118 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1921. 
about 1840, was also undertaken and completed. The work just 
enumerated required the whole time of the preparator when not 
otherwise engaged in the maintenance and preservation of the 
collections. : 
The writer’s activities during the year when not required by the 
general administrative work and supervision of staff, centered in 
the composing of descriptive labels to accompany exhibits. Approxi- 
mately 300 labels were prepared and submitted for final printing. 
The writer prepared also a descriptive catalogue of the mechanical 
engineering collection, which is now in press and will be issued as a 
Museum bulletin. The catalogue is confined entirely to motors, 
locomotives, and objects dealing with the developments in transpor- 
tation, and does not include metrology and horology. These latter 
subjects, it is expected, will be the basis of a second volume of the 
mechanical collections, to be prepared at some future date. A be- 
ginning was made, too, in the preparation of a descriptive catalogue 
of the collections devoted to naval architecture, and it is a satisfaction 
to report that about one-fourth of the manuscript has been prepared 
at this writing. 
Considering the scope of the activities of this division, therefore, 
and the small staff engaged, the condition of the collections is very 
satisfactory, but maintained with difficulty. 
Special investigations—No special investigations were conducted 
upon the materials in the division other than those which were re- 
quired in the constructive development of the collections. Prior to 
the actual construction of the models visualizing the developments in 
aircraft, Mr. Garber was closely engaged in study so as to obtain the 
most authentic data available on these subjects. The results of this 
study are shown in the models on exhibition and described earlier in 
this report. In original work such as this there is, of course, the 
possibility of error in interpretation, so that the division welcomes 
any constructive criticism. 
Inquiries relative to watches, clocks, locomotives, ships, firearms, 
electricity, and to many other subjects were answered, the effort be- 
ing made to not only answer the direct inquiry, but to enlarge upon 
it, giving all information which might prove useful. 
The shortage of watchmakers and scientific instrument makers 
throughout the country to-day has been the subject of earnest con- 
sideration by those particularly involved. Through the efforts of 
Mr. Spier, honorary custodian of watches, the National Research 
Council was made conversant with the situation, as a result of which 
representatives of the watchmaking industry and the watchmaking 
schools were invited to attend a conference under the auspices of the 
council to discuss the question and devise means of remedying it. 
This conference was held in Washington May 19 and 20, and 
