16 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 19 31 



The year's curatorial work embraced the studying and recording 

 of inscriptions and seals on recently acquired Chinese paintings and 

 of Buddhist inscriptions on stone sculptures and votive bronze 

 images. The cataloguing of the near eastern section of manuscripts 

 and paintings was completed. Translation of the Persian texts has 

 identified more than 60 Persian miniatures taken from various early 

 manuscripts. Translations have also been made of inscriptions on 

 objects submitted by outside persons and by other institutions for 

 expert opinion. A total of 2,312 objects and 107 photographs of 

 objects were sent in for such opinion. 



Important changes in exhibition were made during the year. 

 Galleries I and II are now devoted to the display of works of art 

 from the Near East and India; gallery XIV now contains ancient 

 bronzes, silver, and silver gilt; gallery XVIII exhibits scroll paint- 

 ings; and gallery XIX displays pottery, porcelain, and panel 

 paintings. 



The total attendance for the year was 125,789 ; of these 1,510 came 

 to the office in connection with studies or for other special purposes. 

 Fifty-two groups were given decent service in the galleries and 

 10 classes were given instruction in the study room. 



In spite of existing difficult conditions, the gallery's expedition 

 in China under direction of C. W. Bishop carried out important 

 excavations in southwestern Shansi. The principal aim of the 

 gallery in this work is to help establish an atmosphere of greater 

 mutual regard and confidence between native and foreign scientists. 



BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



The bureau continued its diversified researches among the Indians 

 in various parts of the United States and at one locality in Canada. 

 The chief of the bureau, M. W. Stirling, visited several sites of 

 archeological interest in Florida and chose for excavation a large 

 sand burial mound on Blue Hill Island in the Ten Thousand Islands 

 group off the west coast. He then investigated several sites on the 

 island of Haiti in company with H. W. Krieger, of the National 

 Museum. Returning to Florida, work was continued in the eastern 

 part of the State, in the course of which two series of large geometric 

 earthworks were discovered on the eastern side of the Everglades. 



Dr. John R. Swanton was engaged in field work among various 

 tribes in Louisiana during the first part of the fiscal year, and later 

 devoted considerable time in Washington to the editing of Gatschet's 

 material on the Atakapa language. Dr. Truman Michelson worked 

 among the Kickapoo and Cheyenne of Oklahoma and the Fox of 

 Iowa. John P. Harrington prepared his report on the San Juan 



