REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 19 



'NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



The National Museum suffered the loss at the beginning of 

 the year of the assistant secretary in charge, Mr. Eichard Rathbun, 

 who died July 16, 1918. His duties devolved upon Mr. W. de C. 

 Ravenel, the administrative assistant, whose title was changed to 

 administrative assistant to the secretary, and on November 1 was 

 also designated director of arts and industries. 



The scope of the National Museum embraces many subjects, which 

 may be classed under the following headings : 



1. Natural history. 



2. Applied science and art (Arts and Industries). 



3. The fine arts (the National Gallery of Art). 



4. American history. 



These various departments are combined under one administration, 

 which insures greater economy and efficiency in management. 



During the war the Museum furnished the Bureau of War Risk 

 Insurance with 138,600 square feet of space for its offices. Members 

 of the Museum staff in all departments continued to render service to 

 the various governmental agencies until the signing of the armistice, 

 and their work was successful in bringing the Museum into closer 

 relationship with the executive departments. 



The total number of accessions received during the year was 526,- 

 845, classified and assigned as follows : Department of Anthropology, 

 12,333 ; Zoology, 442,383 ; Botany, 40,357 ; Geology and Mineralogy, 

 4,750; Paleontology, 26,050; Textiles, etc., 884; Mineral Technology, 

 62; and National Gallery of Art, 26. Three thousand and ninety-six 

 articles were loaned for exhibition, mainly for the divisions of 

 history and American archeology and the Gallery of Art. Pur- 

 chases were made from the Frances Lea Chamberlain funds and the 

 Henry Ward Ranger funds. 



During the year the Museum began the collection of a most val- 

 uable and interesting series of war relics. One of the most instruc- 

 tive features of this collection is an exhibit showing the development 

 of the airplane, from the original Langley models to the first Gov- 

 ernment-owned aeroplane of the world, purchased by the United 

 States from the Wright Brothers in 1909. Through the director of 

 military aeronautics. Bureau of Aircraft Production, two types of 

 planes used by the French at the front in 1917 were received, and a 

 Curtiss training plane of the model used at flying fields all over the 

 United States, as well as the first battle plane constructed in this 

 country for the United States Government — the DH-4 — made by the 

 Dayton- Wright xlirplane Co. in 1917. This machine was flown over 

 100,000 miles. 



