84 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1922. 



The study series of nonmetallics has been expanded and the re- 

 serve collections in physical geology cleaned and rearranged. 



Owing to the absence of the assistant curator for almost the entire 

 year little has been done with the mineralogical collections. The 

 cases containing the systematic exhibition series were thoroughly 

 cleaned, but only necessary changes have been made in this or other 

 exhibits. Newly acquired materials have been cared for so far as 

 routine required, but all have been held for inspection by the assistant 

 curator before riling with the installed collections. 



The Paleozoic invertebrates, as well as the fossil plants, have been 

 cared for by Curator Bassler and Assistant Curator Resser, the latter 

 devoting most of his time to the great Cambrian series built up by 

 Secretary Walcott and the former to the collections of the later 

 horizons. Doctor Resser individually has spent almost half of the 

 year in the preparation and illustration of Cambrian forms for the 

 secretary, although he has also been called upon to prepare illustra- 

 tions of Museum specimens for Doctors Ulrich and Springer. 



Work on the post-Cambrian Paleozoic collections has been kept 

 fairly well in hand, but only by means of the help afforded by Doctor 

 Ulrich and his assistants. These collections have grown to such an 

 extent that the present Museum force is taxed nearly to the limit 

 in caring for them properly. The extent of the work in cleaning and 

 rearranging the study series to accommodate each year's influx of 

 accessions may be realized when it is stated that in the sections of 

 invertebrate paleontology and paleobotany there are over 1.000 

 6-foot steel cases carrying approximately 28,000 drawers. The col- 

 lection of graptolites alone is of such size that when arrangements 

 Avere recently made through a grant from the National Academy of 

 Sciences to have them monographed it required the services of two 

 persons for six weeks to properly list the material and pack it for 

 shipment. 



The Mesozoic and Cenozoic study collections have been cared for, 

 as usual, by Drs. T. W. Stanton, W. PI. Dall, T. W. Vaughan, and 

 their assistants. 



The paleobotanic exhibit has been increased by the introduction of 

 four flat-top cases containing special exhibits which illustrate charac- 

 teristic floras in various kinds of sediments, ranging from the cele- 

 brated clay nodules of the Illinois coal measures to the volcanic ash 

 beds of Colorado. The exhibit constituting a biologic series of fossil 

 plants has been brought near completion, several hundred labels were 

 distributed, and a considerable number of photographs introduced 

 into the series. Doctor Bassler has added seven large mounts to 

 his series illustrating geological phenomena of various kinds. 



The selection and labeling of materials intended for distribution, 

 amounting this year to thousands of specimens, has consumed a con- 



