THE FATE OF THE INVERTEBRATE COLLECTIONS OF THE NORTH PACIFIC EXPLORING EXPEDITION, 1853-1856

In 1852 the United States Congress appropriated $125,000 for "building or pur­ chase of suitable vessels and for prosecuting a survey and reconnaissance for naval and commercial purposes of such parts of Behring Straits of the North Pacific Ocean, and the China Seas, as are frequented by American whale-ships, and by trading vessels in their routes between the United States and China" (Smithsonian Insti­ tution Annual Report, 1854: 89). This expedition became known as the North Pacific Exploring Expedition and was commanded by Cadwallader Ringgold, who had commanded one of the vessels in the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838-1842 (also known as the Wilkes Expedition). Second in command was Lieutenant John Rodgers, who had worked with the Coast Survey for several years and was known to be sympathetic to the needs of science. William Stimpson (1832—1872), one of America's foremost invertebrate zool­ ogists, was selected to be chief zoologist of the expedition. Stimpson oversaw a scientific corps that made immense collections of natural history specimens, all of which were sent to the Smithsonian Institution, the official repository for all speci­ mens collected on United States government expeditions. These collections, which totalled over 100 cubic feet in the original boxes and bales, included the following numbers of species: 846 vertebrates, 400 insects, 980 crustaceans, 200 annelids, 2,359 mollusks, and 400 radiates. It was estimated that over half of the species collected were undescribed (Smithsonian Institution Annual Report for 1856: 53). This account deals primarily with the fate of the crustaceans collected during the expedition. Stimpson was placed in charge of the publication of the results of the expedition, and he arrived at the Smithsonian in 1856 to begin this task. Many scientists agreed to produce the reports dealing with their specialties. Stimpson agreed to work on all of the invertebrates except the Mollusca, which were assigned to A. A. Gould (Johnson, 1964). Work continued on the reports until the project was terminated at the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861. Many of the reports, including Stimpson's, were completed, but were never published. Stimpson remained at the Smithsonian as curator of the invertebrate collections until 1865 when he left to become Secretary of the Chicago Academy of Sciences. While there he maintained his close relationship with Spencer F. Baird and the Smithsonian, and continued to work on several monographs treating the Crustacea.