REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1924 33 



officio; Dr. W. F. Hillebrand, chief of the division of chemistry, 

 Bureau of Standards, United States Department of Commerce, ex 

 officio; James K. Senior, representative of the committee in the 

 Middle West; Dr. C. L. Alsberg, representative of the committee 

 on the Pacific coast; and F. L. Lewton, representative from the 

 United States National Museum. With the recommendation of 

 the advisory committee, O. E. Roberts, jr., was appointed curator 

 of the collection on April 1, 1924. 



The organization of the paleontological collections was modified 

 for administrative purposes, effective June 30, 1924. The division 

 of paleontology was subdivided, the section of vertebrate paleon- 

 tology being segregated to form a new division of vertebrate paleon- 

 tology. The remainder of the old division becomes the division of 

 stratigraphic paleontology and comprises the section of invertebrate 

 paleontology and the section of paleobotany. 



Other changes affecting the geological staff included the appoint- 

 ment of Erwin R. Pohl on March 1, 1924, as aid in the section of 

 paleobotany ; the changing of the title of Dr. James W. Gidley from 

 assistant curator of fossil mammals to assistant curator of mam- 

 malian fossils, effective June 30, 1924; and the resignation of Dr. 

 T. Wayland Vaughan as honorary custodian of madreporarian corals, 

 as his work was taking him to the Pacific coast. Doctor Vaughan 

 has continued his long association with the Museum, however, by 

 accepting an honorary appointment as associate in marine sediments. 



The resignations from the service included Matthew W. Stirling, 

 assistant curator of ethnology, who resigned on March 15, 1924, and 

 C. C. Anderson, aid in organic chemistry, on June 17, 1924, both 

 positions remaining vacant at the end of the j^ear. 



Three members of the staff left the Museum through the operation 

 of the retirement act : W. I. Adams, disbursing agent for nearly 20 

 years, with service in another bureau of the Institution aggregating 

 28 years in all ; Joseph Horan, sergeant of the watch, with a service 

 of 42 years ; and A. F. Adams, classifier in the library, whose retire- 

 ment granted in October, 1923, was effective from June 2, 1921, with 

 a service of 39 years. W. I. Adams was transferred from the 

 chief clerkship of the Bureau of International Exchanges on June 12, 

 1905, to the position of disbursing agent of the Institution. Mr. 

 Adams filled the position with credit and ability and his retirement 

 on March 31, 1924, on account of his health was greatly regretted 

 not only by the officials of the Institution but by all who had been 

 brought in contact with him during his long administration of his 

 office. He was succeeded on April 1 by Nicholas W. Dorsey, who 

 had long been his deputy. 



Neil M. Judd, curator of American archeology, who was on fur- 

 lough at the beginning of the fiscal year, resumed his duties on 



