Zoolorjica Vol. V ,No. I


    WILLIAMS GALAPAGOS EXPEDITION

                      BY WILLIAM BEEBE
   Director, Department of Tropical Research, aod Honorary Curator of Bird.
                    New York Zoological Society
                Photographs by the Author adil John 'rew  an

                         1. RESUME
    This expedition, to one of the least visited corners of the earth,
was conceived and achieved in record time, every hope was con-
summated, every expectation realized. First and last, the credit
belongs to Harrison Williams, Esq., who initiated and financed the
whole trip, and then to the twelve members of my party, who made
possible all that we accomplished during the limited time at our"
disposal.
    We left New York on the steam yacht Noma on March 1, and
returned on May 16. This was just in time to rush the collections
of live mammals, birds and reptiles to the Zoological Park, and to
frame and hang for exhibition the one hundred and thirty oil paint-
ings and water colors made during the trip, in readiness for the
Annual Garden Party of the Zoological Society on May 17.
    During the trip we steamed a total (distance of nine thlousand
miles, and crossed the equator eight times. Twenty-one memorable
days were spent on the Galapagos Islands, and we touched besides at
Charleston, Key West, Havana, Colon and Panama.
    To the living collections of the Zoological Park were added the
following, most of which were new to the collections, some being
exhibited for the first time anywhere in the world:
    Mammals.- 5 monkeys, 3 opossums.
    Birds.---3 penguins, 2 flightless cormorants, 3 gulls, 3 doves,
      1 hawk, 10 parrakeets, 2 jays, 3 mockingbirds.
    Reptiles. 42 lizards.
    For the American Museum there was collected material for
two lizard groups, including vegetation, rocks, shells, sand and many
photographs, together with a giant tortoise, eighteen lizards and a
family of sea-lions.