REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 35 



Through the interest of Mr. Worcester R. Warner and the courtesy 

 of the Fukushima Co. (Inc.), New York, the department of geology 

 has been privileged to exhibit a crystal ball of unusual size and per- 

 fection, weighing 110 pounds and measuring 131/4 inches in diameter, 

 which is said to be the largest of its kind known. This has attracted 

 much attention from visitors. 



Exchanges have added materially to the collections in all divisions 

 of the department, both for exhibition and study, and a few objects 

 have been acquired by purchase. Several additions have been made 

 to the meteorite collection, consisting chiefly of fragments of mod- 

 erate size, which, while important from a scientific standpoint, add 

 little to the exhibits. A number of gems have been added to the 

 Isaac Lea collection through the Frances Lea Chamberlain fund. 



Secretary Walcott continued his researches in British Columbia; 

 Dr. R. S. Bassler, in Tennessee, in cooperation with the geological 

 survey of that State; Dr. C. E. Ilesser, in the Rocky Mountain re- 

 gion of the United States; and Dr. W. F. Foshag was detailed to 

 accompany a geological survey party in New Mexico. Mr. C. W. 

 Gilmore spent some weeks in the Grand Canyon National Park, 

 under the auspices of the National Park Service. 



Work on the exhibits has been chiefly confined to cleaning and 

 rearranging, no important changes having been made. In strati- 

 graphic paleontology much time and effort have been consumed in 

 expansion of the collections and in general cleaning and rearranging 

 of the paleobotanical collections. The efforts of the force in verte- 

 brate paleontology have been confined almost wholly to the prepara- 

 tion of the huge dinosaur skeleton, collected last year, with satis- 

 factory results. 



Research work has continued to the extent permitted by other 

 duties. 



A7'fs and industries. — Growth in this department has been satis- 

 factory in the main though hampered in many lines by crowding. 

 Materials for accession are selected with great care, but so much 

 that is wholly desirable is offered that available facilities for ex- 

 hibition are greatly overtaxed. 



In the division of mechanical and mineral technology there was a 

 slight falling off in the number of accessions received and a material 

 decrease in the number of specimens catalogued during the year, due, 

 primarily, to a lack of exhibition and storage space. This condition 

 is aggravated more and more each year and will lead to further de- 

 crease in the rate of acceptance of objects for the collection since 

 now choice may be made only of things urgently required. 



In the transportation section one early type of automobile was re- 

 ceived, a Knox car made in 1901, presented by Mrs. Lansing Van 



