REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 17 



mention here that a few weeks after June 30 the building was closed 

 to the public, the exhibition cases were crowded into the least pos- 

 sible quarters, and all available space was temporarily given over to 

 the Insurance Bureau. This course was gladly taken, in order to put 

 into immediate effect the financial assistance provided by Congress 

 for the families of our soldiers and sailors. 



About 1,300 accessions to the Museum were recorded during the 

 year, aggregating nearly 143,000 specimens and objects, including 

 11,000 pertaining to the department of anthropology, 61,500 to zool- 

 ogy, 38,000 to botany, 11,300 to geology and mineralogy, and 17,900 

 to paleontology ; 168 paintings and other art objects were lent for 

 exhibition in the gallery of art. 



Among the most interesting additions of anthropological objects 

 were over 400 specimens from Celebes, East Indies, illustrating agri- 

 culture and household economy in that region collected through the 

 generosity of Dr. W. L. Abbott. A collection given by Mr. Alfred M. 

 Erskine represented implements and costumes of the Dyaks of 

 Borneo. A noteworthy addition to the division of American arche- 

 ology was a collection of 83 specimens, mostly stone implements,, 

 also relics from the cliff and cavern dwellings of New Mexico, Indian 

 relics from the Virgin Islands, and a large number of relics from, 

 Utah. By an exchange with the Royal Ontario Museum of Toronto' 

 there were acquired about 200 specimens of Babylonian tablets- and 

 prehistoric stone implements from Egypt, France, and England. 



The division of mechanical technology was enriched by the addi- 

 tion of a large number of firearms and firearm appliances. Among 

 the historical objects received were two flags pertaining to the present 

 war, one of which belonged to Zeppelin 4-9 at the time of its capture 

 in 1917; the other was the flag used at the funeral of the American 

 soldiers lost on the transport Tuscania in 1918. A most interesting 

 object is the original letter written by Gen. Grant demanding the 

 unconditional surrender of Fort Donelson. There are also large 

 numbers of souvenirs of American soldiers and statesmen, among 

 which may be mentioned a number of personal relics of Maj. Gen. 

 George B. McClellan, United States Army, consisting of swords, 

 uniforms, and other objects owned by him during the Mexican and 

 Civil Wars; also the well-known Robert Hewitt Collection of Me- 

 dallic Lincolniana made up of some 1,200 medallions, medals, tokens, 

 and badges. To the collection of musical instruments were added 

 five American pianos and one organ, seven English pianos, two Aus- 

 trian grand pianos, and a number of other instruments. To the 

 numismatic collection was added a large number of replicas of United 

 States service medals and to the collection of philatelic material, 

 3,186 stamps, 2,706 of which- were received from the Post Office De- 

 partment. In the appendix the administrative assistant enumerates 



