44 EEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1913. 



having in view the presentation, in the form of exliibits, of the fol- 

 lowing subjects: Human evolution and man's antiquity; the con- 

 nection of present man anatomically, on a basis of certain important 

 characters, with his early ancestors and even earHer forms; the nor- 

 mal variation in all parts of the skeleton of present man; aboriginal 

 surgery and diseases pecuUar to the American aborigines; and human 

 and animal brains. 



The principal studies by Dr. Hrdhcka related to early man in the 

 Old World and to the origin of the American race. A report on the 

 former subject is in preparation, while a preliminary paper on the 

 latter appeared duiing the year in the Smithsonian Miscellaneous 

 Collections. Unfinished investigations mentioned in the last report 

 were also continued. 



Mechanical technology. — A valuable loan collection of military 

 weapons and other articles received from Mrs. Julian James, of 

 Washington, includes several brass models of field and fortification 

 cannon; a number of typical Navy cutlasses, swords, and fencmg 

 foils; a double-barrel shotgun made by Joseph Lang, of London, 

 and used by Lieut. Commander T. B. M. Mason, U. S. Navy; a pair 

 of dueling pistols marked "F. Rynolds, N. Y."; an exceedingly rare 

 Colt's single-action, .26 caHber revolver made at Paterson, N. J.; a 

 set of copper powder measm-es made for the Ordnance Department 

 of the United States Army; and a sextant made by E. & G. W. Blunt, 

 of New York, and formerly belonging to Frederic B. N, Mason, U. S. 

 Navy. By transfer from the War Department, the Museum obtained 

 an interesting series of weapons and other objects, which had been 

 exhibited in a museum of historical arms maintained for some years 

 at the Soldiers' Home in Washington. Among the articles were a 

 Harpers Ferry musket of 1810; Hall breech-loading rifles of 1837 

 and 1838; United States Springfield cavahy and artillery musket- 

 oons, cahber .69, of 1851, 1852, 1853 and 1855; Colt's single-action 

 .45 caUber Army revolvers; a noncommissioned officer's sword; cav- 

 alry and artUlery drivers' saddles, and several cavalry sabers. Mr. 

 J. W. Daniel, of Washington, deposited a pair of horse pistols, .54 

 caliber, made by W. L. Evans, Valley Forge, 1831; and an Army 

 revolver, .36 caUber, made in imitation of the Colt revolvers, and 

 marked "C. S. A.," the belt buckle belonging with it bearing the 

 Virginia State seal. 



The Museum is again indebted to Mr. Claude L. WooUey, of Bal- 

 timore, for examples of sundials, of which two were presented by 

 him during last year. One is of bronze, horizontal, adapted to the 

 latitude of Aberdeen, Scotland, 57° 10' north, and is marked "My 

 time is in Thy Hand"; the other is of aluminum, horizontal, calcu- 

 lated for the latitude of Constantinople, Turkey, 40° 55' north, has 

 the hours designated by Arabic characters, and bears the inscription 



