In particular there ?rould be returned to the Iluseum, just that material 
"whiKh Mary Rathbun needs and desires to properly round out and complete 
her series of c oaprehensive monographs on American crabs* She has just com- 
pleted the second of a projected series of five bulletins on these forms ^ and 
is in some directions rather seriously handicapped for want of sufficient South 
American material* This would be an op}X>rtune time to secure this material for 
her, being right in line with the studies I am desirous of undertaking, and 
their value would be more than doubled if undertaken while l^ss Rathbun’ s mono- 
graphs are still in the maJcing. 
(5) Plan.- To spend fwo periods of about six months each, maicing the 
necessary field ’studies and collections, one in each of the two years allofred 
xinder a grant of the scholarship, with an intervening, and a final period 
each also of about six months to be spent in laboratory study in order to permit 
the best and proper working up of the notes and material upon which the 
results of proposed research will be based. 
A detailed itinerary of the field work obviously can not be presented; 
in general it is planned to cover the entire coast of South America in 
both field trips, or half the distance in each, as the exigencies of the first 
field period vrould determine. As many stops would be made of sufficient duration 
to perEiit thorou^ acquaintance witli the crustaceans and associated fauna 
at any one place of sojown. These stops would be largely gcwerned by trans- 
portation from place to place, the feasibility of working ai^’- given locality, 
and the faunal and geographic area represented by it. In view of funds available 
under the terras of the scholprship, fieldwork might be limited to five months 
or extended to as much as seven, but this cannot be arbitrarily detenained beforehand 
horrever, an average of about six months spent in the field would seem 
to be the most practicable arrangement; at least a cofresponding amount of time 
would be required to work up the notes and results so obtained '^e dependence of 
ecological and distributional studies upon a correct systematic background is too 
obvious to mention. The laboratory studies vitally necessary to the success of the 
above outlined faunal problem would have to be condricted in a properly equipped 
laboratory, where both the necessary literature, and extensive stucfy collections 
areavailsile. ihis would, mthout question, mean conducting tiiese laboratory 
studies at the United States Rational Museum. 
(6) . Cost.- The funds available in a large measure have necessitated 
the above plan, v/hich however , from the other considerations mentioned above is 
probably the one most conducive to the working out of the problem to be solved. 
Tliese funds, "about ^2,500," in any one year would only permit five 
to seven months field work, including travelling, living and incidental expenses, 
equipnent, etc. This estimate is based in part on one given me by Dr. J. H. 
hose, who has undertaken several expeditions to South America under the auspices 
of the Carnegie Institution, and upon the advice of such experienced South American 
travellers as Dr. Alex. Tfetmore of the Biological Survey, Mr. Lyster H. Dewey 
of the Bureau of Plant Indiistry, and my brother H . R. Schmitt, f cr three years 
South iUnerican observer for the Carnegie Institution Department of Terrestrial 
Magnetism. ^ 
It is assumed that I would be granted official leave, (with pay) lYom 
my ofiicial duties here at the Museum. In view of the complete utilization of 
the funds of the scholarship for the field studies, I would need at least two 
thirds of mjr salary at the time, for the support of my family during the tenure 
of the scholarshipm, and iiyself during the laboratory periods between field trips. 
If granted the scholarship, I expect to, and would agree to devote up 
to one third of ny salary to the hiring of temporary assi stance here in the 
Division of l«iarine Invertebrates to li^.ten the task of caring far the work of that 
Division which Miss Rathbun and Mr. Shoemaker are willing to assume in furtherance 
of mv anolication. 
J. -K 
