REPORT OF THE SECRETARY, 37 



same is true of a collection including both fossil invertebrates and 

 plants, mainly from Carboniferous and Silurian rocks of Indiana, 

 and especially rich in beautifully preserved crinoids. This collec- 

 tion, comprising not less than 10,000 specimens, was a gift of Mr. 

 Alva Schaefer, of Brazil, Ind. 



Excellent exhibition materials in the line of vertebrate fossils, 

 including part of a skeleton with a skull of the curious amphibial 

 Diplocaulus^ copei from the Permian of Texas; a skull of Mono- 

 clonius; a skull, partial skeleton, and two hind paddles of Tylo- 

 saurus; and an articulated series of caudal vertebrse of Platj/carptcs 

 are among the more important accessions. Mention should be made 

 of the addition to the exhibition series of the mounted skeleton of 

 DzTnetrodon gigas^ which was secured some few years ago. This 

 forms the most complete restoration of thisi extraordinary animal 

 that has thus far been secured by any museum in the world. 



Museum work, as in other departments, suffered through interrup- 

 tions, including the closing of the exhibition halls, incidental to the 

 war, the head curator himself being engaged a part of the time in 

 procuring for the National Research Council important materials 

 needed in newly devised apparatus. Continual demands were made 

 upon the department throughout the entire period of the war for 

 materials for experimental purposes, and it is felt that the depart- 

 ment fully justified itself in its capacity for supplying that which 

 was needed. 



Advantage was taken of the relief from all exhibition work caused 

 by the closing of the halls, to complete the records and attend to other 

 work such as had heretofore suffered more or less neglect through 

 l^ressure of other duties. 



Incidental mention may be made of the preparation of 100 lots in 

 sets comprising 21 specimens each, illustrating the secular decay of 

 rocks and intended primarily for distribution to the agricultural 

 schools. Considerable progress was also made in the preparation of 

 100 sets of upward of 80 specimens each of ores and minerals which 

 are intended for distribution as occasion may demand. This is a 

 work which is ordinarily done at odd moments, as no funds are 

 directly available for the purpose. 



Textiles. — To the collections under the charge of the curator of 

 textiles, which, besides textiles, embrace wood technology, medicine, 

 food, and animal and vegetable products, the most important addi- 

 tion was the collection received by transfer from the Office of the 

 Surgeon General of the War Department, consisting of apparatus, 

 hospital appliances, and field equipment used by the medical, dental, 

 and sanitary corps in the war with Germany, including exam^Dles 

 of all kinds of equipment of a thousand-bed hospital overseas. At the 



