40 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL, I07 



ports of stranded aviators practically starving in tropical jungles 

 which had plenty of edible resources if knowledge of their recogni- 

 tion and preparation were available. The Board stimulated the prep- 

 aration of many reports on how to survive which received wide cir- 

 culation in Army and Navy service publications. The Board also 

 built up a special library and bibliography on the subject of survival. 

 It acquired many manuals published by the Army and Navy, such 

 as the War Department's Basic Field Manuals, and the Bulletins of 

 the Arctic, Desert, and Tropic Information Center, as well as those 

 published outside of the Government, such as "South Sea Lore," by 

 the Bishop Museum, and "Food is Where You Find It," by the 

 Auckland Institute and Museum. Military Intelligence Service fur- 

 nished copies of many of its unpublished reports on the subject by 

 regional officers. 



This was probably the only survival library in Washington, in 

 spite of the fact that most of the materials could have been acquired 

 by any Government agency. A special committee appointed by the 

 Joint Chiefs of Stafif to assemble such books, curtailed its activities 

 after seeing the Board's collection. The survival Hbrary was con- 

 sulted frequently by the writers of many manuals and pocket guides, 

 and contributed to the preparation of the Board's own booklet, 

 "Survival on Land and Sea." 



Photographs 



The staff handled many photographs but did not maintain any spe- 

 cial files. Most photographs were turned over to the war agencies im- 

 mediately, or returned to their owners. Exceptions were illustrations 

 on the subject of survival and Dr. Collins' personal collection of 

 Arctic photographs. Because many agencies were better equipped to 

 copy and file photographs, the Board was able to concentrate on 

 sources rather than actual prints. 



Cross-Cultural Survey File 



The Cross-Cultural Survey was established in 1937 by the Insti- 

 tute of Human Relations, Yale University, under the supervision of 

 George Peter Murdock, professor of anthropology. Its original pur- 

 pose was to assemble and organize the literature on primitive peoples 

 of the world. When the United States entered the war, the Survey 

 was revised, and, after consultation with the Navy, concentrated on 

 the literature on the Japanese mandated islands of Micronesia and 

 other Japanese possessions. In 1943 the Navy took over the work 



