BEPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1913. 79 



above referred to, and continued work on his monograph of the 

 armored dinosaurs represented in the Museum collection, with special 

 reference to the osteology of Stegosaurus, which he expects to finish 

 during the current year. Mr. James W. Gidley, assistant curator of 

 fossil mammals, completed a preliminary investigation of the recently 

 discovered cave deposits at Cumberland, Md., and continued his 

 study of the Fort Union mammals. 



Paleobotany. — The principal addition to the section of paleobotany, 

 received from the Geological Survey, consisted of 271 types and 

 figured specimens and about 1,500 other specimens of Cretaceous 

 and Tertiary plants from the Raton-Mesa region of Colorado and 

 New Mexico, which had served as the basis of a monograph by Dr. 

 F. H. EJiowlton, now in press by the Survey. 



The introduction of two new wall cases in the exhibition hall per- 

 mitted a partial readjustment of the collections there. The reserve 

 series of the section was rearranged and labeled, largely through the 

 services of Mr. T, E. WilUard, of the Geological Survey, under the 

 supervision of Dr. Knowlton. The arrangement is stratigraphical 

 and by locaHty, and is covered by a card catalogue. Dr. Knowlton, 

 who is custodian of mesozoic plants, continued his studies on the 

 Museum collection of fossil plants from Florissant, Colo. 



Examination of specimens. — The department of geology, more than 

 either of the others, is called upon to examine and report on specimens 

 sent to the Museum for determination from all parts of the country. 

 During last year 540 separate lots were received, of which 494 lots 

 consisted of rocks, ores, and minerals, forwarded mainly in the belief 

 that they would be found to indicate mineral deposits of value. 

 While the Museum is not equipped for conducting elaborate analyses, 

 simple determinative methods are sufficiently conclusive in most 

 cases, and such information as could readily be given was furnished to 

 the applicants. 



Explorations. — The only geological field work carried on directly by 

 the Museum consisted of the examination of a small cave in Devonian 

 limestone exposed in a railroad cut near Cumberland, Md., which 

 was found to contain a large number and great variety of fossil verte- 

 brate remains of Pleistocene age. The locaUty was visited by Mr. 

 J. W. Gidley in October, 1912, and again in May and June, 1913, 

 without, however, completing the investigation. In the material 

 brought to the Museum over 30 distinct species of mammals have 

 already been distinguished, the most of which represent forms now 

 extinct or living in remote regions. Among them are the jaws of a 

 new species of dog and the nearly complete skull of an extinct ante- 

 lope closely related to the eland of Africa. While the specimens are 

 all fragmentary, some of them are sufficiently well preserved to be 

 used for exhibition purposes. 

 32377°— NAT Mus 1913 6 



