472 a F. Hartt— Geological Survey of Brazil 



gathered a very extensive collection of insects, numbering, as 

 he assures me, many thousands of species. This collection is 

 now owned by Mr. Smith, and it is of so great value that I feel 

 it my duty to call the attention of your Excellency to the 

 matter, suggesting that it may be advisable to take steps to- 

 ward securing at least a comjplete set of the species for the 

 National Museum. 



In accordance with the request of your Excellency, I ac- 

 cepted the Directorship of the geological section of the National 

 Museum. After inaugurating the plan and arranging the work 

 for mj^ assistant during my absence, I propose to leave the city 

 to continue my studies in the north. 



My prospective journey is as follows: to leave Bahia for the 

 diamond fields, and after examining these to proceed as far as 

 the Rio Sao Francisco, to a point not yet determined. I intend 

 to visit the watershed between the Sao Francisco and Tocantins 

 rivers and to determine its character, afterward descending the 

 Sao Francisco to the vicinity of the rapids of Paulo Affonso. 

 From thence I expect to make a trip to the Serra de Araripe, 

 and then to visit the locality of fossil fishes to examine the 

 Serra de Ybiapaba, striking the sea coast probably at Ceara. 



After making this expedition and reviewing the work of the 

 assistants, who will be left along the coast in the provinces of 

 Bahia, Sergipe and Alagoas, I ought to have a somewhat clear 

 idea of the general geology of the northeastern portion of the 

 empire, a region concernfng which we have now very little in- 

 formation. This journey will probably occupy about four 

 months. At the close of the exploration I propose to return to 

 Eio de Janeiro with the members of the Commission to arrange 

 and describe the collections and to prepare a report in extenso 

 upon all the results obtained by the Commission with descrip- 

 tions and engravings of a large number of Brazilian fossils. 

 Addendum by the Translatok. 



A letter received from Professor Hartt, bearing date, Rio de 

 Janeiro, March 25, 1876, gives some particulars concernmg the 

 work accomplished since the writing of the foregoing report. 

 He states that Messrs. Derby and Rathbun have met with most 

 excellent results at Bahia, while Dr. Freitas and Mr. Branner 

 have made yet another very large collection of Cretaceous fos- 

 sils from the Mardim region. Mr. H. H. Smith had also done 

 characteristic work upon the Amazonas, amassing extended 

 and valuable collections. Professor Hartt himself was about 

 ready to start for the interior. 



By the same mail a letter was received from Mr. O. A. Derby, 

 dated Santo Amaro, near Bahia, March 26, 1876. He writes : 

 " We have found some rich deposits of Cretaceous fishes ana 



