REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 69 



The labors of Dr. White iu the Northern Pacific also resulted in an 

 important contribution. 



Insects. — No extensive collections of insects came to hand during the 

 year; perhaps the most important being" that from Central Mexico, 

 furnished by Professor Duges. These, as before, have been sent to the 

 United States Agricultural Department. 



Plants. — Various packages of plants, of no great importance, have 

 been received during the year, and, like the insects, have been trans- 

 ferred to the Department of Agriculture. 



Minerals. — Many important collections of minerals, geological speci- 

 mens, &c, have been received during the year; a valuable contribution 

 being that already referred to, as sent by the Mombusho Museum of 

 Japan, consisting of what professes to be a complete series of the 

 minerals and rocks of that country. 



Mr. Thomas Donaldson, a member of the United States Land Commis- 

 sion, while visiting the West in connection with his duties, made a large 

 collection of minerals and ores from Leadville, Deadwood, and other 

 parts of the country ; the whole filling some fifteen large boxes. This 

 collection constitutes a very desirable supplement to the immense series 

 of a similar character gathered by him at the request of the Smithsonian 

 Institution in 1874, 1875, and 1870, constituting the larger part of the 

 great display of the mineral wealth of the country made under the 

 auspices of the Institution in the government building at the Inter- 

 national Exhibition of 187(3. 



PRESENT CONDITION OF THE MUSEUM.' 



The administration of the Museum by the various assistants employed 

 during the year has been entirely satisfactory. The work has been under 

 the special charge of Mr. G. Brown Goode, having as collaborators: Dr. 

 Charles Rau, Dr. E. Foreman, and Mr. F. H. dishing, for the department 

 of anthropology; Dr. F. M. Endlich, curator of mineralogy ; Mr. Robert 

 Ridgway, curator of ornithology; Dr. T. IT. Bean, curator of ichthyology; 

 Dr. H. C. Yarrow, assisted by Mr. S. C. Brown, curator of herpetology ; 

 Dr. Elliott Coues, curator of mammalogy; Mr. William H. Dall, curator 

 of marine and aquatic invertebrates. Mr. Dall, Dr. Coues, and Dr. Yar- 

 row perforinecl their services without any compensation. 



All the collections, as received, have been properly treated for preserva- 

 tion from destruction by insects or otherwise, and entered in the several 

 record books; the total number of entries for the year 1879 being 11,552. 



The distribution of duplicate specimens, already referred to, has also 

 been carried on on a large scale. The details will be found in the ap- 

 pended tables. 



As usual, the material of the institution has been made use of by ex- 

 perts and specialists for the prosecution of their researches. Although it 

 is most convenient to have this done at the institution, yet wherever the 

 interest of science requires it, collections are sent to any part of the world. 



