The morning call., 1894-08-23
LOCAL SCIENTISTS
They Will Explore Lower
California.
All Kinds of Animal Life to
Be Collected by
Them.

On Saturday next Professor Gustav
Eisen and Frank Vaslit of the California
Academy of Sciences will leave on the
steamer St. Paul for long tour in the
cape region of Lower California and in
the mountains of the State of SinalOa,
Mexico. The primary object of the trip is
to study the natural history of the country
ana to collect all kinds of animal life,
mammals alone excepted. But the ex-
pedition is we'll equipped. and will at op-
perfume times aud places devote much
study to the horticultural resources of the
country visited. Especial attention will
be given Co cereals, fruits, shade trees,
textile and forage plants. with view to
their introduction into California. Speci-
mems of the trees and shrubs and other
plants that may be deemed of use to this
State will be given to one of the leading
horticuturlsts of California for develop
ment and distribution.
Observations of attitudes and tempera-
lures Will be made by aneroidS and Their
mometers. and the microscopic condition
of the country thoroughly studied, while
by means of the kodak will be obtained
negatives TO be hereafter made into slides
and used for popular lectures on the re-
suits of the expedition at the Academy of
Sciences.
The expedition will make San Jose de
CabO the center station of Its operations
In Lower California and MaZatlan in
Sinalaa, and from these two towns the
bottles and boxes and other Implements
will be carried on muleback into the
mountainous regions the expedition will
explore.
Some idea of the importance of the
present expedition in a scientific sense
may be gathered from a BRET resume of
the results of the last expedition a little
over year ago. About 100000 specimens
were brought to San francisco, and these
were straightway shipped to specialists
IN various parts of the country. Some of
the reports of these specialists have been
received, and the result may be stated iD
general terms by saying that upward of
1000 new species have been discovered,
and great plumber of others about
which there was much uncertainty have
been definitely determined. DR.. Horn of
Philadelphia inVestig gated the beetles, and
in his report mentions 100 new species.
Professor Calvert studied the diptera flies
and discovered 20 new species, aud PROBES
sor I. PeTgandi in his report on the ants
brings a number of entirely unknown
species to the attention of scientists.
Professor Fox found many new species
of waSps, and Professor w. II. AShmead
discovered ten new species of parasitic
waSps; while from the land and fresh
water moliuSca DR.. j. G. Cooper has filled
four papers with descriptions of species,
most of them entirely new. Professor z.
Il. Uhler in studying the specimens of the
true bugs OF Lower California found 100
species, Professor John Van Dent urgh
studied and described three new lizards;
while Professor G. II. Tyler of Kingston,
Jamaica, discovered IN the specimens sent
him nearly sixty new species. Professor
Eiseu reports many new species among
the annelids and prOlOzoa and Professor
g. Marx OF Washington adds nearly 800
new species of spiders TO he worlds al
ready large list. Nor do these reports and
discoveries cover the whole field of the last
expedition. The report of Professor Walter
FaXOD, Cambridge, on fresh water crus-
tacea has yet to be received. as also the
reports on airworms by Professor Ward Of
the Nebraska State University, and on
grasshOpperS by Professor Bruner of tile
same university.
Similar results may be expected from
the present expedition. 1t proves at any
rate that the mem bers of the academy are
alive. The Institution has aD acknowl-
edged reputation in the East and in Eu-
rope as the headquarters of scientific re-
search west OF the Mississippi River, and
its proceedings are among the best pub
ilShed in the United States. By inter-
Change OF these proceedings with foreign
societies the academy has managed to
build up a scientific library which for
number and value of the books is far and
away the best of its kind. not only on the
Pacific Coast, but in the United States
The present expedition owes much OF
its chances of success to the energetic ex-
ertions of E. J. Molera and to the courtesy
of the Mexican Secretary, who has given
orders that every courtesy and facility be
afforded the expedition wheresoever it may
desire to go.