March 11, 1955 
The Honorable Leon Pitlllon 
Governor General 
Belgian Congo 
Leopoldville, Africa 
Sirs 
The Saithsonian Institution is sponsoring the Snithsonian-Brodin 
Expedition to the Belgian Congo for the purpose of collecting and 
studying primarily the invertebrate life of the regions the parasitic 
suites and ticks and their host plants and animals, such as rodents, 
shrews, bats, and perhaps in some Gases, unprotected small birds} the 
Crustacea, terrestrial and aquatic, as well as other arthropods, shells 
fish taken at the various native fisheries, and such herpetological 
specimens as may be permitted . 
The expeditionary party that we plan to send will consist of four 
peoples Dr. aldo L, Schmitt of this Institution, oaroinologist, and 
party leader. Dr. Edward Baker of the United States Department of 
Agriculture, Dr. Roy Lyman Sexton, medical consultant to the party, 
and his son Roy Lyman Sexton, Jr., who with Ms father will also serve 
as the official photographers of the expedition. Mr. and Era. Bruce 
Bredin of Wilmington, Delaware, who have mad© this biological field 
work possible have very recently found it impossible to talc© part in 
the expedition at th© outset as originally planned, but have high 
hopes of being able to join it at a somewhat later date. 
The Institution has also eomimioated with Dr. Van Straolen, 
President d© 1 * Institut des Parcs Hationaux du Congo Beige, and for 
local advices with various members of the staffs of your Government’s 
research laboratories in the Belgian Congo who are known to our 
scientists, ©specially Dr. J. B. Jadin, Dr. Louis van den Berg, 
Dr. Maurice L© Combe, also Dr. F. Matflpij© and Mr. Bredo. 
It so happens that the party will fly from Leopoldville to 
Stanleyville, which necessitates sending the heavier collecting equip- 
men t to Stanleyville by river steamer in advance of their arrival 
there on April 17. The American Consul has been asked to sxpoditie 
this shipment of 12 bo os upon its arrival in Mated j, aboard the 
Belgian African Lin© Steamer, M Steens tract© M leaving low York on 
March 12. If there are any customs formalities to be observed we hope 
