36 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



The head of the mummy, presented by Don Edward de Feiger, 

 already referred to, is perhaps the most important of the ethnological 

 series; but there are other objects of very great interest worthy of 

 note. Among them, one of special interest, is an Indian pipe of black 

 slate, carved in a very striking likeness of a loon, found in West 

 Virginia and presented by Eev. J. N. Davis. 



In the department of mineralogy and geology, the additions brought 

 in by the parties of Lieutenant Wheeler and Professor Hayden have 

 been especially rich; the donation of Chilian minerals by Professor 

 Domeyko, and of Norwegian by Dr. Hoist, will do much to increase 

 the value of this portion of the collection. 



The most important addition, however, is that of the Land-Office 

 collection of minerals, embracing many thousands of specimens, and 

 especially rich in series of ores from Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, 

 and Cabfornia. These collections will shortly be arranged with others 

 of the same character in the new mineralogical hall. 



In the department of zoology, a contribution from the Imperial Zoolog- 

 ical Museum of Vienna, of skeletons of large mammals, such as those of 

 the lion, tiger, giraffe, brown bear, &c, may be considered as chief in 

 value. The skeleton of the Brazilian tapir, from Mr. Albuquerque, is 

 also of much moment, as rendering the collection of American tapirs 

 nearly complete. We previously possessed skeletons of the tapir of 

 the Andes from Mr. Hurlbut, the Panama tapir from Captain Dow, 

 and the Guatemala tapir from Mr. Henry Hague ; the last additions 

 making skeletons of four perfectly distinct species or varieties of this 

 animal. 



The skeletons and skulls of the cetaceans of the west coast from 

 Captain Scammon, a skeleton of hyperoodon whale from Dr. Boeck, and 

 skeletons of many hundreds of birds from Henry W. E'lhot may also 

 be enumerated. 



Among mammals, the chief accessions have been that of a Bocky 

 Mountain goat, from W. J. Wheeler, since mounted and placed in the 

 collection; that of a gnu from an unknown source, and the restoration 

 in full size of the Irish elk, deposited by Mr. Waterhouse Hawkins. 



The Eoyal College of Surgeons of London has contributed a col- 

 lection of casts of the brains of mammals. 



Of birds, a valued addition is that of the rare Labrador duck from 

 the Museum of Natural History of New York; and the extensive col- 

 lections of Professor Hayden, of Lieutenant Wheeler, of Mr. Dall, and of 

 Mr. Henry Elliot embrace many important specimens. The eggs from 

 Messrs. Dall and Elliot, taken in Alaska, and those from Chili, are of 

 principal value. 



The collection of fishes has been very large, made principally by or 

 in behalf of the commission of fish and fisheries. It embraces speci- 

 mens of the ftalmonidw of the Sacramento Eiver, received from Mr 



