106 REPORT OF NATIONAL. MUSEUM, 1925 



"(2) Radioactive chemicals, isotopes, and the like, of which an 

 analysis is available or of which a study has been made. 



"(3) Unstable chemicals, such as pharmaceuticals of definite 

 chemical composition, where a study of the rate, extent, and nature 

 of their decomposition is deemed desirable. 



"(4) Specimens of historic interest of chemicals which are likely 

 to be of future value for purposes of comparison. [Note: This 

 paragraph refers to samples which were prepared before the date of 

 the establishment of this collection.] 



"(5) Chemicals of an exceptionally high degree of purity not 

 generally available, which are likely to be used for atomic weight 

 determinations, standards of comparison, etc. 



"(6) Unusual allotropic forms of the elements not generally 

 available, a study of which at some time in the future is deemed 

 likely. 



"(T) Alloys which have been well defined and adequately de- 

 scribed in the literature. 



" (8) Chemicals which have been prepared by new methods." 



Toward the first objective it may be said that the collection has 

 made a good start. The addition of 616 specimens during the fiscal 

 year has brought the total number of specimens in the series up to 

 650. A very high percentage of the specimens received during the 

 year are compounds which have been prepared for the first time, and 

 are therefore of considerable interest. 



History. — The collections in the division of history are, for con- 

 venience, divided into the following classes: Antiquarian, costume, 

 military, naval, numismatic, philatelic, and pictorial. This classi- 

 fication is, as a rule, based on the intrinsic character of the objects 

 without reference to the special historical interest which they may 

 derive from their association with some notable personality of Ameri- 

 can or foreign history. ^ 



In the antiquarian series a notable addition was made this year 

 to the arms collection by the loan of a number of antique fowling 

 pieces, rifles, powderflasks, powderhorns and swords received from 

 Maj. Jerome Clark, United States Army. The fowling pieces in- 

 clude one owned by James II, King of Great Britain, 1685-88, 

 made by Jolin Cosens and bearing the royal arms and the inscription 

 "James Rex"; a fowling piece with a gold flashpan and vent 

 made by Joseph Manton and owned by the Duke of York, son 

 of George III, King of Great Britain, 1760-1820; a fowling piece 

 with barrels decorated with gold inlay work, made by Dumares, 

 and owned by a French marquis during the reign of Louis XVI^ 

 1774^1792; and two fowling pieces of ornate decorations, one of 

 a Spanish gentleman and the other of an Englishman. The loan 



