Report of the Director for ig32 35 



In order to test its fitness as a background for ethnological specimens the 

 interior of one exhibition case in Hawaiian vestibule was painted cream buff. Be- 

 sides lending a warmer atmosphere to the environment this treatment promises' to 

 provide a fortunate setting for the majority of specimens and to render less 

 troublesome the shadows at the tops and ends of the cases. 



Among the fish models' added during the year to the large series on display 

 may be mentioned that of the brilliant moonfish, Lampris luna. The original was 

 caught in local waters in February. After being on exhibition at Aala Market for 

 several days it was brought to the Museum. Mr. Thompson's reproduction shows 

 the vivid crimson of the fins and the characteristic mottling of silver. As far as 

 can be learned, this specimen is the second caught in Hawaii, its predecessor having 

 been captured about twenty-five years ago. Another notable model is that of a true 

 swordfish, Xiphias gladius, cast from a small specimen taken by local fishermen in 

 December. 



The Victoria Buffandeau collection of Hawaiian and Tahitian ethnological 

 material described on page 27 was placed on exhibition. A representative group 

 of implements, weapons, vessels and other artifacts received from Guam was in- 

 stalled temporarily in Hawaiian Vestibule. In a nearby case the eight original 

 drawings of Hawaiian s'ubjects made by J. Webber, artist on Captain Cook's third 

 voyage (1776-80) have been on view. Two of the royal kahilis given by the Liliuo- 

 kalani Estate made an appropriate addition to the throne exhibit in the upper 

 gallery of Hawaiian Hall. 



A special effort to entertain the members of the Pan-Pacific Commercial Con- 

 ference was made on the occasion of their visit in November. During the year a 

 number of distinguished visitors have been conducted through the Exhibition 

 Halls. The use of a book in which the names of visitors were recorded was dis- 

 continued at the beginning of the year. 



ATTENDANCE 



Lahilahi Webb, Guide to Exhibits, reports the attendance of 33,303 visitors to 

 the exhibition halls during 1922 — an increase of 2,061 over 1921 and the largest in 

 the history of the Museum. Among the visitors were 5,156 school children, a very 

 satisfactory record compared with the figures for 1921 (1,625) — a result which ap- 

 pears to be due to the effort of the Museum and of the school authorities to make 

 the exhibits of greater usefulness in education. 



Distributed among the races the figures for attendance are as follows: Whites 

 (including Portuguese) 17,899 (53.7 percent) ; Japanese, 6,445 (19.3 percent) ; 

 Hawaiians, 5,567 (16.7 percent) ; Chinese, 2,644 (7.9 percent) ; others 748 (3.2 

 percent), showing for each race an increase over the corresponding figures for 

 1921 which were respectively: 16.993; 5,696; 4,847; 2,148; and 629. 



For the first time an attempt has been made to distinguish the tourist from 

 the local attendance, excluding school pupils. The numbers recorded, 6,365 and 

 21,782, are doubtless fairly approximate. 



