REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 121 



a printer to operate the presses belonging to the Museum, and his serv- 

 ices have been particularly valuable in this work of experimenting. 

 One of the chief obstacles to the labeling of the collections has been 

 the uncertainty as to what form of label should be used, while another 

 difficulty, equally embarrassing, has been exiierienced in endeavoring to 

 decide exactly how much descriptive matter might properly and effect- 

 ively be priuted on a given label. Nearly 1,200 objects have, however, 

 been finally labeled, and this work is rapidly advancing. 



Fitting up Laboratories. — Several of the curators' laboratories have 

 been fitted up with storage cases and furniture, and are now better sup- 

 plied with conveniences for work than ever before. Among these may 

 be specially mentioned those in the departments of birds, fishes, mol- 

 lusks, insects, mvertebrate fossils and fossil plants; and the increased 

 facilities for work thus aflbrded to the several curators cannot fail to be 

 productive of great general advantage to the Museum. 



Monthly Reports. — During the year each curator and chief of depart- 

 ment has submitted to the Director a monthly report of the ojierations 

 of his department. 



Storage and Archives. — The Registrar, Mr. S. C. Brown, has had in 

 charge the Department of Registry and Storage, his duties being the 

 keeping of the registry books, the reception and assignment of packages, 

 the packing and unpacking of boxes, and the acknowledgment of dona- 

 tions. He has also had in charge the department of archives. The 

 storage rooms have been entirely rearranged and a card-catalogue of 

 their contents prepared, and the records of the year have been carefully 

 kept, in accordance with the requirements of the new code of regulations, 

 besides which considerable progress has been made in the work of arrang- 

 ing in a similar manner the accumulations of past years. The rules for 

 the administration of collections, as specified upon pages 25 and 26 of 

 the "Plan of Organization," already referred to, have been faithfully put 

 upon trial by the Registrar, and have been found thoroughly practicable 

 and much to the adv^antage of the general service of the Museum. 



Library. — The Librarian, Mr. Frederick W. True, has successfully 

 carried out the regulations and specifications issued in the "Plan of 

 Organization," on pages 37 and 38. The establishment of the central 

 and sectional libraries has been perfected, and a complete card cata- 

 logue prepared. 



The Library is now estimated to contain 5,800 books and 5,500 pam- 

 phlets. 



The Library room has been remodeled and enlarged during the year, 

 and will now accommodate conveniently at least 10,000 volumes. Fuller 

 details may be found in the report of the Librarian. 



Publications. — Volume iv of the " Proceedings of the National Mu- 

 seum" for 1881, has been published, under the editorship of Dr. T. H. 

 Bean. It is a book containing 534 pages, with an appendix consisting 



