OO REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



had been transmitted to the commissioners of California for introduction 

 into that State. 



A salmon, of about twelve pounds weight, caught in the Delaware 

 Kiver, at Easton, in October, was supplied by Mr. Howard J. Eeeder, 

 fish commissioner of Pennsylvania. This was supposed to have been 

 derived from a stock introduced into the river in 1873. 



Many other equally interesting cases will be found referred to in the 

 list of donations, and more especially in the report of the United States 

 Fish Commissioner for 1877. 



A finely-stuffed skin of the adult Ontario salmon was presented by Mr. 

 Samuel Wilmot, of the Canadian fishery department, at New Castle 

 Ontario. This was a female, and especially interesting as having fur- 

 nished a quota of eggs during three successive seasons. 



In consequence of an extended exploration of the rivers of Georgia, 



the Carolinas, &c, prosecuted by Prof. D. S. Jordan, during the last 



summer, in part under the auspices of the United States Pish Commis- 



. sion, large numbers of species of fish, several of them previously un- 



described, were collected, and a series transmitted by Mr. Jordan. 



Collections of the fishes of the Great Basin, and of the coast of Cali- 

 fornia, were received from Lieutenant Wheeler, as the result of his 

 gatherings in past years. 



Of extralimital species, the most important collection of fishes was 

 one received from Mr. G. Brown Goode, assistant curator of the National 

 Museum, gathered by him during the past winter in Bermuda. Some 

 species from the vicinity of the Kerguelen Islands were presented by 

 Captain Fuller. 



Of marine invertebrates, the principal collections were those made by 

 the United States Fish Commissioner. Some of great interest were 

 obtained from Col. E. Jewett, of Santa Barbara, Mr. James G. Swan, in 

 Washington Territory, and others. 



The collections of plants were not very extensive ; the most important, 

 however, were furnished by Lieutenant Wheeler. A valuable contribu- 

 tion consisted of a series of specimens of Japanese woods, representing 

 fifty species, and presented by the Tokio Museum of Japan. These, 

 taken in connection with fifty other species received by the Smithsonian 

 Institution from the Japanese commission at the Centennial Exhibition, 

 complete the series of woods of Japan. 



Fossil remains of more or less rarity and interest are represented by 

 a collection of the Black Hills fossils, gathered by Prof. Henry Newton, 

 whose untimely death science has reason to deplore. To this is to be 

 added a series from Illinois, collected by Mr. George Spangler. 



Numerous collections of minerals have been added to the museum - 7 

 but, for the most part, necessarily stored with the other accumulations 

 for the want of a proper opportunity of exhibition. The most important 

 of these consists of a collection illustrating the iron and steel manufac- 

 tures of Sweden. This constituted the exhibit of that government at 



