REPORT OF ASSISTANT .SECRETARY. 93 



From Mr. II. W. Henshaw was received a valuable set of mounted 

 herbarium plants, representing the fauna Quercus, Aster and Solidago 

 from the District of Columbia, and a collection of fishes, reptiles, and 

 batrachians from Virginia and the District of Columbia. 



Mr. W. H. Holmes transmitted 3 rude implements made from novae 

 ulite, obtained from an ancient Indian quarry in Indian Territory. 



From Mr. Cosmos Mindeleff was received a specimen of calcite pseu- 

 domorph after glauberite from Rio Verde, Arizona. 



Mr. dames Mooney transmitted ethnological objects obtained from 

 the Piute Indians. 



Mrs. M. E. Stevenson presented U fetiches (bear) from New Mexico, 

 and deposited I feather-plumes and a stone object obtained from the 

 Zuni Indians. 



I .— K X P L( >R AT IONS. 



The collections of the Museum have been very materially increased 

 during the year through the cooperation of various collectors, com- 

 missioned by the Smithsonian Institution or the Museum, as well as 

 through the interest and courtesy of friends of the Museum who have 

 voluntarily offered their services in procuring material for the Museum. 

 The collections which have resulted from the assistance of these per- 

 sons are here referred to. 



Dr. W. L. Abbott, whose contributions to the Museum have for many 

 years been so generous and acceptable, has added a very interesting 

 and valuable collection chiefly from Kashmir and Baltistan, comprising 

 ethnological objects, birds' skins, mammal skins and skulls, and includ- 

 ing specimens of the Himalayan ibex and Vigne's sheep. 



From the Department of Agriculture, through Prof. C. V.Riley, 

 entomologist, were received .'>.47.'» specimens, representing <>.'>«> species 

 of insects, collected by Mr. A. Koebele, during his connection with the 

 Death Valley expedition in March and April of 1889. These specimens 

 were transferred from the Department of Agriculture to the National 

 Museum. 



The Museum has also been the recipient of land and fresh-water 

 shells from the same locality, obtained during the same expedition. 



Mr. James E. Benedict, of the National Museum, was engaged in 

 an exploring trip in the vicinity of Point Lookout for the purpose of 

 obtaining marine invertebrates for the Museum. He was successful 

 in his undertaking and added several very interesting specimens to 

 the collection. 



Mr. R. M. Bartleman, of the United States legation, Caracas, Vene- 

 zuela, expressed his willingness to obtain views for the National Museum. 

 and he was accordingly furnished with a photographic out lit for that 

 purpose. An interesting series of photographs, representing native 



