REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1908. 15 



bombardment in 1814, and was made memorable as the " Star Span- 

 gled Banner " by the verses of Francis Scott Key. Among- other 

 loans were several art collections of metal work, j)orcelain, lacquer, 

 ivory, etc., mainly from the Orient; an addition to the exhibit of 

 Jewish religious ceremonial objects; and many pieces of china and 

 cut glass used at Mount Vernon during the life of Washington. 



In the Department of Biology, the more important accesssions of 

 mammals and birds came from Malaysia, the Philippines, and Costa 

 Rica. The Bureau of Fisheries transmitted extensive collections of 

 fishes and invertebrates chiefly obtained during the exploration of the 

 steamer Albatross in the Pacific Ocean. The final division of the 

 greater part of the collection of marine invertebrates obtained during 

 the early explorations of the Bureau of Fisheries on the Atlantic 

 coast, which had been retained for study at the museum of Yale 

 University, resulted in the transfer to Washington of over 73,000 

 specimens, representing an extremely large number of species and 

 including the types of 355 species. The division of insects received 

 about 53,000 specimens, mostly American; and the division of plants 

 about 25,000 specimens, principally from North and Central America. 



The geological accessions comprised several of exceptional value, 

 especially in paleontology. Of fossil invertebrates there were two 

 large described collections, containing many types; the material ob- 

 tained in the course of explorations of the Cambrian rocks of British 

 Columbia and Idaho by the Secretary of the Institution, and of the 

 paleozoic formations of Tennessee and Virginia by the curator of the 

 division; and important transfers from the Geological Survey. The 

 division of fossil vertebrates received two noteworthy additions, one 

 consisting of a large number of rare species from various horizons in 

 the United States and South America, the other of the remains of 

 several species of mammals collected on the Smithsonian expedition to 

 Alaska. The department also received several series of rocks and 

 ores, a number of rare minerals, and three meteorites. 



The collections of all classes have been maintained in a good state 

 of preservation, though lack of space and of a sufficient number of 

 expert assistants has rendered it impossible to systematically classify 

 and arrange a large proportion of the material. Much important 

 research work was carried on and many valuable contributions to 

 knowledge were made public. 



In the exhibition halls, which have long been overcrowded, and in 

 which the display of new material in quantity is practically dependent 

 upon the withdrawal of older collections, some changes and additions 

 were made, the latter mainly at the expense of the jjassageways and 

 the convenience of the public, in order to find room for several at- 

 tractive loan collections. In this manner the picture gallery has been 

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