■jO REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



alojiy, geolofjy, etc., belonging to the United States or collected by any 

 iXiiviH-y whatsoever lor the (iovernnientof tbe United States, wbeu no 

 longer needed for investigations in i)rogress. 



The collections in the Museum are intended to exhibit the natural 

 and industrial resources, primarily of the United States and secondarily 

 of other i)arts of the world, for purposes of comparison. 



The activities of the Museum are exerted especially in three directions: 



1 . The i)ermaMent preservation of the collections already in its posses- 

 sion, which depends chietlj' upon the vigilance of the curators and the 

 skill of the preparators, 



2. The increase of the collections, which are acquired — 



(1) From the various Government surveys and expeditions, in 

 accordance with law; 



(2) By gift from individuals, from other institutions, and from 

 foreign governments; 



(;i) By exchange for its duplicate specimens or for publications; 



(4) By the efforts of officers of the Museum, who make collections 

 in connection with their regular duties, or are detailed for special 

 service of this nature; 



(.")) By purchase, when appropriations are made by Congress for 

 that purpose. 



3. The utilization of the collections, which is effected by exhibiting 

 them to the public, and by encouraging investigations on the part of 

 the officers of the Museum and other suitable persons, and facilitating 

 the publication of the results; also by the distribution to other museums 

 and educational institutions of duplicate specimens, which have formed 

 the basis of scientific investigation, these being identified and labeled 

 by the best authorities. 



The collections of the National Museum are made up to a very large 

 extent of the following materials: 



1, The natural history and anthropological collections accumu- 

 lated since 1850 by the efforts of the officers and correspondents of 

 the Smithsonian Institution. 



2. Collections which have resulted from explorations carried on 

 more or less directly under the ausi)ices of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution, or resulting from explorations carried on by the Smithsonian 

 Institution in connection with educational institutions or commer- 

 cial establishments. 



.'5. Collections which have been obtained through the courtesy of 

 the Department of State and the cooperation of United States 

 ministers and consuls. 



^ 4. The coHectioii of the Wilkes Exploring Expedition, the Perry 

 Expedition to Japan, and other naval expeditions. 



5. Collections made by the scientific oflicers of Government sur- 

 veys,^ such as the Pacitic Railroad Survey, the Mexican Bound- 

 ary Survey, and the surveys carried on by the Engineer Corps of 

 the li iMted States Army and by oflicers of the Signal Corps of the 

 I nited States Army stationed in remote regions. 



0. Collections obtained by the United States Geological Survey 

 the I nited States Fish Commission, and those resulting from the 

 activitiesol the Fnited States Department of Agriculture and other 

 Departments ot the (iovernment. 



