420 KKl'OUT OK NATIONAL MUSEUM, ]<)(«. 



and. Hiially, tlic location of the specinicii in th<> nmscuni — wh(^tluM' it be 

 on exhibition, and, if so, where, or whether it has be(>n phu'cnl in the 

 temporary or exchange storage room. The information contained on 

 the (^ai-ds is next transferred to the department i inventory books under 

 the appropriate numbers. P^ach card, as well as each entry in the 

 inventory, also bears the accession number. The cards are then col- 

 lectively tiled in a card cabinet under the accession number, each group 

 of cards being provided with an index card. The collection is finally 

 indexed in a single large volume und(M- the name of the collector, the 

 locality, and the tribe. The advantages of this system are many and 

 obvious. It can be determined at a glance what collections are in pos- 

 session of the department from any locality or tribe in the world, as 

 well as ascertained what collections the department may possess from 

 any individual, as collector or donor or througli purchase. From the 

 accession number under any of these entries one can refer to the his- 

 torical file for the lists or for the correspondence; or with the same 

 accession number he may turn to the inventory book oi* to the card 

 catalogue for a description or for the exact location of the specimens 

 themselves. On the other hand, from the number of any given speci- 

 men, reference may be made at once to the inventory book foi^ its 

 locality or tril)e; or, from the accession numhei- there giv(Mi, the cor- 

 I'espondence in the historical file I'elating to the collection as a whole 

 may })e consulted. The method of cataloguing used in the botanical 

 department is also very complete in its way; it is described in the 

 Annual Keport for 18{>9-19(»0, pages 440— 142. 



In such a complicated system there is naturally much clerical work 

 necessary, but the expense of this is more than repaid by the saving 

 of time which the excellent arrangement occasions. One can with the 

 greatest ease obtain information concerning anything, and on the basis 

 of its documents prepare exchange catalogues, of which already several 

 extensive ones have appeared. In 1899-1900 the increase was ()4.921 

 numbers in 286 entries; in 1898-99, 17,348 in 305; in 1897-98, 74.200 

 in 362. 



The officials undertake many extensive collecting tours, the expenses 

 of which are usually defrayed l)y ])atrons of the museum. When I 

 was there in September, 1899, I met only a few of the museum staff'. 

 The curatoi" of the zoological department was on the Pacific Ocean; 

 that of the ornithological department, with his assistants and a prepar- 

 ator, were in Honolulu: the curator of the botanical department had 

 that year made a voyag-e to the West Indies; the assistant curator of 

 the zoological department had, among other collecting tours, made 

 one to the Pacific coast; the curator of the anthropological department 

 had made a tour to northwest America and other regions; and the 

 assistant curator of paleontology had made explorations in Wyoming. 

 In the 3'ear 1896 the, curator of the zoological department had under- 



