MUSEUM NEWS NOTES sf 
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MUSEUM NEWS NOTES. 
| Tar Museum is now open free to the public on every day of the 
week. This important change in the policy of the institution has been 
made by President Jesup in order to extend its usefulness as widely as 
possible, it being felt that the reservation of two days in the week, as 
heretofore, for Members and students was depriving thousands of people 
of the privilege of seeing the collections, without compensating advan- 
tages to Members, while students are now amply provided for at all 
times in other ways. 
Proressor H. F. Osporn returned March 31 from his trip to Egypt 
to organize the work which the Museum is carrying on there in the 
search for the remains of the ancestors of the Elephant and other mam- 
mals. Messrs. Granger and Olsen have remained in the desert of 
Fayoum to prosecute the excavations. Professor Osborn reports ex- 
cellent initial success and bright prospects. 
- Miss Aver M. Frevpe has presented to the Department of Eth- 
nology a series of twenty-seven Chinese paintings representing various 
mythical and real scenes from Chinese life. These paintings were 
made by a native artist in 1888 at the suggestion of Miss Fielde and 
were used by her as illustrations in her books, ‘‘ Chinese Night’s Enter- 
tainments ” and “‘Corners of Cathay.” 
THE Department of Ethnology has recently received from Mr. 
Edward J. Knapp a series of wooden masks from the Eskimo of Point 
Hope, Alaska. Among them are several interesting portraits, done 
with remarkable skill, and several ceremonial masks with markings 
representing the flukes of the whale. 
Drrecror H. C. Bumpus represented the Museum at the ceremonies 
connected with the dedication of the new buildings of the Carnegie 
Institute, in Pittsburgh, April 11-15. 
Dr. ALLEN represented the Museum at ‘the spring meeting of the 
National Academy of Sciences in Washington April 16 to 18. 
