22 KEPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



the Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta, commencing 

 September 18 and closing December 31, 1895. With this in view it 

 became necessary for many of the curators to devote a large share of 

 the year to the preparation of suitable exhibits. A description of these 

 will accompany the report of the Assistant Secretary for 1896. 



Large and important accessions have been received, as usual, from 

 the United States Geological Survey, the Department of Agriculture, 

 the Bureau of Ethnology, and the U. S. Fish Commission. 



It is gratifying to note that Dr. William L. Abbott and Mr. William 

 Astor Chanler and Lieut, von Hohnel have continued to contribute 

 valuable collections of ethnological and natural history objects, obtained 

 in connection with their respective explorations in Africa and India. 

 The Museum still enjoys the cooperation of several officials of the Geo- 

 logical Survey, the Department of Agriculture, and the Fish Commis- 

 sion as honorary curators of collections. 



About 127,000 specimens have been added to the collections during 

 the year. In view of the fact that no special effort has been made to 

 acquire material, this large addition would be very gratifying if the 

 conditions were such that it were possible to administer it properly. 



In the Appendix accompanying this report some of the most impor- 

 tant operations of the Museum during the year are briefly referred to. 

 The report of the Assistant Secretary in charge of the National Museum, 

 constituting the second volume of the Smithsonian Eeport, discusses 

 fully the work of the Museum during the year. 



BUBEAU OF AMEBIC AN ETHNOLOGY. 



The researches upon the ethnology of the American Indians have 

 been carried forward, as heretofore, under the direction of Maj. J. W. 

 Powell. As in previous years, a certain amount of field exploration 

 has been carried on. Especially interesting have been the results of the 

 expedition in the arid region in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, known 

 as Papagueria, lying south of the Gila Biver, west of the Sierra Madre. 

 The region first visited was that occupied by the Papago Indians; nearly 

 all of their villages and rancherias were examined and a number of pre- 

 historic ruins were discovered, among them those of villages with 

 extensive irrigation works. Subsequently was visited the domain of 

 the Seri Indians, occupying Tiburon Island in the Gulf of California, 

 and a considerable region of the adjacent mainland in western Sonora. 



The Papago Indians are peaceful and represent the higher grade of 

 aboriginal intelligence among the inhabitants of Mexico and Central 

 America ; the Seris are savage and primitive in their habits, being prob- 

 ably the least advanced of the North American tribes still remaining. 

 The archaeological results of the collections obtained are of special 

 interest, since the region is very peculiar and but partially known. 



The surveys in the Canyon de Chelly, referred to in previous reports, 

 were completed during the year, and an account of the work will soon 



