REPORT OV ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 63 



Brazil auil Peru, and a few tspeciincus of binls, nuiiiiuials, seed, uud 

 a fish-trap used by the natives of VenezueUi. 



ASIA. 



Commodore li. W. Shiifeldt, U. S. Navy, presented a Damascus sword 

 and eight knives mounted in ivory and gokl, of Arab manufacture, from 

 Muscat, given to him by the Sultan of Zanzibar. N. Carandonis de- 

 j)osited a Grecian bowl from an Ephesian tomb, and an ancient costume 

 lound in a cavern at the castle on the island of Calumnos. Mr. Otis 

 Bigelow i)resents a considerable collection of ethnological objects from 

 Egypt and tlie Holy Land. Other objects of similar character were re- 

 ceived from the Department of State after the close of the New Orleans 

 Exposition, as was also an important collection of minerals from Teherau, 

 Persia. 



Mr. William IF. Dallpresents a model of a Madras catamaran, obtained 

 by llev. C. II. A. Dall, and other articles from India. I\Ir. A. G. Studer, 

 U. S. consul at Singapore, sent through the State Department the im- 

 plements and materials nsed by those who chew tbe betel-nut, and also 

 a collection of the native woods oC Singapore. 



Various single objects and small collections, ethnological and zoolog- 

 ical, from other portions of the I<]ast Indies, were received from different 

 individuals. 



From China the accessions were f(^r tlie most part obtained through 

 the State Department after the close of the New Orleans Exposition, 

 and included a number of interesting products of the native arts, and a 

 series of si)ecimens illustrating the ramie industry of that country. 

 Dr. Bethune McCarthy, foi' nearly half a century a medical missionary in 

 China and Japan, has given and deposited a small but very useful and 

 interesting collection of books, pictures, and other objects. 



From Corea, Ensign J. B. Bernadou, U. S. Navy, obtained a large and 

 valuable collection, including fishes, marine invertebrates, cephalopods, 

 pottery, ethnological material, and drugs. Some of the pottery in this 

 collection is said to be from three hundred to seven liundred years old. 



In addition to this collection three specimens of lacquered ware — cup, 

 can, and tube — which were exhibited at the New Orleans Exposition, 

 were added to the ethnological collection. 



From Jai>an was received a co!kM;tion of minerals presented by Gen- 

 eral Thomas B. Van Buren, U. S. consul at Kanagawa. 



A very beautiful helmet of silver, with bosses of steel and with leather 

 cape, lined with endjroidered silk, was presented by D. W. Zantzinger, 

 of AVashington. 



An interesting series of bird-skins from Japan was given by Heurj- 

 Seel)olim, of London, besides variou ; smaller collections. The most 

 important of all the accessions from Japan was a most instructive series 

 of ninety-two specimens, illustrating tlie manufacture of pottery and 

 porcelain, showing the materials, ai)pliances, the objects in various 



