126 EEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM^ 1915. 



The first of the exhibits referred to illustrates the physical history 

 of man, to which purpose the sum of $27,000 was allotted, the work 

 being j)laced in charge of Dr. Ales Hrdlicka, curator of physical 

 anthropology in the National Museum. The second has for its ob- 

 ject the presentation of certain of the important industries of Amer- 

 ican aborigines, and received the attention of Mr. William H. 

 Holmes, head curator of anthropology in the National Museum, to 

 whom an allotment of $5,000 was made. The work of collecting 

 and preparation was begun in 1912, and invoh^ed the making of 

 extensive series of casts and of other exhibits, besides the carrying 

 out of a number of important expeditions which extended to various 

 parts of the world, being mainly conducted by Dr. Hrdlicka him- 

 self, though in some instances by others under his direction. These 

 explorations have resulted in the securing of valuable anthropo- 

 logical information, which has already been discussed in Smith- 

 sonian and other publications. 



The exhibit relating to the physical history of man has, through 

 the intelligent effort of Dr. Hrdlicka, been made to surpass consid- 

 erably in richness, instructiveness and harmony, anything before 

 attempted in this line. It is installed in five halls of moderate size, 

 four of which are severally devoted to the following subdivisions 

 of the subject, namely, the evolution of man, or his phylogeny ; the 

 development or growth of man, or his ontogeny; the racial, sexual 

 and individual variations of man; and the causes which, outside of 

 strict normal senility, contribute to the decline of the human or- 

 ganism, and in the vast majority of cases cause death, these causes 

 being, in fact, disease and injury. The fifth hall is fitted up as an 

 anthropological laboratory, with equipment and a library, and for 

 use as a lecture room. The exhibit of the arts and industries of 

 American aborigines consists primarily of six lay figure groups rep- 

 resenting, respectively, the mining of iron ore and pigment mate- 

 rials ; the mining of copper ; the quarrying of soapstone ; the quarry- 

 ing of obsidian; the quarrying of building stone; and the arrow 

 makers. These groups are supplemented by extensive series of the 

 implements, utensils and art works generally of these ancient peoples. 

 Provision has been made for replicas of certain of these groups and 

 of other important antiquities for exhibition in the National Mu- 

 seum, which also acquires valuable skeletal and other materials from 

 Peru, Alaska, Siberia, Mongolia and Bohemia. 



ORGANIZATION AND STAFF. 



The principal change during the year in the organization and staff 

 of the Museum had reference to the divisions of mollusks and ma- 

 rine invertebrates which were, for economical and administrative 

 reasons, combined, on October 16, 1914, in a single division under the 



