UNITED STATES 43 



is used to promote the study of "the nature and properties of at- 

 mospheric air in connection with the welfare of man" by grants in aid 

 of researches and by the award of the HODGKINS GOLD MEDAL for im- 

 portant contributions to knowledge in this field. Appointments are 

 made by the Institution to a table which it supports at Naples Zoologi- 

 cal Station. 



U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Address. Washington, D. C. Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution, in charge of Museum : Richard Rathbun. 



History. By its act of incorporation (1846) the Smithsonian Institution 

 was made the custodian and the only lawful place of deposit, of all 

 objects of art and of foreign and curious research and all objects of 

 natural history, plants and geological and mineralogical specimens be- 

 longing to the United States. In 1858 the collections of the Wilkes Ex- 

 ploring Expedition and various government surveys were transferred 

 from the Patent Office to the Institution and appropriation was made 

 by Congress for their care and maintenance. The name National Mu- 

 seum first appears in an act of Congress in 1875, although it had then 

 been in popular use for several years. In 1876, at the close of the 

 Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, large collections from the exhibits 

 of foreign governments were secured for the museum and Congress 

 made provision for the erection of a separate building which was opened 

 to the public in 1881. A new building, provided for in 1903, is now in 

 course of erection. 



Ref: The Smithsonian institution, 1846-1896. The history of its first half 

 century. Washington, 1897. Art. VIII. Report of the U. S. National 

 museum : 1896, p. 287-324 ; 1897, pt- 2, p. 83-191 ; 1903, p. 177-309- 



Publications. 



Report of the Assistant director . . . 1881-1883. Washington, 1883- 

 85- 8. 



Reprinted from Smithsonian reports for 1881-83. 



Annual report of the Board of regents of the Smithsonian institution 

 . . . 1884-1906. REPORT of the U. S. National museum. Wash- 

 ington, 1885-1906. 8. 



Also issued as Congressional documents. 



Include reports of the Assistant Secretary [prior to 1886, Assistant Director] 



and curators ; and papers, chiefly of an ethnological character, describing 



collections in the museum (also issued separately). 

 Report for the year ending June 30, 1897, in 2 vols., pt. 2 being a memorial 



of Dr. G. Brown Goode. 



