Z. 
eg 
MARCH 28, 1884. ] 
Although the name of Prof. C. F, Hartt appears 
as that of one of the editors of the archivos at the 
time (he resigned shortly after the publication of 
this article), it is due his memory to say that he 
objected to the publication of the article referred to, 
and did all in his power to prevent it, well aware that 
it would bring ridicule upon the editors and upon 
the national Brazilian museum, of which he was a 
director. Notwithstanding Professor Hartt’s prot- 
estations, the description appeared, accompanied by 
a plate, from which the accompanying figure is 
copied. 
Mr. S. W. Garman afterwards called attention to 
the absurdity of making a new genus of this animal, 
which he shows to be an undeveloped form of a spe- 
cies of Pseudis (American naturalist, October, 1877). 
More recently this ‘ extremely curious little animal’ 
has come to the surface again, this time in the French 
academy. Especial attention was called, in that 
body, to the first volumes of the Brazilian archivos; 
and this description of ‘a curious batrachian’ was 
spoken of as ‘a valuable essay’ and ‘ particularly 
iy 
il 
deserving attention’ 
1884, p. 428). 
Agreeing with Professor Hartt in regard to its 
being nothing more than an unusual tadpole, I was 
anxious to obtain specimens of the animal in the 
various stages of its development, and thus make an 
ocular demonstration of the correctness of our opin- 
ions. 
My work upon the Imperial geological survey, and 
later other duties, made it necessary ’ for me to travel 
in almost every part of Brazil, and in some parts of 
the Argentine Republic and Paraguay; but nowhere 
could I find or hear of any such animal as that de- 
scribed in the archivos. Along the Paraguay River, 
which I traversed from its mouth to its source, I 
made especial effort to find it; for the specimen figured 
was said to have come from Paraguay. At length, 
during a trip made in 1882-83 to the interior of the 
province of Pernambuco in Brazil, I was so fortunate 
as to obtain a number of good living specimens; and 
it goes without saying, that they showed the Batra- 
chichthys to be a mere tadpole. They were taken in 
an artificial pond near the village of Bonito, toward 
the end of January, 1883; being found in all stages 
of development from the tadpole to the full-grown 
frog, although the very young tadpole could not be 
had on account of the lateness of the season. 
About Bonito these tadpoles are called cacotes. 
They are not uncommon in ditches and ponds, and 
sometimes occur in such numbers as to seriously in- 
terfere with fishing with the net. The full-grown 
frogs are called sapos verdes (green frogs). They are 
said to live in the weeds and rushes about the margins 
(Pop. se. 
-monthly, January, 
Lt KK 
SCIENCE. 377 
of the ponds; and, when disturbed, they jump into the 
water. In regard to these popular names, it should 
be remarked, however, that they are too general to 
lead one to suppose that they are applied to this 
species of frog alone throughout Brazil. 
The specimens collected by me are now deposited 
with Professor Wilder at Cornell university. 
JoHN C, BRANNER. 
Geological survey of Pennsylvania, 
Scranton, Penn. 
Gia GREELY SEARCH. 
THE report of the board called to consider 
the plans of the relief expedition has been 
printed, and its principal features have been 
made public through the daily press. Two ves- 
sels have been purchased which there is every 
reason to believe are well suited for the work ; 
eae eo 
a. 
=e tee 
eee 
and through the graceful courtesy and gener- 
osity of the British government, the Alert, well 
known as the advance ship of the Nares ex- 
pedition of 1875-76, has been put at the dis- 
position of the United States, without money 
and without price. A more timely and felici- 
tous service could hardly be rendered ; and the 
sentiment of the country in regard to it is well 
expressed in the communication of the 21st 
ultimo to congress from the president and sec- 
retary of state. 
The position of affairs is about as follows: 
the Greely party were landed in August, 1881, 
at Discovery Harbor, with rations equivalent 
to supplies for three years on the basis used in 
the U.S. army; with beans, sugar, coffee, 
canned goods, and antiscorbutics, not embraced 
in the regular official ration, to the extent, as 
alleged, of about one year’s additional pro- 
visions. Beside this, Lieut. Greely reported 
that about three months’ supplies of fresh 
musk-ox meat had been killed before the de- 
parture of the returning vessel. It must be 
remembered, however, that the demand of hu- 
man nature for food in these regions is greater 
than in more temperate climates ; and the extra 
