(no) 



Woods and Wood Products. Cases 181 to 195. — The 

 great number of useful woods and their more important 

 products precludes anything like a complete representation 

 of those of the entire world, with our present means and 

 equipment, although it is not improbable that such an 

 exhibit may be undertaken in the future. In the meantime, 

 the collection will be found to contain much of interest 

 and value, and will be extended as our facilities permit. 



Charcoal. Case 196. — Charcoal is the residue remaining 

 after driving off the volatile constituents of wood, both 

 those which exist naturally in it and those which are formed 

 during the application of heat, oxygen being excluded to 

 avoid the burning of the carbon. Although charcoal is 

 chiefly employed as a fuel, it has many other important 

 uses, different sorts being specially applicable for certain 

 of them. One such use is in the manufacture of gunpowder, 

 for which purpose the carbon must be free from silica, or 

 other crystals capable of causing sparks by friction. 

 Another use requiring very special properties is that for the 

 carbons of incandescent electric lamps. Certain kinds of 

 charcoal are specially useful in medicinal preparations. 

 Our collection of these products is at present very small, 

 but is nevertheless of considerable interest. 



Miscellaneous Specimens. Case 197. — In this case will 

 be found a number of interesting articles not properly 

 referable to any of the special classes above enumerated, 

 ornaments and toys being specially prominent. Many 

 seeds and other plant parts are employed in the making 

 of beads and decorative articles. The ivory nut, the very 

 hard seeds of a species of palm, is largely used in the 

 making of buttons, chessmen and various carved articles, 

 substituting ivory for such purposes. This collection is 

 capable of indefinite extension as a result of visits to countries 

 inhabited by savages and other primitive peoples. 



North American Dendrology. Cases 199-264. — The col- 

 lection of North American Dendrology is based on speci- 

 mens of the wood of all North American trees. To the 



