EXPLORATIONS AND FIELD-WORK OF THE SMITH- 

 SONIAN INSTITUTION IN 1920 



INTRODUCTION 



Investigation of the unexplored regions of the earth and extending 

 scientific knowledge of imperfectly known localities have from the 

 heginning been an important phase of the Institution's activity in the 

 " increase of knowledge." This pamphlet serves as an announcement 

 of the more important expeditions sent out during the calendar year 

 1920, and more detailed accounts of the scientific results are later 

 published in the Proceedings of the U. S. National Museum, Bul- 

 letins of the Bureau of American Ethnology, and other series of 

 publications issued under the direction of the Institution. 



Not only has our knowledge of little known regions been increased 

 through the numerous expeditions sent out by the Institution during 

 the 75 years of its existence, but also the collections in natural his- 

 tory and anthropology in the Museum have been greatly enriched 

 thereby. The urgency of some of the field-work is illustrated by the 

 Australian expedition herein briefly described. The remarkable 

 Australian mammal life has been but meagerly represented in the 

 National Museum and the rapid extermination of the native animals 

 through various agencies renders increasingly difficult the securing 

 of an adequate collection. However very satisfactory shipments are 

 being received from the present expedition and it is hoped that a 

 good representation will be secured for the ]\Iuseum l)efore it is 

 too late. 



GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES 

 During the field season of 1920, geological exploration was con- 

 tinued by Secretary Charles D. Walcott in the Canadian Rocky 

 Mountains, with two main points in view, ( i ) the determination of 

 the character and extent of the great interval of non-deposition of 

 sedimentary rock-forming material along the Front Range of the 

 Rockies west of Calgary, Alberta; (2) the clearing up of the rela- 

 tions of the summit and base of the great Glacier Lake section of 

 1919^ to the geological formations above and below. The party 

 going from Washington consisted of Dr. and Mrs. Walcott and 

 Arthur Brown. 



^Smithsonian Misc. Coll., Vol. ^2, No. i, 1920, p. 13. 



Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, Vol. 72, No. 6. 



