PKELIMINAEY REPORT. 43 



abandoned all idea of carrying out the deep-sea and pelagic work planned 

 for the district between the Gilbert and Marshall and Caroline groups. To 

 our great disappointment hardly any marine work could be accomplished, 

 and our investigations were limited almost entirely to the study of the coral 

 reefs of the regions passed through. 



After Mr. Townsend's departure, Dr. Moore continued to collect the 

 birds of the islands where we anchored, and they have brought together a 

 fairly typical collection of the avifauna of the South Sea Islands. Dr. Pryor 

 collected the characteristic plants, and Dr. Mayer the in?ects and reptiles, 

 in addition to such pelagic work as could be done in port. My private 

 assistants, Dr. W. McM. Woodworth and Dr. A. G. Mayer, as well as my son 

 Maximilian, took a large number of photographs, and we must have at least 

 900 views illustrating the coral reefs of the Pacific. Dr. Woodworth also 

 collected incidentally such ethnological material as could readily be ob- 

 tained during our short stay at different places. 



We were everywhere received with the greatest cordiality and cour- 

 tesy : by the Governor of the Paumotus, the King of Tonga, Sir George 

 O'Brien (the High Commissioner of the Western Pacific at Suva), Mr. E. 

 Brandeis (the Landes-Hauptmaun in charge of the Marshall Islands at 

 Jaluit), the Governor of the Carolines, and the Japanese authorities. The 

 State Department at Washington having kindly asked through the French, 

 English, German, and Japanese Embassies at Washington for the kind 

 offices of the repre.sentatives of these nations in Oceania to the "Albatross" 

 while in their respective precincts, thanks to these credentials nothing 

 could exceed the interest shown everywhere in the success of our 

 expedition. 



I must also thank Captain Moser and the officers of the "Albatross" for 

 the untiring intere.st shown by them during the whole time of our expedi- 

 tion in the work of the ship, which was so foreign to the usual duties of a 

 naval officer. 



