REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF AMERICAN PREHISTORIC POTTERY 

 IN THE U. S, NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1890. 



By William H. Holmes, Honorary Curator. 



During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1890, little work has been doue 

 in the Department of Aboriginal Pottery. The installation of the ex- 

 hibition series is practically completed and all that remains to be done 

 is in the direction of more thorough labeling of individual specimens. 



Accessions have not been as numerous as in preceding years, yet 

 much of value has been acquired. 



The more important accessions of the year include a series of frag- 

 mentary ware from Bear Point, Perdido Bay, Alabama, contributed by 

 Mrs. A. T. Mosmau and A. B. Simons, and supplementary to the col- 

 lections of F. H. Parsons acquired last year; and a remarkable group 

 of vases obtained from a mound on the Savannah River, Richmond 

 County, Georgia, by H. L. Reynolds. These, and some other contribu- 

 tions mentioned in the accompanying list, were acquired through the 

 agency of the Bureau of Ethnology. 



The routine work of the department has consisted chiefly in labeling 

 and entering upon the books such new material as has been acquired. 

 A number of sets of specimens have been selected for exchange. 



Such researches as have beeu conducted by the curator, relate 

 mainly to collections from the mounds of the Mississippi Valley and 

 adjacent regions. The work undertaken is to form a part of the mon- 

 ographic work of Dr. Cyrus Thomas upon the Mound Builders. 



The last catalogue number in June 1889, is 135131; in June 1890, 

 135363. 



The curator has published three papers during the year. These are 

 noticed in the Bibliography. 



ACCESSIONS FOR THE TEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1890. 



Oshkosh, Wisconsin. — Joseph P. James (No. 135133), pottery fragments. 



Clark County, Illinois. — H. G. Hodge (No. 135142), pottery fragments from mound 



near York. 



Upshur County, West Virginia.— ~L.V. McWhorter (No. 135143), pottery fragments. 



Potomac Creek, Virginia. — W. H. Phillips (No. 135144), pottery fragments. 



Two Lick. Creek, Harrison County, West Virginia.— W. H. Holmes (No. 135152), pottery 



fragments. 



135 



