84 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1925 



completely rearranged in order to make room for the more note- 

 worthy of the year's acquisitions, and the systematic series of min- 

 erals largely cleaned and rearranged. A few minor changes were 

 made in the gem collection. 



In stratigraphic paleontology more time than usual has been spent 

 on the study series. The classification and arrangement of the Edgar 

 E. Teller collection was giA^en first consideration, but it was found 

 necessary to discontinue work on this, while still far from complete, 

 in order to take up a rearrangement of other collections made pos-* 

 sible by a more logical placement of certain Tertiary and Recent 

 material heretofore stored in the division, and by the installation of a 

 number of 6-foot cases in the corridors. This great shift gave op- 

 portunity for a general condensation and reduction, much worthless 

 and duplicate material being eliminated. Part of the space gained 

 has been used to house the Cambrian collections transferred by Sec- 

 retary Walcott, and part the Mesozoic collections. 



Work on the paleobotanical collections is going forward as rap- 

 idly as possible. All duplicate specimens of " Coal Measures " plants 

 have been segregated and several hundred trays of pre-Cambrian 

 algae arranged and removed from the attic, thereby lightening the 

 weight on the upper floor of the building very considerably. In 

 order to systematize the arrangement of the fossil plants, the sepa- 

 ration of the duplicates from the study series of the Mesozoic and 

 Cenozoic collections was begun, a task, however, which will occupy 

 some months. Many of the collections stored in the attic have been 

 cleaned and considerably reduced under the direct supervision of 

 Dr. F. H. Knowlton. As time permitted, the w;ork of preparing 

 the large collection of Devonian and Mississippian black shales, 

 which are yielding many interesting plant and animal remains, was 

 continued. Routine, particularly the preparation of large exchanges, 

 has occupied an unusual amount of the time of att members of the 

 staff in the division of stratigraphic paleontology. Doctor Stanton 

 and Doctor Dall have cared for the Mesozoic and Cenozoic collec- 

 tions as usual. 



Practically all the energies of the preparatory force in vertebrate 

 paleontology have been devoted to the preparation of the Diplodocus 

 skeleton from the Dinosaur National Monument. Although the 

 work advances slowly, due to the refractory nature of the matrix, 

 good progress can be reported. The tail, comprising 32 vertebrae, 

 with a combined length of about 30 feet, has been completely freed 

 from the sandstone, as have all of the ribs, limb, foot, and pelvic 

 bones. Of the total of 35 boxes shipped 21 have been opened and 

 the contents of 19 completely worked up. 



Remington Kellogg has continued to assist in the systematic 

 arrangement of the fossil cetacean collection. It seems pertinent 



