32 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



the session to provide an electric plant for lighting the buildings. 

 Neither of these bills has been reported from the committees to which 

 they were referred. 



Museum personnel. — Mr. George P. Merrill has been appointed Curator 

 of the Department of Geologj^, which combines the functions of the 

 previously existing departments of Lithology and Physical Geology, 

 and of Metallurgy. This change in the administration of these depart- 

 ments was made upon the resignation of Mr. Fred P. Dewey, who for 

 several years had been in charge of the metallurgical collections. 



Mr. William C. Win]ock,of the Smithsonian Institution, was appointed 

 Honorary Curator of the Section of Physical Apparatus in the National 

 Museum. 



Mr. William T. Horuaday, perhaps the first taxidermist in the coun- 

 try, through his extensive knowledge of the habits and natural atti- 

 tudes of animals, in a very wide range of travel as a lield naturalist, 

 has elevated the standard of his art by the fidelity of his groupings and 

 his skill in the representation of life-like as])ecfcs in the plastic form. 

 He had rendered valuable service to the National Museum as its chief 

 taxidermist, and subsequently as Honorary Curator of the Dejiartment 

 of Living Animals, which led to his appointment as Acting Superinten- 

 dent of the National Zoological Park. From this position he resigned 

 on the 15th of June last. 



Dr. Frank Baker was, in June, appointed Honorary Curator of the 

 Department of Comparative Anatomy in the Museum, though as it 

 has been found necessary to assign Dr. Baker to temporary duty as 

 Acting Manager of the National Zoological Park, Mr. F. W. True con- 

 tinues to fill the position of acting curator of that department. 



A detailed statement relating to the work of the admiuistrativ^e offi- 

 cers of the Museum will be found in the volume containing the report 

 of the Assistant Secretary. 



Explorations. — In connection with the expedition sent by the United 

 States Government to the West Coast of Africa to take observations of 

 the eclipse of the sun, the National Museum obtained the privilege of 

 sending a naturalist for the purpose of making collections of ethnological 

 and zoological objects. Mr. William Harvey Brown, of the National 

 Museum, was detailed to accompany the expedition. Early in June, 

 1890, the first collections were received as the result of his explorations. 

 They included mammals, fishes, insects, plants, reptiles, birds, shells, 

 rocks, and ethnological objects. Additional collections will doubtless 

 soon be received ; and will be referred to in the next report. As an 

 outcome of Mr. Brown's exploration work, collections have been re- 

 ceived from Eev. G. H. R. Fisk, Mr. J. H. Brady, Mr. P.MacOwan, 

 director of the Botanical Garden at Cape Town, Mr. Frye, of Cape Town, 

 and others. The thanks of the Smithsonian Institution are especially 



