Report on the Progress and Condition of the United States National Museum

Q 11 U52Z CRLSSI SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM REPORT ON THE PROGRESS AND CONDITION OF THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1940 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1941 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. - --------- Price IS cents United States National Museum, Under Direction of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C, September 25, 19^0. Sir : I have the honor to submit herewith a report upon the present condition of the United States National Museum and upon the work accomplished in its various departments during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1940. Very respectfully, Alexander Wetmore, Assistant Secretary. Dr. Charles G. Abbot, Secretary, Smithsonian Institution. CONTENTS Page Operations for the year 1 Appropriations 1 Collections 3 Explorations and field work 4 Assistance from Work Projects Administration 10 Educational work 11 Visitors 11 Library 12 Publications and printing 14 Photographic laboratory 15 Buildings and equipment 15 Meetings and special exhibits 17 Changes in organization and staff 18 Detailed reports on the collections 20 Department of anthropology 20 Department of biology 29 Department of geology 48 Department of engineering and industries 60 Division of history 69 List of accessions 74 List of Museum publications 117 in : REPORT ON THE PROGRESS AND CONDITION OF THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1940 By Alexander Wetmoke Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, in Charge of the National Museum OPERATIONS FOR THE YEAR APPROPRIATIONS Funds for the preservation of the collections of the United States National Museum and for its maintenance and operation for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1940, were provided by appropriations in the Executive and Independent Offices Act approved March 16, 1939. Appropriations covering the technical staff, subprofessional service, and clerical and administrative, watch, char, and labor forces were carried under "Preservations of Collections, Smithsonian Institution," while funds for maintaining and operating the buildings were included as a subappropriation in "General Expenses, Smithsonian Institution." The appropriations and allotments for the work of the Museum are summarized as follows Preservation of collections $628,800 Administrative reserve 3, 000 Available for expenditure $625, 800 Maintenance and operation 147, 575 Administrative reserve 2, 500 Available for expenditure 145,075 Printing and binding (allotment to Museum) 34, 350 Total available for year 805,225 In addition to these normal expenditures of the Museum, the Third Deficiency Appropriation, approved August 9, 1939, made available $270,000 to cover expenses for changing the electric current provided for the Smithsonian group of buildings from direct to alternating. Of this amount $5,293.96 was expended by the Museum direct, and the remainder of $264,707.04 was transferred to the Public Buildings Administration of the Federal Works Agency, under whose direction contracts have been let for the entire work. This change will be of 1 2 REPORT OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1940 distinct benefit to the Museum, affecting both the lighting and the elevator services, which were in urgent need of improvement. Total regular funds actually available for expenditure for the work of the Museum were $33,345 in excess of those for the fiscal year 1939. In the appropriation for "Preservation of Collections" there was an increase of $19,420. Of this amount $9,820 was available for much- needed promotions, and through its use it was possible to promote a group of highly meritorious workers, many of whom had not had promotions for 8 to 10 years. Funds were also made available for the salary of an assistant curator of the division of insects, a much- needed addition. The insect collection, the largest in the Institution, contains about 5,000,000 specimens, with heretofore only one tech- nically trained entomologist on the staff of the division. With the new position adequate technical supervision will be available at all times, which has not been possible in the past when the curator was absent for any reason. Funds were provided also for the appointment of a subprofessional assistant in the taxidermy shop, to be engaged principally on the preparation of accessories for habitat groups. The appropriation also included provision for the addition of two guards, a step that makes it possible to give the guards com- pensatory leave for the major part of the Saturday afternoon, Sunday, and holiday service they now serve as overtime. The appropriation also contained $2,000 additional for the purchase of much-needed supplies for preserving the collections. The allotment providing for the maintenance and operation of the buildings was $8,575 in excess of that for the fiscal year 1939. Of this amount $1,720 was available for promotions to the mechanical staff and made it possible to promote a portion of the more meritorious workers who had not received increases in salary for considerable periods. Funds were provided also for the appointment of a sheet- metal worker, a position greatly needed not only in repairing the roofs, but in sheathing cases for the storage specimens. Beyond this, $2,000 was available for the purchase of electric power and $2,995 for mis- cellaneous supplies for the mechanical shops. The allotment for printing was $5,350 above that for the fiscal year 1939, a most welcome increase, since it will enable a small reduction in the great quantity of manuscripts now awaiting publication. All the additional funds carried in the appropriations for the fiscal year 1940 will supply much-needed items. Undoubtedly the most valuable of the funds received for the year's work were those relating to promotions, which made possible an important first step in bringing the salaries of the Museum workers in line with those in other branches of the Federal service. It is hoped that provision for a reasonable and continuing promotion policy may soon be made so that the per- formance of our various tasks will not depend entirely on the loyalty OPERATIONS FOR THE YEAR 6 of the workers to the Museum. In an organization so generally under- staffed it is important that the morale of the workers be kept on a high plane ; they must be given some assurance that their efforts will be rewarded commensurately with others in the Federal service. The funds received for a few new positions have done a great deal to insure the conduct of the work in certain divisions on an efficient basis, but there are numerous other units still seriously in need of additional personnel. This fact became increasingly evident toward the end of the fiscal year when the Work Projects Administration project was closed, and it was again greatly evident that our present permanent force is insufficient for carrying on in a prompt and effective manner the varied tasks assigned to it. This situation is aggravated each year by the increasingly crowded condition of the Museum, both in exhibi- tion and storage facilities. Under these conditions more time is re- quired each year for adequately caring for the millions of specimens in our charge. The loss of time thus suffered is only one of the important considerations facing the Museum for, with the crowded condition, increasing!}^ strict limitations must be placed on the receipt of specimens, and each year materials must be refused that should find a place in the National Museum. Since the collections are augmented primarily through gifts of interested people, there should be provision for the receipt of all gifts in order to build up truly representative collections in the varied fields. The ever-growing need for additional space has been outlined in previous reports. Each year it is becoming more acute. All possible space within the buildings has been utilized, and present needs can be met only through the construction of new buildings. COLLECTIONS Additions during the past year to the great collections that form the United States National Museum were many and varied and brought highly valuable materials. These increases came from expeditions arranged through the Smithsonian Institution and financed principally through its private funds or through moneys secured by it, as well as through gifts from the many friends of the Museum who place in it their treasures. The total number of specimens received is some- what less than in the previous year, but the value remains at the same high level. The number of individual accessions is greater than in the previous period. New material was received in 1,960 separate accessions, with a total of 212,474 specimens, distributed among the five departments as follows: Anthropology, 5,233; biology, 168,673; geology, 33,921; engineering and industries, 2,019 ; and history, 2,628. For examination and report 1,653 lots of specimens were received, including a great variety of objects in many fields. A part of these 4 REPORT OF THE NATIONAL, MUSEUM, 194 was returned by request to the senders when the examination was completed and the report made, a part was consumed and destroyed during the process of examination and analysis, and a part was pre- sented by the senders to form additions to the Museum's permanent collections. The numbers of plants, geological material, and insects identified were very large. Gifts of duplicates to schools, museums, and other institutions num- bered 2,174 specimens. Exchanges of duplicate materials with other institutions and individuals totaled 20,815 specimens, and six specimens were transferred to other governmental agencies. Loans for scientific study for the use of investigators unable to come to Wash- ington totaled 48,033 specimens, requiring a vast amount of labor in their handling. Following is a summary of the entries now included in the Museum catalogs in all departments: Anthropology 703, 326 Biology 13, 068, 300 Geology 2, l588, 958 Engineering and industries 132, 115 History 508,500 Total , 17, 001, 199 EXPLORATIONS AND FIELD WORK The work of the staff in the field was carried on principally through funds made available by the Smithsonian Institution and was wide and varied in scope.

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