Letter of the Day: December 4

United States Engineer Office,
Explorations and Surveys West of the 100th Meridian,
Washington, D.C., Dec. 4th, 1874

Dr Geo. Otis U.S.A.

Dear Sir

May I trespass on your kindness + ask you to have prepared for me as soon as possible a list of the Crania + skeletons collected by this expedition [ie Wheeler’s] + forwarded to the “Museum.” I would like also the diameters of the Crania + mention of any anatomical peculiarities +c. If I remember aright there was one skeleton which showed evidence of Pott’s disease. I am about preparing a Catalogue of our Crania + require the desired information for this purpose.

Very Truly yours

H.C. Yarrow

Letter of the Day: June 17 - Wheeler survey

United States Engineer Office,
Explorations and Surveys West of the 100th Meridian,
P.O. Lock Box 93.
Washington, D.C., June 17, 1874

Bvt. Lt. Col. Geo. A. Otis
Curator Army med. Museum,
Washington

Sir:

By direction of Lieut. G.M. Wheeler in charge of the Geographical and Geological Explorations and Surveys west of the 100th Meridian I have the honor to forward as a donation to the Army Medical Museum the following specimens:

1 Skeleton of wild Turkey Meliagris var mexicanus No x 4
1 Pathological specimen fract. of leg of M.M.
1 skull monkey macacus cynomolgus from Dr. Yarrow
1 Bottle containing 15 bird crania presented by Dr. yarrow
1 Cranium Picus Columbianus No 892
1 Skeleton Massena’s quail Cyrtonyx Massena No 996
1 Skull of Gray Rabbit Lepus sylvaticus
3 Skulls Navajo Indians {1085, 1086, 11087 [Anatomical Section]
1 Skull Apache ? Indian {1088 [Anatomical Section]
1 Skull of Black Bear Ursus americanus no. R.O. 82
1 Skull of Black Bear Ursus americanus young
1 Sternum of Swainson’s hawk Buteo swainsoni No. 877
1 Sternum Prairie Falcon Falco polyagous No. 64
1 Sternum American Avocet Recurvirostra Americana No 39,
1 Sternum Red Breasted Teal Anas cyanoptera No. 417

It is hoped that these specimens may prove of some little value to the museum under your charge. Please acknowledge the receipt of the specimens.

Very respectfully Your obdt Servnt.
H.C. Yarrow
Surgeon, Nat. Expd.

Letter of the Day: February 9 makeup

The Wheeler survey last for years and generated a lot of data, including lovely Timothy O’Sullivan photographs.  Yarrow  worked directly for the Museum soon after this letter was written.

 

United States Engineer Office,

Explorations and Surveys West of the 100^th Meridian,

Washington, D.C., Feb 9^th, 1874

 

Bvt Lt. Col. G. Otis, USA

 

Dear Sir

 

Some time since we forwarded to the Army Med. Museum some fragments of Indian Crania collected by Lt. Wheeler’s expedition in 1873. Will you kindly inform us if such specimens were rec’d.

 

Very Resp.

Your obt. Svt.

H.C. Yarrow

Surg & Nat[uralist] to Exped[ition]