REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 173 



the greater part of the year has been consumed in the transfer of the 

 large collection of unmounted inaimnal skeletons and skulls from storage 

 in the Smithsonian building to the osteological hall (east south range) 

 of the National Museum building. Owing to the length of time during 

 which this large amount of material has been accumulating, and to the 

 lack of suitable accommodations, the collection had fallen into a state 

 of confusion. Moreover, a portion had never been catalogued, and a 

 still larger portion remained unidentified. It was therefore necessary to 

 compare each specimen with its original record, while a large number 

 were identified or entered tor the first time. For lack of room, a portion 

 of this collection, namely, the skeletons which have not yet been cleaned, 

 has been temporarily stored in the Armory building. The remaining 

 portion has been arranged, labeled, and placed in table cases in the 

 osteological hall. Seventeen cases are thus occupied, and many more 

 will eventually be required to accommodate this important and steadily 

 increasing collection. The service of Mr. F. A. Lucas as an aid in the 

 department of osteology has done very much to stimulate its growth. 



Messrs. E. H. Hawley and T. M. Sweeney have rendered efficient aid 

 in the mounting of specimens in the cases for exhibition, and to the 

 former especially the Museum is indebted for numerous ingenious con- 

 trivances for the better display of its material. Mr. T. W. Smillie, pho- 

 tographer, produced for the Loudon Fisheries Exhibition enlarged pho- 

 tographs of fishermen and fishing scenes. These, which were printed 

 by the electric light, and in some instances retouched by Messrs. Elliott 

 and Moeller, constituted a prominent feature in the American section 

 at the Fisheries Exhibition, and received a gold medal — the only one 

 awarded to photography. They seem to deserve especial mention 

 here, since it is believed that pictures of this description can be used 

 with great effect hereafter in various departments of the Museum. 



Mr. Hendley has done some excellent work in the preparation of lay 

 figures for the London Fisheries Exhibition. Two of these figures were 

 representative of the negro fisherman of the United States, and five, 

 of the white fisherman. He has also commenced the work of preparing 

 casts of vegetables, fruits, meats, &c, to be arranged hereafter in the 

 food collection. 



Preliminary exhibition of the fishery collection. — On the 26th of Feb- 

 ruary an exhibition of the collections about to be seut to London was 

 held in the halls of the Museum. Preparations for this exhibit were 

 made in three days' time by dint of hard work of an extra force night 

 and day. The building was lighted for the first time by the electric 

 lamps, and the display was considered a great success. On the follow- 

 ing night the building was also opened for the inspection of these 

 exhibits. On the first evening 2,339 persons were present, and on the 

 following night, 2,298. During the week before the collections were 

 packed the attendance in the Museum averaged nearly 2,000 a day. 



