84 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. 



etlinograpliic groups and arranged around the hall. There are sections devoted to 

 Negroid Africa, Caucasian peoples in Africa and Asia, the peoples of eastern Asia, 

 including Siam, Burma, Japan, Korea, Thibet, and the Ural-alta group. 



This arrangement enables the curator to place before the x>ublic, at least in its 

 proper national and geographic connection, desultory material from all parts of the 

 world. As regards the American collection, a great change has been proposed — to 

 set apart- the northwest range for the continent of America, a special exhibit to be 

 made of the Pueblo region iu the northwest court. This plan has only been jjurtly 

 carried out. 



The curator lias made a special study during: the year of i^rimitive 

 methods of travel and transportation, and a paper by him on this sub- 

 ject is printed in the Report for 1894. 



Material in the Museum has been lent for study to Mr. Stewart Culin, 

 director of the Museum of Archiieology and Paleontology, University 

 of Pennsylvania; to Dr. W. J. Hoffman in connection with his studies 

 of the j)ictographic work of the Eskimo, and to Mr. J. D. McGuirc in 

 connection with his investigations of stoneworking among savage 

 peoples. The use of the drill has been thoroughly studied by Mr. 

 McGuire, and the results are embodied in a very interesting paper 

 published in the Report for last year. Dr. Boas has prosecuted an 

 extended study of the Indians of the Northwest Coast, and a valuable 

 paper by him upon this subject is included iu this volume. 



The curator has published seven papers during the year, including a 

 study of "North American Bows, Arrows, and Quivers" (printed in the 

 Ifeport of the Smithsonian Institution for 1893). Mr. Walter Hough, 

 assistant curator, prepared a catalogue of the ethnologica) exhibit dis- 

 l)layed by the National Museum at the Columbian Historical Exposition 

 in Madrid, and also a descriptive report upon the ancient Central and 

 South American pottery exhibited in Madrid on that occasion. 



Alluding to the special plans which he has in view, the curator makes 

 the following statement: 



The curator commenced at the end of the fiscal year to make a classified catalogue 

 of every ethnological specimen in the collection, vitb regard to its function, mate- 

 rial, and its location, for the purpose of indicating geographically the poverty of the 

 department, especially with reference to American material. For instance, all the 

 stocks of the American race, from Point Barrow to Cape Horn, are arranged alpha- 

 Itetically and in the order of their location. It is proposed to have a separate sheet or 

 column connected with these stocks as they occur, devoted to each of the great 

 typical industries, activities, or apparatus, and to indicate upon these sheets or in these 

 colunnis Avhether or not each stock has in use this method or apparatus. As soon as- 

 this chart is made out, it can be easily ascertained whether any tribe possesses this 

 or that art, and if the materials and tools connected with the art are not iu the 

 National Museum, it will indicate an intelligent line along which collections ought 

 to be made. 



The curator hopes to devote a great deal of attention to this special research dur- 

 ing the next year and to utilize the resources of the establishment, with the consent 

 and assistance of the Director, for the purpose of perfecting the series for America. 



There have been 1,270 entries made during the year in volumes 35 

 and 37 of tlie catalogue of the department. In volume 35 the entries 

 run from 16885.3 to 1<;9339, and in volume 37 from 17442G to 175221. 



The number of specimens received was 2,012. 



