curtailing my influence; and second, up to this time personal 
relations had not been disturbed or greatly strained as the 
changes were made in a gradual and most cunning way, and it 
was a very unpleasant thing to have to appeal to the Trustees 
over the head of the Director who had been given absolute 
power. It happened, however, at this juncture that other 
measures and acts of the Director became so objectionable that 
a general protest was agreed upon by the several curators and 
an appeal for a change or reform was made to the Trustees. 
Such were the conditions, however, that when the day for trial 
approached, fears were entertained of a disastrous scandal, 
a scandal that might seriously affect the prospects of further 
endowment for the Museum, and we were induced to compromise. 
As a result we have secured many improvements. ‘The business 
Director has been deprived of his absolute power over the 
scientific departments, and numerous a tcueans changes have 
been made. In my own field, for example, the two objectionable 
departments have been abolished and the exhibits nearly all 
thrown back to Anthropology where they belong. Iam thus for 
the first time in a position that may be regarded as bearable. 
Considering all phases of the case, however, [I am 
ready to say that if an opening should develop for me in 
Washington, the possibility of which Mr. McGee has indicated 
in a recent letter, an opening suited for the display of my 
particular talents, I should be deeply gratified, but I beg 
