family of children and grandchildren, the chances of an inheritance by the Smithsonian Institution are practically none. The next bequest was that of $1,000, made by Mr. James Hamilton, of Carlisle; and the third and last, by Dr. Habel, amounting, with a small addition made from the income of the Smithsonian Institution, to $500; or $1,500, the two combined. These two sums have been, in accordance with the law, paid into the Treasury of the United States, as an addition to the principal. The endowment of the Smithsonian Institution, at the present time, amounts to $703,000, deposited in the United States Treasury, and it is authorized to increase this amount to $1,000,000. A large part of the expenses of the Institution consists in what may be called statical items, such as salaries, repairs of building, &c.; and it is very evident that the amount available for active operations is not at all represented by the annual income of the fund. It is quite probable that the increase of the endowment by 40 or 50 per cent. would permit the Institution nearly to double the work accomplished, as it would require no increase of force or incidental expenditure. Naval Cadets.-In the American naval service, the cadets start with four years' study in the Naval Academy at Annapolis. They are then sent to sea for two years, and do not obtain the rank of midshipman until they have passed an examination at the end of this period, or of six years after their entrance. They are then sent to sea again, or placed on waiting orders. About a year ago the Navy Department made inquiry of the Smithsonian Institution as to its willingness to receive six recently appointed midshipmen, and assign them to some duty in the Institution or National Museum that would enable them to take advantage of any opportunities they might have for natural-history research during their future cruises, with the understanding that they were to be treated in every way as regular employés of the Institution, and required to do regular work. The proposition was responded to favorably and the six cadets were assigned respectively to the curators of Ichthyology, Marine Inverte brates, Ethnology, Paleontology, Geology, and Mineralogy. The experiment, somewhat unexpectedly, has proved to be a very great success. The young gentlemen devoted themselves earnestly to their work, and became quite proficient in it. A course of special instruction was given in regard to the taxidermy of mammals and birds, which all the midshipmen attended with great diligence, becoming quite expert in the preparation of skeletons and in making excellent skins of mammals and birds. The two assigned to ichthyology and marine invertebrates were de tailed for service on board the Fish Commission steamer "Fish Hawk," where they had ample opportunity of becoming familiar with collecting at sea; as also with the methods and appliances of deep-sea dredging, temperature observations, &c., all, of course, directly in the line of their future vocation. The other four accompanied one or the other of Professor Powell's parties into the Far West, and have had every opportunity for field work. The results of this experiment were so satisfactory that six more midshipmen have been detailed to the Institution, the first six to continue another year, making the entire course one of two years. The selections for this detail are made by the Navy Department after conference with the Superintendent of the Naval Academy, from among those who, while pursuing their educational course, have shown most interest in scientific matters. The measure is extremely popular among the younger officers, although of course it is decried by others, who consider it an innovation in the established routine. One special object of the experiment is to have, as a part of the regular force of the Navy, officers competent to do the scientific work for which it has generally been necessary to employ civilians, as also on any cruise to be able to utilize, to some extent at least, the opportunities of research which constantly present themselves to the inquirer. The following is an account of the work accomplished by these young officers, now recognized by law as "Ensigns": Of the class of '79, six were ordered to the Institution early in January, 1882. Ensign R. H. Miner chose ichthyology, made a summer cruise on the "Fish Hawk," resumed his studies in the fall, and was detached in December and ordered to the Fish Commission steamer" Albatross." E. E. Hayden chose mineralogy, went on the U. S. Geological Survey to Nevada, and in the winter took up the study of fossil botany. H. S. Chase chose mineralogy, went on a geological expedition to Montana in the summer, and is now studying the same branch. L. M. Garret chose geology, was in Montana in the summer, and has resumed the same branch. C. C. Marsh chose ethnology, went on an ethnological expedition to Moquis, Ariz., in the summer, and has since taken up fossil botany. J. B. Blish chose marine invertebrates, went on the "Fish Hawk” in the summer, resumed the same branch in the fall, and was lately detached at his own request and ordered to the "Jamestown." Of the class of '80, six were detailed last fall. H. G. Dresel is studying ichthyology. J. B. Bernadou is engaged in the chemical laboratory in quantitative and qualitative analysis and assaying. A. A. Ackerman is studying mineralogy. W. E. Safford has chosen marine invertebrates. Each one is engaged in the practical work of the respective departments in identifying, and classifying, as far as able, the collections. received from various sources. Special Objects received.-Among the articles received during the year may be mentioned a lock of Sir Walter Scott's hair presented by Hon. George Ainslee, Delegate in Congress from Idaho, whose father was a neighbor and friend of Scott. The presentation was made through one of our regents, Hon. S. S. Cox. A fine large specimen of agate, found off Keweenaw Point, in Lake Michigan, near Manitou Island (which lies off the shores of Northern Michigan) by S. H. Broughton, has been received by the Institution. It was left to the Smithsonian Institution by bequest of the late Mrs. Broughton, and was deposited by J. P. Newland, executor of Mrs. Broughton's will. Set of United States Weights and Measures.-By act of Congress, March 3, 1881, the Secretary of the Treasury was directed to deliver to the Smithsonian Institution a complete set of all the weights and measures adopted as standard by the United States Government. Naval Museum of Hygiene.-Congress having established a "Naval Museum of Hygiene" in connection with the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery of the Navy Department, we have, in accordance with the prin. ciple of co-operation adopted by the Institution, placed in its custody a large exhibit of tile and terra-cotta pipe, for sewers and traps, and other articles having sanitary relations. Manuscript Declaration of Independence.-In the report for 1880 reference was made to the appointment of a commission, of which the Secretary of the Institution was one, to consider the restoration of the faded and now nearly illegible manuscript of the original Declaration of Independence. The subject was referred to the National Academy of Sciences, and a report was made by a special committee on the 17th January, 1881. Nothing however, has been done in regard to the matter. Peale's Portrait of Washington.-In the last report of the Institution it was stated that a claim had been made by Mr. Titian R. Peale for a portrait of Washington painted by his father, Charles Wilson Peale, on deposit in this establishment. This claim was originally made in 1871. In 1873 the executive committee reported adversely to the claim, on the ground that sufficient proof of ownership of the portrait had not been presented. During the last session of Congress, however, the matter was taken up and investigated, and as the contesting claimants made a compromise the portrait was finally purchased by the Library Committee of Congress, and it is now the property of the United States. NATIONAL MUSEUM. The work of organization of the departments of the Museum has been carried on vigorously during the past year. For a full account of all its operations I would refer to the report of Mr. G. Brown Goode, the assistant director, given in the appendix to this report. The fullness of this account seems to render any résumé of the operations and present condition of the Museum unnecessary here. BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY. The appropriation made by Congress for the prosecution of ethnological researches among the North American Indians, under the direction of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, was continued, and the work remained in charge of Maj. J. W. Powell. Field Work.-A large amount of field work was accomplished during the year. The general excavation of mounds was placed in the charge of Prof. Cyrus Thomas, with several assistants, through whose exertions large collections were made, chiefly in the Mississippi Valley. Dr. Edward Palmer has continued his explorations in Tennessee and in Arkansas along the Mississippi, White, and Arkansas Rivers. A short time was devoted to examination of the mounds and other works in Southwestern Indiana. Mr. F. S. Earle was engaged a short time in examining and locating the mound groups of Southeast Missouri, and in opening mounds and stone graves in Southern Illinois. Mr. James D. Middleton, after Mr. Earle withdrew, continued the work in Southern Illinois until stopped by the cold, when he was transferred to the South, and is now in Alabama. Col. P. W. Norris entered upon the work in August, his field of labor being the west bank of the Mississippi, from Dubuque, Iowa, to the Arkansas line. Hon. William M. Adams has been engaged to work up the mounds in Madison County, Illinois, including the Cahokia group. He had already completed the map of them and commenced opening them when the cold weather stopped him. The result of operations so far may be summed up briefly as follows: A very good and valuable collection, almost exclusively of mound relics, consisting of pottery, stone implements, clay and stone images, clay and stone pipes, plates of mica, gorgets, shell ornaments, engraved shells, fragments of copper ornaments, fragments of wooden ornaments. fragments of matting, pieces of burned clay which have been stamped, an ancient Catholic medal of brass, a brass Chinese medal or coin (the two latter are surface finds, the first found on a mound in Southern Illinois, the other on the site of an old French fort in Arkansas), quite a number of crania and tibiæ. The collection of pottery is quite large and includes representatives of all the types hitherto found in the mounds except one of Ohio and one of Iowa. The most important results appertain to the mounds and works themselves. The statement in the Smithsonian Report of 1872 in reference to the Elephant mound is confirmed; the Seltzertown mound is proven to be a myth; at least no sign of it could be found on examination. The mounds and graves on the Wabash are found to be, to a considerable extent, of Indian origin, and comparatively modern, as shown by the articles of European manufacture found in them and by the mode of burial. Dr. Palmer had with him for a month an excellent artist who has furnished a number of very valuable drawings of mounds and other works. From these it is noticed that the mounds of Arkansas are in many cases quite large and of the truncated pyramidal form, often terraced. Artificial canals and lakes, such as described by Garcilasso and the Gentleman of Elvas, are found in Northeastern Arkansas. Several of the hard clay floors of the large houses of the aborigines, as described by Le Tonti, Joutel, and others, have been found in the very section visited by these travelers. An inclosure of considerable size, including mounds and house sites, precisely such, even to minute details, as that examined by Professor Putnam, near Lebanon, Tenn., has been discovered in Southern Illinois. On the whole, the results, considering the time the parties have been at work, are very satisfactory, and will have a very important bearing on the question, Who were the mound builders, and what is the age of the mounds? Professor Thomas made an examination of some groups of mounds in Southern Illinois and Southeastern Missouri. Further successful explorations were conducted in New Mexico and Arizona, under the immediate superintendence of Mr. James Steven son. Mr. Victor Mindeleff was in charge of a party which made extensive collections in the province of Tusayan, in Arizona, supplementing the large collections obtained in previous years from twenty or more pueblos in New Mexico. The collections obtained by these expeditions have been deposited, with proper arrangement, in the National Museum, and have been catalogued and described. The field work, with special reference to linguistic research, has been performed by Mr. James C. Pilling, who visited several missions along the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers, examining many manuscripts and procuring numerous titles in connection with linguistic bibliography; by Mrs. Erminnie A. Smith, who continued studies on the Iroquoian dialects at St. Regis, Caughnanaga, &c.; by Mr. A. S. Gatschet, who, among the Shetimasha and other tribes in Louisiana, and by Rev. J. Owen Dorsey, who, among the Kansas in Indian Territory, studied the respective languages. |