148 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



The disposal of such a quantity of duplicate material as is now being scut out, of 

 no further value to the Museum, will be of benefit to the institution in more than one 

 way. In addition to increasing its sphere of usefulness, and bringing back to it some 

 returns in the way of exchanges, it will also relieve the Museum of much care and 

 expense, necessary to the preservation of such an extensive collection, and enable 

 the workers in this department to devote their entire time to the reserve and unde- 

 termined materials. 



From the many resources of the National Museum, it is natural to sui)pose that this 

 department will, in the course of time, assume greater proportions than the same 

 department of any other museum in the country. The accessions for the past three 

 years, or since the renewal of activity in this line, have been so great that the depart- 

 ment has outgrown the s^iace assigned to it, and, unless more room is made available 

 at an early date, the safety of the collections will be more or less imperiled. It is 

 very gratifying to the curator to be able to note such rapid progress in a department 

 which has lain dormant for so long a time. 



Among the many plans proposed for the coming year, it is intended to make con- 

 siderable advancement in the preparation of the exhibition series, in order that the 

 more instructive specimens, of which many are still packed away, may all be made 

 serviceable to the general public at once. Another reason for rapidly perfecting the 

 exhibition series is one now generally recognized by all museums, that, as a rule, less 

 damage happens to specimens when they are open to constant insi^ection than when 

 they are stored away out of sight. The pottery now filling the cases on the west side 

 of the marine invertebrate hall is to be soon removed, when these cases will be altered 

 to correspond with those now containing the invertebrate collections. Enough speci- 

 mens of corals and sponges are now mounted or prepared for mounting to nearly fill 

 these new cases, so that with little exertion a very extensive display can be made. 



The scheme for the exhibition of specimens in this dejiartment, as at present worked 

 out, comprises two features — the general display collection, which we have deen dis- 

 cussing, and the synoptical collection, which has not yet been begun. The former 

 will illustrate the several groups of marine invertebrates, with reference to external 

 form, by a massing together of all the members of the groups, which it is possible to 

 obtain or to exhibit to advantage in the cases. The synoptical collection wUl be of a 

 more educational character, and will represent the external and internal anatomy, 

 and embryology of tyjiical members of each group by means of careful preparations, 

 dissections, and diagrams. The latter scheme will necessitate a much greater outlay 

 of labor than the former, and will require a number of years for its accomplishment. 

 This portion of the exhibition collection will have to be accommodated in new up- 

 right cases, to occupy the center floor space, after the present incumbrances are re- 

 moved. The general display collection will also soon outgrow the wall cases allotted 

 to it, and require additional space on the floor. 



In the present scheme no account has been taken of the large reserve series of al- 

 coholic specimens, excepting where such may be used in the syuoptical collection. 

 The general display collection now contains only dried specimens, which are the most 

 suitable for display. The ordinary cylindrical jars of thick glass distort their contents, 

 and it is generally impossible to keep the alcohol so clear that the specimens can be 

 readily distinguished from the outside. Nevertheless, there are in this department 

 large quantities of showy siiecimens, of Avhich dry preparations cannot be made, and 

 which it is deairable to display. Square jars have been suggested, and would certainly 

 be preferable to the round ones. A matter of greater importance, however, is the safe 

 keeping of the entire reserve series of specimens in alcohol, which is now mainly stored 

 in dark rooms and passageways in the basement, where it is very difficult to give it the 

 proper attention. A portion of these specimens, which have been determined and 

 properly labelled, have been arranged in the wall cases on the south side of the main 

 Smithsonian hall, and if no objection is made the curator proposes to fill as mauy of 

 those cases as are not now used for other purposes. There is no doubt but that the 



