184 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



from Dakota Territory to Florida, and from Nevada to the New England 

 States, and forms the basis of his reports to the Bureau of Ethnology. 

 This collection of aboriginal remains embraces skulls, bones, celts, frag- 

 ments of pottery and walls of dwellings, shells, copper and iron imple- 

 ments, flints, flakes, pipes, arrow-heads, perforated tablets, stone disks, 

 ceremonial stones, &c. The number of specimens estimated by Pro- 

 fessor Thomas in 1883 was 3,544. A small lot of quartz celts from 

 Madras was also received from the same bureau. 



DIVISION OF ZOOLOGY. 

 IV. Department of Mammals. 



The accessions of the year have been numerous and important, and 

 are discussed in full in the report of the curator, Mr. F. W. True. The 

 most noteworthy, perhaps, are various species of cetaceans, hitherto 

 unknown in American waters, obtained through the co-operation of the 

 U. S. Life-Saving Service ; and the collection of Greenland seals, ob- 

 tained for the Museum by Dr. C. Hart Merriam during his trip on a New- 

 foundland sealing steamer. Dr. Stejneger's magnificent collection of 

 Ehytina bones from Siberia have been received mainly during the year, 

 and by efforts in various directions the Museum series of Sirenians has 

 now been completed. Mr. Hornaday's group of Bornean Orangs has 

 been placed on exhibition in the mammal gallery ; also several other pro- 

 ducts of the skill of the Museum taxidermist, by which the appearance 

 of this collection has been greatly improved. In this connection may be 

 also mentioned the gift by Mr. Edward Kemeys, the sculptor, of the 

 original model of his bronze figure, " The Still Hunt," and a large num- 

 ber of working models of various species of North American mammals 

 which are of great interest to the student of art as well as to the mamal- 

 ogist and the taxidermist. The curator of mammals has devoted a con- 

 siderable portion of his time during the year to the reorganization of the 

 collection of skeletons, which is exceedingly rich in North American 

 material. The cases for their reception not having been finished, the 

 mounted preparations still remain in the Smithsonian building. The 

 articulated skeletons have all been systematically arranged in the oste- 

 ological gallery. It is but fair to the curator to state that, owing to his 

 appointment as acting assistant director during the absence of the as- 

 sistant director in Europe for six months of the year, the work of the 

 department was necessarily interrupted. 



The number of specimens added during the year was 365 ; 260 of which 

 were skins and 105 osteological specimens. The total number of speci- 

 mens now in the custody of the curator is estimated at 8,663. In his 

 report several important suggestions are made, all of which I would 

 recommend for adoption. 



