REPORT OP NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1924 49 



EXPLORATIONS AND EXPEDITIONS 



The hopes expressed in last year's report that the activities so 

 auspiciously begun in the biological exploration of China might be 

 the inauguration of a new era in field work destined to benefit the 

 National Museum, have received great encouragement, during the past 

 year. It is true that a tragic event early in the year resulted in a 

 serious setback of the plans. It will be recalled that Dr. W. L. 

 Abbott, after the return of Charles M. Hoy from Australia, decided 

 to send him to China to collect for the Museum and that he departed 

 for his new field on December 15, 1922. Owing to delay in clearing 

 the collecting outfit at the customhouse in Shanghai, it was im- 

 possible to begin serious field work until May 17, 1923. During part 

 of May and June specimens were collected in Yochow district, 

 Hunan, but adverse conditions greatly interfered with the work. 

 Nevertheless, 168 mammals and 83 birds were collected. On July 2 

 he left for a trip through Hunan and Kiangsi. Conditions were 

 bad owing to banditry and revolution, and then Mr. Hoy was severely 

 wounded by the accidental discharge of his revolver and brought to 

 Kuling early in August. No anxiety was felt for his condition but, 

 about a week after, he developed a severe case of appendicitis, and 

 although operated on immediately, he died on September 6. The 

 Museum thus suffered a great loss, for as the Secretary of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution feelingly wrote to the father, young Hoy " gave 

 great promise as a field naturalist, and there is no doubt that with 

 experience he would have soon advanced to the front rank of his 

 profession. The remarkable collections which, after only a few 

 months of special training here, he made in Australia, furnish abun- 

 dant evidence of his ability and tireless energy." 



With his usual liberality, Doctor Abbott permitted Hoy's collect- 

 ing outfit to be sent to Rev. D. C. Graham, in Suifu, who will thus be 

 enabled to do even more effective work than has hitherto been pos- 

 sible. Mr. Graham, during the summer of 1923, was able to carry out 

 his plan of making a collecting trip to Tatsienlu near the Tibetan 

 border. He practically duplicated A. E. Pratt's route, going by way 

 of Mount Omei, and not only secured valuable topotype material of 

 species based on Pratt's and Potanin's expeditions, but secured a 

 number of unclescribed species which had escaped his predecessors. 

 He also ascended the Tibetan Plateau and secured specimens in very 

 high altitudes. It is to be hoped that he will be able to carry out 

 his plans for the present year to explore the territory to the north, 

 previously only visited by such pioneers as the French abbot Pere 

 Armancl David, and the Russian explorers Berezowski and Potanin. 

 As the result of Mr. Graham's activity, the Museum during the last 



