xx Bulletin American Museum of Natural History [Vol. XXXIX 



The expedition was at first financed to the extent of $10,000 through 

 the individual contributions of several Trustees and other friends of 

 the Museum, especially by Messrs. John B. Trevor, Charles Lanier, 

 Cleveland H. Dodge, J. P. Morgan, Jr., William K. Vanderbilt, A. D. 

 Juilliard, Robert W. Goelet, and William Rockefeller. 



Mr. Herbert Lang 1 was chosen leader of the expedition and Mr. 

 James P. Chapin of Columbia College volunteered to go as Assistant. 

 At the end of the first year Messrs. Lang and Chapin reported the results, 

 which were far beyond the original expectations, and requested an ex- 

 tension of time. 



The expedition ultimately extended over a period of six years, in 

 the course of which very full field reports were made by Mr. Lang from 

 time to time. The total expenditures of the expedition for field work 

 amounted to a very much larger sum than was originally contemplated, 

 namely, $58,000, which was raised as follows: 



Contribution by the Belgian Government, (6,800 francs) $1,329.13 



Subscriptions from the Trustees and other friends of the Museum 29,000.00 

 Appropriations from the Jesup Endowment Fund 27,670.87 



It is interesting to recall that the late President Jesup was originally 

 interested in the exploration of the Congo and that through his munifi- 

 cent bequest to the Museum he became the benefactor who made pos- 

 sible the continuation of this work. It is also through the Jesup Fund 

 that the Museum is enabled to issue the series of publications projected. 



NARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION 

 The Museum party left New York on May 8, 1909, for Antwerp, 

 and, after receiving additional courtesies and assistance in Brussels, 

 sailed for Boma, arriving there June 22, when the work of the expedition 

 began, as told in the following narrative by Mr. Lang. 



"At President Osborn's request the Expedition proceeded without 

 delay to the most promising zoological regions, 1200 to 1500 miles in- 

 land, a fact that contributed as much to the success as did the general 

 organization and excellent equipment. There, in the northeastern 

 Belgian Congo, it was hoped we could secure for the proposed African 



iJlr. Herbert Lang became connected with the American Museum staff in August 1903, and until 

 1906 worked upon the faunistic exhibits and habitat groups of North American birds. In 1906 he 

 represented the Museum on the Tjader Expedition to Africa, the expenses of which were chiefly borne 

 by Mr. Samuel Thorne. In 1907-1908, he worked on the material collected by the Tjader Expedition 

 and in preparation for the Congo Expedition. During the years 1909-1915 he was in charge of the 

 Congo Expedition. Upon his return he was assigned to the preparation, arrangement and description 

 of the Congo collections as Assistant in Mammalogy. On February 3, 1919, he was appointed Assis- 

 tant Curator, Department of Mammalogy. 



