48 REPORT OP THE SECRETARY. 



Mr. Robert Kennicott, the enterprising young naturalist mentioned 

 in the last report, has continued his explorations in the Hudson's Bay 

 territory and Russian America, and his labors have, as in previous 

 years, received the cordial cooperation of all the officers and agents of 

 the Hudson's Bay Company. Not only has he been permitted to visit 

 and reside at the different posts, but he has received free transportation 

 of himself and collections. Mr. Kennicott will further extend his 

 explorations into Russian America, and will probably remain absent 

 until the autumn of 1863. 



Mr. John Xantus, whose name has also been mentioned in some of 

 the previous reports, has industriously occupied his time not devoted 

 to tidal observations for the Coast Survey at Cape St. Lucas, in Lower 

 California, in completing the collections of the natural history of that 

 region. The specimens he has obtained on the western coast, are 

 greater in number and variety, according to Professor Baird, than 

 those ever collected in that region by any single individual. 



Mr. C. Drexler, under the special direction of the Institution, during 

 the last year made an exploration in the region of James' Bay, and in 

 this case also the Hudson's Bay Company liberally seconded the objects 

 of the Institution. He was enabled to collect a large number of valu- 

 able specimens through the facilities afforded him, and these were sent 

 from Moose factory to London, at the expense of the company ; and 

 thence to this country by the Cunard steamers, free of charge ; acts of 

 liberality which deserve to be specially noticed, not only as examples 

 of gratifying appreciation of science, but also of the efforts of the Insti- 

 tution to enlarge its boundaries. 



Museum. — What has been said under the head of collections may 

 serve to illustrate the service which the Institution might have rendered 

 to natural history without having established a public museum, and 

 incurred the expense of the erection of a large building and the con- 

 tinued cost of supporting its necessary establishment of numerous 

 employes. The act of Congress, however, authorized the erection of a 

 building for the reception of objects of natural history, under the idea, 

 then prevalent, that such a provision was absolutely necessary for car- 

 rying out the will of the testator ; but it must be clear to every one 

 who critically examines the subject that, unless restricted, the expense 

 of making provision for a general museum alone would absorb all the 

 funds, and thus confine to a single object, and that principally local in 

 its effects, the bequest intended for the increase and diffusion of knowl- 

 edge generally among men. 



