REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 97 



The Quartermaster-General has rendered important assistance in con- 

 nection with the transportation of four living buffaloes from Eapid City, 

 South Dakota, to Washington. The thanks of the Museum are also 

 due to Lieut. Col. William B. Hughes, chief quartermaster of tho 

 Department of the Platte, at Omaha, Nebraska, for facilitating the 

 work of transportation in many ways. Through the courtesy of the 

 Quartermaster's Department several bidarkas, collected for the Na- 

 tional Museum in Alaska, were forwarded to Washington. 



Capt. C. E. Bendire has continued his work as curator of the col- 

 lection of Birds' Eggs, and the thauks of the Museum are due to him 

 for the excellent condition of the collection. 



NAVY DEPARTMENT AND THE NAVY. 



The Museum is under obligation to several officers of the IT. S. Navy 

 for the addition of valuable contributions to the collections. 



Commodore J. G. Walker, Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, sent 

 specimens of ocean bottom, taken in the North Atlantic Ocean during 

 the passage of the U. S. S. Dolphin, under thecommaud of Commander 

 F. F. Wilde, U. 8. Navy, from the Straits of Gibraltar to New York. 



From Commander C. H. Rockwell was received a specimen of Ostra- 

 cion quadricome, from Santiago de Cuba. 



Lieut. George T. Emmons presented a Haida whistle, the sound of 

 which was an imitation of the young deer, from the southern part of 

 Prince of Wales Island, Alaska; four photographs illustrating witch- 

 craft in Alaska, aud among the Hydahs and Tlingits; and a plaited 

 wallet from Washington. 



From Lieut. Charles F. Pond were received rocks, minerals, and 

 shells, from Lower California and adjacent islands ; two photographs 

 and the lower jawbone of a porpoise found on the beach at San 

 Bartolme, Lower California. 



Lieut. Frederic Singer presented to the Department of Insects a 

 termite queen, from Sinou County, Liberia. 



From Ensign W. E. Safford was received a collection of 33 ethno- 

 logical objects obtained by him in the Samoan Islands. 



Dr. C. H. White, U. S. Navy, sent a large aud valuable collec- 

 tion of alcoholic specimens of reptiles, fishes, insects, marine inver- 

 tebrates from Samoa, and a collection of butterflies. 



Malietoa, Mataafa, and other chiefs of high rank at Samoa, presented 

 to Bear- Admiral Kimberly, for the United States Government, a num- 

 ber of ethnological objects. Some of the mats sent are very handsome 

 and of great value, in many cases being heir-looms. 



Paymaster William J. Thomson has finished the preparation of an 

 elaborate paper on the ethnology of Easter Island. This is published 

 in the Beport for 1889. 



Dr. J. M. Flint is still in charge of the Section of Materia Medica, 

 and the collection is, as usual, in excellent condition. 

 H. Mis. 129, pt. 2 7 



