Oct. 1896. 



Annum. Report of the Director. 



95 



the mammals in the West Court, and the purchasing lists of three 

 large shell collections have been compared with the material and 

 corrected preparatory to inventory. The entire collection in the 

 Department of Ornithology has been catalogued, something over 

 1,000 skins having been recorded quite recently. Labels have been 

 written for all the mounted birds. The Department of Industrial 

 Arts has finished its card catalogue and Inventory, and reports 

 that only a very few labels are lacking. Owing to the demands 

 of his regular duties, the Recorder who has charge of the Depart- 

 ment of Columbus Memorial, has done little in Memorial Hall this 

 year except to replace new for old labels. The catalogue was com- 

 pleted in 1895. The important work to be done is the numbering of 

 the pictures to correspond with the original Exposition inventory. 

 When all the material is identified and numbered correctly, it will be 

 possible to print a hand-book to the collection, the manuscript of 

 which is now in possession of the Museum, and which would add 

 greatly to interest in the collection. 



The year's work in the Museum on catalogues and inventories is 

 shown in detail : 



Accessions. — The accessions of material by gift, purchase and 

 expedition have been large and valuable, and seem to have been 

 rather evenly distributed among the different Departments, if the pre- 

 vailing flattering estimate of the results of the African expedition be 

 included. It is obviously impossible to discuss all of the many acces- 

 sions, but some seem to demand a reference beyond the simple record. 

 A number of noteworthy additions have been made to the Department 

 of Anthroplogy. Special attention may be directed to the collections 

 of Eskimo material brought from Northern Alaska by Miner W. 

 Bruce. These include valuable fur costumes, implements and uten- 

 sils pertaining to the native arts and industries, and many carvings 

 in bone and ivory. It is expected that these will be utilized to some 

 extent in setting up a group of figures illustrating the • Alaskan 



