22 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1919. 



dividual specimens, form an addition of unusual value. The same is 

 true of a collection including both fossil invertebrates and plants, 

 mainly from Carboniferous and Silurian rocks of Indiana, and espe- 

 cially rich in beautifully preserved crinoids. This collection, com- 

 prising not less than 10,000 specimens, was a gift of Mr. Alva 

 Schaefer of Brazil, Indiana. 



Excellent exhibition materials in the line of vertebrate fossils, 

 including part of a skeleton with a skull of the curious amphibial 

 Diplocaulus copei from the Permian of Texas ; a skull of Monoclo- 

 nius; a skull, partial skeleton, and two hind paddles of Tylosaui^s; 

 and an articulated series of caudal vertebrae of Platycarpus are 

 among the more important accessions. Mention should be made of 

 the addition to the exliibition series of the mounted skeleton of 

 Dimetrodon gigas which was secured som.e few years ago. This 

 forms the most complete restoration of this extraordinary animal 

 that has thus far been secured by any museum in the world. 



To the collections under the charge of the curator of textiles — • 

 which, besides textiles, embrace wood technology, medicine, food, and 

 animal and vegetable products — the most important addition was the 

 collection received by transfer from the Office of the Surgeon Gen- 

 eral of the War Department, consisting of the apparatus, hospital 

 appliances and field equipment used by the medical department, in- 

 cluding the dental and sanitary divisions in the war with Germany, 

 showing examples of all kinds of equipment of a thousand-bed 

 hospital overseas. At the end of the year this was being made ready 

 for the public in connection with the War Collections on the ground 

 floor of the Natural History Building. 



Other acquisitions included medicinal plants, pharmaceutical 

 products, pile fabrics, novelty dress fabrics, leather cloth, and other 

 waterproof textiles extensively used during the war, knitting and 

 crocheting yarns with examples of pattern stitches, an extensive col- 

 lection illustrating the production, classification, and service of 

 foods with many such from the Department of Agriculture and the 

 United States Food Administration, and an exhibit illustrative of 

 neglected sources of supply of fats and oils for food purposes. 



In making the food exhibits as useful as possible, a cooperative 

 arrangement was entered into with the States Relations Service of 

 the Department of Agriculture whereby regular demonstrations on 

 the value, use, preparation, and conservation of foods were given at 

 the Museum by experts of the Department. A large room in the Arts 

 and Industries Building was fitted up as a demonstration kitchen and 

 space provided for displaying foods, household equipment, etc. Miss 

 A. Chinn was detailed by the Department of Agriculture to take 

 charge of this work, which soon broadened into a household consul- 

 tation center, with lectures and demonstrations covering a wide 



