REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 9 



Porto Rico and its vicinitj-, comprising fishes, marine invertebrates, 

 and land animals, and also mucli material from other r(^o-ions. From 

 the Department of Ag-riculture manmials, insects, and plants have been 

 receiv.ed. 



Exchanges have been extensively carried on with scientific institu- 

 tions in all parts of the world, and, as the returns have consisted mainly 

 of specimens identified by competent authorities, making them imme- 

 diatidy useful for comparison in the study of new material, the 

 Museum has been greatly benefited bv these transactions. 



Insfallatlon. — The display collections in anthropology now occupy 

 9 halls and 4 galleries, though all of these have not yet been made 

 ready for the public. Much has been accomplished during the j^ear in 

 the way of adding to these exhibits and improving them in every 

 branch of the department and with most effective results. The 

 changes are most conspicuous in the North Hall, or Hall of American 

 History, from which all the cases of small size and odd pattern have 

 been removed, to give place to 30 large cases of uniform and pleasing 

 design, arranged in 4 rows, with roomy aisles between. The most 

 important additions to the historical collections have related to the war 

 with Spain, and these, owing to their number and the large size of 

 some objects, have made it necessar}^ to extend this exhil)it into the 

 central rotunda. The Boat Hall, occupying the North East Range, 

 has also been entirely rehabilitated, a terrazzo pavement replacing the 

 old wooden floor, and a very capacious case having been built around 

 the four sides of the room. The boat collection, which has been 

 assembled at the cost of much time and effort, is a very large and com 

 prehensive one, representing by models and actual examples the 

 primitive and modern crafts of all parts of the world, and its rear- 

 rangement has been carried out in a systematic and instructive 

 manner. 



Although chiefly occupied with the duties of Executive Curator, 

 Doctor True has still been able to make some progress in the rein- 

 stallation of the oxhilntion collections which come under his immediate 

 charge as Head Curator of Biology. The plans for this work, as 

 described in the report for 1898, contemplate a faunal basis for the 

 iww arrangement, in which the fauna of North America shall have 

 special prominence. The mounted specimens of mammals have been 

 replaced in the South Hall, though only temporarily, pending the con- 

 struction of new cases. The American species remain on the ground 

 floor, while those of the Old World have been transferred to the 

 recently constructed gallery above. 



The number of birds on display has been greatly reduced, though 

 the space occupied remains the same, thus remedying the overcrowded 

 condition of the cases, improving their appearance, and bringing the 

 exhil)it more within the comprehension of the pu))lic. Plxperiments 



