REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 39 



ship presented by Lafayette to the granddaughter of Mrs. Washing- 

 ton, Martha Custis, who became Mrs. Thomas Peter; letters written 

 to Mrs. Washington on the death of her husband ; documents relat- 

 ing to the settlement of her estate ; and a number of fine examples 

 of eighteenth century china and glassware. 



It is pleasing to note that the valuable loan collection of memorials 

 of Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, United States Army, with 

 some additions, was given into the permanent keeping of the Museum 

 during the year by his son, Hon. P. Tecumseh Sherman. From the 

 widow and children of Maj. Gen. Henry W. Lawton, United States 

 Volunteers, there was acquired as a gift an extensive series of objects, 

 including a medal of honor from Congress, forming a significant 

 reminder of the distinguished career of this officer in the Civil War, 

 several Indian wars, and the Philippines. Important relics of Capt. 

 Edward Trenchard, United States Navy (1784-1824), and of his son, 

 Rear Admiral Stephen Decatur Trenchard, United States Navy, 

 including two presents awarded to the former by acts of Congress, 

 were received on deposit. There were also many other gifts and 

 loans of notable personal and period relics, and the national societies 

 of the Colonial Dames of America and the Daughters of the Ameri- 

 can Revolution made interesting additions to their already extensive 

 loan collections. 



By the death of Mr. David W. Cromwell, of New York, on Sep- 

 tember 11, 1915, the splendid collection of nearly 20,000 domestic 

 and foreign postage stamps, which he placed on permanent deposit 

 in 1908, became the absolute property of the Museum. Among other 

 additions in philately, including stamps, stamped envelopes, and post 

 cards, were 1,565 new foreign and 269 new domestic issues, received 

 from the Post Office Department. 



The collection of historical costumes was enriched to the extent of 

 562 articles, nearly all of which were loans. To the series of cos- 

 tumed figures representing hostesses of the White House four were 

 added, namely, Mrs. James Monroe, Mrs. John Quincy Adams, Mrs. 

 Abraham Lincoln, and Mrs. James R. McKee. 



Biology. — In the accessions of vertebrate animals the Asiatic 

 region was especially well represented, and many genera and species 

 new to the collection were obtained. The name of Dr. W. L. Abbott 

 remains conspicuous in this connection through three contributions. 

 The first, composed of material gathered under his direction and at 

 his expense in Celebes and Borneo by Mr. H. C. Raven, consisted of 

 465 mammals, 869 birds, and a number of reptiles and batrachians. 

 The second, presented jointly with Mr. C. B. Kloss, contained 197 

 mammals and 133 birds, besides reptiles and batrachians from Siam ; 

 while the third was a series of 183 mammals from Kashmir, British 

 India. The Celebes and Siam specimens are especially important, 



