EEPORT OF THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE UMTED 

 STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM FOR 1882. 



Prof. Spencer F. Baird, 



Director of the United States National Museum : 

 Sir : I have the honor to submit herewith a report upon the work of 

 the Museum for the year 1882, in which are included certain sugges- 

 tions relative to the administration of the Museum, which may at some 

 future time, either in their present form or with modifications, be recom- 

 mended for adoption. 



Very respectfully, 



G. BROWN GOODE, 



Assistant Director. 

 U. S. National Museum, January 1, 1883. 



With the beginning of the year 1882 systematic work in the reorgan- 

 ization and installation of the collections may be said to have been 

 fairly commenced. Although something had been accomplished in the 

 three or four months prior to the above date, the work was, for the most 

 part, experimental. The jear 1882 may, therefore, be regarded as the 

 first year of the occupation of the new building. 



On January 1, 1882, was issued Circular No. 1, containing a plan of 

 organization and regulations. This pamphlet contains 58 pages, and 

 in it are defined the limits of each department of work, the duties of every 

 officer, and the routine to be followed in each kind of administrative 

 work.* 



This code of regulations has been systematically enforced during the 

 year with consequent important improvement in the efficiency of each 

 department. 



Cases. — Much thought and time have been expended in making experi- 

 ments for the purpose of ascertaining what forms of cases are most suit- 

 able for the exhibition of our collections. Old patterns have been modi- 

 fied and new ones invented. A detailed account of these experiments, 

 and their results, will be submitted at some future time. Four thousand 

 five hundred and eighty-six cases and boxes of various patterns have 

 been received, as specified in the accompanying schedule. They have 



* See Appendix to Proceedings United States National Miisenm, Vol. IV, following 

 page 534. 



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