REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 87 



The ancient pottery, not including that from the Pueblo region, hav- 

 ing been transferred to the department of prehistoric anthropology, 

 the work of preparing, in the northwest court, an exhibit illustrating 

 the life of the Pueblo tribes, has been continued. In this the curator 

 has had the assistance of Dr. J. Walter Fewkes and Mr. Frank 

 Hamilton Gushing. 



A great deal of time has been spent in preparing a catalogue of the 

 material received by the department of ethnology during the last fifty 

 years. The task has now been finished. Not every specimen has 

 been catalogued separately, but, in the words of the curator, "every 

 specimen that would seem to have any value in a comprehensive and 

 comparative study." The work of checking off on this catalogue the 

 material sent out by the department, through exchanges with other 

 museums, still remains to be done. A large number of specimens have 

 also been withdrawn from time to time for the purpose of establishing 

 the various sections included under the department of arts and indus- 

 tries. These should be checked off in a similar manner, but in order 

 to i)erform this task, additional clerical help is needed. 



The preparation of a comi^reheusive work on the practical arts of 

 the American Indians is at present occupying the attention of the 

 curator. He has in view the work of establishing a series of types 

 characterizing the arts practiced in various culture-regions. In this 

 undertaking he is making use not only of the material in the National 

 Museum, but is also utilizing trustworthy data obtained from other 

 sources. A systematic plan has been laid out, and a large number of 

 illustrations have been already prepared. 



Under the head of Explorations, and in addition to the valuable 

 material obtained by Dr. Fewkes in Arizona, which has already been 

 referred to, reference should be made to a collection obtained by Mr. 

 James Mooney, illustrating the various phases of life among the Kiowa 

 Indians. 



Only a small quantity of material has been sent out for study during 

 the year. It is the eftbrt of the dei)artment to induce investigators to 

 conduct their studies in the building, where the student finds many 

 things which would otherwise escape his observation. The curator 

 also is frequently enabled by this method to obtain information from 

 those who have prosecuted extensive investigations along certain lines. 

 In another chapter reference is made to the researches of some of these 

 students. A study of the Eskimo lamp has occupied the attention of 

 the assistant curator, Dr. Walter Hough, for a considerable length 

 of time. 



The department has profited by the generous cooperation of many 

 persons. Through the offices of Hon. W. W. Eockhill, Assistant Sec- 

 retary of State, a large number of specimens have been secured for the 

 Museum, and among others who have rendered service in various ways 

 Mr. W. S. Hill, secretary of the Academy of Sciences, Tacoma, Wash. ; 



