REPORT OF ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 63 



mens is still in progress. About (500 duplicate specimens were picked 

 out, identified, and labeled. The card catalogue of the exhibition 

 series was nearly completed during the year. The regular work of the 

 department has been interrupted by the necessary preparations 

 involved in building the new galleries, and also to some extent by the 

 preparations for the Nashville Exposition. 



A large amount of time has been given to the work of determining 

 and classifying the collections, although some attention has been given 

 to the systematic study of rock weathering. Five papers based u])ou 

 Museum material have been published by the curator during the year, 

 the titles of Avhicli appear in the Bibliography (Appendix lY). 



Under the head of explorations, Doctor Merrill mentions a small 

 collection of ores obtained in Mexico by Mr. Edward Palmer, of the 

 Department of Agriculture, and the material turned over to the 

 Museum by the F. S. Geological Survey, already referred to. 



A number of specimens and thin sections were lent to specialists for 

 examination during the year, and Mr. Thomas Means, of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, and Dr. E. C. E. Lord were occu[)ied for a time 

 in making investigations in the laboratory of the dei)artment. 



The curator makes the following remarks relative to the further 

 development of the exhibition series: 



It is doubtful if, so far as relates to this clepartmeut as at present organized, the 

 actual amount of exhibition material should be greatly increased. The additional 

 space provided by the galleries will not be more than sufficient for a satisfactory 

 display of exhibits at present installed, and it is believed that better results may 

 be obtained by carefully -working up and rounding out existing exhibits than by 

 installing new ones. The opening of the balconies will necessitate an almost entire 

 rearrangement of the materials in the southwest court. It is intended to remove 

 what is known as the systematic series of economic products to this balcony, and 

 install the building stone exhibit in the wall-cases now occupied by the geographic 

 series. This will relieve the overcrowded tloor space and render the systematic 

 series more accessible and vastly more attractive. 



There were 394 entries in the catalogue during the year, the number 

 of specimens received having been 2,G5G, besides 1,145 microscopic 

 slides. The number of si)ecimeus in the different series is shown in 

 the following statement : 



Exhibition series 23, (325 



Study series 29, 908 



Microscopic slides 6, 000 



Duplicates 16,072 



Total 76,205 



DEPARTMENT OF ETHNOLOaY. 



The main dependence of this department for the acquisition of mate- 

 rial is divided between the Bureau of Ethnology, the consular service, 

 and the Department of Agriculture. Few military exj^editions are now 

 sent to the West, and there are no sources of supply other than thosejust 



