September 1, 193s 
The Honorable 
fhe President 
fhe White House 
Washington, D. 0. 
Boor Mr. Provident; 
Tou will ho inters e ted to learn of the progress that has been 
aade 510 far with the collections of your recent cruise since their 
arrival at the Museum. 
• ' , * t - . • i ' . - 
fho fish collections, both fro sen and pickled, received first 
attention, work on them is la active progress in the Uivision of Pishes, 
and most of the specimens brought bade to the Museum have now been de- 
termined. Including some fifteen species of the commoner sorts that 
were definitely identified in the field and of which no specimens were 
saved, the total number of species observed, or brought hade to the Museum 
us specimens, will exceed ay original estimate of fifty^fiv© or sixty. 
It will run nearer seventy. It is planned to publish an annotated list 
of the species captured, giving place of capture, geographic range, sire, 
weight, and other pertinent remarks. 
Several of the fish to be mounted are being worked upon by the 
taxidermists. She two specimens from Hood Island reoeabling the "rock 
beauty' 4 of the Atlantic have been cast, skinner! , and mounted, fhey will 
be painted '-'hen the taxi derate t wlio is handling the® returns from a brief 
field trip that had been planned for some time past, fhe first of four 
golden groupers to be mounted has reached the same state of preparation. 
© expect that the painting of it will begin as soon as the mounted, skin 
is sufficiently dry. 
fhe birds obtained at Cllpperton have all been made up into 
first class study skin®. This is a distinct tribute to our taxidermists, 
as the birds were pretty badly mauled in getting them out to the launch 
anchored outside the breakers. 
fhe invertebrate material is being sorters, fhe following 
groups have been distributed to specialists! hy&roids, copepods, nlcyo- 
naricne, echinoderos, insects, and me Husks. Other groups are to follow 
