Oct.  1896. 
Annual  Report  of  the  Director. 
and  easy  method  of  communication  between  the  different  divisions 
and  offices  of  the  Museum.  It  has  been  found  of  the  greatest  utility 
and  economy.  The  Columbus  caravels  have  been  removed  from  the 
South  Chicago  Ship  Yards  to  the  Main  Basin  in  Jackson  Park,  and 
secured  to  place  and  made  ready  for  the  rough  weather  of  the  winter. 
The  Viking  Ship  was  about  to  be  removed  to  the  Basin,  but  by  order 
of  the  Executive  Committee,  the  plan  was  changed  and  the  ship  was 
housed  at  the  East  of  the  Museum,  as  was  the  case  the  year  before. 
Several  improvements  have  been  made  in  the  printing  office,  in  the 
photographic  section,  and  in  the  poisoning  division;  new  fixtures, 
furniture,  appliances  and  accessories  provided  in  each  case,  and  the 
scope  for  work  improved  as  the  demands  for  its  performance  increased. 
The  printing  office  now  prints  the  mailing  list,  and  all  addresses  on 
publications  are  attached  by  a  mailing  machine.  The  poisoning 
force  is  doing  effective  work  in  all  departments  of  the  Museum  where 
such  services  are  required,  and  has  been  attached  during  the  past 
year  to  the  Superintendent's  jurisdiction.  The  presence  of  moths, 
wood  worms  and  dermestes  in  all  parts  of  the  Museum  has  necessi- 
tated the  greatest  watchfulness  and  activity.  The  pests  are  now 
under  control,  although  the  work  is  continued  everywhere  unremit- 
tingly. A  careful  study  of  poisons,  and  advice,  by  correspondence, 
from  other  institutions,  has  added  much  valuable  information  as  to 
the  best  methods  to  pursue  and  the  most  effective  poisons  to  employ, 
so  that  this  very  important  division  of  the  Museum  now  feels  fully 
equipped  to  meet  these  most  dangerous  enemies  of  all  Museums. 
The  work  of  permanent  installation  in  the  Department  of 
Anthropology  has  been  advanced  in  many  directions,  and  more 
artisan  labor  has  been  performed,  and  more  facilities  for  permanent 
installation  provided,  for  this  Department  than  any  other,  unless  it 
may  be  the  department  of  Zoology.  Re-adjustment  and  repairs  to 
old  cases  and  the  addition  of  new  ebony  cases,  many  textile  frames 
and  numberless  ebony  bases,  has  vastly  improved  the  appearance  of 
the  Department,  while  the  re-arrangement  of  collections  and  the  trans- 
fer of  material  to  obtain  more  suitable  geographic  and  other  significant 
relationships  has  very  much  improved  the  appearance  of  the  entire  De- 
partment. The  North  Court  and  the  East  Court  have  been  entirely 
reinstalled.  The  large  and  undesirable  objects  in  these  two  courts  have 
been  either  returned  to  the  donors,  donated  to  other  institutions,  or 
stored  for  future  disposition,  and  the  two  courts  are  now  devoted 
almost  exclusively  to  Archeology,  the  East  Court  to  America,  and  the 
North  Court  to  Europe.  Halls  10,  ii,  15  and  16  have  been  much 
improved  in  appearance  by  segregation,  modification  and  the  applica- 
