48 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1886. 



the Museum Building and completely repaired, aud numerous skeletons 

 transferred from pedestals of various patterns to others of the now 

 adopted standards. The rapid accession of material has necessitated 

 numerous rearrangements of both the study aud exhibition series, re- 

 quiring the expenditure of much time and labor. This and the prelimi- 

 nary work of rendering the collection of bird skeletons accessible for 

 study have consumed a great portion of the osteologist's time. 



The specimens in the department of comparative anatomy have long 

 been in confusion, and it has taken several weeks to arrange them tem- 

 porarily. Before the close of another year it is hoped that the work of 

 installation, if not completed, will be well advanced. Since the speci- 

 mens added to the exhibition series are dwelt upon at some length in 

 the report of the curator of comparative anatomy, it will be necessary in 

 this connection only to acknowledge the valuable services of the assist- 

 ant preparatory Mr. J. W. Scollick. The skeleton of Python in particu- 

 lar bears witness to his skill and patience. 



The osteologists now have in use three tanks, thirty -five barrels, and 

 six kegs, containing seventy-one skeletons and thirty-one skulls, a con- 

 siderable number of skeletons being ready for maceration, but not placed 

 in barrels owing to the impossibility of cleaning them during the pres- 

 ent year. Two years ago the yard and shed, devoted to the cleaning of 

 skeletons, were enlarged to three times their previous capacity, but now 

 the working space has become greatly cramped and still further enlarge- 

 ment is extremely desirable. 



(O) MODELERS. 



Mr. J. W. Hendley has been occupied in modeling and painting a 

 large number of food specimens, and has repaired several lay figures. 

 He has also made casts of numerous archaeological and ethnological im- 

 plements for the departments of prehistoric anthropology and ethnology. 



Mr. Joseph Palmer has made casts of fishes and reptiles, and of several 



Indian heads and busts. He has also thoroughly cleaned and repaired 



the casts of seals, porpoises, and reptiles returned from the New Orleans 



Exposition. 



(d) Photographer. 



Mr. T. W. Smillie rej>orts that during the year G17 negatives have 

 been added to the permanent files, the greater portion of which were 

 distributed as follows : 



Ethnological and archaeological, 359 ; lithological, 1 ; mineralogical, 

 74; ornithological, 3; metallurgical, 20; miscellaneous, 160. 



Three thousand two hundred and nineteen prints were made, as follows: 

 Ethnological and archaeological, 1,317 ; mineralogical, 87 ; lithological, 

 1 : ornithological, 3 ; metallurgical, 58 ; fishing vessels, etc., 232 ; mis- 

 cellaneous, 1,521. 



In addition, 770 blue prints and enlargements were made, as follows : 

 Cyanotypes (plans of working drawings of Museum cases, etc.), 704 j 

 enlargements (medium size), 65 ; enlargements (4 feet by 7 feet), 1. 



