166 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



upper stories of the Armory building, are now filled with boxes full of 

 specimens awaiting assignment; and, as has already been stated, three 

 of the inner courts of the Museum building are now filled in the same 

 manner. The collection of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, 

 presented to the Museum, has been packed and stored under the direc- 

 tion of Mr. Thomas Donaldson in the basement of the Memorial Hall, 

 Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, and cannot be removed to Washington 

 without a special appropriation for that purpose. 



In the department of archives two copyists are constantly employed 

 in making a duplicate copy of the Museum registers — a work which is 

 considered to be of great importance owing to the fact that the original 

 catalogues, being distributed through numerous departments, may acci- 

 dentally suffer mutilation or destruction. 



Department D : Library. — The library has remained in charge of Mr. 

 Frederick W. True. The importance of this library to officers of the 

 Museum and others, who by an exchange of courtesies are allowed its 

 privileges, is very considerable. In fact, without it, Museum work 

 would be greatly crippled and retarded, since, for every reference re- 

 quired, it would be necessary to dispatch a messenger to the Congres- 

 sional Library, where the Smithsonian Library has for many years been 

 deposited. One additional sectional library has been established during 

 the year, viz, that in the section of foods and textiles. These sectional 

 libraries are of material advantage to the curators of the various depart- 

 ments, since they may thus have close at hand all the available author- 

 ities required for the prosecution of their several specialties. The care 

 of these sectional libraries however devolves upon the librarian, and does 

 not encroach upon the time of the curators themselves. 



By the introduction of a large sky-light in the roof of the library much 

 additional illumination has been "secured. Full details of work con- 

 nected with the library will be found in the report of the librarian. 



Department E: Publications. — During the year volume 5, Proceedings 

 of the U. S. National Museum, a book of 714 pages, has been published; 

 also Bulletin 16 (Synopsis of Fishes of North America, by D. S. Jor- 

 dan) ; Bulletin 20 (Bibliography of writings of Spencer Fullerton Baird, 

 by G. Brown Goode); Bulletin 22 (Guide to the Flora of Washing- 

 ton and vicinity, by Lester F. Ward) ; and Bulletin 24 (Checklist of 

 North American Reptilia and Batrachia, by H. C. Yarrow). The de- 

 scriptions of these will be found in the bibliographical appendix. A 

 portion of Bulletin 27 was also published in 7 sections, these being a 

 collection of the special catalogues of the American Department at the 

 London International Fisheries Exhibition. Dr. T. H. Bean has ren- 

 dered his usual efficient service as editor of the publications : the prep- 

 aration of the admirable indexes of the volumes of the Proceedings has 

 been his special care, and add greatly to the value of the volumes as a 

 record of current work. 



