REPORT OF THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE U. S. 

 NATIONAL MUSEUM, TOGETHER WITH THE REPORTS 

 OF THE CURATORS, FOR THE YEAR 1883. 



Prof. Spencer F. Baird, 



Director of the U. 8. National Museum : 



Sir : In accordance with your instructions, I have the honor to submit 

 herewith a report upon the present condition of the U. S. National 

 Museum and upon the work accomplished in its various departments 

 during the year 1883. 



In accordance with established usage, I have reviewed the work of 

 the several scientific departments of the Museum, as well as that of the 

 Division of Administration. The reports of the curators are this year 

 for the first time printed in full, their extent and importance being so 

 great as to render this necessary. In my own report I have included 

 an account of the operations of the department of arts and industry, 

 for the present assigued to ray care, in preference to preparing a spe- 

 cial curator's report upon this department: the reports of certain of 

 the curators of "sections" of this department are, however, furnished 

 with the others. 



In the present report, as in those which have preceded it, are incorpor- 

 ated certain suggestions relating to the administration of the Museum, 

 for which I desire to be held individually responsible, and which the 

 readers should not assume to be definitely determined elements of the 

 policy of the Museum, since they may, any or all of them, at some future 

 time either in their present form or with modifications, be recommended 

 for adoption, or pronounced undesirable. 



Should Congress during its present session make provisions for the 

 publication of a special report upon Museum work, it is the desire of 

 myself and my associates, should you approve, to present in the first 

 report of the new series a somewhat exhaustive statement of the present 

 condition of the Museum, together with a review of its past history as 

 a whole, and of its several departments, together with the history of the 

 steps by which the present position of he establishment has been at- 

 tained. 



Very respectfully, 



G. Brown Goode, 



Assistant Director. 



Washings on, January, 1884. 161 



H. Mis. 69 11 



