REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1920. Ill 



Last year's report mentioned progress in the preparation of 100 

 sets of ores and minerals for distribution to schools. The completion 

 of this work, that is the numbering, labeling, and wrapping of about 

 one-half of the specimens, and packing the entire lot, was completed, 

 and the 100 sets of 85 specimens each, was ready for distribution on 

 January 10. The preparation of a like number of sets of rocks is 

 already under way. but progress is slow as there are lacking many 

 important types, for the collection of which no funds are available. 



Incidental to the condensation of office and storage space forced 

 upon the Geological Survey during the fall of 1!)1 ( .>. more than 300 

 boxes of miscellaneous materials were sent to the Museum for final 

 disposition. Only a portion of these have as yet been examined. 

 The proper handling of this quantity of material will occupy a con- 

 siderable portion of the coming year. 



The proof reading of the head curator's bulletin on the history of 

 state geological surveys, largely in the hands of Miss Moodey, re- 

 corder of the department, has been completed. Doctor Bassler com- 

 pleted the proof reading and indexing of Bulletin 106, V. S. National 

 Museum, a monograph of the Early Tertiary Bryozoa of North 

 America, comprising over 1,000 quarto pages. In the preparation of 

 this he was assisted by Ferdinand Canu of Versailles, France, and 

 Miss Jessie Beach. 



The collections, considered in their entirety, were never in better 

 condition than today. For the first time in several years the per- 

 sonnel of the department is complete, and it is possible to carry on the 

 work systematically in all divisions. 



It has been deemed expedient to place the collection of gems under 

 the immediate supervision of the Recorder of the department instead 

 of in the care of the Assistant Curator of Mineralogy as heretofore. 

 This collection, it will be recalled, originated through the bequest 

 by Mrs. Frances Lea Chamberlain of a collection which had been 

 assembled by her father, Dr. Isaac Lea. Mrs. Chamberlain's hus- 

 band, Dr. L. T. Chamberlain, became interested in the welfare of 

 the collection, was made honorary curator, added a large number 

 of specimens, and on his death bequeathed a sum, the income of 

 which is to be utilized for its further increase. The collection has 

 been added to by gifts and transfers from the U. S. Geological 

 Survey, the additions, however, being combined with the original 

 and exhibited as the Isaac Lea Collection, although individual gifts 

 are differentiated by labels. The exhibit at present is comprised in 

 a row of table cases extending down the center of the mineral hall. 

 At the west end of this row, immediately to the right of the entrance 

 to the hall, stands a large group of amethyst crystals from Brazil. 

 Two table cases in front of the south windows contain series illus- 

 trating the properties of precious stones, their appearance in the 



