54 EEPORT OF iSTATIONAL MUSEUM, 1919. 



sources for examination and report 29 lots of specimens, diversified 

 in character and importance. 



Ethnology. — The division continued under the curatorship of Dr. 

 Walter Hough, who, in addition, supervised the division of mechani- 

 cal technology, the sections of ceramics, art textiles, musical instru- 

 ments, and the collection of period costumes. In these varied duties 

 he was assisted by Mr. E. A. Allen. The diversified activities were 

 carried forward with the usual thoroughness, although some em- 

 barrassment resulted from the occupation of portions of the space 

 assigned to ethnology by the War Risk Bureau. The installation 

 is now, however, quite restored to the normal condition. Toward the 

 close of the year the curator was fortunate in obtaining, under the 

 auspices of the Bureau of American Ethnology, the opportunity 

 of undertaking certain researches among the ancient ruins of the 

 pueblo country. 



Additions to the ethnological collections were somewhat less 

 numerous than during the preceding year, but the high standard 

 of scientific value was fully maintained. Accessions of exceptional 

 value are an interesting collection from the Celebes Islands, East 

 Indies, received as a gift from Dr. W. L. Abbott. It was collected 

 by Mr. H. C. Raven, and consists of basketry, costumes of bark 

 cloth, personal ornaments, charms, lime gourds, flutes, small bronze 

 castings, horn carvings, cocoanut shells, etc. The collection illus- 

 trates the extensive employment of decoration on articles of daily 

 use by the Celebes Islanders. Important material relating to the 

 life of the Haida and Tlinkit Indians of southeastern Alaska was 

 presented to the Museum by Dr. Edwin Kirk, of the United States 

 Geological Survey. It consists of baskets, burial chests, stone im- 

 plements, ceremonial headdresses, etc., numbering about 100 speci- 

 mens. A collection of 6 specimens of fine weavings, consisting of 

 pouches and blankets of Aymara Indians of Bolivia, South America, 

 was acquired. The fineness of the texture and the beauty of the dyes 

 relate these specimens to the ancient textiles of Peru and Bolivia. 

 Col. William B. Davis, United States Army, presented to the Mu- 

 seum an interesting collection of 21 pieces of Cuthead Sioux Indian 

 work secured by him at Fort Totten, Dakota, in 1878. Miss Isobel H. 

 Lenman added to her former loan contributions four accessions con- 

 sisting principally of Americana, notably several very old Bolivian 

 weavings of the finest materials and dye. 



The exhibit collections being closed for reasons above stated, 

 the work was largely concentrated on the materials in the labora- 

 tories and in divisional storage. The curator continued investiga- 

 tion on the mutations of decorative designs on specimens from the 

 Celebes. 



