REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 33 



iustalled, or for tlie purpose of making room for small, thougli in some 

 cases important, collections or individual objects recently acquired. 



The collection illustrating the religions of eastern Asia (Brahmanism, 

 Buddhism, and Shintoism) was installed and labels prepared for many 

 of the objects. The collection of Assyrian seals and other small casts 

 is now installed in four Kensington cases, and a number of objects 

 relating to the Greco-Koman religion have also been placed upon exhi- 

 bition. The casts of reliefs from Constantinople have been hung on 

 the walls of the east hall, next to the rotunda. The collections of 

 oriental antiquiti'^s and religious ceremonials now occupy two alcoves 

 in the east hall and two in the west hall of the Museum building. 



That portion of the historical collection which is on exhibition is in 

 good condition^ but there is still considerable work to be done in the 

 way of labeling the specimens. Several pieces of apparatus used by 

 Professor Henry in connection with his researches in electro-magnetism, 

 which have for many years been in the custody of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, were placed upon exhibition in the Museum during this 

 year, together with other pieces of api)aratus deposited by Miss IVIary 

 A. Henry. A special case is devoted to this apparatus. A rearrange- 

 ment of the specimens in the boat hall is contemplated. On account 

 of the limited space available for exhibition purposes, the collections 

 illustrating the various stages in the development of the sewing machine 

 and the typewriter have been placed in storage. 



The exhibition series of the department of paleontology in the south- 

 east court has been rearranged, and the court again opened to the 

 public. The former crowded condition of the room has been relieved, 

 to some extent, by the removal of a portion of the slope-top cases. 

 Thirty-two of these cases still remain, and in these is installed the col- 

 lection of invertebrate fossils. The fossil plants and vertebrates are 

 arranged in the wall cases. A few additional vertebrate fossils have 

 been placed upon exhibition during the year, and a number of large 

 casts secured to the walls or placed upon the tops of the wall cases. 

 The collection of fossil insects occupies one flat top case, and the large 

 slabs of tracks have been placed upon screens in the corners of the hall. 

 The systematic collection of rocks has been entirely rearranged and 

 the labels of the building-stone collection renewed. Over 200 photo- 

 graphs were mounted and placed upon exhibition in the department 

 of geology. Owing to lack of space, the permanent increase in the 

 exhibition series in this department has been small. Better specimens 

 are, however, being constantly substituted for less desirable ones. 

 The mineral collection is being supplied as rapidly as ])ossible with 

 individual and group labels. The cases have been numbered and an 

 "arrangement label" has been prepared and put up, showing the scheme 

 of arrangement of the collections. An educational series is in course 

 of preparation. 



The exhibition hall oC the department of mamnuils has been entirely 

 NAT MUS 95 13 



