EEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1912. 59 



General ivork on the collections. — The energies of the department 

 were mainly directed toward furthering the installation of the ex- 

 hibition series. In the division of systematic and applied geology 

 this involved the planning of new cases and fittings and, owing to 

 the abandonment of the geographic series, the complete overhauling 

 of the old collections and an entirely new arrangement. Incidental 

 to this work many duplicates were segregated and used in the prepa- 

 ration of 100 educational sets for distribution to schools and colleges. 

 The material was largely of an economic nature, and included both 

 rocks and minerals. A considerable quantity of fragmental material 

 suitable for blowpipe and assay purposes was also put up in packages 

 for school distribution. A final separation of the technological col- 

 lections, formerly included with those of applied geology, was 

 effected, and the specimens, together with the catalogues, were trans- 

 ferred to the division of mineral technology. 



In the exhibition hall devoted to mineralogy, which was opened 

 to the public on September 18, 1911, the additions consisted of eight 

 table cases for the gem collection and seven upright cases for the 

 special series of large and showy sjDecimens, the systematic part of 

 the mineral collection having been installed the previous year. The 

 collection of rocks and rock- forming minerals was overhauled and 

 arranged in new cases. About 2,500 exhibition labels were prepared 

 and printed. The card catalogue of the minerals on exhibition, as 

 also that of the type specimens of minerals in the division, were 

 advanced nearly to completion. The study and duplicate collections 

 were assembled temporarily in drawers in the corridor adjoining the 

 laboratory. 



Although two of the three exhibition halls assigned to the division 

 of paleontology were accessible to the public during the greater part 

 of the year, much additional material was introduced. Among 

 large special exhibits of invertebrate paleontology installed were a 

 Cambrian seabeach illustrating ripple marks and animal tracks; 

 a Cretaceous sea bottom, including a slab of Uintacrinus with asso- 

 ciated fossils, measuring 7^ by 8 feet; examples of near-shore sedi- 

 mentation, such as sandstone, shale, and limestone, with included 

 fossils; and a large slab of Cretaceous cririoids. The stratigraphic 

 series of invertebrate fossils exhibited in the older Museum building- 

 was replaced by a new and more effective series installed in a long 

 slope-top case extending the entire length of the north wall in the 

 south aisle, the older specimens being mainly transferred to the 

 study series. The biologic collection, formerly of limited extent, 

 was materially increased by the addition of a series of American 

 and European ammonites, of American gastropods illustrating the 

 evolution of the group, of pelecypods shoAving a few characteristic 

 species of each formation, of corals, of insects, and of crustaceans, 



