REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 35 



representation from the Malaysian ethnological collection of Dr. W. L. 

 Abbott, and the Philippine collection of Dr. E. A. Mearns, U. S. Army. 

 The collection of l)asketry was rearranged, and eight recently pre- 

 pared busts of Indians and some exceptionally fine examples of the 

 work of the Northwest coast Indians haye been placed on exhibition. 

 The latter consist of two large totem posts, four large caryed wooden 

 slabs, and a large painted room partition from Alaska. The exhibits 

 returned from the Louisiana Purchase Exposition were, as far as pos- 

 sible, assigned places in the public halls, though it was necessary to 

 put most of this material in storage. 



To the exhibition of historic archeology, which chiefly occupies the 

 eastern end of the west hall, were added a collection of Biblical gems, 

 coins of Bible lands, the oriental manuscripts of Mr. S. S. Howland, 

 a Greco-Egyptian portrait of great interest, and seyeral papyri. In 

 consequence of the addition of many articles of Jewish religious cere- 

 monial, through the yaluable deposit made by ]Mr. Benguiat, the 

 entire section included under tliis subject was rearranged, as was also 

 the adjoining Mohammedan section. Additions inyolying changes 

 in arrangement were also made to the Greco-Roman and Buddhist 

 sections, and the display of amulets was reinstalled. 



Follomng the extensiye repairs recently made in archeological hall 

 the entire exliibition collection of prehistoric archeology is being sub- 

 jected to a thorough oyerhauling, which is not jet completed, and the 

 hall is therefore still closed to the public. It is proposed to make 

 this exhibit as attractiye as it is yaluable and interesting, though it 

 must for a time remain cliiefly in the old-fashioned cases constructed 

 oyer thirty years ago. The many stone mortars and soapstone yes- 

 sels from California and the stone chairs from Ecuador haye been 

 arranged on the tops of the wall cases. Recent accessions from Mex- 

 ico and Central America haye replaced the collections from the 

 ancient ruined pueblos of Arizona and New Mexico, which haye been 

 remoyed to the Museum building. Of six new" cases installed in the 

 center of the hall, four are deyoted to casts of large stone sculptures 

 from Mexico and the other two to material from Brazil and the West 

 Indies. 



Lack of space has made it impossible to deyelop an exhibition series 

 in physical anthropology, but there are now ready for this purpose 

 10 complete Indian busts, oyer 20 masks from which busts can be 

 prepared, and photographs and skeletal material for representing all 

 anthropological yarieties. 



The exhibits in technology haye been greatly enlarged and im- 

 proyed, requiring the addition of a number of cases. The most note- 

 worthy increases and changes haye been in the sections of electrical 

 apparatus, firearms, and railroad appliances. The liistorical collec- 

 tion of railroad locomotiye models was entirely rearranged. No 



