Hawaii, 1923 (Tanager Expedition), 1 of 2

Abstract

The majority of materials document Alexander Wetmore's work in Hawaii to examine and secure information on the islands in the Hawaii bird reservation,including observations of Wake Island, Johnston Island, Jarvis, Howland and Baker Islands carried out during his participation in the Tanager Expedition, 1923. The expedition was in conducted with the cooperation of the U.S. Navy, Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, and USDA. Johnston Island was under consideration as a bird refuge, and includes a former lease for the island and documents relating to its initial discovery. There is a short series of correspondence with the descendants of the discoverer, with quotes relating to its original sighting. |Materials discuss aspects of the expedition including a draft of a letter to the Secretary of the Navy detailing the voyage. Additionally there is a report, itinerary, list of personnel, bird lists, discussion of resulting publications, letters detailing films made, and correspondence about specimens collected and identified. Correspondence covers years 1923 -1925, 1931, 1937, and undated. Includes list of Mallophaga determined by H.E. Ewing and E.A. Chapin (1931); typed species accounts extracted from Wetmore notes of Wake Island; and correspondence discussing goat-infestations of islands.

Date Range

1923-1937

Start Date

1923

End Date

1937

Access Information

Many of SIA's holdings are located off-site, and advance notice is recommended to consult a collection. Please email the SIA Reference Team at osiaref@si.edu.

Topic

• Animals
• Birds
• Ornithology

Place

• Johnston Island
• United States
• Peale Island
• Hawaii
• Hawaiian Islands
• Wake Island

Form/Genre

• Fieldbook record
• Field notes
• Correspondence
• Itineraries

Accession #

SIA RU007006

Collection name

Alexander Wetmore Papers, circa 1848-1979 and undated

Physical Description

1 folder

Physical Location

Smithsonian Institution Archives

Sublocation

Box 141 Folder 6