8 



During the past five or six years Dr. Brewer constantly added to 

 his already large collection, and thanks to his interest in our 

 Oological collection it is second only, for American Birds, to 

 that of the Smithsonian Institution. 



The collection of deep-sea Invertebrates from the Western 

 Caribbean made by Commander J. R. Bartlett of the United 

 States Coast Survey, Steamer " Blake," while running lines of 

 soundings during the winter of 1879-80 is an important addi- 

 tion to the collections made by the " Blake " in the Gulf of 

 Mexico and from the Windward Islands. The Fauna of that 

 part of the Caribbean does not differ from that of the Eastern 

 portion. During the last part of June and during July Mr. 

 Patterson, the Superintendent of the Coast Survey, placed the 

 " Blake " again at my disposal to run lines of dredgings normal 

 to the East Coast of the United States. The expedition was 

 entirely successful ; large and interesting collections were made 

 during the cruise, which extended from the Northeastern edge of 

 George's Shoal to a line east of Charleston, S. C, directly 

 across the Gulf Stream. I have given an account of this expedi- 

 tion in Letter No. 4, addressed to the Hon. Carlile P. Patterson, 

 Superintendent United States Coast and Geodetic Survey. The 

 number of stations occupied during this cruise is unusually large, 

 thanks to good weather and the untiring zeal of Commander Bart- 

 lett and Mr. Sharrer, the executive officer, as well as all the 

 officers and crew of the "Blake," to whom deep-sea dredging 

 has now become a second nature. As the northern ground cov- 

 ered by this expedition is the extension into deep water of the 

 area examined by the United States Fish Commissioners, a part 

 of the Collections has been entrusted to Professors Verrill 

 (Cephalopods) and Smith (Crustacea). The osseous fishes have 

 been placed in the hands of Mr. Goode for identification. 



The Museum has suffered a heavy loss in the death of Mr. 

 Pourtales. From his early youth, first as student and afterward 

 as colleague and scientific adviser, he had held the most intimate 

 relations with Professor Agassiz, and had been familiar with 

 every step in the history of the Institution founded by him. In 

 the laboratory, in the field, on their long voyages they had worked 

 together to one end, and long before he was officially connected 

 with the Museum he had not only contributed largely to its col- 

 lections but was identified with its general progress. Since his 



