UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE , 

 EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS WEST OF THE IOOTH MERIDIAN, 



Washington, I). (7., June 8, 1874. 



SIR : I have the honor to submit, with the letter of Dr. H. C. Yarrow, 

 the inclosed reports upon the ornithological specimens t collected by this 

 expedition in 1871, 1872, and 1873, and, in view of the reasons urged by 

 him, suggest the propriety of their publication. 

 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



GEO. M. WHEELER, 

 Lieutenant of Engineers, in charge* 

 Brig. Gen. A. A. HUMPHREYS, 



Chief of Engineers. 



UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, 

 EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS WEST OF THE IOOTH MERIDIAN, 



Washington, D. C., June 2, 1874. 



SIR : I have the honor to submit the inclosed reports herewith, and 

 respectfully suggest that it is of the utmost importance that they should 

 be published at the earliest practicable moment, in order that this expe- 

 dition may receive its due share of credit for priority of discoveries 

 therein contained. I would propose at first to issue them each in 

 pamphlet, octavo, which may be readily distributed and used (should 

 occasion require) in compiling later the quarto volume on natural 

 history. 



Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



H. 0. YARROW, 



Surgeon and Naturalist to the Expedition. 

 Lieut. GEO. M. WHEELER, 



Corps of Engineers. 



