30 Report of the President 



Anthropology, and took up his duties on June i. Dr. Nelson's 

 particular field is American archaeology, and his excavations 

 during the summer in the Southwest yielded important results. 

 The following promotions have been made in the Scientific 

 Staff during the year: 



Department of Anthropology : 



R. H. Lowie from Assistant Curator to Associate Curator, 

 December 20, 1912. 



Charles W. Mead from Assistant to Assistant Curator, January 

 1, 1912. 



Alanson Skinner from Assistant to Assistant Curator, October 

 16, 1912. 



The following were the new appointments: 

 Department of Geology : 



Chester A. Reeds appointed Assistant Curator, August 1, 1912. 

 Department of Anthropology: 



Nels C. Nelson appointed Assistant Curator, January 1, 1912. 



I. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION 



Frederic A. Lucas, Director 



General Considerations. — The past year has been note- 

 worthy for progress in the installation of exhibits, in making 

 provision for the care of study collections and in improving 

 the general mechanical equipment of the Museum by the addi- 

 tion of new machinery and new lights in the workshops and 

 laboratories. Much has been done, but it is necessary to 

 emphasize the fact that there is a great deal more to be done. 

 The very success of the explorations of the Museum results 

 not only in securing material representing lost and vanishing 

 species of men and beasts; it becomes imperative to care for 

 the objects secured. 



The Museum now possesses one of the finest, probably the 

 finest, collection of whales in the world; half-a-dozen of these 

 huge creatures are awaiting preparation before they can be 

 shown. The Congo Expedition will bring to the Museum 

 more than 25,000 specimens, ranging in size from elephants to 



