10 



appear to exist the imperative demand for the maintenance of 

 the table represented by American zoologists. The Smithsonian 

 Institution has also undertaken to supply this need for American 

 students. The Faculty of the Museum nominated Professor Meek 

 of Fayetteville, Arkansas, as the incumbent of the table for the 

 coming winter, and this nomination has received the approval of 

 the Corporation. 



During the past winter I spent three months exploring the Ba- 

 hama Banks in the steam yacht " Wild Duck," which my friend, 

 the Hon. John M. Forbes, was kind enough to place at my disposal 

 lor the purpose. 



Mr. J. H. Emerton and Mr. A. M. Meyer accompanied me as 

 draughtsmen and assistants. On our return to Nassau, after ex- 

 ploring the Great Bahama Bank and the shore of Cuba from San- 

 tiago de Cuba to Havana, I sent a short account of. the progress 

 of the expedition to Professor James D. Dana for publication in 

 the American Journal of Science. Subsequently, we examined the 

 Little Bahama Bank, and I am now preparing an account of the 

 expedition for the Bulletin. I have to thank Colonel Macdonald, 

 the U. S. Fish Commissioner, for the use of some deep-sea ther- 

 mometers and of a Tanner sounding machine. Professor Menden- 

 hall, the Superintendent of the Coast Survey, was kind enough to 

 appoint me Acting Assistant of the Coast Survey, as I had been 

 alreadv on former occasions while attached to the " Blake," in 

 order to enable him to assist the expedition in various ways and 

 to give it an official character. I have specially to thank the 

 Hon. J. W. Foster, the Secretary of State, and Mr. Wharton, the 

 Assistant Secretary, for securing the interest of the Spanish 

 Minister at Washington, and the kind offices of the Captain 

 General of Cuba in procuring for the " Wild Duck " free entrance 

 to all ports of the Cuban coast, as well as the assistance of the 

 naval authorities and of the governors of the various provinces 

 which we visited. To Captain J. W. Wharton, the Hydrographer 

 of the Admiralty, as well as to Lieut. Commander Richardson 

 Glover, U. S. N. Hydrographer, I am also indebted for valuable 

 information regarding the Bahamas. The cruise of the " Wild 

 Duck," while not as successful as I hoped on account of the 

 unusual violence of the trades, yet accumulated important infor- 

 mation on the structure of the islands and banks, their geological 

 history, and the theory of coral reefs. The pelagic fishing, both 



