128 STUDY COLLECTIONS 



Arrangements were also made by which the large series of lantern 

 slides, numbering more than 25,000, were loaned to teachers for use in 

 class rooms. 



The scientific side of the work of the Museum is based upon its 

 explorations and study collections. 



The Study Collections, as the name implies, are not only for the 

 Study benefit of students but preserve a record of our vanishing 



Collections animal life and of the life and customs of our own and other 

 primitive peoples. 



In the case of Natural History the vast majority of the specimens are 

 in the study series, not only because they would ultimately be ruined by 

 exposure to light but because the display of all material would only con- 

 fuse the visitor. Moreover, no museum has room to show everything, 

 and a careful selection is made of objects of the greatest educational 

 value and these are so displayed as to enhance their interest and attrac- 

 tiveness. 



The Study Collections are, briefly, as follows: 



Anthropology — Ethnology. — -On the attic floor of the west wing and 

 the northwest pavilion there are thirty-three fire-proof storerooms con- 

 taining the ethnological study collections of more than 100,000 catalogue 

 numbers, comprising extensive series of the Philippine Islands, Siberia, 

 China, Africa, South Africa and the various culture areas in North 

 America. 



The human skeleton material is chiefly from western States and South 

 America. About two thousand crania have been classified and made 

 available for study. 



Archa'ology. — In archaeology there is a large type series of stone 

 objects from the various States of the Union. Full collections from 

 excavated sites in British Columbia, Washington State, New York State, 

 Kentucky, Arizona and New Mexico are here, together with a special 

 series from the Trenton Valley. There is much material from Mexico, 

 Peru and Bolivia. 



Geology. — The study collections comprise, among other things, the 

 Hitchcock series of rocks illustrating thirteen geological sections across 

 the States of Vermont and New Hampshire; a complete set of duplicate 

 specimens from the United States geological survey of the Fortieth 

 Parallel; a series illustrating the early geological survey of Pennsylvania; 

 a complete typical series of rocks and microscopic thin sections illus- 

 trating Rosenbusch's manual of petrography; large series of American 

 rocks; a complete series typifying the rocks encountered in driving the 

 Simplon tunnel, Switzerland; many ores and economic specimens. 



