188 REPORT OP NATIONAL MlTSEITM, 1891. 



ending- with the most delicate chronog^rapli. This is associated with 

 the unfolding' of all primitive engineering devices and of instruments 

 of precision. 



Mu(;h time has been spent during the year in forming a card cata- 

 logue of the ethnological series, a thing which has not been attempted 

 before. This will enable future curators of the Department of Ethnol- 

 ogy to put their hands at once upon all that is known concerning each 

 specimen. It will also give additional value to all objects sent out for 

 exchange. 



Mr. A. Zeno Shindler has comj)leted a series of type portraits of man- 

 kind, thirty-three in number. These have been prepared with great 

 care, each figure painted half the natural size, as given in To])inard's 

 tables. The color and costumes also have been carefully scrutinized by 

 tliose who are personally familar with each type. As an educational 

 series, these portraits are very instructive and give correct ideas to 

 thousands of perscms who can never hoi)e to see the originals. 



During the year my assistant, Mr. Walter Hough, has followed up 

 the publication of his pamphlet on lire-making" with an exhibition of 

 all the tyjies of this art, set up in such a manner as to show the spread 

 of each type and the method of its elaboration, from the most simple 

 process known. As a study in comi)arative technology and the geo- 

 gra])hic distribution of an art, this study is of great value. 



As an encouragement to those who have given large collections to 

 the Institution, the curator, assisted by Mr. Hough, has l)egun the 

 preparation of monographic catalogues after the manner of the Ken- 

 sington series. Preciuently those who have been among our greatest 

 benefactors are so much engaged that they have no time to prepare 

 extended accounts of these donations, so the material slips into the 

 great mass unm>ticed. The effect of such seeming neglect is prejudi- 

 cial to the best interests of the Museum, hence it is ])roposed to have 

 the cataloguing done by the foi'ce in the department, especially of such 

 material as the l^ernadou and Allen collection from Korea, the Kock- 

 hill collections from Thibet, the collections of the Navy Department 

 from Samoa, tlu^ collections of Dr. W. L Abbott from Kilima-Njaro. 



The department has had friendly connections with the British 

 Museum, the Oxtbrd Museum, the lloyal Museum at Dresden, Dart- 

 nnmth Oollege Museum, and the Cincinnati Art Museum, through ex 

 changes. A series of contimnms small exchanges is found to be pro- 

 iluctive of the best results. 



Mr. Heli (Jhatelain, who was for some years a missionary in Africa, 

 and who acted as interi)reter to the Eclipse Expedition in 18<S<), has ren- 

 dered signal service to the Museum, not only by means ot' his collec- 

 tions, but in furnishing correct and ample information concerning each 

 specimen collected and also concerning many hundreds of specimens 

 already in the Museum from Elast Africa, of which little was hith- 

 erto known. On his return to Africa in June, Mr. Chatelain was fur- 

 nished with an outfit for photogra]>hing and collecting. 



