2r> REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



tli;it has already proved to be of great value to the Government and to 

 others interested in geographical matters. 



I take occasion to express to the Director of the Mint, the lion. E. O. 

 Leech, my acknowledgments for his kindness in having ])rei)ared an 

 intaglio head of the late Professor Henry for certain official correspond- 

 ence, — an excellent m ork of art. 



u. s. natio:j^al museum. 



The operations of the National Museum are fully described in the 

 separate Report of the Assistant Secretary, in which are included (1) 

 the rei)ort of the Assistant Secretary in charge of the Museum ; (2) 

 the reports of the curators of the scientific departments of the Muse- 

 um; (3) special i)apers based upon and illustrative of collections in the 

 Museum ; (4) bibliography of the publications of the x\Iuseum and of 

 papers published by Museum officers and other collaborators; (5) a 

 list of the accessions to the Museum during the year. 



Increase of the Museum collections. — A small number of specimens were 

 purchased during the year. The necessity' of expending a considerable 

 sum of money in the purchase of new material becomes every year more 

 api)areut. The donations of friends of the Museum are to a large ex- 

 tent miscellaneous in character, and they frequently duplicate, rather 

 than enlarge and complete, the various series of objects already in the 

 collections. The Museum has now reached a point ^here the complete 

 presentation of subjects by means of full suites of specimens is of the 

 highest importance, and this can be accomplished only by i)urchase. 



The increase in the number of accessions during the year has been 

 less than in the preceding year by nearly 200 numbers. This is not 

 surprising, since no special efforts have been made to secure new 

 material, excepting in certain directions, in which the completion of 

 special series of objects was desired, in view of the crowded condition 

 of both the storage and exhibition space. This matter has repeatedly 

 been referred to in the more recent reports of the Institution and of the 

 Museum, and eff"orts have been made to obtain an appropriation from 

 Congress for the construction of a new Museum building. The Senate 

 has acted favorably in regard to the matter, but its action has not 

 received the support of the House of Representatives. 



The contributions during the year, although less in number than in 

 the previous year, are, taken as a whole, equal in importance. Espe- 

 ciaUy is this true in the case of material acquired from foreign countries, 

 and of collections received through the assistance of the Departments 

 and Bureaus of the Government. 



The extent and character of the accessions during the year and each 

 year since 1881 is shown in the a|)pended table. The total iiumber of 

 specimens received during the year covered by this report is estimated 

 at 81,992. 



