74 EEPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1913. 



nate their contents, and so placed as to be conspicuous without 

 marring the general effect. In course of preparation was another 

 series of larger, supplementary labels, containing such descriptive 

 scientific and industrial information as will lead to a fuller compre- 

 hension of the exhibits than can be obtained from the specimens 

 themselves. These labels, w^hich will be accompanied by maps show- 

 ing the important producing centers for each of the industries repre- 

 sented, will be framed against the walls, each in close juxtaposition 

 with the group to which it relates. In connection with the work of 

 labeling, the exhibition cases were thoroughly refurbished, the speci- 

 mens remounted and many of them reidentified and numbered. 

 Minor changes and additions were also made, including the installa- 

 tion of a series of 14 wall panels, each 48 by 96 inches, intended 

 primarily for displaying large slabs of building and ornamental stones. 

 Two new waU cases were provided for exhibits of onyx marble and 

 mineral waters, and four additional pedestals or bases were added in 

 the hall of systematic geology. The Shepard collection of meteorites 

 was overhauled, many of the small specimens were withdrawn from 

 exhibition and the remainder arranged in a smaU Kensington case, 

 thereby giving the collection greater individuality. Eeading tables 

 with reference books were placed in the various haUs. 



The reserve series was entirely rearranged in drawers, by kind 

 and locality, and indexed by cards. This index, now consisting of 

 about 20,000 cards, furnishes a classified record of all the material, 

 with cross references, and an alphabetical list of the economically 

 significant minerals so far as it has been possible to identify them 

 without exhaustive cheniical study. 



The head curator of the department, Dr. George P. MerriU, under a 

 grant from the National Academy of Sciences, continued his researches 

 on the minor constituents of meteorites, of which a preHminary 

 report was published. Further work in this direction is contem- 

 plated. Dr. Merrill also investigated and pubHshed on the Cullison, 

 Perryville and Holbrook meteorites, and had in progress a series of 

 simple tests designed to show the relative solubiUty of certain types 

 of building materials in water acidulated with carbonic acid. Mr. 

 Chester G. Gilbert and Dr. J. E. Pogue, assistant curators, respec- 

 tively, of the divisions of geology and of mineralogy and petrology, 

 made a detailed study of the copper ores of the Mount LyeU region, 

 Tasmania, and undertook prelirninary work looking toward an inves- 

 tigation of the origin of the chromite ores and of the nature of the 

 copper in the so-called cupriferous pyrrhotite type of ores. 



Mineralogy and petrology. — The most noteworthy acquisition of 

 minerals consisted of 51 specimens received from the Geological Sur- 

 vey, including excellent specimens of ferberite, woKramite, scheelite, 

 roscoehte, rutile, cassiterite, etc. PoHshed and unpoHshed speci- 



