Viewing page 75 of 135

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

June 17, 1939

Lt. Comdr. T. J. Kelly
U.S.S. HOUSTON
Bremerton, Washington

Dear Mr. Kelly:

It was a pleasant surprise to get those several bottles of specimens. I am really glad to have them and also to know that you are keeping up your interest in biology. The least that I can do is to return you the postage that you expended in my behalf. Please don't hesitate to accept it, because what I send is official postage. The Museum is glad to undertake the transportation of specimens that it receives. I believe what you have sent us are the first things that we have ever had from Bremerton.

With this I am sending you a copy of our so-called Explorations Pamphlet which has a few words about the Galapagos cruise in it. Also, through the mail in the near future, you will receive copies of the several papers that have appeared on the scientific results of the cruise. We did have a grand time and got a lot of material. Sometimes I am a bit surprised myself at the interesting things we turned up. I certainly would like to go back to Clipperton and spend at least a couple of days there trying to gather in everything I can lay my hands on. My own boss, Dr. Wetmore, is working over the birds and hopes to get out a little report on those that you got for us on that island.

I am also having a set of the publications sent to Captain Barker and Mr. Bailey. I am sorry that I cannot arrange to supply every one with a set, but if any members of the staff are interested in any particular paper, they may be able to obtain a copy by writing to the Smithsonian for it. 

I had a very successful trip along the north coast of South America and got some interesting color photographs. The next thing in the books is a trip to the South Pacific, but I would rather be taking one that has been offered me to the west coastof South America. It would be cooler, for one thing. They have some awful surf down in those South Sea islands, and I guess more than once I will be wishing I had you to put me ashore.