REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 25 



Two field parties in which the Institution and Museum are greatly 

 interested left this country during the year for important collecting 

 regions, from both of which especially valuable results may be ex- 

 pected. The first, which will explore Java and some of the adjacent 

 islands, is being conducted by Mr. Owen Bryant, of Cohasset, Mass., 

 entirely at his own expense. He is accompanied by Mr. William 

 Palmer, of the Museum staff, and will present to the Museum a 

 large share of the specimens obtained. The party sailed at the be- 

 ginning of the calendar year 1909. The second expedition is that 

 under the direction of Col. Theodore Koosevelt into British East 

 Africa and more inlands districts. This expedition is more fully 

 mentioned on another page. 



In the near future it will be possible to give the national collections 

 adequate space and more systematic arrangement. In the new build- 

 ing it is proposed to exhibit collections representing ethnology, 

 archeology, natural history, and geology, while the older buildings 

 will be more specially given up to the arts and industries. The 

 Museum thus amply provided with space will enter upon a new era 

 of prosperity and usefulness. 



NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART. 



Some notable accessions have been made to the National Gallery of 

 Art as enumerated in the appendix. I may specially mention addi- 

 tions to the Charles L. Freer collection, consisting of a number of 

 oil paintings, pastels, 247 pieces of oriental pottery, and 25 miscella- 

 neous examples of oriental art. Mr. William T. Evans has also in- 

 creased his generous gift of works of contemporary American artists 

 so that it now numbers 84 oil paintings, representing 58 artists. This 

 collection, which had been exhibited for some months at the Corcoran 

 Gallery of Art, was transferred to the Museum building during the 

 first week of July, 1909. 



Congress having failed to authorize the adaptation of the large hall 

 of the Smithsonian building for the exhibition of the rapidly in- 

 creasing collection of works of art, it has become necessary to make 

 temporary use of one of the halls in the new Museum building and its 

 adaptation to that purpose will soon begin. 



BUEEAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY. 



The Bureau of American Ethnology during the year has been 

 engaged mainly in making summaries of the information resulting 

 from many years of study, both in the field and office, of the lan- 

 guages, social organization and government, systems of belief, reli- 

 gious customs, and arts and industries of the Indians, as well as their 

 physical and mental characteristics. 



