

24 EEPOET OF. THE SECRETARY. 



have received ethnological objects,, consisting principally of elaborate 

 carvings made by the Haidah Indians, a race excelling any other 

 aboriginal people on the continent in the skill and variety of the designs 

 which they engrave on bone and wood. 



Oregon is represented very satisfactorily by a series of prehistoric 

 remains obtained from shell-heaps. These are of extreme beauty of 

 finish, and constitute a highly-prized addition to the ethnological col- 

 lections of the Institution. 



California, as usual, occupies a prominent place in the record of addi- 

 tions to the museum, more particularly in the line of archaeology, 

 including prehistoric remains from the shell-heaps, some of them open- 

 ing a new page in American archaeology in the variety and complexity 

 of the objects, and in their great beauty of finish. The applications and 

 uses of many of them constitute puzzling problems in ethnology. 



.From the Pacific coast we have also received specimens of the ceta- 

 ceans, and an interesting and valuable collection of eggs. 



Arizona, Utah, and Colorado are richly illustrated by the "specimens 

 collected by the various Government exploring expeditions, in all the 

 departments of natural history and ethnology. These regions may 

 almost be considered as more fully represented in the National Museum 

 than any other portion of the continent, with the exception of Alaska. 

 A collection of eggs from Arizona challenges competition for beauty of 

 preparation and variety of species ; also ethnological objects of much 

 interest. 



From Montana, specimens of the grayling fishes have been received, 

 among which a new species has been described by Mr. Miluer, Thymallus 

 montaniensis ; a collection of birds, and a fine specimen of mule-deer. 



New Mexico is represented principally by specimens of Navajo work- 

 manship, fossil remains, and minerals in much variety. 



Dakota. — As in previous years, large collections, especially in natural 

 history, have been received from this Territory, particularly from the 

 officers of the Northern Boundary Survey. 



Central portion of the United States. — The collections from this region 

 have consisted principally of crania, stone implements, pottery, worked 

 bones, &c, from Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois. Ohio, Iowa ; minerals and 

 rocks from Tennessee ; skins of salmonidae of Lake Superior ; specimens 

 of the Michigan grayling, and of the giant suapping-turtle from Louisi- 

 ana. 



Eastern portion of the United States. — We have received specimens of 

 bone implements and other ethnologica from New York, Pennsylvania, 

 and Virginia; fresh-water and land shells and Otsego bass from New 

 York; young California salmon from the Susquehanna River; fossil 

 ferns and a specimen of the Arkansas fly-catcher from Maryland ; and 

 fishes from Virginia. 



Florida is well represented by human crania, shell-heap remains, and 

 other ethnological objects, living alligators, fishes, shells, and reptiles; 



