72 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1915. 



suckers, plisses, etc. The removal toward the latter part of the 

 year of the whale skeletons which had remained suspended there 

 since the transfer of the zoological collections has greatly improved 

 the appearance of this range, but the necessity for certain other 

 changes delayed the systematic placing of the floor cases, though the 

 arrangements in the wall cases on the north and west sides of the 

 range, with the exception of two panels, was completed. 



Owing to the shortage of appropriate cases it was not possible to 

 immediately install all of the material received for exhibition during 

 the year, but an attempt was made to promptly display all specimens 

 of fabrics sent to the Museum previous to their entry into the retail 

 trade, or such as are likely to be of interest to visitors for a very 

 limited period. Group labels for the exhibition cases have been added 

 as rapidly as the curator could prepare copy, and this was nearly fin- 

 ished for the south hall. 



All new specimens have been catalogued practically as soon as re- 

 ceived, though the catalogue is as yet confined to the one set of origi- 

 nal cards. The arrangement of the reference collection of named 

 fabrics, mounted on letter-size cards and filed in regular filing cases, 

 is progressing steadily. The acquisition by the division of the wide 

 space back of the east wall case in the south hall has furnished addi- 

 tional and much needed room for both permanent and temporary 

 storage, and the systematic arrangement of the material there as- 

 signed is well under way. All materials subject to attack by insect 

 pests were successfully protected from injury, but it is important 

 to note the timely discovery of Dermestes on the silkworm cocoons, 

 and of the cigarette beetle {LasioderTna semcorne) on the speci- 

 mens of vegetable ivory. 



A large part of the important accessions of the year resulted from 

 three visits b}'' the curator of the division made for the purpose of 

 securing material as well as for obtaining information for use in 

 labeling, cataloguing and installing specimens. One of these was 

 to Paterson, N. J., another to Willimantic, Conn., and the third 

 to New York City. An investigation of the history of several 

 automatic attachments for embroidering machines, conducted near 

 .the close of the year, rendered necessary a trip to New York City 

 and Camden, N. J., to observe the machines in operation and to in- 

 terview the men concerned in their invention and building. Re- 

 quests for information regarding silk violin strings led to a micro- 

 scopic study of the construction and mechanical analyses of such 

 articles and the undertaking of their manufacture by one of the 

 Museum correspondents. 



Continued progress has been made in the compilation of terms 

 and definitions for the textile glossary begun in 1913, which has 

 already proved very useful in cataloguing new materials as received. 



