70 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



Among the more important of these researches are those of Mr. 

 George N. Lawrence, Mr. Eidgway, and Dr. Cones, upon American 

 birds; of Mr. J. A. Allen, of Cambridge, upon the mammals; of Pro- 

 fessor Gill, Mr. Goode, Dr. Bean, and Professor Jordan, upon the fishes; 

 and Prof. Edward D. Cope, upon the reptiles. 



The marine invertebrates collected by the United States Fish Com- 

 mission are in process of investigation by Prof. A. E. Verrill, assisted 

 by Mr. Oscar Harger, Mr. Sanderson Smith, Prof. S. J. Smith, and Mr. 

 E. Eathbun. 



A series of skulls and skeletons of the Central American tapir was 

 sent to Mr. Edward Alston, of London, for a critical examination. By 

 such assignments, facts of more or less importance can be obtained ; 

 and it is in this way that the Institution best carries out the will of its 

 founder for " the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men." 



An immense mass of duplicate material belonging to the National 

 Museum lias been used in the way of a distribution of an educational 

 scries of objects to various colleges, academies, and learned societies of 

 the United States, special provision having been made for the same by 

 act of Congress. 



NEW MUSEUM BUILDING. 



For a detailed account of the measures taken to secure additional ac- 

 commodations for the collections belonging to the National Museum, 

 especially those gathered for the Philadelphia Exhibition and obtained 

 from other parties at its close, reference is made to the reports of 187G, 

 1877, and 1878. It will here be sufficient to say that after several fruit- 

 less efforts, Congress, in the sundry civil bill of March 3, 1879, made an 

 appropriation for a National Museum, in the following terms: 



" For a tire-proof building for the use of the National Museum, three 

 hundred feet square, i.o be erected under the direction and supervision 

 of the Eegents of the Smithsonian Institution, in accordance with the 

 plans now on file with the Joint Committee of Public Buildings and 

 Grounds, on the southeastern portion of the grounds of the Smithsonian 

 institution, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars; said building to 

 be placed east of the Smithsonian Institution, lea\ ing a roadway be- 

 tween it and the latter of not less than fifty feet, with its north front on 

 a line with the south face of the buildings of the Agricultural Depart- 

 ment and of the Smithsonian Institution; and all expenditures for the 

 purposes herein mentioned, not including anything for architectural 

 plans, shall be audited by the proper officers of the Treasury Depart- 

 ment." 



The estimates had been furnished by Messrs. Cluss & Schulze, con- 

 sulting architects, as to the cost of such a building, and upon their rep- 

 resentations the sum of $250,000 was asked for and granted, with the 

 understanding that it would be sufficient for its purpose, although no 

 limitation to that effect was made by Congress. As soon as possible 



