40 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



crease the knowledge of the natural history of North America, by allow- 

 ing it to nominate observers at several of its Northwestern posts, who 

 possessed the necessary interest and skill to make collections and obser- 

 vations. Noteworthy among these are Mr. Lucien M. Turner, for several 

 years stationed at Saint Michaels, in Alaska, and his successor at that 

 post, Mr. E. W. Nelson. 



Single collections have been received from time to time from other 

 observers in the service. Eeference has been made to Dr. J. 0. Merrill, 

 of the United States Army, who made collections on the Lower Rio 

 Grande, in the vicinity of Brownsville. This gentleman has enabled us 

 in great measure to complete the work begun years ago by Dr. Berlan- 

 dier, and continued by Lieut. D. N. Couch, Gen. Stewart Van Vliet, 

 Mr. J. H. Clark, Mr. Arthur Schott, and Other members of the Mexican 

 Boundary Survey. Although but a short time resident at Fort Brown, 

 Dr. Merrill has already made a great many important additions to the 

 known fauna of that region. In this he has been aided by Mr. George 

 B. Sennett, of Erie, Pa., who has also rendered valuable service to 

 science. 



To Mr. F. Hirst, of Bridger Station, Wyo., we owe many important 

 contributions of birds, eggs, ethnological specimens, &c. Col. A. G. 

 Brackett, U. S. A., also stationed in Wyoming, has likewise been a 

 valued contributor. 



Mr. Livingston Stone has added greatly to our knowledge of the fishes 

 and ethnology of Oregon and California, by his collections in connection 

 with the operations of the United States Fish Commission. 



Lieutenant Wittich has also contributed toward the same end in 

 Oregon. Mr. James G. Swan, for many years a collaborator of the In- 

 stitution, and who, in 1875 and 1876, transmitted such extensive collec- 

 tions of ethnologica for the Centennial Exhibition of the Indian Bureau, 

 has also made large contributions of various objects, during the year, 

 from Puget Sound. 



The sea-coast has been well explored by the United States Fish Com- 

 mission on the coasts of Massachusetts and Nova Scotia, while the fishes 

 of Narragansett Bay and vicinity have been investigated by Mr. Sam- 

 uel Powel, of Newport. 



The collections of birds and ethnologica from the National Museum of 

 Mexico have been already adverted to, and relations have been estab- 

 lished between the national museums of the two countries, which we 

 hope will tend to their mutual benefit. 



The residence of Mr. G. Brown Goode in Bermuda during the winter 

 of 1876, has been productive of very desirable results ; full series of the 

 fishes, invertebrates, corals, &c, having been gathered. 



The attention of the Smithsonian Institution has for many years been 

 directed toward a thorough investigation of the natural history and 

 ethnology of the West India Islands, and extensive explorations and 

 collections have been effected through its agency in past years, in 



