1 8 'Report of the President. 



of many extinct animals of late tertiary times, were several imple- 

 ments made of the bones of a large deer, and a few chips of 

 chalcedony. While the discovery of these implements does not 

 prove any geological antiquity, — since they may have been 

 made from a still existing elk and have been washed into the 

 river, — yet they are of interest in connection with the consider- 

 able number of bones and teeth of extinct animals which were 

 obtained. 



The material received from the special expeditions, to which 

 reference has been made, the several exchanges and important 

 collections purchased, and the numerous gifts of friends, have re- 

 sulted in the greatest number of accessions ever received by the 

 department in a single year. Over 16,000 entries, including 

 several times that number of specimens, have been made during 

 the year in the catalogue of the Department of Anthropology. 



The past five years have exemplified what can be done in gradu- 

 ally forming in the various divisions of anthropology, collections 

 that shall be worthy of this great Museum. Already the collec- 

 tions in archaeology, ethnology and physical anthropology have 

 placed the Museum in the very front rank in anthropology, while 

 in several of its sections it is far in advance of all other museums. 

 In other sections, however, it is still far behind in presenting the 

 history of man and his works. While we should not curtail in the 

 slightest degree any of the special work which, thanks to the 

 patrons of the Museum, the department is now so successfully 

 prosecuting, we must hope and strive for the means of doing 

 similar work in other regions. Now is the time to make our 

 utmost efforts to collect in various fields. Every year is making 

 both archaeological and ethnological research more difficult, and 

 delay in the work means less results at greater cost. The archae- 

 ology and ethnology of a large portion of America is inadequately 

 or not at all represented in our collections, while our exhibits 

 from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and many of the Pacific 

 Islands are very meagre. From all these regions we should have 

 large collections, and for this work we must hope that special 

 patrons will come to the assistance of the Museum. 



