136 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. 



by locality, was con teiD plated by Dr. Eau. His report for the year 

 euding- Juue 30, 1886, contains the following paragraph: 



The collections in question, of coarse, vary much in extent; they sometimes only 

 fill a tray, but occasionally occupy several shelves of an upright case. Ultimately, 

 when anything like completeness has been reached, they will be arranged geographic- 

 ally. 



In the proposed geographic arrangement of the objects in the 

 Miiseum the entire abrogation of the arrangement according to struct- 

 ural function is not contemplated. It is intended that a series of the 

 respective objects, sufficient to show their normal peculiarities, will be 

 arranged and preserved. 



It is suggested that the great hall might to advantage be divided 

 into Active apartments by means of screens, or better, by wall cases, 

 for the display of collections from separate countries like Central and 

 South America, Mexico, etc., or of the Zuni or Moqui Pueblo, or of other 

 epochs or monuments like the mounds, the shell-heaps, the caverns, 

 etc. The Museum would be a gainer of space thereby. 



The present state of the collection is shown by the following table: 



Number of specimens in this department. 



Total brought forward from last year 101,659 



Accessions during the year ending June 30, 1888: 



Exhibition series 6, 046 



Duplicate series 926 



6,972 



Specimens sent in exchange 821 



6, 151 



Total 107,810 



Number of last entry in June, 1887 136,920 



Number of last eutry in June, 1888 139, 616 



The principal research in which I have been engaged during the 

 past year has been for the evidences of the existence of man during 

 the paleolithic period of the stone age on the continent of North Amer- 

 ica; in other words, an inquiry as to whether there had been a paleo- 

 lithic period in America or whether there were to be found evidences 

 of the existence of a civilization in America which corresponded with 

 that of the paleolithic period in Europe. The results of this inquiry 

 are given in full in a subsequent portion of this volume. (See section 

 III.) Another of equal interest, but not so extensive, has been in re- 

 lation to the ancient matting from Petit Anse, also described in a 

 separate paper. 



Much more might have been done but for the absorbing character of 

 the routine work in the department, which it may not be uninteresting 

 to describe in this connection. 



That for a single day will serve as a type. The curator and all em- 

 ployes arrive at 9 o'clock (the laborers have already aired, swept, and 



