IOO 
Field  Columbian  Museum — Reports,  Vol.  i. 
Extensive  purchases  had  previously  been  made  of  mammal  skins  and 
skulls  representing  principally  the  antelopes,  monkeys  and  the  felines. 
Purchases  were  also  made  of  small  mammals  from  California,  the 
Price  collection,  which  has  since  been  described  in  a  Museum  Memoir 
by  the  Curator  of  the  Department.  Other  countries,  including  Sibe- 
ria, Africa,  Japan  and  the  West  Indies,  have  contributed  of  their 
fauna  to  this  division,  while  the  gift  of  a  fine  giraffe  by  Ringling 
Brothers  was  a  valuable  donation.  The  collections  in  Ornithology 
have  been  increased  very  considerably  during  the  past  year,  especially 
by  the  acquisition  of  valuable  North  American  species.  Some  230 
species,  chiefly  from  the  vicinity  about  Chicago,  have  been  added  by 
the  staff  of  the  Department,  and  will  be  useful  to  the  student 
of  local  fauna.  The  study  collection  has  been  further  increased 
by  about  1,500  specimens,  representing  thoroughly  the  birds 
of  Cook  County,  Illinois,  and  also,  in  a  lesser  degree,  the  birds 
of  the  north  coast  of  Texas.  Collections  gathered  ..during  the  pre- 
vious season  are  now  in  the  hands  of  the  Curator  for  study  and  prepa- 
ration. Notable  progress  has  been  made,  particularly  in  two 
sections  of  the  Department  of  Industrial  Arts — the  textile  and  the 
ceramic.  The  ceramic  room  has  been  enriched  by  several  purchases 
of  old  china  gathered  by  the  Museum's  representative  in  the  East, 
Mr.  E.  A.  Barber,  and  illustrating  the  ware  and  art  of  the  colonial 
period.  From  the  same  source  has  come  a  set  of  Wedgewood  cameos 
and  other  art  specimens.  There  has  also  been  installed  a  loan  col- 
lection of  vases  and  ware  from  Mrs.  Schimmelpfeng,  of  Chicago. 
French  faience  plates  of  considerable  historical  value  were  donated 
by  Mr.  Hawkins,  of  New  Orleans,  and  by  Mrs.  Keeley  a  set  of  Rhoda 
and  Damascus  plates.  To  the  series  of  machines  and  looms  in  the 
section  of  textiles  has  been  added  a  fabric  glove  machine  and  an  old 
hosiery  loom.  These  were  secured  through  the  courtesy  of  Messrs. 
Marshall  Field  &  Company,  at  Chemnitz,  and  were  by  gift  from  prom- 
inent manufacturers  of  that  city.  An  interesting  collection  of  Roman 
plaid  textiles,  mounted,  was  contributed  by  Mr.  Henry  H.  Getty, 
who  obtained  them  during  his  travels  in  Italy.  Another  attractive 
gift  is  that  of  104  specimens  of  mounted  laces,  velvets  and  brocades, 
presented  by  Jesurum  &  Co.,  of  Venice.  By  purchase  has  been 
acquired  a  collection  of  500  mounted  specimens  of  similar  material, 
collected  by  Mr.  Ayer  while  abroad.  To  fill  out  this  section  speci- 
mens of  mummy  cloths  and  primitive  textiles  have  been  transferred 
from  the  Department  of  Anthropology.  Numismatics  has  grown 
steadily,  the  periods  represented  being  from  the  beginning  of  the 
Christian  era  to  a  recent  date.     A  set  of  fragments,  supposed  to  be 
