REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 17 



the Tonwerk Shippach exhibit of clays, metallurgy, and crucibles. 

 Much the greater bulk of material in geology and mineral technology, 

 however, came from the exhibits of at least 12 States and 84 private 

 exhibitors of the United States, by whose generosity the Museum 

 becomes possessed of a substantial nucleus for the building up of 

 its technical branch along important and useful lines. All of these 

 collections are important, and some were prepared at considerable 

 expense. 



A few small purchases were also made at St. Louis. The principal 

 one, from the Ceylon Commission, consisted of an exceedingly 

 interesting collection, quite unique in its character and completeness, 

 illustrating the important pearl fishery of Ceylon, and also the 

 fisheries for the chank and beche de mer in the same waters. The 

 products of these industries are represented by many specimens, 

 including the shells and soft parts of the oyster with a few pearls, 

 and specimens of the associated corals and starfishes, together with 

 examples of all the appliances and boats employed, either of actual 

 size or as models; the sieves, scales, and weights for sorting and 

 valuing the pearls; the drill for boring; an equipment for polishing 

 gems, etc. From the same commission there was also purchased a 

 small but very instructive collection illustrating chiefly the native 

 palm and bamboo industry of the island of Jaffna, off the northern 

 end of Ceylon. 



Mention may here be made of a notable gift to the United Slates 

 by the Government of China, consisting of a large oil portrait of the 

 Empress Dowager of China executed by Miss Katherine A. Carl, 

 which had been exhibited in the art department of the St. Louis 

 Exposition. The presentation, which took place at the White 

 House with appropriate ceremonies, was made to the President by 

 the Chinese minister resident in Washington. The painting, encased 

 in its heavy and elaborately carved frame of camphor wood, was 

 immediately transferred to the National Museum, where it is now 

 installed. 



The number of accessions received by the Museum during the year, 

 including only such from the Louisiana Purchase Exposition as 

 could be placed on record before the close of the year, was 1,692, 

 comprising approximately 245,384 specimens. Making allowances 

 for the material used in exchanges and the preparation of educational 

 sets, it is estimated that the total number of specimens now in the 

 possession of the Museum is about 6,141,990, classified as follows: 

 Anthropology, 986,964; biology, 4,409,135; geology, 745,81)1. 



The additions to the Department of Anthropology comprised 

 10,862 specimens, obtained in large part through the medium of 

 the St. Louis Exposition, as explained above, the countries mainly 

 represented from this source being Siam, the Philippine Islands, 



