REPORT OF ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 7 



amount of good material, including in one instance two carloads of 

 vertebrate fossils from the laboratories of Prof. O. 0. Marsh, iu New 

 Haven, Connecticut. 



The collection of fossil invertebrates was greatly enriched by two 

 most important gifts. Through the bequest of the late I. H. Harris, 

 of Ohio, the Museum came into jjossession of his private collection of 

 over 20,000 specimens of fossils; this is particularly rich iu many rare 

 forms and a number of original types. From Mr. E. D. Lacoe, of 

 Pittston, Pennsylvania, to whom the Museum was already so largely 

 indebted, there was received a large collection of fossil insects, com- 

 prising upward of 4,600 specimens, of which more than 200 are types. 

 Other valuable accessions are mentioned in the report of the head 

 curator. 



In the Division of Mineralogy satisfactory progress was made in the 

 installation of the exhibition series. An immense amount of detail 

 work in overhauling and classifying collections stored iu boxes and 

 drawers was accomplished. Owing to the pressure of other matters 

 and the unsatisfactory condition of the exhibition halls, scarcely any 

 investigations of note were undertaken by the curators. 



GALLERIES. 



The erection of the galleries in three of the halls and the four courts 

 of the Museum building, under the acts of Congress approved June 11, 

 189G, and June 4, 1897, was completed during the year, with the excep- 

 tion of the permanent railings. This increased the available floor 

 space of the Museum 17,000 square feet, or about one-sixth of the former 

 exhibition space, The various wall exhibits that formerly extended to 

 a greater height than the base of the galleries were removed early in 

 the year, and after the galleries were completed many cases containing 

 exhibits were placed on them. In addition to the galleries already 

 completed, it was decided to construct other galleries affording a fur- 

 ther floor space of 6,468 square feet, mainly for the purpose of securing 

 more room for the library and for the preparation of exhibits. 



ACCESSIONS. 



During the fiscal year there were 1,441 accessions, containing upward 

 of 450,000 specimens, the largest number for any one year during the 

 past decade. The total number of specimens recorded to July 1, 1898, 

 exceeds 4,000,000. 



ATTENDANCE. 



Owing probably to the national disturbance and distraction caused 

 by the war, the attendance was less than during the previous year, 

 when the multitude attending the Presidential inauguration ran the 

 record unusually high. The following table shows that the number of 

 visitors to the Museum since 1881 is 3,972,987. 



