REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 2."» 



development of marine steam engineering; (8) Maps, showing bhe be 

 ginning and extension of the American railway system ; (9) Electrical 

 machine; (10) Airships, etc. In view of the progress which has been 

 made in solving - problems that have arisen in connection with electric 

 propulsion, both on land and water, during the last few years, it would 

 seem proper to begin to collect objects illustrating the early history of 

 the devices which have gradually been developed into the motors, etc., 

 now practically successful and in commercial use. 



In February space was assigned to the Section of Oriental Antiqui- 

 ties on the north side of the west hall, and Dr. Cyrus Adler, Assistant 

 Curator, has commenced the installation of specimens. 



In April a section devoted to forestry collections was organized. Dr. 

 B. E. Fernow, chief of the forestry division in the Department of Agri- 

 culture, has been appointed Honorary Curator. He has proposed the 

 following classification for the exhibition series of specimens : 



(1) Relation of forestry to other industries and conditions of life; 

 (2) Description of the objects upon which forestry is to be applied, and 

 of the raw material; (3) Methods of utilization and application; (4) 

 Methods of production and management; (5) Bibliography. A few 

 objects have already been placed on exhibition on a panel 12 feet by 14 

 feet. These are described in Dr. Fernow's report.* 



The materia medica collection is installed in the southeast range 

 of the Museum, and occupies a floor space of about 1,G00 square feet. 



The collection comprises the following exhibits : 



(1) Medicinal forms ; to illustrate the forms in which medicinal sub- 

 stances appear in commerce or are prepared for administration by the 

 pharmacist. 



(2) Officinal drugs. The crude medicinal articles, and their deriva- 

 tives, authorized by the pharmacopoeias, including non-official varieties 

 of official drugs; the whole arranged under the following heads: 



Animal Products. Vegetable Products. Organic Chemical Prod- 

 ucts. Inorganic Products. Mineral Waters and their constituents. 

 Indigenous, or Domestic Drugs. Medicines of the North American 

 Indians. Mexican Drugs. West Indian Drugs. South American 

 Drugs. East Indian Drugs. Chinese, Japanese, and Corean Medi- 

 cines. 



In the Department of Ethnology has been organized a collection of 

 charts, maps, lay figures, busts, portraits, and photographs, designed 

 to illustrate the spread of various types of mankind. Professor .Mason, 

 the Curator of this department, has also prepared an ethnographical 

 collection illustrating the arts and industries of the Koloshan, Eaidan, 

 and Tsimshian stocks of Indians, based upon the report of Ensign A. 

 P. Niblack upon the Coast Indians of Alaska, published in the Museum 

 report for 18S.S. Mr. Walter Hough, of this department, has brought 



Section n. 



