64 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



fore it was necessary to have the collections for Louisville packed and 

 on the way. We were, therefore, unable to make a very extensive ex- 

 hibit at that place. 



The special features of the exhibit were a large collection showing 

 the uses of animals, a collection of textile fibers and fabrics, a series of 

 the game and water birds of North America, a small collection of "boat 

 models, including the whale-boat and the Chinese junk, a collection of 

 casts of reptiles, and a large number of photographs illustrative of the 

 methods employed in the fisheries. 



The exhibit was packed in ninetj'-six boxes of various sizes. 



The Cincinnati Exposition opened two weeks later, and it was there- 

 fore possible to make a more creditable display. A special building, 

 was erected for the Government exhibit, one end of which was assigned 

 to the Smithsonian Institution. In addition to a collection similar to 

 that sent to Louisville there was prepared for the Cincinnati Exposition 

 a fine collection of gems, and also an exhibit representative of the eth- 

 nology of the North American Indians and Eskimos. Several large 

 casts of cetaceans were also displayed. 



It was found necessaiy to have most of the Louisville and Cincinnati 

 collections returned to Washington to be prepared and rearranged be- 

 fore sending them to New Orleans. 



By virtue of an Executive order of May 13, 1884, a board, consisting 

 of a rejireseutative of each Government Department and of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, was appointed and charged with making arrange- 

 ments for a display of collections illustrating the resources of the 

 United States at the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Expo- 

 sition to be held at New Orleans. The appropriations for this jiurpose 

 were not made nntil July 7, leaving only four clear months for the 

 preparation and shipment of collections. Several of the curators were 

 at once sent into the field with the authority to add to the collections 

 under their charge. By December 1, the collections were ready for 

 transmission, but the opening had been deferred from December 1 to 

 December 10. On this date the Exposition was formally opened. 



The preparations for this Exposition were very much more elaborate 

 than had been possible in the case of the Louisville and Cincinnati Ex- 

 positions. The main feature of the display made by the Institution at 

 New Orleans was, of course, understood to be in illustration of the 

 animal and mineral resources and the ethnology of the United States, 

 similar to that made by the Institution in 1876 at Philadelphia. In 

 addition to this a collection illustrating the textile industries of the 

 world was prepared, in view of the fact that the main interest of the 

 New Orleans Exposition centered in one of the textile materials, and 

 also a selection of objects from the Department of Naval Architecture. 

 The curators of eleven departments were requested to take part in the 

 preparation of the New Orleans exhibit, and most of them were tempo- 



