70 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1889. 



"Clinical study of the skull undertaken in connection with the morbid 

 conditions of the jaws and nasal chambers." 



During- the year the following-named societies have, by permission, 

 held meetings in the Museum lecture hall: 



The National Dental Association met on July 24, 25, and 2G. On the 

 evening of September 20 was held one of the meetings of the Medical 

 Congress. The American Ornithologists' Union held its sixth congress 

 on November 13, 14, and 15. Meetings of the Department of Superin- 

 tendence of the National Educational Association were held on March 

 C, 7, and 8. The National Academy of Science held its meetings on 

 April 1G, 17, and 18. The council of the American Geological Congress 

 held business meetings on April 19. The American Historical Associa- 

 tion held its fifth meeting in Washington during Christmas week ; the 

 evening sessions being held at the Columbian University, the morning 

 sessions at the Museum. 



STUDENTS. 



Free access has as usual been given to students in the various branches 

 of natural history. The Museum has also received valuable assistance 

 from the volunteered co-operation of several specialists. In several in- 

 stances special groups of objects have been studied and identified by 

 naturalists, and iu this way both they and the Museum have received 

 benefit. 



Ensign A. P. Niblack was assigned by the Secretary of the Navy to 

 duty in the Smithsonian Institution on October 3, for the purpose of 

 preparing a report on the Coast Indians of Alaska and Northern British 

 Columbia. The report was made chiefly from notes taken by Ensign 

 Niblack, iu connection with the survey of Alaska, 1885-1887. This re- 

 port was completed in time to include it as one of the special papers in 

 the Museum report for last year. 



Dr. C. Johnston, jr., of the Johns Hopkins University, has undertaken 

 the study of a Persian Astrolabe, obtained by the Museum, and at the 

 May meeting of the American Oriental Society presented a study, sug- 

 gested by this instrument, entitled " The Chaldean Astronomy. " 



Dr. C. Hart Merriam, of the Department of Agriculture, has made 

 extensive studies of the arvicoliue mice in the collection of mammals, 

 as well as of other groups of North American mammals. 



Prof. D. K. Shute, of the Medical Department of the Columbia Uni- 

 versity, was afforded facilities for study in the laboratory of the De- 

 partment of Comparative Anatomy, and free access to the study series 

 of specimens. 



A portion of the collection of batrachians was lent to Prof. E. D. 

 Cope to aid him iu completing the illustrations for his work on the Ba- 

 trachiaof North America, since published as Bulletin 34 of the National 

 Museum. 



Dr. John A. Ryder, of the University of Pennsylvania, has been en- 



