Q6 KEPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



between the Committee on Patents in the House of Eepresentatives and 

 the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, by which the latter agreed 

 to accex>t the custody of the collections, on condition that the necessary 

 appropriations for their maintenance in the Smithsonian building should 

 be continued by Congress, to include also the expense of the construc- 

 tion of cases and other requirements. This was carried into effect, and 

 in 1857 the government collections were transferred; since which time 

 they have been in the custody of the Institution. Prior to that date, 

 however, large numbers of government and other specimens had been 

 received and cared for at the Smithsonian Institution, but not displayed. 

 These, with the Wilkes' collection and a few others received with them, 

 may be considered as marking the beginning of the National Museum. 

 The institution now points with great satisfaction to the progress that 

 has been accomplished in about twenty-two years, at the end of which 

 time one of the largest and best appointed collections of natural history 

 and ethnology extant has been developed. 



INCREASE OF THE MUSEUM. 



Coming now to the consideration of the condition and history of the 

 National Museum for the year 1879, and beginning with its increase, 

 the general nature of the additions to the Museum during the year will 

 be readily gathered by reference to the alphabetical list of donations 

 and the memoranda in regard to explorations. It may be noted that 

 the donations in 1879 very greatly exceeded those of any previous 

 year, amounting to 1,173 separate entries, while those of 1878 were 

 1,075. A large portion of the number consists of contributions made 

 by the fishing vessels of Gloucester, Mass., as referred to more par- 

 ticularly under the head of operations of the United States Fish Com- 

 mission. The additions to the Museum are derivtd from four princi- 

 pal sources, viz: 1. Government exploring and surveying parties. 2. 

 Explorations and researches of the Smithsonian Institution. 3. Miscel- 

 laneous contributions. 4. By exchanges of specimens. A fifth element 

 of increase in most museums is by purchase. This, however, amounts 

 to very little in the case of the National Museum, and is for the most 

 part confined to an occasional specimen of archaeology needed to fill a gap. 



As the Institution has not been hitherto prepared to undertake the 

 gathering of universal collections, but has confined its efforts more par- 

 ticularly to the representation of the animal and mineral kingdom of 

 the New World, there has been less opportunity to increase its display 

 by exchanges, while its own collections from government expeditions 

 and by contributions of its correspondents covered the greater part of 

 what is absolutely desired. The opportunity of extensive exchanges is 

 still open, however, and may possibly be resorted to hereafter. 



Among the more important collaborators in the way of exchanges 

 may be mentioned the educational authorities of Japan, who have 

 placed the National Museum under direct obligations by the transmission 



