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A large portion of the collections exhibited in the Department 
of Anthropology was made for the Department of Ethnology of 
the World’s Columbian Exposition, the Chief of which endeavored 
to bring together a series of collections illustrating all the salient 
features of American primitive culture in prehistoric times, as well 
as m modern times. The following regions were selected as fieldb 
of exploration: Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Costa Rica, 
Yucatan, California, the North Pacific Coast, the Northwest Terri- 
tories of Canada, Northern Alaska, Greenland, Delaware and Ohio. 
For this reason the collections from these countries are the fullest 
and most systematical among the collections in the Anthropolog- 
ical Department of the Museum. There was inaugurated a 
special investigation on the physical characteristics of the American 
race, the results of which form a part of the collections of the 
Museum. 
The primitive culture of the Indian has disappeared rapidly 
-uriiig the last decade, so that at this date full collections can be 
made with difficulty only. The great collection of Mr. Ed. E. Ayer 
fills this gap most happily, and occupies a place in the Museum 
which it would be extremely difficult to supply. 
The American collections enumerated above are supplemented 
by the large and valuable collection of Emilio Montes, from Peru; 
the collection exhibited by the United States of Colombia in the 
Colombia Building of the World’s Columbian Exposition; the 
Hassler collection, from Paraguay; the Bruce collection, from 
Alaska; the results of the explorations conducted by the Peabody 
Museum in Honduras from 1891 to 1893; the Charnay collection 
of casts from Central America; the Berlin and Guatemala col- 
lections of reliefs. 
Among the larger collections from foreign countries must be 
mentioned the Finsch collection, from New Guinea; the Peace col- 
lection, from New Caledonia; the Remenyi collection, from South 
Africa; and the Schahovskoy collection, from Siberia. 
The Anthropological Department occupies the South Court, 
the Southeast wing of the building, the alcoves of the East Court, 
the Southern series of Halls of the Northeast wing, and the East 
and South Galleries of the East Court. 
The South Court is devoted to large objects, mainly reproduc- 
tions of Central American antiquities, and a series of the Totem 
Poles from the North Pacific Coast. 
