REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 23 



fund of not less than $500,000, to be administered by the Board of 

 Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, the income from which shall, 

 as far as necessary, be used for the maintenance of said building." 



There is need in Washington of such a structure as here proposed. 

 It would be a fitting memorial to George Washington — the gathering- 

 place and headquarters for patriotic, scientific, medical, and other 

 organizations interested in promoting the welfare of the xVmerican 

 people, the development of the country in science, literature, and art. 



NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



The past year was marked by a new feature in the administration 

 of tlie National Museum — its opening to the public on Sundays. 

 This measure had long been advocated without effect, and even now 

 the practice must be for a time limited to the new building. Public 

 appreciation was evidenced on the first day of Sunday opening, 

 October 8, 1911, bj' the presence of 15,467 visitors. The average 

 number of visitors on Sundays up to the close of the year was 1,666, 

 as compared with 693 on week days. 



There was added to the permanent collections of the Museum a 

 total of 238,000 specimens and objects, an increase of 10,000 over the 

 year preceding. Of these accessions about 168,000 were biological, 

 63,000 geological and paleontological, and 7,000 anthropological. 

 A large number of valuable temporary additions in the form of loans 

 were made to the National Gallery of Art, to the collection of art 

 textiles, and to those of the division of history. Among the acces- 

 sions that I may specially mention are the first aeroplane (Wright) 

 acquired by the Government; important memorials of Gens. Ganse- 

 voort and Custer, Rear Admirals Foote and Schley, Commanders 

 Maury and Hosley, and other eminent soldiers and sailors, and 

 mementos of the Washington, Ball, Cropper, McLane, Bradford, 

 and Bailey-Myers-Mason families; some interesting Polish coins 

 dating from 1386 to 1835; and a very large and unique series of post- 

 age stamps and other objects relating to the operation of the United 

 States Postal Service. There were also received about 4,000 mam- 

 mals, besides birds, reptiles, fishes, and invertebrates from the Paul J. 

 Rainey expedition to British East Africa; a large collection of Cam- 

 brian fossils; and an unrivaled collection of some 75,000 specimens 

 of fossil echnioderms deposited by Mr. Frank Springer. From the 

 Bureau of Fisheries were received extensive and important collec- 

 tions of fishes from Japan and the Philippines and over 27,000 speci- 

 mens of marine invertebrates. Other additions of importance are 

 noted by the assistant secretary in his report on another page. 



About three-fourths of the exhibition space in the new building 

 has already been made accessible to the j)ublic, and before the close 



