REPORT ON THE SECTIONS OF FOODS AND TEXTILES 

 IN THE U, S, NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1890. 



By Eomyn Hitchcock, Curator. 



At the beginning of the year a large collection of material of the most 

 varied character was piled up in the utmost confusion on the east bal- 

 cony, just as it had come from storage in the Armory building. The 

 entire month of July was occupied in examining these specimens. 

 Much of the material was condemned by a committee appointed for 

 the purpose. Some of it was prepared for exhibition, but the greater 

 part was placed in table cases. Four boxes, containing more than 250 

 specimens, were packed and sent to Sibley College, Cornell University. 

 Oiher duplicate specimens were also packed and held for future ex- 

 changes. The material in the tab T e cases has since been carefully 

 examined, nearly every specimen having passed through my hands, and 

 classified. By far the greater part of it has been mounted in bottles or 

 boxes, so that it can be immediately placed on exhibition when space 

 and cases are available. In addition to this there have been index- 

 slips prepared, which show at a glance the location of each specimen, 

 whether in the reserve, study, or duplicate series. There has also been 

 prepared a list of all specimens on exhibition. 



The collection of foods of the North American Indians is now perma- 

 nently labeled. The textiles collection is fairly well labeled, and it is 

 expected that in a short time all the specimens will have printed labels. 

 The plan has been followed for some time back, of preparing labels for 

 the printer for each new specimen mounted and exhibited. The entire 

 exhibit of gums and resins recently installed will soon be labeled. 



Many labels have been written for specimens which are not in my 

 custody. The entire collection from the Ainos has thus been labeled, 

 as well as some of the Japanese articles collected by me. 



Mr. Luscombe has made for the Museum, from my own photographs 

 and measurements, a model of one of the pit-dwellings or earth-houses, 

 occupied by the Kurile Islanders now settled on the island of Shikotan, 

 Japan. He has also made a model of an Aino house and its surround- 

 ings, including a bear-cage, sacred-hedge, and store-house. This is an 

 excellent and faithful representation of a Yezo house. 



Mr. Mills has made a most admirable lay figure of an Aino, from one 



of my photographs. 



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