28 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1900. 



FIELD WORK. 



The department has not been able to carry on extensiAe field work 

 during the year. The explorations of Dr. Walter Hough, made in 

 connection with an expedition conducted by Dr. J. L, Rose, of the 

 Division of Botan}^, were mentioned in the report of last year, although 

 not completed until August of the present year. The collections made 

 are of very considerable scientific value, including, as they do, many 

 plants used in the native arts, ancient and modern, besides numerous 

 specimens of native handiwork. During the year Mr. C. H. Town- 

 send returned from his voyage on the Albatross^ bringing a large col- 

 lection of ethnological specimens from the Pacific islands, and Dr. 

 W. H. Abbott, continuing his explorations in the Malay Archipelago, 

 has forwarded many objects of interest. Col. H. H. Hilder, of the 

 Bureau of American Ethnology, has visited the Philippines, collecting 

 for the Pan-American Exposition, and reports the shipment of much 

 material that will finalh^ enrich the Museum. Maj. J. W. Powell and 

 Mr. W. H. Holmes spent three months in Cuba and Jamaica, securing 

 valuable collections of relics illustrating the ancient peoples of these 

 islands. 



RESEAKCHES. 



The curators of the department have found time, aside from their 

 duties as custodians of the collections, to engage in important researches 

 based largely, as usual, on the national collections. The head curator 

 has continued his studies relating to aboriginal pottery, to the evidences 

 of auriferous gravel man in California, and to antiquities of Mexico. 

 The curator of ethnology has made progress toward completing his 

 monograph on American aboriginal zootechnj^, and has made a careful 

 study of the recently received Hudson collection of Calif ornia basketry. 

 The assistant curator of ethnolog)'^ has continued his studies in heating 

 and illumination, and has prepared a manuscript on the primitive 

 stages of illumination, covering the use of the torch and the candle. 

 He has also pointed out the connection between Mexico and the Phil- 

 ippines with relation to the introduction of plants and industries from 

 Mexico to the Philippines and from the Philippines to Mexico. 



The curator of prehistoric archaeology has made further progress in 

 his studies relating to primitive trepannation, working experimentally 

 with primitive utensils upon various specimens of human crania. He 

 has also been interested in the discovery of the truth with respect 

 to allegations that prehistoric man was ambidextrous, studying the 

 statistics furnished by our Indian schools and the rich collections of his 

 division. 



The curator of the Division of Religions has completed an illus- 

 trated catalogue of the Benguiat collection of Jewish ceremonial 

 objects. 



