REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 35 



It should be mentioned that the full-length portrait of Guizot, the French 

 statesman and writer, by G. P. A. Healy. belonging to the Government, has been 

 recalled from the Corcoran Gallery of Art. An important addition to the 

 historical-portrait series is a full-length painting of Rear-Admiral George W. 

 Melville, TL S. Navy, by Sigismond de Ivanowski. This portrait was executed 

 on the order of a number of friends of the distinguished uaval officer and pre- 

 sented through the American Society of Mechanical Engineers at their annual 

 meeting, held in Washington, in May, 1909. 



ART TEXTILES. 



The loan collection of art textiles and other objects begun in May, 1908, by 

 Mrs. James W. Pinchot, with the assistance of a number of ladies of Washing- 

 ton, has received much attention, and its importance has been greatly increased 

 by many valuable additions. The limited amount of space which could be 

 allotted to this subject in the picture gallery tended to restrict the number of 

 contributions, but as soon as the removal of the paintings to another hall has 

 been effected the entire area of the present one will become available. The col- 

 lection is now contained in 24 cases, of which 9 are devoted to laces, 7 to other 

 art fabrics, 4 to porcelains, 2 to enamels, and 2 to fans. With these are also 

 exhibited numerous examples of silverware, jewelry, and wood and ivory 

 carving. There have been 22 contributors since the last report. The assemblage 

 of lace constitutes the most noteworthy part of the collection. *being exceeded 

 in variety and value only by the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art 

 of New York and the Boston Museum of the Fine Arts. This art movement, so 

 auspiciously inaugurated and so earnestly supported, if it be sedulously fol- 

 lowed up, is certain to prove an important factor in the future history of the 

 National Museum. It was started with the definite purpose of stimulating the 

 formation of a permanent exhibit, which should be valued not only on account 

 of its attractiveness and historical interest, but more especially as furnishing 

 motives and designs which may help to elevate the standard of art workman- 

 ship in this country- Its growth has been exceptional, and it is hoped that its 

 intent will be fulfilled. 



ADDITIONS TO THE COLLECTIONS. 



The total number of accessions to the Museum during the year was 1,358, 

 comprising 254,787 specimens, distributed among the three departments, as fol- 

 lows : Anthropology, 26,400 ; biology, 216,324 ; and geology, 12,063. 



Department of Anthropology. — The most important contribution in ethnology 

 consisted of about 500 objects illustrating the handiwork and domestic arts of 

 the natives of southwestern Borneo, collected and presented by Dr. W. L. 

 Abbott, to whom the Museum was already indebted for several large gifts of a 

 similar character from the Malaysian region. Next should be mentioned a 

 valuable collection obtained by Dr. Ales Hrdlicka in the course of his investiga- 

 tions relative to tuberculosis among the Indians of the southwestern United 

 States, and many objects from the northern coast of Alaska, donated by Mr. 

 E. de K. Leffingwell, who is conducting extensive explorations in that region. 

 Ethnological material was also received from the Philippine Islands, Africa, 

 and Central and South America. 



Most noteworthy among the additions in prehistoric archeology were the 

 collections resulting from the work of Dr. J. Walter Fewkes, of the Bureau of 

 American Ethnology, in the excavations and repairs, conducted first at the 

 Casa Grande ruins in Arizona, under a special appropriation by Congress to 

 the Smithsonian Institution, and, later, at the Spruce Tree House in the Mesa 



