196 Field Museum of Natural History — • Reports, Vol. IV. 



a permanent character has been accomplished, the total nimiber of 

 labels prepared and in part printed and distributed being about 3,000. 

 A number of single series were fully labeled and the labeling accord- 

 ing to standard practice of all specimens at present exhibited in the 

 Department is rapidly approaching completion. For the most part 

 new labels replace those of mixed character heretofore used. Many 

 of these were hand written, and the rest were of the old buff card- 

 board type, which were among the first products of the Museum printing 

 shop. Many of these were made for a type of specimen mount now 

 abandoned and in shape and size were unadapted to the present installa- 

 tion. In reprinting these labels in aluminum ink on black cards, it 

 was often found desirable to increase the size of the type. This called 

 for a revision of the matter on the labels so that what was relatively 

 unimportant as well as any matter appearing on the accompanying 

 group labels was omitted. The greater part of the new labeling accom- 

 plished related to the ore collections occupying Hall 34. Except for the 

 marbles and building stones, which were done previously, the labels 

 for the whole of Hall 34 were revised during the year, and those for 

 the gold, silver, lead and platinum collections installed. The total 

 number of labels thus prepared was about 2,000. Besides the prepa- 

 ration of labels for the individual specimens attention was paid to 

 group labels in this series and enough of them were provided to break 

 up the too uniform appearance of lines of specimens. Besides the 

 group labels of the type formerly employed, a number of mining 

 district labels were prepared. These state briefly where the district 

 is located and give a few of the more salient features of its ore de- 

 posits. In preparing these labels every effort was made to keep the 

 labels as brief as possible, to use as large type in the body of the label 

 as possible, and to employ language as non-technical as the subject 

 would allow. An extensive series of labels was prepared for the 

 petroleum collection and the labeling of this collection was prac- 

 tically completed. Nearly 500 labels were prepared for this col- 

 lection, about 30 of them being descriptive and the remainder 

 giving full details. The Chalmers collection of crystals, occupying 

 Alcove 105, was provided with a full series of new labels, about 

 200 labels being prepared for the purpose. About 300 labels were 

 prepared and distributed among the larger rock specimens to replace 

 those of a miscellaneous character which had hitherto been used. 

 Complete individual labels to the number of 45 and one large descriptive 

 label were provided for the case of fossil Eocene mammals, Hall 59. 

 A series of individual and descriptive labels numbering about 30 was 

 provided for the blast furnace models. A number of defective or writ- 



