EEPOBT or THE SECBETAKY. 13 



THE SMITHSONIAN AFRICAN EXPEDITION. 



Shorth^ before the close of the fiscal year a collecting expedition 

 to Africa was organized, to be known as the Smithsonian African 

 Expedition, under the direction of Edmund Heller, in conjunction 

 with the Universal Film Manufacturing Co. The expedition sailed 

 from this country a few days after the close of the year for Cape 

 Town, Africa, from which city arrangements were to be made for 

 the plunge into the interior of the continent. The expedition is to 

 collect animals, plants, and other material for uses of comparison 

 in working up the collections made in Africa by Col. Theodore 

 Koosevelt, Paul Eainey, and others, already in the National Museum. 

 Eepresentatives of the Universal Film Manufacturing Co. accom- 

 panied the expedition to make extensive motion pictures of life in 

 the mysterious interior. The expedition will explore the jungles, 

 deserts, lakes, and rivers and will be out at least a year. 



Exploration is contemplated in various parts of the Cape region, 

 the great Victoria Falls of the Zambesi Eiver, and western Kho- 

 desia. From there the expedition will cross to the sources of the 

 Congo in Belgian Congo, then turn east toward Lake Tanganjika, 

 following, to some extent, the trails of Livingston and Stanley in 

 this region. From the town of Ujiji, on the eastern shore of the 

 lake, the temporary headquarters of the expedition, excursions will 

 be made into the former German East Africa and the Uganda Pro- 

 tectorate, especially the Ryvenzori Mountain region. 



The primary purpose of the expedition is^ to secure additional 

 specimens of plants and animals, chiefly from the interior and from 

 South Africa, in which the Museum is rather deficient. These will 

 prove a welcome supplement to the magnificent collections brought 

 home by Col. Theodore Roosevelt and others and on which mono- 

 graphic reports are desired, but which can not be worked up intelli- 

 gently and satisfactorily until more material is obtained. The 

 experienced collectors, Mr. H. C. Raven, representing the institu- 

 tion, and Dr. H. L. Shantz, of the Department of Agriculture, will 

 undoubtedly send back to this country much material of value con- 

 cerning the little-known parts of the " Dark Continent " which have 

 puzzled scientists and laymen for a long time. 



BOTANICAL EXPLORATIONS IN ECUADOR. 



As a part of a cooperative plan for an investigation of the flora 

 of northern South America, organized by the United States National 

 Museum, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Grey Herbarium, 

 Dr. J. N. Rose, associate curator in the division of plants of the 

 Museum, spent three months making botanical collections in Ecuador. 

 A large quantity of desired material, including 6,000 botanical speci- 



