October 1, 1923* 
The Secretary, 
The Smithsonian Institution, . 
Washington, D* C* 
My dear Dr* halcott: 
In view of the fact that rules gcverning awards of the ^"alter i^thbone 
Bacon Scholarship were drawn up subsequently to my original application of February 
28, 1923, looking toward assistance from that fund, I beg to submit this revised 
application in its place for c onsi deration with such othfers as may be submitted 
in response to the announcement carried in Science, July 20, 1923. 
APPLICATION OP WALDO L. SCmilTT FOR THE WALTER RATBBONE BACON SaiOL^iRSHIP. 
(1;. Problem.- A monographic account of the Macrurous Crustacea of 
South America* 
(2) . Object.- I'o make a tiiorough ecologic, distributional, andsystematic 
study of the caFcinological fauna of South America, with especial 'attention to 
the macrurous, or shrimp-like forms, for the parpose of pr facing a systematic, 
monographic account of them, embodying notes made in the field on their ecology, 
in the broadest sense, and their local, as well as geographical distribution. 
(3) * Reasons for underta king this research .- (^r present knowledge, as 
well as the materTaf^eS^ in our collections of South American forms, is extreme- 
ly meager ♦ . , tlt j i a • 
Next to its representation of, and reports upon tne Nortn American 
fauna, the National Itiseum should stand first in the world in its South /Jner- 
ican representation. ^ 
The closer the relations become between the United States and pouth 
American countries, and the more the latter become developed, the more need there 
will be to thorou^ily understand the South American fauna in its entirety. 
Rather than to await the march of eventg, the lead should be t^en 
while we are still able to command it rather than to permit some other insti- 
tution to have the first opportunity to till the virgin field of the South 
American iiwertebrate fauna. 
Almost, and I think I am safe in saying, vdthout exception, the many 
scientific expeditions to South America, especially those of recent years, h we 
had other objectives than a study of the invertebrate fauna, insects ex^pted. 
There hove been quests without number, for plants and birds, manmals and in- 
sects, but the other invertebrate? Crustacea and their associated fauna, have 
been Wtually neglected, a rather one sided condition of affairs from a zoolog- 
ical point of view, wViich a solution of the above 'problem and its related phases 
would remedy in a large measure. ^ 
(4). Benefits.- These are in part brought out under xleaso ns aoo^e. 
The iJaidonal tiiseum's Soutin American collections would oecome more 
balanced ^ough the accession of the invertebrates associated with, and col- 
lected in the course of* tVie carcinological studies I desire to make.^ 
The interests of the National Museum, next to those in North America 
should, and undoubtedly will be centered in South America as time goes on. 
