108 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1921. 



foodstuffs have been fumigated several times. This has meant, how- 

 ever, constant vigilance, as we have to fight not only the usual Mu- 

 seum pests like the drug-store beetle, Dermestes, and wool and grain 

 moths, but recently the cigarette beetle has become a menace and was 

 found attacking the tobacco specimens. The old exhibit and dupli- 

 cate collections dating back prior to 1895 have been carefully gone 

 over, checked in the catalogues, and the specimens past usefulness 

 were laid aside for exchange with other institutions and schools or 

 for condemnation. The catalogueing of new specimens has been kept 

 up to date, and the installation of new material has been made as 

 soon after its receipt as was possible. A large part of the time of 

 one preparator was given to making gummed-letter case labels for 

 the textile exhibits, a large number of group labels for the medicinal 

 collections, and labeling the transparencies in the section of wood 

 technology, so that the legends may be read by transmitted light. 



The examination and indexing of new textile terms and other 

 special information contained in the large number of trade papers 

 and periodicals received by the sectional libraries of textiles, woods, 

 medicine, and foods has occupied the time of the preparators when 

 not engaged in other duties. A set of upward of 2,000 small samples 

 of North American woods, which are pieces of the actual wood 

 specimens experimented upon by Dr. Charles S. Sargent and his 

 assistants in connection with his report on the forest wealth of the 

 United States for the Tenth Census, which had long been in storage, 

 was gone over carefully by the assistant curator, section of wood 

 technology, and matched up with the data published by Dr. Sargent 

 in volume 9 of the Tenth Census Report. This very valuable scien- 

 tific collection of authentic specimens is thus rendered availa.ble for 

 the study and identification of new material. 



In the division of textiles eight new permanent installations and a 

 special temporary exhibit were set up during the year. The special 

 exhibit of live silkworms was installed in the South Hall during 

 June 13-20, 1921. During this period about 300 silkworms of both 

 thel Italian and Japanese races reached their maturity and spun 

 cocoons. Before the exhibit closed on June 30 moths had emerged 

 from most of the cocoons, so that during practically the whole 18 

 days the feeding and spinning of the silkworms and the activities 

 of the adult moths could be seen. The public was informed of the 

 exhibit through notices in the local newspapers, which were copied 

 by papers in Baltimore and Philadelphia, and its interest in the 

 subject was evidenced by an increased attendance of visitors to the 

 Arts and Industries Building of over 1,500 the first week. The 

 installations included exhibits of cartridge silks, airplane, and bal- 

 loon fabrics, plushes and velvets, tied and dyed textiles, a rearrange- 

 ment of the series of early American implements for spinning, reel- 



