SECTION OF ORIENTAL ANTIQUITIES. 291 



Prof. Paul Haupt, Honorary Curator of the Sectiou, spent the sum- 

 mer of 1888 abroad, and visited the Royal Museum of Berlin, and the 

 British Museum. From the former he made a selection of casts of 

 Assyrian and Egyptian objects, illustrating the collections in the Royal 

 Museum of Berlin, the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities at Turin, Italy, 

 tbe Louvre at Paris, the Boulak Museum at Cairo, Egypt, and the 

 British Museum. Tbe National Museum is indebted to tbe officers of 

 the Royal Museum of Berlin for courtesies in its transmission, and for 

 excellent packing, whereby the entire collection arrived in good con- 

 dition. 



Two Egyptian scarabei, the gift of Miss Aline E. Solomons, Wash- 

 ington, a series of Egyptian photographs, and the Egyptian ethno- 

 graphic series prepared by Mr. W. Flinders Petrie, have also been 

 added to the collection. 



Labels have been prepared for all tbe Assyro-Babyloniau seals men- 

 tioned above, as well as for those received during tbe previous year. 

 Only a portion of these objects lias thus far been placed on exhibition. 

 The labels included a statement of the material of the original when 

 known, a history of the original, translation of the inscription, and sig- 

 nification of the representation where it could be determined. Labels 

 were also prepared for the series of Assyrian photographs from the 

 British Museum, the Bonfils photographs, and the Assyrian and Egyp- 

 tian objects from the Royal Museum of Berlin. In February space was 

 assigned tbe section in the west hall, and on March 2 the collection was 

 installed, the larger slabs on frames especially constructed for the pur- 

 pose. 



There have been no published researches on the specimens collected, 

 though the collection of casts of Assyrian and Babylonian seals lias 

 been studied with a view to future publication. It may not be im- 

 proper in this connection to call attention to the proposed edition of 

 the "Life and Writings of Edward llincks" by the Semitic Seminary 

 of the Johns Hopkins University. In July the Acting Secretary of the 

 Smithsonian Institution consented to make the Institution a depository 

 for papers and manuscripts sent to this country to further the prosecu- 

 tion of the work. Prof. F. Max M idler, of the University of Oxford, 

 under date of September L'7, forwarded manuscript letters of Dr. Ilineks 

 in his possession ; and under dare of October 29, he kindly offered to 

 permanently deposit these letters in the Smithsonian Institution.* 



The Museum secured an interesting Persian astrolabe. After a pre- 

 liminary examination it; was submitted to Dr. C. Johnson, jr., Fellow- 

 elect in Semitic languages, of the Johns Hopkins University, lieis 

 now engaged upon it. and presented a study, suggested by this instru- 

 ment, at the May meeting of the American Oriental Society, entitled, 

 •• The Chaldean Astronomy." 



*Cf. Dr. ('vrus Aill«T. Note on the proposed edition of the life and writings of 

 Edward llincks, Amer. Orient Soc, Proa, October, 1888, p. 61, 



