EXPLORATIONS AND FIELD-WORK OF THE SMITH- 

 SONIAN INSTITUTION IN 1923 



INTRODUCTION 



The field expeditions sent out by the Institution or cooperated in 

 by the members of its scientific stafl:' during the calendar year 1923 

 are here briefly described and illustrated. The scientific results of 

 many of them will be presented later in the various series of publica- 

 tions under the direction of the Institution ; the bulletins and proceed- 

 ings of the United States National ]\Iuseum and the bulletins and 

 reports of the Bureau of American Ethnology. That part of the 

 Institution's income from its small endowment of slightly over one 

 million dollars, which is available after defraying administrative costs, 

 does not permit of extensive field operations, but every effort is made 

 to send out or cooperate in as many expeditions as possible with the 

 means at hand. This scientific exploration forms an important part 

 of the Institution's work in the " increase of knowledge," and by 

 means of it much valuable information has been gathered and dis- 

 seminated and the collections of the United States National Museum 

 have been greatly enriched. 



GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES 



During the summer and early fall of 1923 Secretary Charles D, 

 Walcott carried on geological fiekl-work in the Canadian Rockies of 

 Alberta and British Columbia, in continuation of the previous year's 

 work in the main range and the western minor ranges that form the 

 great eastern wall of the Columbia River A'alley from Golden south 

 to Kootenay River. His object was to secure data on the Pre-Devonian 

 strata from the Clearwater River southeast to the Bow Valley and 

 along the eastern side of the Columbia River Valley. 



The field season was a favorable one for geological work up to the 

 nn'ddle of September, despite the intense heat, as the nights were 

 invariably cool and restful. 



It was found that the Mons formation which was discovered on 

 the headwaters of the Saskatchewan River at Glacier Lake, extended 

 southwesterly on the western side of the Continental Divide in British 



Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, Vol. 76, No. 10. 



