2 2 Report of the President. 



The west hall (No. 308) on the third floor, containing the 

 South American exhibits, and the west ethnological hall (No. 

 109) on the first floor, in which are arranged the collections 

 relating to the Indian tribes of North America and to the Eskimo, 

 are in a forward state of preparation for final opening. The 

 cases in the west hall (No. 210) on the second floor are still in 

 process of construction. In this hall will be placed the collections 

 illustrating the archaeology and ethnology of the pueblo peoples 

 of the Southwest, the archaeological collections from the mounds, 

 and from prehistoric village sites and burial-places, in the central 

 and eastern United States. 



Department of Geology and Associated Departments. — 

 The Curator's report shows that a large amount of work has been 

 done in this department. 



In the geological hall a new method of installation was tried 

 in one of the cases. The general appearance of small dull- 

 colored geological specimens set in white cardboard trays with 

 white labels is not pleasing, and so experiments were begun with 

 the purpose of improving it. In the experimental case prepared 

 during the year by Dr. Hovey, the cardboard trays were dis- 

 pensed with and the specimens placed on light buff card tablets 

 with the labels of the same color. Black wooden strips served to 

 break up the shelf into agreeable areas. The card tablets were 

 made to exactly cover the shelves. It was then decided to experi- 

 ment with the French gray color in the adjoining wall and desk 

 cases. In this instance the card tablets used were of uniform 

 size with the ordinary trays, an arrangement which makes them 

 interchangeable and avoids the frequent disarrangement of a large 

 area of specimens. 



The two new desk cases of a larger pattern, constructed for the 

 alcoves. in the palseontological hall, provided room for an expan- 

 sion and better display of their contents. This treatment should 

 be adopted in all the alcoves ; the old and unsatisfactory cases 

 should be discarded. 



Much has been done in the way of labeling in other parts of the 

 collection. Besides the rearrangement of the specimens as stated, 

 2,435 new labels have been added. Much attention has been 



