REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1907. 23 



by Lemuel Pomeroy, Pittsfield. Massachusetts, in 1823, 1828, and 

 1829; by B. Evans, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, in 182G, and by P. 

 and PI Blake, New Haven, Connecticut. An especially rare and in- 

 terestinp- jiiece is n TTnited States military musket made by the Colt's 

 Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company in 1803. There are also 

 a valuable group of IlalTs breech-loading rifles and carbines, show- 

 ing the development of this arm. which was the first In-eechloadei- 

 used in the United States Army, and a number of Jenks'- breech- 

 loading rifles and carbines of different models. Many of these pieces 

 possess much individual interest and they serve a valuable purpose in 

 filling gaps in the Museum collection. 



As a separate accession there was also received from the War De- 

 partment a Westley-Richards double-barrel, muzzle-loading, percus- 

 sion shotgun of a very superior quality and finish, said to have been 

 at one time in the possession of John B. Floyd, Secretary of War 

 under President Buchanan ; one Harpers Ferry musket, model of 

 1856, and a pair of Colt's army revolvers made especially for pre- 

 sentation to a prominent military officer. The Harpers Ferry musket 

 has a round, bronzed, smooth bore, 33-inch barrel of .70 caliber, with 

 a full walnut stock, brass mountings, and percussion cap lock with 

 Maynard tape primer. It w^as evidently designed as a pattern for use 

 in fabricating guns of this model and is accompanied by a number of 

 steel srauges. The Colt's revolvers are dated 1862, have 8-inch .44 

 caliber barrels, and solid, bronzed metal handles. The entire piece 

 is elaborately and richly decorated and much of the metal work is 

 gold plated. Combustible envelope cartridges and j)ercussion caps 

 were used with them. 



The Museum now has examples of typical guns, of the Springfield 

 pattern, made for and used by the United States Army, of the fol- 

 lowing dates: 1800, 1814, 1817, 1820, 1821, 1822, 1825, 1826, 1827, 

 1831, 1833. 1840, 1844, 1845, 1848, 1850, 1851, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1856, 

 1858, 1859, 1^60, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1873, 

 1881, and 1884. The collection is the most comprehensive of its 

 kind in existence. The efforts of the Museum have also been ex- 

 tended to gathering and placing on record all the necessary data for 

 the presentation of a complete history of the subject which these 

 arms illustrate. 



The Department of the Interior transferred to the Museum 30 

 models of important historical inventions, which had been prepared 

 by the United States Patent Office for exhibition at the principal 

 expositions held during the past ten or fifteen years. The most 

 notable objects represented are: Hero's steam engine, made 150 

 B. C. a grain-harvesting machine used in Gaul, A. D. 70. the Guten- 

 burg printing press of 1440, Papin Deny's steam engine of 1600, 



