SUMMARY OF THE ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS. 
9 
the buffalo, whose presence in a certain region is more to be calculated upon, and when seen is 
more readily captured, affording at the same time a much larger amount of food to each head. 
Before concluding, I have the honor to present to your notice a summary statement of the 
number and variety of the specimens of natural history collected by Mr. H. B. Mollhausen and 
myself, between the Rio Grande and the Pacific ocean. Besides the collection herein mentioned, 
two other very extensive ones were made: one by Mr. Mollhausen, between Fort Smith, 
Arkansas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico ; the other by myself, between Indianola, Texas, and 
Albuquerque, New Mexico. These were sent from the latter place to Washington, where they 
arrived safely, after a delay of several months on the prairies between Santa Fe and Indepen¬ 
dence, and are now deposited in the Smithsonian Institution, (together with the one which is the 
subject of this report,) to the credit of the expedition, having been also assorted and pioperly 
labelled. 
In the following statement, the numbers used correspond to those attached to the specimens, 
and where a note or remark is wanting, it may be an indication, generally, that one may be 
found in another place, where the species are discussed separately. 
STATEMENT. 
No. of Label. L cality. 
No. 1. Anser hutchinsi....Rio Rito, N. M. 
2. Querquedula carolinensis. do. do. 
3. Querquedula carolinensis. do. do. 
4. Skull of an Indian.Laguna, N. M. 
5. Fishes.......Rio Gallo, N. M. 
6. Lepus artemesim.Sierra Madre, N. M. 
(a) Spermophilus harrisii.Sierra Madre, N. M. 
This beautiful and rare spermophile is found in considerable numbers at Cold 
Spring, near the summit of the Sierra Madre. In this vicinity there were vast 
piles of scoriacious volcanic rock, in which it lived. It was not very shy, but a 
specimen was procured with difficulty, from the fact that it was almost impossible 
to kill the animal so dead, without spoiling completely the skin, that it could not 
crawl into the rocks beyond our reach before overtaken. Its food in this locality 
consisted of acorns and pinones, the fruit of the Pinus edulis. We again observed 
this animal near camp 139, between the Great Colorado and Mojave rivers. Here we 
found it on the hill-sides in the most rocky and inaccessible spots, and exceedingly 
shy. A specimen was procured only by secreting myself in the vicinity of the hole 
into which it escaped, and patiently watching an hour or more for its appearance, 
ho. 7. Fishes...Rio Piscado, N. M. 
8. Rana*... do. do. 
In many places in this creek there was much grass and moss and large masses of 
confervae floating on its surface. In such spots we found very many frogs, appar¬ 
ently all of the same species, but believed to be undescribed. The weather was 
unusually cold for the season (November), and these animals being completely 
chilled and torpid, were easily caught. The Zuni Indians look upon them as 
sacred objects, believing them to be the preservers of the springs and possessing 
the power of keeping the supply of water in dry seasons. Their vessels are orna¬ 
mented with rude paintings of this animal, and they are said to hold a grand feast 
once a year in honor of it. So strenuously did they remonstrate when they observed 
us taking them that we desisted until an opportunity offered when there were no 
Indians present. 
* This specimen and others that follow, not having their species named, were lost upon the passage across the isthmus, and 
hence their characteristics were undetermined. 
2 K 
