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the part of the technical officers of the Biological Division. As time goes 
on, and the collections are increased annually, identified and labelled 
properly, and arranged systematically, they become gradually more valu- 
able and convenient for purposes of study and reference, and extremely 
useful for consultation. In return for the kindness and scientific interest 
of correspondents and contributors to the National Museum, it is the aim 
of the officials to make it a repository and clearing-house for all manner of 
data in regard to the animal and plant life of the Dominion of Canada 
and related regions. 
Botanical Field Work 
M. 0. Malte, Chief Botanist, National Herbarium, early in the spring 
visited the New York Botanic Garden and the American Museum of 
Natural History, New York; the United States National Herbarium, 
Washington, D.C.; and the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University, Cam- 
bridge, Mass., for studies of critical plant genera and methods of arranging 
botanical museum exhibits. On June 21 he left, with W. R. Watson, 
student assistant, for northwestern New Brunswick, making his head- 
quarters at St. Leonard. On July 12 he left for North Sydney, N.S., to 
join the Canadian Arctic Expedition of 1927, under direction of Mr. 
George P. Mackenzie, Northwest Territories and Yukon Branch, Depart- 
ment of the Interior, which sailed on July 16 on S.S. Beothic for Greenland 
and the principal islands in the eastern part of the Canadian Arctic archi- 
pelago. After a brief visit to Godhavn, Greenland, the Beothic proceeded 
to Eclipse sound, Baffin island, with the object of touching Pond inlet, 
some distance up the sound. Solid ice in the sound, however, prevented 
the ship from reaching the objective, and the course was, therefore, set 
for Dundas harbour, North Devon island, where a landing was success- 
fully effected. From Dundas harbour the Beothic sailed for Craig harbour, 
Ellesmere island, where a stop of a few hours was made. From there the 
ship proceeded to Etah, Greenland, and thence to Bache peninsula, Elles- 
mere island, the most northerly port of call on the schedule. On account 
of rather threatening ice conditions, the stay at Bache peninsula had to 
be cut as short as possible and, as soon as the necessary supplies for the 
Mounted Police post had been landed, the Beothic was headed southwards 
After having visited Craig harbour and Dundas harbour again, an effort 
was made to reach Melville island, but unfavourable ice conditions in Barrow 
strait thwarted the attempt. After a few days forced stay at Beechey 
island, the Beothic steamed for Port Leopold, Somerset island, and from 
there for Arctic bay, Admiralty inlet, Baffin island. From Arctic bay 
the expedition sailed for Ponds inlet, which was reached after some delay 
caused by the ice conditions. From Ponds inlet the Beothic proceeded to 
river Clyde, then to Pangnirtung, Cumberland gulf, and from there to 
Lake harbour, on the south coast of Baffin island. After brief visits to 
Wakeham bay and Port Burwell, on the south shore of Hudson strait, 
the Beothic finally returned home, reaching North Sydney, Nova Scotia, 
September 5. 
Botanical collections were made at all points mentioned above, the 
total number of herbarium sheets secured and prepared being about four 
thousand. This number was gathered in seventy-seven hours of actual 
collecting. The proper preparation of such a comparatively large number 
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