112 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1892. 



Society held in Washington in April, 1892, the following resolution was 

 adopted : 



In view of the introduction into this country of numerous collections of oriental 

 antiquities, especially from Egypt, Assyria, and Babylonia, 



Resolved f. That the Oriental Society recommends that records he obtained of such 

 objects, in Uotli public and private collections; 



Resolved II. That a committee of three be appointed by the president t<> aid in 

 securing such material. 



The assistant curator was appointed a member of this committee. 



The American Oriental Society held its annual meeting in the chapel 

 ofthe Smithsonian Institution, April 21-23. A portion of the Hodg- 

 son collection of oriental MSS., and of photographs of Assyrian ob- 

 jects and of paper impressions of Egyptian sculpture, was tempo- 

 rarily placed on exhibition in the chapel during- the meeting. 



Mr. % Frederick Stearns has offered to place his collection of Babylo- 

 nian cylinders and other oriental objects of glyptic art at the disposal 

 ofthe Museum for copy. 



The honorary curator, Prof. Paul Haupt, left for Europe in themonth 

 of May. Me will attend the Ninth International ( !ongress of Oriental- 

 ists at London as the delegate ofthe Smithsonian Institution. 



The assistant curator returned from Ids absence in the Orient in the 

 interest ofthe World's Columbian Exposition in the month of January, 

 and resumed his connection with the Museum on March 1. Much of 

 his time has been given to the formation of a collection of religious cer- 

 emonials for the exhibit of the National Museum at the Columbian 

 Exposition. 



Two very carefully made and well preserved paper molds of a piece 

 of sculpture and a cuneiform inscription from Persepolis have been 

 received, through the I >epartmentof State, from the Honorable Truxton 

 Beale, United States minister at Teheran. Casts have been made from 

 these molds and their contents will be described in a special paper. 



Mr. Beale had secured permission from the Persian Government to 

 remove some objects from Persepolis. On arriving at the spot he con- 

 cluded that nothing characteristic could be removed without grossly 

 disfiguring the ruins. He found also that Mr. Herbert Weld Bluu- 

 dell had already commenced to make copies for the British Museum, 

 but was quite willing that the National Museum should cooperate in 

 the work. These two moldings, the first made, were presented by 

 Mr. Blundell to Mr. Beale. It appears that the mold ofthe cuneiform 

 inscription is the first ever taken from Persepolis. It is to be hoped 

 that means will be found to prosecute this important archaeological 

 undertaking. 



The Museum has received on deposit from the Telfair Academy of 

 Arts and Sciences, of Savannah, Ga., a portion of the collection of 

 oriental books and manuscripts ofthe late William B. Hodgson. Mr. 

 Carl L. Brandt, director of the Telfair Academy, is entitled to hearty 



