dr. F. A. Cook, surgeon and ethnologist 

 of the first Peary Expedition. It was the intention to visit Newfoundland 

 and the Labrador coast and then proceed, if possible, as far northward as 

 the Peary headquarters at McCormick Bay. 



But a series of mishaps befel the vessel, ending in her loss by striking 

 a rock off West Greenland. The excursionists, as well as the ship's crew, 

 were safely transferred to the fishing schooner 'Rigel,' and after many 

 discomforts safely reached New York. But everything in the way of 

 outfit and supplies, together with large collections in various departments 

 of natural history, and about 1000 photographs, went down with the ill- 

 fated steamer. Among the naturalists of the party were L. L. Dyche, 

 Professor of Zoology in the University of Kansas; E. A. Mcllhenny of 

 Louisiana, and H. Travis of the American Museum of Natural History. 

 Special attention had been given by them to birds and mammals, their 

 combined collections numbering nearly 1000 specimens, forming one of 

 the most important single collections ever made in Greenland. A special 

 feature of the collection was a large series of the young, in various stages 

 of growth, of the various species of both land and water birds met with. 

 Had the expedition not been thus brought to an untimely close, the 

 results would have been of great importance for ornithology. Although 

 the naturalists of the party saved their note-books, the loss of the speci- 

 mens is greatly to be deplored. 



It gives us pleasure to announce that Mr. D. G. Elliot, the well-known 

 ornithologist and mammalogist, has been added to the scientific staff" of 

 the Field Columbian Museum of Chicago, he having recently been 

 appointed Director of the Department of Zoology, and will soon enter 

 upon the duties of his office. 



Mr. C. A. Babcock, Superintendent of Schools at Oil City, Penn., 

 "has recently established a 'Bird Day' in the schools under his super- 

 vision. The literary exercises of the occasion are similar to those that 

 have characterized the observance of 'Arbor Day' for the last decade, the 

 object being the preservation of American birds from the women who 

 wear them and from the small boy." From Mr. Babcock himself we 

 learn that the pupils of his schools study birds throughout the year, 

 making original observations which become the subjects of compositions 

 or of 'talks' in the schools. Bird Day is merely the occasion forgathering 

 together the work of the year, with the addition of such statements from 

 books as can be made in the allotted time. "The peculiarity of our 

 Nature Study," he adds, "is that it consists of actual observation by the 



