REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. . 41 



the Bahamas, Jamaica, Cuba, Hayti, St. Domingo, Porto Rico, St. 

 Thomas, Santa Cruz, and Antigua ; thus covering very largely the west- 

 ern portions of the group, or the Greater and Lesser Antilles. 



For the purpose of obtaining at least a general idea of the other 

 islands more eastward, and of having them represented in the National 

 Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, in the fall of 1876, made an engage- 

 ment with Mr. Frederick A. Ober to proceed to that region, and, if pos- 

 sible, visit every island, large and small, occupyiug several years in the 

 labor. The islands of Dominica, St. Vincent, Barbuda, Antigua, &c, 

 have been explored by Mr. Ober up to the present date. 



The subjects to which his attention was especially called were the 

 archeology and ethnology of the islands, and their vertebrate animals. 

 He has succeeded in finding remnants of the ancient Carib tribes, 

 especially in Dominica, and has obtained numerous photographs of the 

 people and specimens illustrative of their handiwork. His collections 

 of birds have also been very extensive, embracing several uudescribed 

 species, and others of great rarity, or not previously represented in the 

 National Museum. 



Reference has been made, in previous reports, to the large collections 

 made at the Kerguelen Islands by Dr. J. H. Kidder, wbile connected 

 with the Transit of Venus Expedition. Some important deficiencies of 

 specimens, however, not procurable during Dr. Kidder's visit, have been 

 obtained, at his request, by Captain Fuller, of the merchant service, 

 and presented to the Institution. 



Scientific investigation of the collections. — As in previous. years, the 

 collections of the National Museum have been freely intrusted to com- 

 petent naturalists for investigation and description; and much has 

 been accomplished toward their proper classification and identification. 

 Specimens of certain groups of mammals have been intrusted to Dr. 

 Elliot Coues, of the United States Army, and Mr. J. A. Allen, of Cam- 

 bridge, who are preparing a series of monographs for publication, under 

 the direction of Dr. Hayden. A magnificent quarto by these two gen- 

 t'emen, forming volume xi of the Reports of the Government Surveys 

 of the Territories, and occupying 1100 pages, is devoted exclusively to 

 the Rodentia, the materials derived almost entirely from the National 

 Museum. 



Other important monographs on the fur-bearing animals and on the 

 insectivora have been likewise prepared by them. 



The birds of America outside of the United States, and those of the 

 West Indies, have been placed in the hands of Mr. George N. Lawrence 

 who has published a number of papers upon them, describing several 

 new species, principally from the collections of Mr. Ober and of Mr. Brace, 

 of Nassau. Mr. Ridgway, the assistant in charge of the department of 

 ornithology in the museum, has made investigations into the scientific 

 relations of the raptores, the herons, &c., and published several mono- 

 graphs. 



