REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 43 



three years ago, had his attention called to the paucity of such objects 

 in the National Museum, and offered his assistance in obtaining and 

 forwarding such specimens. As the result of his promise, the Institu- 

 tion has received from him during the year a large number of these 

 articles, greatly adding to the variety of the series. Masses of native 

 copper, plowed up by Mr. Gere on his own farm, were sent to illustrate 

 the source of the material of these implements, and to show that it does 

 not necessarily follow that it must have been obtained in barter or oth- 

 erwise from the copper mines of the Lake Superior region. 



From Mr. William Brady, of Minong, in the Lake Superior region, 

 was received a barrel of hammers, used by the ancient miners in that 

 vicinity, enabling us to make a very interesting comparison between 

 these and corresponding instruments used by the Indians in working the 

 soapstone quarries already referred to. 



The collections received from Dr. Frank L. James, of Arkansas, are 

 of great beauty and variety, as also those from Professor Randle, of 

 Kentucky. 



The result of long-continued examinations of shell mounds in Florida 

 by Mr. Henry J. Biddle, of Philadelphia, is also of very great value. 



Dr. Benjamin H. Brodnax, of Louisville, in continuation of previous 

 sendings, has contributed articles of special interest ; and the collec- 

 tions made in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, by Dr. T. H. Bean and 

 Mr. Galbraith, have also added greatly to the specimens from that 

 State. 



Among the more important collections received from regions outside 

 of the United States is a number of implements, vases, &c, from Peru, 

 presented by Mr. W. W. Evans, who has been for many years a corre- 

 spondent of the Institution, and a contributor to the National Museum. 



The archaeology of Japan is represented by collections received from 

 Professor Morse, consisting of shell-heap pickings and mound diggings 

 on the Japanese coast. The fragments of pottery in this collection are 

 rude and unfinished, scarcely more advanced than those found in the 

 ancient graves and mounds of North America. They are supposed to 

 have been the production of the Ainos of the early days, who are believed 

 to have occupied, at one time, the entire country. 



An interesting contribution to European anthropology was made by 

 Professor Kollmann, who presented a series of crania of the earlier, al- 

 though scarcely prehistoric, inhabitants of Germany. 



Mammals. — While many single specimens or small collections of mam- 

 mals have been received from various parts of the country, those re- 

 ceived from Lieut. George M. Wheeler, of the Engineer Bureau, repre- 

 senting quite a variety of species, collected by Mr. Henshaw and other 

 collaborators of the survey, deserve special mention. 



A series of the seals of Arctic America, both of skins and skeletons, 

 brought back by Mr. Kumlien, supplies a very important gap in the col- 

 lections of the National Museum, exhibiting the variations of condition 



