28 



REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



' These numbers have reference only to specimens received through the Museum, and do not include 

 specimens received for th« National Herbarium throujjh the Department of Agriculture. 



^ Collections combined in October, 1889, under Department of Geology. The apparent decrease of 

 more than 50 per cent of the e.stimated total for 1889 is accounted for (1) by the rejection of several 

 thousands of specimens from the collection, and (2) by the fact that no estimate of tho specimens 

 in the reserve and duplicate seiies is included. Of the total for 1890, about 16,000 specimens consist 

 chiefly of petrograjdiical material stored away for study and comparison in the drawers of table cases. 



3 Transferred to the National Zoological Park. 



Catalogue entries. — The number of entries made in the catalogue of 

 the several departments of the Museum during the year is 28,293. 



The number of boxes and packages recorded by the registrar as having 

 been received during the year, and entered upon the transportation 

 record of the Smithsonian Institution, is 52,079. Of this number 827 

 contained specimens for the Museum. Although the total number of 

 packages received is more than three times as great as that for last 

 year, the number of packages containing specimens for the Museum is 

 only a little more than one-third of the number received during 1889. 



Go-operation of the Departments of Government. — The friendly interest 

 displayed in the work of the National Museum by officers of the De- 

 partments of the Government has been continued. In no previous year 

 has the Museum had occasion to acknowledge more gratefully the cour. 

 teous assistance rendered by the Secretaries of the Departments and 

 the chiefs of many of the Bureaus. 



Through the medium of the Dei)artment of State, several United 

 States ministers and consuls have brought their influence to bear in 

 obtaining for the Museum representations of the fauna and flora of the 

 regions in which they are residing. 



The Secretary of the Treasury has extended the usual courtesies in 

 connection with the free entry of specimens. Special facilities have 

 been afforded in connection with the visit of Mr. Henry W. Elliott to 

 the Seal Islands of Alaska, which, it is hoped, will result in the addition 

 of several specimens of fur-seal, fishes, and other natural-history objects 

 to the collections. The Coast and Geodetic Survey, the Revenue Ma- 

 rine Division, the Life-Saving Service, and the Light-House Board have 

 assisted collectors for the Museum in special ways. 



