kind in the world. The gift came from Mr. Hugo Worch, of Washington, D. C., a student of the history of the pianoforte in America, who has been assembling a collection of these instruments, which he offered to the Museum in order to provide for their permanent preservation. While accommodations for the entire series may not be found, 70 instruments have already been delivered, the selection following lines to best illustrate the progress and development in piano making down to about 1850. Too much praise can not be accorded Mr. Worch for this splendid donation, which now includes 24 examples of European make and 46 of American make. With few exceptions, the latter are the product of manufacturers in Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, and Boston, and represent, among others, the names of Taws, Albrecht, Harper, Geib, Kearsing, Loud, Hisky, Osborne, Nunns, Goodrich, Stewart, Chickering, Meyer, Babcock, and Wise. The earliest of the American pianos is of date about 1790 and of the European about 1770. While in most cases the examples are no longer in playing shape, the mechanism is preserved, and some remain in excellent condition.

In the section of ceramics the more noteworthy additions consisted of two loans, one including an old porcelain rice bowl and a tea set of cloisonné on porcelain from Miss Julia H. Chadwick, the other being a collection of Chinese and Japanese porcelains from Miss Eliza R. Scidmore. The division of graphic arts received a large number of specimens mainly required for filling gaps in the collections, among the more important being illustrations of a process for color printing from photographs and of the rapid rotary intaglio process, besides many examples of lithographs, collotypes, and other prints.

The additions to the memorial collection of American history were numerous and of great variety, the most important being loans, in which were included a water-color portrait of Washington by James Peale; articles of military equipment carried by Capt. William Walton during the War of the Revolution; a silver tea service of five pieces once the property of Laura Wolcott, daughter of Oliver Wolcott, a signer of the Declaration of Independence; a pair of gold and jeweled earrings formerly belonging to Mrs. Rebecca Madison, niece of President Madison; and three gold medals and one of bronze added to the collection of Rear Admiral Robert E. Peary, United States Navy. There was also a large contribution of silver and bronze coins of the nineteenth century, issues of the United States and several foreign countries; and the collection of postage stamps, envelopes, and post cards was very materially increased.

The exhibition of historical costumes was greatly increased both by gift and loan, most noteworthy being appropriate costumes for representing four additional presidential administrations at the White

House. The earliest of these belonged to Betty Taylor, daughter of President Zachary Taylor, 1849-1850. The next, a lavender silk dress, was worn at the White House by Mrs. Fillmore, wife of President Millard Fillmore, 1850-1853. The third, a black moiré, was worn by Mrs. Pierce on the occasion of the inauguration of her husband, Franklin Pierce, March 4, 1853. The last, a pale-green brocade, was used by Mrs. Cleveland during the first administration of President Cleveland, 1885-1889.

In the section of art textiles the acquisitions, all loans, comprised over 100 pieces of lace, besides embroideries, brocades, velvets, tapestries, etc. Six tapestries of great beauty and value were also lent for a short period by Messrs. P. W. French & Co., of New York. The room containing this collection was entirely renovated and repainted, the materials were also for the most part rearranged, and where necessary new and more effective backgrounds were substituted.

As during many successive years, the Museum was indebted to Dr. W. L. Abbott for large collections of the higher animals, one made at his expense in Dutch East Borneo by Mr. H. C. Raven, the other, composed entirely of mammals, obtained by himself in Kashmir. Of no less importance was a collection from the northwest coast of Cuba, secured during an expedition by Mr. John B. Henderson, comprising at least 10,000 mollusks and other invertebrates, nearly 3,000 fishes, and many reptiles and batrachians. The Bureau of Fisheries made extensive deposits of marine invertebrates and fishes; and Mr. Arthur de C. Sowerby continued to transmit valuable series of vertebrates and insects from little known districts in China. Birds, reptiles, batrachians, fishes, and marine invertebrates from Panama were contributed by Mr. James Zetek; plants and marine invertebrates in large numbers by the Carnegie Institution of Washington; and animals of various groups by the Biological Survey.

Besides those above mentioned, interesting collections of birds were received from Ecuador and Australia. A unique accession consisted of the last of the pair of passenger pigeons which had been so long preserved in the Cincinnati Zoological Gardens, and whose death signalized the absolute extinction of this remarkable form. Additional specimens of reptiles and batrachians were obtained from Texas, California, Mexico, and Baluchistan; and of fishes from the Philippine Islands, Formosa, and Panama.

The most notable contribution of mollusks was a gift from Mr. John B. Henderson of a very large collection of selected and generally identified specimens assembled from practically every part of the world. Eight separate transfers of invertebrates by the Bureau of Fisheries were of much scientific value. Four of these consisted of material that had been studied and described and therefore contained numerous type specimens, and the remainder of new collections from

recent surveys of the steamer Albatross on the Pacific coast. Through the courtesy of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, about 1,000 specimens of corals from the Bahama Islands and Florida, 300 specimens from Australia, and many other marine forms were acquired. The Bureau of Entomology was the principal contributor of insects, which belonged mainly to the Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Odonata. Peruvian Diptera to the number of over 3,000, besides several hundred preparations, were presented by Dr. C. H. T. Townsend; and numerous wasps and other insects, by Dr. T. D. A. Cockerell. Two other important collections, consisting of Coleoptera and Hymenoptera, were received from Copenhagen.

The number of plants received was greater than in any of the previous 10 years except 1913. Nearly one-fourth were deposited by the Department of Agriculture, including 7,300 specimens of grasses, of which the larger part will be distributed in sets to scientific establishments. Two other noteworthy collections from the same department consisted of phanerogams from the western United States and western Canada. Important accessions otherwise obtained came from the West Indies, the Philippine Islands, China, the Canary Islands, western South America, Mexico, and several of the States.

Though the accessions in geology were not extensive, they furnished a considerable variety of valuable material. A collection from the Geological Survey was illustrative of the economic phases of the feldspar deposits of the United States. Individual gifts comprised excellent specimens of ferberite-bearing pegmatite from Arizona; tungsten ore and roscoelite-bearing sandstone from Colorado; and a sample of ferro-vanadium made from patronite ores of Minasragra, Peru; besides several slabs of marble for the exhibition series of ornamental stones. The meteorite collection was enriched by specimens from 13 falls, obtained by gift, exchange, and purchase, to which may be added fragments of 12 meteorites deposited by the National Academy of Sciences.

The most important single accession in mineralogy consisted of several hundred specimens of minerals and cut stones, including a suite of unique titantic crystals from an exhausted locality at Bridgewater, Pa., received as a bequest from the late Brig. Gen. William H. Forwood, United States Army. Among the transfers from the Geological Survey were various lots of gem minerals, in both rough and cut form, including many specimens of exceptional value, consisting for the most part of types of new species, or restudied and redescribed material from new localities. From several other sources rare and interesting examples were also obtained, such as one of the largest known nuggets of osmiridium, large crystals of phenacite, tarbuttite, roepperite, pseudomorphs from the Blue Jay Copper Mine, scheelite, large rhodonites, etc. The additions in petrology

consisted, as usual, largely of studied material, representing folio series, deposited by the Geological Survey. Mention should also be made of an interesting collection of obsidians from Iceland, presented by Dr. F. E. Wright, and illustrating his studies on the origin of spherulitic structure.

An extensive series of Devonian fossils, representing the lifelong collecting of Prof. Henry Shaler Williams, and including many faunas not previously represented in the Museum, formed the largest and most important accession in invertebrate paleontology. It was transferred by the Geological Survey, which also deposited nearly 600 specimens of type and other monographic material. Other large acquisitions consisted of about 5,000 specimens of European Paleozoic and Mesozoic fossils; some 6,000 specimens of Ordovician and Silurian fossils from Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky; and about 5,000 Cambrian fossils from China. A series of Mesozoic sponges from Germany is especially adapted for exhibition purposes, as is also a large slab containing numerous Devonian glass sponges from New York. Additional specimens from the cave deposit at Cumberland, Md., referred to in previous reports, comprising 15 more or less complete skulls and other fragmental material, were obtained through the generous financial aid of Mr. John B. Henderson. Portions of a mastodon discovered at Winamac, Ind., indicate the existence at that place of a more or less complete skeleton, which the Museum has obtained permission to excavate. Other important contributions include 30 dinosaurian skin plates from the Lance formation in Wyoming; a composite skeleton of a dog, and three skulls and lower jaws, from the Rancho La Brea asphalt deposits at Los Angeles, Cal.; and a large part of the skeleton of the extinct swimming reptile, Mosasaurus, from Montana.

The division of textiles received so many and such variety of additions as to render an adequate summation impossible within the compass of this report. Of particular popular interest is a series of machines for ginning, drawing, spinning, and weaving cotton, which it is intended, in part at least, to provide with motive power so as to be able to actually demonstrate to the public the processes of manufacture from the raw material to the finished product. The processes in the manufacture of worsted goods and of carded woolen fabrics are also fully illustrated by a large series of specimens. Besides standard goods of cotton, wool, silk, etc., the contributions include a great array of specialties and novelties, materials recently placed upon the market, or soon to be, in satisfaction of the ever-increasing demand for new stuffs and new patterns. Printed cotton goods, printed cotton draperies, upholstery fabrics; pile fabrics for dress and decorative purpose, including beautiful examples of artificial furs; brocaded dress silks for the fall season of 1915, new printed satins,

pongees, tussah silks, trimming silks, taffeta dress silks in Mexican and Indian designs; satins, crêpês, and chiffons decorated by means of spray printing; machine and hand made laces; embroidered and brocaded Chinese silks; Cashmere shawls; the manufacture of American rugs; oilcloths these and many samples of other goods were all well represented in the accessions of the year. Additions were also received for the historical collection of textile machinery, including several early appliances marking important stages in the development of the industry.

Following the plans outlined in a previous report, the work of preparing exhibits in mineral technology was actively carried on. The principal ones, including models and products, installed during the year were illustrative of the occurrence, mining, and treatment of rock salt for the manufacture of sodium compounds by the Solvay Process Co., of Syracuse, N. Y.; the manufacture of glass, additional to the models received the previous year, from the Macbeth-Evans Co.; the processes employed in the manufacture of gypsum as a building material at Oakfield, N. Y.; the manufacture of mica plate by a process which permits the utilization of what was formerly thrown away as waste; the occurrence, derivation, and adaptability of abrading materials; asbestos fiber and the manufacture of asbestos products; a by-product coke furnace, its operation, and products; and the manufacture of graphite and its industrial products.

THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART.

By a supplemental transfer executed in January, 1915, the splendid gift of Mr. Charles L. Freer, of Detroit, Mich., was increased by 110 articles, of which 8 are American and 102 oriental. The American works comprise 1 oil painting by Dwight W. Tryon, 1 oil painting and 2 silver points by Thomas W. Dewing, and 3 drawings and sketches and 1 lithograph by James McNeill Whistler. The oriental objects consist of 43 Chinese and 7 Japanese paintings, mainly panels, kakemono, and makimono; 14 pieces of pottery, of which 12 are Chinese and 1 each Rakka and Raghes; and 24 pieces of jade, 5 sculptures in stone, and 9 bronzes, all Chinese. By this addition the Freer collection now aggregates 4,811 items of American and oriental art.

The other permanent acquisitions numbered 12, of which the principal donor, as heretofore, was Mr. William T. Evans, of New York, who contributed 4 paintings and 1 bronze, namely: "Moonrise at Ogunquit," by H. Hobart Nichols; "Portrait of Mrs. William T. Evans and Son," by Henry Oliver Walker; "Portrait of William T. Evans," by Wyatt Eaton; "Portrait of Wyatt Eaton," by J. Alden Weir; and a bronze bust inscribed "William Thomas Evans