40 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



the ornaments, &c., is one of the most striking of its kind ever con- 

 tributed to the museum. 



Additional collections of objects were also received from Capt. A. W. 

 Corliss, United States Army, stationed at Tucson. 



Not less interesting and important were the archoeological collections 

 received from Nicaragua. Dr. Earl Flint, of Granada, furnished mauy 

 additional specimens to his previous transmissions. 



To Dr. J. r. Bransford, United States Navy, is due the most impor- 

 tant acquisition ever made from Central America, in the form of a very 

 large number of objects exhumed from Indian graves on the island 

 of Omotepec, in Lake Nicaragua. These were especially interesting as 

 being found between successive sheets of volcanic eruptions, thus giving 

 a comparative chronology to the objects. 



A series of objects illustrative of the Ainos, or hairy men of Jesso, 

 furnished by Mr. B. S. Lyman, are of signal interest. 



The most important contributions among the mammalia consisted of 

 collections of fur-seals and sea-lions from the Alaska Commercial Com- 

 pany, and a series of eight skins of sea-lions of the California coast [Za- 

 loiiliiis gillespii) and presented by Capt. J. G. Baker, of the United States 

 revenue marine. 



No very large collections of birds were received during the year, with 

 the exception of those from Lieutenant Wheeler's party, although the 

 specimens furnished by Eijgineer Mintzer from Greenland, by Dr. Ber- 

 ing from Surinam and elsewhere, are noteworthy. 



Numerous reptiles in small lots were brought in from various sources. 

 Of fishes, the acquisitions were numerous, consisting mainly of transmis- 

 sions by agents of the United States Fish Commission. As heretofore, 

 Mr. Vinal N. Edwards, of Wood's Hole, made many important contri- 

 butions, among which were some fifteen species additional to the known 

 fauna of that locality, which for many years has been the chief station 

 of the Fish Commission. 



Mr. Thomas J. Moore, curator of the free public library of the city of 

 Liverpool, transmitted a number of species of English fishes packed in 

 ice for the purpose of having casts made and added to the collections of 

 the Institution. These were consigned first to Mr. E. G. Blackford, of 

 Fulton market, who repacked them in ice and shipped them to Washing- 

 ton. For this, as well as for a continuation of the services of this 

 gentleman in the prompt transmission of rare fishes, the Institution is 

 under great obligations. A special service rendered by him was the 

 transmission, day by day, to the Fish Commission exhibit at the Cen- 

 tennial of all the varieties of fresh fish as they made their appearance 

 in the New York market. Their preservation in large refrigerators, 

 erected at his suggestion by Messrs. Allegretti and Banta, constituted 

 a great source of attraction to the Centennial visitor. 



The exhibit made of the fisheries of the United States derived a great 

 deal of its value from the co-operation and contribution of various 



