20 



AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NOTES. 



when I accompanied the Agassiz Expedition to Brazil, in 1865, and in 1871 

 was promoted to the official status of " assistant in ornithology," and con- 

 tinued as acting curator of mammals and birds till my resignation in 1885 

 to assume similar duties at the American Museum of Natural History in 

 New York. 



East Florida Expedition {1868-1869). 



In the winter of 1868-1869 I conducted a three month's exploration of 

 the country bordering the St. John's River in eastern Florida, between 

 Jacksonville and Enterprise, which furnished the basis of my paper 'On 

 the Mammals and Winter Birds of East Florida,' etc., published in the 

 'Bulletin' of the Museum of Comparative Zoology (April, 1871). This 

 journey was made, with two volunteer assistants, in a ship's yawl fitted 

 with a large sail. As the country was then only slightly settled above 

 Pilatka, our boat was our home and base of supplies, but at times we occu- 

 pied rude huts that had been deserted by their former occupants. Para- 

 keets were still abundant, and alligators had almost undisputed possession 

 of the bayous and river banks. At certain points of our journey no human 

 beings were seen for many days together except the members of our own 

 party. 



Assistant at Museum of Comparative Zoology (1871-1885). 

 Great Plains and Rocky Mountain Expedition {1871-1872). 



In April, 1871, I started on a nine months' collecting trip to the Great 

 Plains and the Rocky Mountains, in the interest of the Museum of Com- 

 parative Zoology, with two assistants, Richard Bliss, a fellow-student at 

 the Agassiz Museum, and Caleb W. Bennett, of Springfield, Massachusetts. 

 Mr. Bliss returned to Cambridge about the beginning of August, Mr. 

 Bennett remaining with me, as hunter and taxidermist, till the end of the 

 expedition in January, 1872. General collections were made at intervals 

 from the Missouri River to Great Salt Lake, Utah. As western Kansas 

 was then subject to raids by hostile Indians, we were provided with letters 

 of introduction from Major-General Pope, Commander of the Department 

 of the Missouri, to the commandants of the military posts near our proposed 

 route in Kansas and Wyoming, requesting them to aid the expedition by 

 providing escorts and transportation, should such assistance prove neces- 

 sary. Accordingly Fort Hays was selected as the most convenient base 

 from which to hunt buffalo, where a vacant suite of unoccupied officer's 

 quarters was assigned us for use during the six weeks we spent at this point, 

 making collections of the most varied and comprehensive character. 



We began work at Leavenworth, where we spent the first ten days of 



