Jan., 191 8. Annual Report of the Director. 



167 



material, including accessories and photographs suitable for back- 

 grounds, has been obtained for two, probably three, habitat groups and 

 one of an economic nature. In addition to the group material, a 

 nimiber of duplicate specimens were gathered for the serial collection. 



Installation, rearrangement, and Permanent Improvement. — All instal- 

 lation of cases in the Department of Anthropology during the year 

 was carried on systematically with strict regard to conditions in the 

 new building and in accordance with the newly adopted and approved 

 plan of arrangement in the new quarters. The principle of avoiding 

 duplication as far as possible and setting quality above quantity has 

 been applied consistently. Duplicate material is now divided into two 

 groups, designated as study and exchange collections. The study 

 collections are treated on the same basis as the public exhibits, receiving 

 the same care and attention, and will be made accessible to specialists 

 and students. Detailed lists have been prepared of all collections 

 available for exchange. A total of 55 cases has been installed, six of 

 these being four-foot cases, and nearly all of them being completely 

 labeled. The material installed in these cases is distributed over the 

 various divisions as follows: Melanesian Ethnology i case; Philippine 

 Ethnology 37 cases; American Ethnology 3 cases; Mexican Archaeology 

 5 cases; Jewelry of India i case; Japanese Sword-Guards 2 cases; and 

 Egyptian Archaeology 6 cases. The case added to the Joseph N. Field 

 Hall illustrates hunting, fishing and miscellaneous industries of New 

 Britain. As soon as the cataloguing of the collections from New Guinea, 

 now under way, is completed, the installation of this Hall will be 

 rounded out. In accordance with the new policy laid down for instal- 

 lation and following the definite assignment of space in the new building, 

 the Philippine collections were carefully overhauled so as to bring out 

 to greatest advantage the characteristic traits of the various tribes 

 without needless duplication of material. This necessitated the re- 

 organization and relabeling of a large part of the cases on exhibition. 

 However, the results are gratifying; the number of exhibition cases 

 having been reduced from 127 to 79 without any characteristic culture 

 being omitted, and without any essential features being sacrificed. 

 Many labels have been rewritten, and much new information added, 

 while the exhibits in their general appearance have been greatly im- 

 proved, and, owing to the process of condensation, have gained in clear 

 and direct representation. Various re-arrangements were further made 

 in eight cases, and labels were added to about ten others. All cases of 

 the Philippine collection were placed in new order according to the 

 geographical distribution of tribes. The duplicate material withdrawn 

 from exhibition has been divided into two groups; one for study pur- 



