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Show 108 For the last- mentioned reason, therefore, especial attention has been directed to procure dujflicates, in order that, instead of our industry appearing selfish, numbers of learned institutions might partake of the knowledge thus acquired. Some years since it was held that the possession of scientific acquirements should be only for a favored few; but at the present day more thorough systems for thedissemiuation of scientific knowledge have been inaugurated. To the corps under whose auspices this expedition was projected, and is still carried on, is due, to a great degree, the popularization of the study of natural history in this country. The operations of the natural- history branch of this survey may be briefly stated as follows: In 1871, the services of Dr. W. J. Hoffman, TJ. S. Army, and Mr. Ferdinand Bischoff were secured, the former as surgeon and naturalist, the latter as collector, by whose joint efforts many hundreds of specimens were secured in zoology and botany, among which were quite a number hith- # erto unknown to science. Of this collection, the botanical portion was placed in the hands of Prof. Sereno Watson, of Cambridge, who kindly named the new species, and submitted a report upon the collection, which has been received, and will prove a valuable contribution to our knowledge of the flora of the interesting section of country visited. The mammals collected have been reported upon by Dr. Hoffman; the birds, by Mr. Ridgway of the l Smitbsouian,' Mr. Henshaw, and myself; the reptiles and fish, by Prof. B. D. Cope and myself; and the insects, of which many thousands were secured, by Mr. IJlke, Professor Thomas, Professor Uhler, and others. In addition to those received at this office, many other specimens were collected, which, however, unfortunately, were either lost in transit from the West or destroyed in the great Chicago fire. The collection of 1871, while not as large as either that of 1872 or 1873, is extremely interesting, from the fact that many of the rarer forms of zoological life were met with as well as important data obtained relative to their general distribution and occurrence. This entire collection has been deposited in the National Museum. In 1872, recognizing the great value of the collections already made by the Engineer Corps of the Army, and being assured that to the scientific world researches in natural history, especially on our western frontier, would add greatly to our knowledge of the zoology of that region, you permitted unusual facilities for the prosecution of such labor, the results proving the wisdom and foresight of such a course, since a collection was made seldom rivaled by that of any similar expedition having but two collectors. It is but proper, however, to add that several of the members of the survey contributed largely to the general stock of specimens. In this collection there were about eight hundred bird- skins, most of them rare and valuable; a large number of mammals; several hundred fish, of which no fewer than sixteen species were new to science; and many reptiles, insects, shellsf plants, & c, embracing in all probably 5,000 specimens. Not the least important specimens in the collection were a number of Indian crania, obtained at considerable risk from the Ute burial places and ancient mounds in the valley of the Great Salt Lake, as well as numerous implements, both ancient and modern, used by the aborigines. This entire collection has been apportioned among eminent special- |
