REPORT OP THE SECRETARY 19 



Society, and further collections from eastern Peru received as a gift 

 from G. Klug, of Iquitos, Peru. 



Geology. — Through the income of the Koebling fund of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution there were secured a number of valuable acces- 

 sions, among them a nugget of gold weighing 81 ounces troy from 

 Plumas County, Calif.; an example of leaf gold; specimens of rare 

 uranium minerals ; and two flawless crystals of aquamarine. To the 

 Canfield Collection there were added large exhibition slabs of crystal 

 dolomite, on which there are crystals of other interesting minerals, 

 and a large mass of smithsonite from New Mexico. Under the 

 Chamberlain fund there have been obtained a number of interesting 

 specimens of coral, illustrating its use as gem material. Additions 

 to the Isaac Lea collection include a carved vase of Siberian mala- 

 chite, and some fine opals from Mexico. 



Through field investigations financed by ihe Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion there were obtained important collections of fossils, particularly 

 of mammals. Mr. Gilmore collected a considerable part of a large 

 creodont, three partial skeletons of Goryphodon., fossil turtles, 

 several skulls of a primitive alligator {Allognathosuchus) and some 

 remains of the giant flightless bird Diatryma. N. H. Boss collected 

 a series of fossil horse bones from the quarry near Hagerman, Idaho, 

 that included 32 skulls and 4 partly articulated skeletons, adding 

 measurably to our series of the Pliocene horse Plesippus shoshonensis. 

 The United States Geological Survey transferred several sets of 

 rocks and ores and valuable collections of fossil plants. The fourth 

 shipment of the private collection of Dr. A. Foerste, numbering 

 about 10,000 specimens, came during the year as a gift. Through 

 the Springer fund there were obtained some excellently preserved 

 echinoids from the Cretaceous deposits of Texas, and several slabs 

 of slate from the Devonian of Germany carrying fine specimens of 

 crinoids preserved in pyrite. 



Arts and Industries. — In the division of engineering a full-size 

 model of a soft-coal mine was under construction, for which several 

 companies contributed materials such as safety lamps, miners' belts, 

 mine cars, and mine timbers, that will make a most attractive exhibit 

 when assembled. The section of aeronautics received from the Auto- 

 giro Co. of America the first autogiro to fly in this country — an 

 invention of Juan de la Cierva. This interesting machine was flown 

 to Washington by James Ray, vice president of the Autogiro Co. 

 of America, and was landed in a narrow space on the lawn in front 

 of the Arts and Industries Building, where it was formally pre- 

 sented for the Museum. The Packard Motor Car Co. presented to 

 the National Aircraft Collection the original Packard-Diesel aircraft 

 engine. For the collection illustrating the development of land 

 149571—33 3 



