44 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1886. 



with the Museum cipher aud numbered. Supplies are issued upou 

 requisitions approved by the Assistant Secretary, which are filed with 

 the property clerk, and the articles in each case are charged up to the 

 department to which they have been assigned. 



Another change that has been made during the year has been the 

 appointment of a committee of experts to examine all cases, articles of 

 furniture, etc., to see that the contractor has performed his part of the 

 contract, and that the articles are up to Museum standard, and therefore 

 in proper shape for acceptance. A second committee inspects lumber, 

 in order to see that it is of the kind ordered, of the proper dimensions, 

 and is satisfactory for the purposes for which intended. A third com- 

 mittee examines the unserviceable property of the Museum, and reports 

 what action in their judgment is desirable. These committees have per- 

 formed their duties faithfully and with very satisfactory results, reliev- 

 ing this office at the same time of much detail and labor. 



(«) Correspondence and Reports. 



The Museum correspondence, which is under the charge of the exec- 

 utive clerk, Mr. R. I. Geare, has very largely increased during the year. 

 There have been written for the signatures of the Secretary aud Assis- 

 tant Secretary 1,1G9 letters and 1,001 acknowledgments of accessions, 

 and 209 reports upon specimens sent for examination have also been 

 prepared. 



(/) Preparation of Labels. 



Five thousand eight hundred and sixty forms of labels have been 

 printed at the Government Printing Office, as shown in the following 

 table : 



Department. No. of forms. 



Metallurgical 1,111 



Materia medica 1. 407 



Birds 940 



Shells 264 



Fishes „ 503 



Building stones 1 ,'205 



Several hundred lables have also been printed iu the Museum. 



3. THE WORK OF THE MUSEUM PREPARATORS. 

 (a) Taxidermists. 



The work of the year was opened by a journey of the chief taxidermist 

 to Keene, K H., in company with Mr. F. A. Lucas, the osteologist, to 

 receive a full-grown Indian elephant, named " Albert," which was shot 

 by order of Hon. P. T. Barnum at that town on July 20, and presented 

 to the National Museum. The preparators reached the elephant about 

 thirty-four hours after its death, and. with the aid of four butchers, 

 the animal was quickly dissected. In two days the skin was removed 



Department. 

 Ethnological 



No. of forms. 

 122 



Mammals . .• 



34 



Textiles 



274 



