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October 1, 1923.

The Secretary, 
The Smithsonian Institution, 
Washington, D.C.

My dear Dr. Walcott:

In view of the fact that rules governing awards of the Walter Rathbone Bacon Scholarship were drawn up subsequently to my original application of February 28, 1923, looking toward assistance from that fund, I beg to submit this revised application in its place for consideration with such others as may be submitted in response to the announcement carried in Science, July 20, 1923: 
APPLICATION OF WALDO L. SCHMITT FOR THE WALTER RATHBONE BACON SCHOLARSHIP.
(1).[[underlined]]Problem[[underlined]]- A monographic account of the Macrurous Crustacea of South America.
(2).[[underlined]]Object[[underlined]]-To make a thorough ecologic, distributional, andsystematic study of the carcinological fauna of South America, with especial attention to the macrurous, or shrimp-like forms, for the purpose of producing a systematic, monographic account of them, embodying notes made in the field on their ecology, in the broadest sense, and their local, as well as geographical distribution. 
(3). [[underlined]]Reasons for undertaking this research.[[underlined]]-Our pr es ent knowledge, as well as the material extant in our collections of South American forms, is extremely meager. 
Next to its representation of, and reports upon the North American fauna, the National Museum should stand first in the world in its South American representation. 
The closer the relations become between the United States and South American countries, and the more the latter become developed, the more need there will be to thoroughly understand the South American fauna in its entirety. 
Tather than to await the march of events,, the lead should be taken while we are still able to command it rather than to permit some other institution to have the first opportunity to till the virgin field of the South American invertebrate fauna. 
Almost, and I think I am safe in saying, without exception, the many scientific expeditions to South America, especially those of recent years, have had other objectives than a study of the [[underlined]]invertebrate[[underlined]]fauna, insects excepted. There have been quests without number, for plants, and birds, mammals and insects, but the other invertebrates, crustacea and their associated fauna, have been virtually neglected, a rather one sided condition of affairs from a zoological point of view, which a solution of the above problem and its related phases would remedy in a large measure. 
(4). [[underlined]]Benefits.[[underlined]]-These are in part brought out under [[underlined]]Reasons[[underlined]]above. The National Museum's South American collections would become more balanced through the accession of the invertebrates associated with, and collected in the course of the carcinological studies I desire to make. The interests of the National Museum, next to those in North America should, and undoubtedly will be centered in South America as time goes on.