30 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 65 



The main object of the expedition was to make as complete as 

 possible a biological survey of the waters of western Cuba, especially 

 of the extensive Colorados Reefs, heretofore wholly unexplored by 

 naturalists, and to obtain fine specimens for the exhibition series of 

 the National Museum. Another purpose of the visit to this region 

 was to investigate closely the fauna of certain high mountains of 

 the northern ranges of the Sierra de los Organos to gather material 

 from those inaccessible localities. The chief interest of the Cuban 

 Government was a study of food-fish life of the reefs, and to that end 



Fig. 32. — Bartsch collecting the rare landshell, Urocoptis dautzenbergiana, 

 of which several hundred were obtained in the space shown in the photo- 

 graph. 



Sr. Lesmes of the Cuban Fish Commission was detailed by President 

 Menocal to accompany the party. 



Careful preparation was made for intensive field work and a full 

 equipment of dredges, traps, submarine electric lights, chemicals 

 for stupefying marine animals, etc., was taken. 



Besides extensive dredging operations carried on daily, shore 

 parties visited the two great mountains, Pan de Guajaibon and Pan 

 de Azucar, and also spent some time in the Vifiales region, about 

 Guane, and in the low-lying country about La Fe, and finally spent 

 several days collecting in the heavily forested region about Cape 

 San Antonio. From these shore stations an immense number of 

 specimens were collected, including many species new to science. 



