42 TENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF 



ceived. These were mainly from the survey for marking the boundary 

 between the United States and Mexico, and those for a practical rail- 

 road route to the Pacific, from the North Pacific exploring expedition 

 under Captain Ringgold, and the expedition to the Parana and its 

 tributaries under Captain Page, from the exploration of the coast of 

 California by Lieutenant Trowbridge, and many others, enumerated 

 in detail in the last report. It was supposed that, with the return of 

 most of these expeditions, and the diminution in extent of the field 

 of labor, the receipts during the year 1855 would show a considerable 

 falling off. This, however, has by no means b*een the case ; on the 

 contrary, the additions have not only been greater in number, but of 

 even greater interest, many new regions having been almost ex- 

 hausted of their scientific novelties. The following table will illus- 

 trate the difference in the receipts for the two years : 



1854. 1855. 



Number of kegs and barrels received 35 26 



Do. cans 26 18 



Do. jars 175 187 



Do. boxes 94 148 



Do. bales — 7 



Do. packages 32 79 



Do. cabinets — 2 



Total of pieces 362 467 



Distinct donations 130 229 



The entire n Limber of different contributors during 1855 has ex- 

 ceeded 130. There has been a considerable decrease in 1855 in the 

 number of fishes and reptiles received, owing to the fact that full 

 collections have been made in previous years at many points, which 

 thus became exhausted as far as contributions of desirable specimens 

 were concerned. In the department of mammals, however, the in- 

 crease over previous years has been very marked, in consequence of a 

 circular which you issued early in the year calling attention to the 

 subject. The number of specimens received, preserved either in alco- 

 hol or as dry skins, amounted nearly to 2,500, an aggregate which 

 few museums in the world can probably give, as received in the same 

 space of time. 



As in 1854, the most important of the collections received, whether 

 their extent or novelty be considered, were made and sent home by 

 the government exploring expeditions, as follows : 



a — THE MEXICAN BOUNDARY LINE. 



Survey of the boundary between the United States and Mexico — Major 

 W. H. Emory, U. S. A., commissioner. — In the last annual report, atten- 

 tion was called to the fact that the active survey of this line had been 

 resumed, for the purpose of accurately marking the new portion of the 

 United States boundary, acquired by the Gradsden treaty. The party 

 of the Commissioner left Washington in September for the field of 



