180 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Ensign A. P. Niblack has furnished the following list of the most 

 valuable accessions: 



Among the most important collections made by employe's of the Government in con- 

 nection with their regular work under other branches, and which were paid for out of 

 the fund previously alluded to, may be mentioned — 



A collection from William J. Fisher, the Coast Survey tidal observer on Kadiak Isl- 

 and, Alaska, who made several trips on the peninsula and mainland. It embraces 

 about 100 specimens, the most interesting being several heavy elaborate bead- work 

 head-dresses, some of them weighing as much as 2J pounds. 



The collections made by the U. S. Signal Service observers are as follows : — 



1. One by C. L. McKay, from in and around Bristol Bay, north of the Aliaska Pen- 

 insula, from the Nushagag-mut and Ugulmut Eskimos of that region — about 45 speci- 

 mens in all, including a full outfit for a Beluga-whale hunter, which was exhibited 

 in London last year. This outfit includes harpoons, lines, buoys, extra heads, killing 

 lances, &c. A second collection of about 50 or 60 specimens, consisting of household 

 utensils and articles of personal adornment, were received after the death of McKay. 

 He was drowned in April, 1883, while out in a kaiak in Nushagak river in bad 

 weather. 



2. One by J. J. McLean, from around Sitka, wh ich had been pretty well worked up 

 by other collectors. Besides the usual lot of wooden carvings, kantags, or wooden 

 dishes, &c, there are some fine specimens of native wicker and basket work in the 

 collection made from a species of grass, Iris tenax. 



3. A kaiak, with complete fittings, from Greenland, deposited by the Chief Signal 

 Officer of the Army. It was exhibited iu London. 



4. The Point Barrow collection which was brought down when the expedition re- 

 turned recently. The collection is a good one and embraces over 700 specimens. Mr. 

 Mui'dock is now working up the collection, and I will not anticipate his report. Part 

 of the earlier collection which came down on the Corwin went to London to the 

 Fisheries Exhibit. 



5. Mr. Stejneger, of the Signal Service, made a small collection from the Aleuts on 

 Bering Island, Commander Group (off the coast of Kamschatka). There are some 

 interesting models of fox and bear traps and boats, some seal-skin costumes worn in 

 their native dances, besides some accessions of costumes peculiar to the Aleuts. 



6. A collection coming more properly under 1884 was received several weeks since 

 from L. M. Turner, of the Signal Service, from the Eskimos of Ungava Bay, New Lab- 

 rador. It is a fine one, and embraces over 450 specimens. The articles have not the 

 oily, used look that most Eskimo implements have, which indicates that other collect- 

 ors have been among them recently, although a great many specimens are models of 

 traps, snow-shoes, tobogans, and spears, and are necessarily new. There are some 

 large tobogans and snow-shoes of a peculiar pattern. The costumes are remarkably 

 handsome, and show the effects of contact with civilization. 



A second collection from Fisher, made in the Aleutian Archipelago and Aliaska Pen- 

 insula, has just been received. It consists of about 120 specimens of costumes, Aleu- 

 tian heads, household utensils, accessories of costume, &c. 



Among the small purchased collections may be mentioned, a Zufii sacred blanket, 

 100 Peruvian water-bottles, or huacas, and some shoes, hats, dishes, baskets, &c, from 

 the La Costa Indians of South California, woven of mescal fiber and palm leaves. 



(1.) Among the principal donations are 40 musical instruments supplemental to the 

 set of American musical instruments, all presented by Mr. J. Howard Foote, of 31 

 Maiden Lane, New York. 



(2.) The original Catlin collection of Indian portraits, &c, p ainted by him during 

 his eight years amongst the 48 tribes, of which he has handed down to us these most 

 raluable ethnological records. There are about 500 in the collection, which Mrs. Har- 

 rison, of Philadelphia, has so generously presented to the Institution. 



