REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 5 



The United States Exploring Expedition around the worid from 

 1838 to 1842, the North Pacific or Perry Exploring Expedition from 

 1853 to 1856, and many subsequent investigations by the Navy. 



The acti^aties of the members of the United States diplomatic and 

 consular service abroad. 



The Government surveys at home, such as the Pacific Railroad 

 surveys, the Mexican and Canadian boundary surveys, and the sur- 

 veys carried on by the Engineer Corps, the Signal Corps, and other 

 branches of the U. S. Army. 



The explorations of the U. S. Geological Survey, the U. S. Bureau 

 of Fisheries, several bureaus of the Department of Agriculture, the 

 Bureau of American Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institution, and 

 other scientific branches of the Government. 



Donations and purchases in connection with the several expo- 

 sitions at home and abroad in which the Museum and Bureau of 

 Fisheries have participated since 1876. 



Exchano:es with foreign and domestic museums and mth 

 individuals. 



AS A MUSEUM OF RESEARCH. 



In ord^r to permit of their examination and study, as provided in the 

 act of establishment, the collections of the Museum are, to the extent 

 of its accommodations, arranged systematically and in a manner 

 convenient for reference. Access to the reserve or study series, so 

 called, consisting of the main body of the collections and as com- 

 plete in all the groups as the accessions have made possible, is given 

 to all properly qualified persons engaged in original research. The 

 opportunities thus afforded are widely availed of, the Museum being 

 AHsited every jear by many investigators, some of world-\^dde dis- 

 tinction, coming from the scientific centers of Europe and other 

 foreign countries, as well as from all parts of the United States, 

 ^laterial is also occasionally sent to representatives of other institu- 

 tions having the means of pro\nding for its safe-keeping, when required 

 in the working up of special subjects or for comparison wdtli their 

 own collections. 



The custodianship of the collections being the first and most imper- 

 ative duty devolving upon the scientific staff of the National Museum, 

 its members find comparatively little time for advancing knowledge, 

 though they are selected with special reference to their ability to 

 identify" and classify the specimens under their charge, and in fact, 

 every year prepare many important contributions. A number of 

 assistants employed by other scientific bureaus have laboratory room 

 in the Museum in wliich to conduct investigations on material kept 

 here in their care, and in whose results the Museum shares. Many 

 collections have from time to time been transferred to the Museum 



