78 Report of the President 



tion is expected to remain in the field for another year, and 

 will doubtless do much to fill the great gap hitherto existent 

 in the Museum's zoological collections from Asia. 



Early in the summer Mr. H. E. Anthony was sent by the 

 Museum to Porto Rico, to explore, in cooperation with the 

 New York Academy of Sciences and the Porto Rican Govern- 

 ment, the caves and kitchen middens of that island for the 

 remains of extinct mammals, the presence there of such re- 

 mains having been discovered by reconnaissances made by 

 members of the Survey the previous year. Mr. Anthony's 

 labors were amply rewarded in the discovery of several new 

 genera of extinct mammals, of which preliminary descriptions 

 have already been published by him in the Museum Bulletin 

 and in the Annals of the Academy. He also obtained some 

 500 specimens of the bats of the island, mostly hitherto un- 

 represented in our collections, the bats forming the only in- 

 digenous living Porto Rican mammals. 



The explorations directed by Curator Chapman in South 

 America during the last six years have occupied a prominent 

 place in the annual reports of this department. This work 

 has not only been continued but has received increased impetus 

 through his extended visit to South American countries dur- 

 ing the present year. Dr. Chapman left New York May 6, 

 reaching Guayaquil May 20, returning to New York November 

 11. The objects of the expedition were: (1) to extend to new 

 fields the work already inaugurated; (2) to collect material 

 for habitat groups illustrating the bird life of the paramo of 

 Mt. Chimborazo in Ecuador, and of the plains region of west- 

 ern Argentina; (3) to make an ornithological survey of the 

 Urubamba Canon in Peru; (4) to establish relations with the 

 museums of the countries visited, and to secure their coopera- 

 tion through field work and the exchange of specimens. Each 

 of these purposes was satisfactorily accomplished. The route 

 of travel was from Guayaquil to Quito and Mt. Chimborazo. 

 Collections were made at various altitudes, from the paramo, 

 or upper life zone, to the tropical life zone. Returning 

 to Guayaquil, the expedition proceeded to Mollendo, whence 

 a trip was made to Cuzco and thence by mules to Lake Titi- 

 caca, collections being made on the tablelands north of the 



