48 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 68 



The month of April was spent in Haiti, where they thoroughly 

 explored the " Cul-de-Sac '" region, the north coast of the western 

 peninsula and the coastal range from the " Cul-de-Sac " north as far 

 as San Marc, from which regions very little land mollusk material 

 was represented in the Aluseum collection. This material was very 

 necessary in order to complete the links in the chain of the distribu- 

 tion of the West Indian land mollusks, a problem which presents many 

 interesting scientific phases, which, when fully examined, will throw 

 much light on zoogeographic distribution. In the " Cul-de-Sac," 

 collecting stations were made about Port au I'rince, along the line 

 of the coast north of the city, at Thomazeau and on the shores of 

 Lake Assuei. In the coastal range north of the " Cul-de-Sac," collec- 

 tions were made at numerous points from San Marc to Lake Assuei, 

 the higher elevations being reached at Morne a Cabrits and the moun- 

 tains back of Trou Caiman. Collections were also made in the hills 

 south of Port au Prince and about Petionville. 



On the north coast of the southern peninsula collecting was done 

 at Petit Goave and Miragoane, but more concentrated efiforts during 

 a period of two weeks were devoted to the mountains about Jeremie, 

 a region of considerable importance in the study of Antillean zoo- 

 geography. With Jeremie as a base, daily collecting excursions were 

 made covering a very considerable area. 



A representative series of about 15,000 specimens was secured; 

 also about 1,000 other natural history specimens, including several 

 new birds, some very interesting cacti and other plants and miscel- 

 laneous invertebrates, insects, fossil mollusks, fishes, batrachians, 

 bats, and mice. 



An extensive series of interesting photographs was also made, 

 many of which will be used in a report on the expedition which the 

 explorers hope to publish in the near future. 



A VISIT TO THE CERION COLONIES IN FLORIDA 

 Through the co-operation of the Carnegie Institution and the \J. S. 

 National Museum, Dr. Paul Bartsch was enabled to again visit the 

 Bahama Cerion colonies which he planted in 1912, for the purpose 

 of studying the results attained during the past year. He reports 

 securing a series of adult specimens of the second Florida grown 

 generation which, when compared with those of the first Florida 

 grown generation of the previous year's collections, will furnish the 

 basis of a report showing the efi^ect of the changed environment upon 

 these organisms. 



