178 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



has been for two years under the care of Dr. James M. Flint, surgeon, 

 U. S. N., who has been detailed for this service by the Surgeon-Gen- 

 eral of the Navy, and to whose skill the Museum is indebted for the 

 development of a collection of medicinal substances probably unequaled 

 elsewhere. 



The whole number of specimens at present on exhibition is 3,240. 

 The series begins with objects that illustrate the forms in which medici- 

 nal substances appear in commerce or are prepared for administration 

 by pharmacists. The labels attached give concise and accurate defini- 

 tions of each class. Next following is the general collection arranged 

 according to the detailed classification published elsewhere, beginning 

 with animal products in their zoological order, and succeeded by vege- 

 table products in their botanical order, &c. Supplementing the general 

 collection is an exhibit of the most popular mineral waters, and, finally, 

 as a distinct series, a considerable number of Chinese drugs. The plan 

 of organization and the methods of work in this department, together 

 with a full account of what has been accomplished, will be found in the 

 report of its curator. 



Section of Naval Architecture. — The collection of models of boats and 

 vessels now includes between two and three hundred specimens. This 

 series has been developed in connection with the fisheries exhibit, and 

 is especially complete in representations of American forms, both abo- 

 riginal and modern. The series of primitive types is particularly full, 

 and the collection, which will be installed in the room adjoining the 

 fisheries court, will, when arranged upon the evolutionary plan, be 

 thoroughly unique. Of that most primitive of types, the skin boat, the 

 Museum now possesses five examples, the bull-boat of the Haidatsa 

 Indians, and four others obtained during the summer, namely, the cora- 

 cle of the Ganges, gift of the Government of India; the Irish curragh, 

 gift of the Marquis of Hamilton ; the Boyne coracle, and the Dee cora- 

 cle, obtained from persons at the Fisheries Exhibition. The Govern- 

 ment of India contributed also some exceedingly interesting and primi- 

 tive forms of dug-outs. A number of other specimens have been ac- 

 quired during the year, chiefly by gift. This collection has been placed 

 in the charge of Capt. J. W. Collins, of the U. S. Fish Commission, to 

 whom very much of its recent expansion is due. 



Section of Keramics. — The specimens of pottery and porcelain from 

 Europe and the Orient are not numerous, but include a number of very 

 important pieces, such as the two immense Centennial vases given by 

 Haviland & Co., a very excellent representation of the products of Doul- 

 ton's Lambeth pottery, and a large number of decorated tiles exhibited 

 by Minton & Co., and Moore, Maw & Co., at the Philadelphia Exhibi- 

 tion. During the year the Museum has received from the French Gov- 

 ernment a gift of seventy -five specimens from the Manufacture Nationale 



