REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 35 



American history. — The most notable memorial accession consisted 

 of a large number of relics of Admiral David G. Farragut, United 

 States Navy, including a jeweled sword presented by the Union 

 League Club of New York and a portrait of Farragut by William 

 Swain, which were received as a donation from the estate of the late 

 Loyall Farragut, only son of the Admiral. Other officers of the 

 Navy represented by contributions were Commodore Stephen De- 

 catur, Commodore John Rodgers, and Rear Admiral C. M. Chester. 

 Among the furniture secured for the collection were pieces which had 

 belonged to Presidents Washington and Jefferson, President and Mrs. 

 Madison, and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, American minister to 

 France in 1796-1798. To the large series of medals awarded Com- 

 mander Matthew Fontaine Maury in recognition of his services to 

 science, and placed in the Museum by several of his descendants, 

 was added the ribbon of the Grand Cross of the Order of Our Lady 

 of Guadaloupe, presented by Emperor Maximilian of Mexico in 1866, 

 a gift from Mrs. Mary Maury Werth. 



For the gift of the wedding dress of Harriet Lane Johnston, niece 

 of President Buchanan, for several years shown in the section of 

 historical costumes, the Museum was indebted to Miss May S. Ken- 

 nedy. Other hostesses of the White House represented by costumes 

 more or less complete, lent during the year for incorporation in the 

 central feature of the hall, were Mrs. Martha Jefferson Randolph, 

 daughter of President Jefferson; Mrs. Martha Johnson Patterson, 

 daughter of President Johnson; and Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt. 

 Among interesting relics were a silk dressing gown of Lafay*ette, an 

 eiderdown quilt used by Jefferson, a beaded bag of Mrs. James Mon- 

 roe, and a handkerchief that had belonged to Queen Anne. 



A large number of decorations, medals, and badges of the United 

 States and foreign countries, which had been assembled by the late 

 Lieut. Thomas Kelly Boggs and were presented by Mrs. Boggs, 

 formed a very gratifying addition to the numismatic collection. The 

 greater part of these tokens are foreign war decorations of very 

 timely interest, and 23 countries are represented. The philatelic col- 

 lection was augmented to the extent of 3,398 specimens, mainly re- 

 ceived through the Post Office Department, and including 1,893 ex- 

 amples of new issues of stamps from countries in the Universal Postal 

 Union. 



Biology. — Through the generosity of friends the department of 

 biology was greatly enriched by the results of field work in different 

 parts of the world, adding new genera and species and many forms 

 not previously represented in the Museum. Mr. H. C. Raven, under 

 a further grant of funds by Dr. W. L. Abbott, continued his collect- 

 ing on the island of Celebes, sending to Washington about 900 mam- 

 mal skins, besides over 1,000 specimens each of birds and mollusks. 



