74 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1893. 



The collections of oriental antiquities and religious ceremonial were 

 temporarily removed to the east ball, next to the rotunda. The work 

 of lalK^liug the speinmens on exhibition in the section of graphic arts 

 has been continued and is now nearly tinished. Additions have been 

 made to the collection, but no uew^ series have been begun. It was 

 found necessary, owing to the crowded condition of the north hall, to 

 place in teni])orary storage the entire collection of medals and coins. 

 The collection of historical objects now on exhibition includes auto 

 graph papers and i)ersonal relics of many of the Presidents of the 

 United States, and of soldiers, statesmen, and other eminent Ameri- 

 cans, as well as memorials of imi)ortant events in the history of the 

 country. A number of specimens were withdrawn from the exhibition 

 series in the section of transportation and engineering for exhibition 

 at the World's Columbian Exposition, among them the locomotive 

 "John Bull" and the valuable collection of early typewriting machines. 

 In the section of nuiteria medica some new material has been jjlact-d 

 upon exhibition during the year, and the condition of the collection is 

 very satisfactory. 



The installation in the nmmmal hall of a collection of mounted heads 

 of African antelopes, deposited by Mr. William Astor ('hauler, has 

 been commenced, and a few specimens have been j^urchased to till gaps 

 in the exhibition series. 



In the department of birds a number of new specimens have been 

 placed on exhibition. The work of mounting and labeling the collection 

 of vertebrate fossils has been carried on during the year. The i)rei)ara 

 tion of a series of restorations of extinct animals of North America is in 

 progress, a number of specimens having already been complete<l. It 

 isproposed to utilize the wall space above the cases for their exhibition. 

 The work of arranging the material in the department of mollusks has 

 been finished, and the collection now i)resents a very satisfactory 

 appearance. A large portion of the exhibit vseries was sent to the 

 World's Fair, requiring the preparation of tifty-six boxes of native and 

 exotic species, from the duplicates, to take their i)lace. A new series 

 of North American insects, comprising ISI species, was placed on exhi- 

 bition in the early part of the fiscal year. The collection of the depart- 

 ment of marine invertebrates was overhauled after the completion of 

 the I'epairs in the west hall of the Smithsonian building. Considerable 

 time has been devoted to tilling up gaps in the exhibition series in the 

 department of comparative anatomy, and the collection of manunal 

 skeletons is now nearly complete. The preparation of some new series 

 for the exhibition hall is under consideration. 



A large quantity of material was temporarily withdrawn from the 

 exhibition series in the department of minerals for the World's Colum- 

 bian Ex])osition. At the close of the exposition these specimens will 

 be restored to their old places an<l new material will be added, involv- 



