KEPOKT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 63 



Mr. W. T. Horuaday, the chief taxidermist, was absent one month on 

 a collecting trip to the Pacific coast. 



Mr. Joseph Palmer devoted the entire month of June to making casts 

 for the Department of Ethnology. 



MODELING AND PAINTING. 



Mr. J. W. Hendley has accomplished much valuable work, leaking 

 painted casts of the specimens constituting the extensive and almost 

 priceless collection of Babylonian and Assyrian seals owned by Mr. 

 E. S. Williams, of TJtica, ISTew York. No more important work has en- 

 gaged Mr. Hendley's attention during his connection with the i^ational 

 Museum, and it is due him to say that notwithstanding the many 

 difficulties attending the casting and painting of agate, chalcedony, 

 onyx, graphite, and crystal seals covered with delicate inscriptions, 

 he has reproduced them all with a degree of skill and fidelity which, 

 it is believed, has never before been attained. In many instances the 

 copies were so exact in color, surface, similarity of substance and weight, 

 that even the owner of the seals several times mistook the copies for 

 the originals. Not only were the seals themselves copied, three com- 

 plete sets being made, but Mr. Hendley also made a flat impression in 

 black and white of the inscription on each of the cylindrical seals, so 

 that the characters may be studied to the best possible advantage. Of 

 these flat impressions four complete sets were made. 



Mr. Hendley has also made thirty- three casts of meteorites for the 

 Department of Minerals, to be used in exchanges. 



The more important items of work accomplished by Mr. Hendley dur- 

 ing the year may be summarized as follows : 



29 Barbylonian and Assyrian seals cast and painted, three complete sets, or 87 copies 



in all. 

 29 flat impressions of seals made in black and white, four complete sets, or 116 pieces 



in all. 

 11 casts of Arkansas iron meteorite. 

 11 casts of North Carolina stone meteorite. 

 11 casts of Mexican iron meteorite. 



Bartholdi's statue of Roman Soldier repaired and painted. 

 Busts of Professor Baird and Robert Fulton painted. 

 Statue of General McPherson repaired and painted. 

 Siamese coat of arms repaired and regilded. 

 Large Japanese plaque repaired and pieces restored. 

 Large heraldic shield repaired and regilded. 

 3 sets of casts made of the phosphorus, potassium, and sodium for the collection 

 illustrating the composition of the human body. 



1 set of casts made to represent the daily food of a man — bread, butter, potatoes, 



and beefsteak. 



2 Ute Indian lay figures made, costumed, and grouped. 



3 medals copied. 



Notwithstanding the value of Mr. Joseph Palmer's taxidermic work, 

 it has been found necessary to interrupt it from time to time in favor of 

 important work in j)laster. During the year he has put together and 

 set up the original plaster model of Crawford's statue of Washington, 



