GENERAL ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM 
OF CANADA 
By IF. H. Collins, Acting Director 
Very satisfactory progress was made in the activities of the National 
Museum of Canada during the year 1930, as is shown by the administrative 
reports of the Anthropological and Biological Divisions, and by the reports 
prepared by the Palaeontological and Mineralogical Divisions of the Geo- 
logical Survey with regard to their museum activities. These reports show 
very plainly, also, that a live museum is not a depository of more or less 
interesting curios, as a few still suppose it to be, but an active organization 
for modern scientific investigation. 
The scientific investigations of the National Museum are based upon 
a great mass of information and material collected by trained men in the 
field. The Anthropological Division carried on field work among the 
Indians of southern Ontario and Quebec with a view to ascertaining the 
effect on aboriginal culture of contact with European races; investigated 
the social organization, customs, and beliefs of the Indians living at Kiti- 
mat, British Columbia, and around lake Abitibi, Ontario and Quebec; 
made an anthropometiic study of the Indians living in the vicinity of Lesser 
Slave lake; made an archaeological reconnaissance of Magdalen islands; 
and excavated pre-European Indian village sites in New Brunswick and 
southern Ontario. 
The Biological Division completed a botanical survey of Wood Buffalo 
park, northern Alberta, started a botanical survey of the province of Nova 
Scotia, studied and collected material in southeastern British Columbia 
to be used in a report on the mammals of that area, and conducted orni- 
thological investigations in the vicinity of Churchill on the west coast of 
Hudson bay. 
In addition to acquiring a great deal of very valuable material for 
study purposes the officers in charge of the field parties procured some 
choice material for exhibition in the museum halls. 
The equipment of the exhibition halls was increased during the year 
by the purchase of five upright glass cases with metal frames for the Palaeon- 
tological hall, and by the manufacture by the museum staff of a large, 
upright glass case with mahogany frame for the Biological hall, a large 
wall case for a dinosaur mount, three magohany table cases for geological 
and palaeontological exhibits, and a mahogany case specially designed to 
carry sixteen small, standard insect cases. 
Good progress was made during the year in setting up exhibits in the 
museum halls. In the east Anthropological hall a number of instructive 
and well-conceived synoptic exhibits were installed, such as Indian cradles, 
musical instruments, and games. In the Biological hall some very fine 
habitat groups of birds and mammals were set up. The collection of non- 
metallic minerals was augmented by an exhibit in an upright case showing 
the mode of occurrence, origin, and uses of talc, and by additional cases 
showing amber and mineral resins and the constitution of coal. Additions 
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