EEPOET OF ITATIONAL MUSEUM, 1914. 159 



a short period, in the absence of Dr. Langlej^, as Acting Secretary 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, and from then until 1901 the admin- 

 istration of the Museum fell mainly on Dr. True's shoulders. In 

 another large field, that of international exposition work, Dr. True 

 also served with distinction, having directed the preparation of the 

 exhibits for, and represented the Institution and Museum at, Nash- 

 ville in 1897, Omaha in 1898, Buffalo in 1901, Charleston in 1902, 

 St. Louis in 1904, and Portland in 1905. On June 1, 1911, he was 

 called from the ISIuseum to become the Assistant Secretary of the 

 Smithsonian Institution in charge of library and exchanges, which 

 jDosition he was occupying at the time of his death, on June 25, 1914. 

 Dr. True was a member of the American Philosophical Society and 

 the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, a corresponding 

 member of the Zoological Society of London, and a fellow of the 

 American Association for the Advancement of Science, besides hold- 

 ing membership in various other societies. 



Onl3^ those who came closely in contact with Dr. True can properly 

 measure the extent of his worth to the National Museum, which was 

 always uppermost in his mind. Of a retiring disposition, and with 

 no conception of the meaning of rest, he labored unceasingly, going 

 about but little, neglecting sports, though intensely fond of music, 

 and dividing his hours mainly between the Museum and his home 

 study. He was above all a profound student, though apt and thor- 

 ough in business matters. He did nothing perfunctorily, but went 

 to the bottom of every problem, and everything he undertook was 

 done more by his own hand than in any other case with which I 

 am acquainted. Dr. True was never more happy than when in the 

 library he organized and to which he continued to give attention, 

 but he laiew as much of the making of books as he did of their 

 arrangement, and for many years he was the chief adviser in the 

 selection and printing of the Museum publications. 



It had been Dr. True's early desire to make a specialty of one of 

 the lower groups of animals, but finding his eyes not equal to the 

 constant use of the microscope, he turned to the other extreme, the 

 group containing the largest of all living animal forms. Although 

 the author of a number of miscellaneous papers on mammals. Dr. 

 True's scientific reputation is mainly based on his studies of the 

 Cetacea, especially the whales, and also on the fact that through his 

 persistent activity he brought together in the Museum one of the 

 largest and most important collections of whales in existence. Owing 

 to the universally large size of the members of this group, museums 

 generally are satisfied with a few examples, which furnish no basis 

 for comparison with the object of determining individual or geo- 

 graphic variations in these monsters of the sea. Through the efforts 

 of Dr. True very much has been done to overcome this disadvantage 



