NO. 3 SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS. I915 57 



holothurians, annelids, crustaceans, mollusks, and ascidians. Col- 

 lections were also made on land whenever opj)ortunities offered, in- 

 cluding insects, mollusks, reptiles, and batrachians. 



This expedition has enriched the collections of the National Mu- 

 seum by about five thousand specimens, which it is ho])ed will 

 throw considerable light on the correlation of these islands in the 

 West Indian complex. 



CACTUS INVESTIGATIONS IN BRAZIL AND ARGP:NTINA 



Dr. J. X. Rose, associate in botany, U. S. National Museum, 

 (at present connected with the Carnegie Institution of Washington 

 in the preparation of a monograph of the Cactaceae of America), 

 accompanied by Mr. Paul G. Russell, of the U. S. National Museum, 

 continued the botanical exploration of South America during the 

 summer of 1915, spending over five months in travel and field work 

 in Brazil and Argentina. 



Bahia, Brazil, was the first place visited, which city served as a 

 base for collecting trips into the interior of the State of Bahia. 

 One of these was to the town of Joazeiro, located about three 

 hundred miles north northwest of Bahia, and lying in a typical cactus 

 desert, although this region is traversed by the large Rio Sao 

 Francisco. Notwithstanding the fact that this stream is full the 

 entire year, little or no attempt is being made to use the water for 

 irrigation purposes. The country is of that type known as " catinga," 

 and resembles in a remarkable way the deserts of the West Indies ; 

 indeed, the genera of plants are in many cases the same, though the 

 species are distinct. Here was seen the " carnuba," or wax ])alm» 

 from which is obtained the wax utilized in making records for ])hono- 

 graphs. Near Joazeiro is the Horto Florestal. or " forest garden." 

 a government experiment station in charge of Dr. Leo Zehntner. who 

 rendered great assistance in the study and collection of the cactuses of 

 the region. 



After making short stops at various stations in returning to liahia, 

 a trip was made to Machado Portella, a small town about 175 miles 

 west and a little south of Bahia, the terminus of a little narrow gauge 

 railway. This is also a semiarid region, and proved exceedingly 

 interesting botanically. The next side trip was to Toca da Onca, 

 still farther south, on the edge of a thick troj^ical forest, and in a 

 region much more humid than the northern part of the state. 



About six weeks were then spent in beautiful Rio de Janeiro and 

 vicinity. Here, even in the city itself, a botanist finds a great deal 

 to interest him, for the trees are covered with epi]jhytic cactuses. 



