REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1&20. 21 



If, however, the cost of the current for operating the motor and 

 driving the compressor is included at 3.2 cents a kilowatt, the total 

 cost is $1,293.24, or $4.07 a ton. 



The fire extinguishers in all of the buildings were as usual over- 

 hauled and recharged, and found to be in a very satisfactory con- 

 dition. 



A fire alarm system for the Freer Building was installed, with two 

 of the four gongs in that building, one in the middle hall of the 

 Smithsonian Building, and one on the north side of the Arts and 

 Industries Building. This is known as the closed circuit system, 

 which gives an alarm signal when any portion of the circuit is 

 broken. While the cost of this system is greater than the old open 

 circuit, there is no doubt that the added reliability more than coun- 

 terbalances the increased cost. Should it prove satisfactory in opera- 

 tion, it is the intention to have this system installed in all of the 

 Museum buildings, so that all of them will be interconnected, and 

 an alarm in one building will be given in all of the others at the 

 same time. 



COLLECTIONS. 



The total number of specimens acquired by the Museum during the 

 year was approximately 210,871. Keceived in 1,480 separate ac- 

 cessions, they were classified and assigned as follows : Department of 

 anthropology. 15,254: zoology, 101.554; botany, 35,211; geology and 

 mineralogy, estimated 22,400; paleontology, estimated 40,000; tex- 

 tiles, woods, medicines, foods and other miscellaneous animal and 

 vegetable products, 1,710 ; mineral technology, 027 ; mechanical tech- 

 nology, 97; and National Gallery of Art, 12. Loans and deposits for 

 exhibition added 8,348 more, chiefly in the division of history, War 

 Collections. 



Material to the extent of 495 lots was received for special examina- 

 tion and report. While this free identification of material sent in 

 from all parts of the country requires considerable time on the part 

 of specialists, it is not without advantage to the Museum in fur- 

 nishing occasional desirable specimens and in recording new locali- 

 ties. 



The distribution of dup 1 ' ites for educational purposes, mainly to 

 schools and colleges, aggregated 4,300 specimens of which 2,701 

 were contained in ten regular sets of ores and minerals of 85 

 specimens each, regular sets of fossil invertebrates averaging 45 

 specimens each, 3 regular sets illustrating rock weathering of 21 

 specimens each, 5 regular sets of mollusks of 179 specimens each, and 

 8 special sets of locusts, 5 of 100 and 3 of 00 specimens each. The 

 remaining 1,545 specimens were sent out in special sendings and 

 comprised anthropological, biological, botanical, and geological 



