NOTES. 759 
above Glendive’s Creek and about three hundred and fifty miles 
above the mouth of the Yellowstone. From Pompey’s Pillar the 
expedition marched westward to the Musselshell, striking this 
river near the 109th meridian. Descending the Musselshell to the 
Big Bend, the course was thence eastward to the Yellowstone, 
which was reached at a point about seventy-five miles below Pom- 
pey’s Pillar. The route thence homeward was essentially the one 
pursued on the outward journey. 
The general object of the Expedition was successfully accom- 
plished, and much general information respecting the country was 
obtained ; considerable collections were also made in nearly all 
departments of natural history. The scientific corps attached to 
the expedition consisted of J. A. Allen, of the Cambridge Mu- 
seum, in charge of recent and fossil zodlogy and botany, Dr. 
Nettre, mineralogist, E. Konopicky, artist, W. R. Pywell, photog- 
rapher, and C. W. Bennett, taxidermist. The country visited 
afforded only the usual limited variety of animal and plant life 
characteristic of the drier portions of the plains, and the geologi- 
cal features presented an almost equal uniformity. The region 
traversed is embraced almost wholly within the great so-called 
‘lignite tertiary basin,” but contains also here and there little 
insular areas of upper cretaceous strata. The whole series of 
beds are hence below those so rich in fossil vertebral remains that 
occur so abundantly a few hundred miles further south ; hence the 
fossils obtained were almost wholly molluscan, with a few imper- 
fectly preserved remains of plants. The rapidity and great length 
of the marches the expedition was compelled to make, together 
with the proximity of hostile Indians, prevented so thorough an 
exploration of the country as was desirable, yet a large amount 
of information was gathered in respect to the topography of the 
region traversed, and its natural preductions and resources, which 
is to be embodied in reports to the Seeretary of War. 
We have already recorded the gift to Prof. Agassiz of $100,000 
from his son-in-law, Mr. Shaw. This sum is to be expended in 
enlarging the collections of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 
as it is to be hoped that the state of Massachusetts will pay for 
the enlargement of the buildings. With this sum have already 
been purchased the Watchsmuth collection of western crinoids, 
including 400 species of the Carboniferous age in a beautiful state 
