Report of the President. 19 



pleted by the Curator and his staff, the most important being 

 upon the fossil horses and titanotheres. 



Department of Ethnology. — The department has re- 

 ceived accessions principally through a number of expeditions 

 sent out by the Museum. The following deserve special men- 

 tion : 



From North America, a Nootka collection obtained by Mr. 

 George Hunt. The most remarkable part of this collection is 

 a whaler's ceremonial house, which was found on a pond in 

 the interior of Vancouver Island, and in which generations of 

 whalers purified themselves, the house being used at the same 

 time as a depository for the skulls of the whalers. — A Black- 

 foot collection obtained by Dr. Clark Wissler. Dr. Wissler 

 paid special attention to a study of the ceremonials of the 

 Blackfeet, and his collection illustrates in some detail the re- 

 ligious ceremonials of this tribe. — A collection from the in- 

 terior of the State of Washington, by Mr. James Teit. This 

 collection was made in continuance of work done in former 

 years in British Columbia, and represents the culture of the 

 Salish tribes near the boundary of the United States. — A col- 

 lection from the Uchee, made by Mr. F. G. Speck. — A series 

 of casts and negatives of natives of various countries, col- 

 lected by Mr. Caspar Mayer during the World's Fair at St. 

 Louis. Mr. Mayer's work was done in cooperation with the 

 Field Columbian Museum. 



During the past year Dr. Berthold Laufer closed his field- 

 work in China. His expedition, which was provided for by 

 Mr. Jacob H. Schiff, occupied three years, and all the col- 

 lections made have been received. They cover the various 

 aspects of the social and industrial life of China, and give a 

 comprehensive view of Chinese culture. The collection has 

 been installed in the Southwest Gallery, and has been ar- 

 ranged so as to illustrate the industrial and domestic life of 

 the Chinese, their amusements, their religion and their arts. 

 Special stress has been laid upon the demonstration of the 

 historical development of various forms of Eastern life. 



