REPORT OF THE SECRETARY | 
photographs from some of the foremost workers in the world in this 
field, including a bromide print entitled “ Damp and Cold,” by Floyd 
Vail, and prints by many others. 
The Loeb collection of chemical types, established to preserve 
samples of the rarer chemical compounds, has been increased by 
165 specimens. The collection is broadening its usefulness through 
contacts with a steadily increasing circle of chemists. 
History——During the year 17,256 specimens were added to the 
historical collections, a considerable increase over last year. Addi- 
tions to the military and naval collections were of especial interest 
and value. Mrs. Beulah Hepburn Emmet presented a collection cf 
131 American and foreign military and naval swords dating back 
to 1750, forming the collection of Dr. Alfred J. Hopkins and known 
by his name. There are included many fine and ornate examples of 
the sword-makers art. In addition to swords of the Continental 
Army during the Revolution, there are many showing the develop- 
ment of the sword in the American Army through the nineteenth 
century to the close of the Civil War. The set of naval swords covers 
a like period of naval history. A large and interesting series of 
relics of Gen. Philip H. Sheridan was donated by Mrs. Philip H. 
Sheridan. 
In the numismatic collections, 65 modern coins and tokens were 
received as a bequest from the late Col. Thomas L. Casey through 
Mrs. Laura Welsh Casey; 112 Chinese coins, many of them very old, 
were received from Rev. D. C. Graham; and 68 French coins, tokens, 
and paper currency of the period of the World War were presented 
by Capt. Charles Carey. 
The philatelic collections received large additions from the Post 
Office Department including a set of 12,314 varieties of precanceled 
stamps from 1895 to the present date. Transfers from the Post 
Office Department to this collection have included all of the new 
stamps, both regular and commemorative issued by the 278 govern- 
ments in the Universal Postal Union. Commemorative stamps of 
our own government have included three issues, the centenary of 
the arrival of Norwegians in Minnesota, the Sesquicentennial of the 
signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the erection of a 
memorial to John Ericsson, inventor and engineer, builder of the 
Monitor. 
EXPLORATIONS AND FIELD WORK 
The bulk of the accessions to the collections during the year came 
from expeditions and explorations organized under private auspices 
or by other governmental agencies. 
In biology, important field work was carried on by Dr. Waldo L. 
Schmitt, curator of marine invertebrates under an award of the 
