AN ACCOUNT OF THE U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM. 295 



Coiio-ress. A general museum appears to be a uecessary establishment at the seat of 

 Government of every civilized nation. * * * An establishment of this kind can 

 only be supported by (Jovcrument; and the proi)Osition ought uever to be encouraged 

 of putting this duty on the limited though liberal bequest of a foreigner. The 

 Smithsonian Institution will readily take the supervision of an establishment of 

 this kind, and give plans for its organization and arrangement, provided it be 

 re(|nested to do so and the means for effecting the object be liberally supplied. • 



lu 1850 Prof. Spencer F. Baird was appoiuted assistant secretary of 

 the Institution, in charge of publications and museum. He brought 

 with him from Carlisle, Pa., not only a considerable zoological collection 

 assembled by his own activity, but, what was vastly more important, 

 a system of recording, assorting, and distributing collections which 

 was sufficieutly comprehensive and elastic to meet the needs of a great 

 museum. In December, 1850, he placed in the hands of Secretary 

 Henry a full outline of operations, which he afterwards carried into 

 practice with the most signal success. He perceived that the numerous 

 surveying parties which the Government was sending out from year to 

 year into the Western Territories would be powerful agencies in 

 increasing the knowledge of the natural history of the country if they 

 could be induced to make collections of natural objects along the 

 various routes they traversed. To this end the influence of the Insti- 

 tution was brought to bear on those officials of the Government who 

 had the several surveys in charge. 



The extent and form of participation by the Institution in the cxxdIo- 

 rations of the Government surveys varied in different cases. In some 

 instances the Secretary of War was induced to grant an officer of the 

 Army leave of absence for the purpose of making scientific explorations 

 in some little-known part of the country. Again, the Institution fur- 

 nished outfits and directions for collecting to such surgeons and other 

 officers of the surveying and exploring parties as manifested an interest 

 in natural-history explorations. In some cases the personnel of an 

 exploring party included a naturalist of known abilities and experi- 

 ence, and the Institution furnished every facility for collecting. 



On this point Professor F>aird, referring to the Mexican Boundary 

 and Pacific Eailroad surveys, reported in 1853 as follows : 



Without a single exception, all these parties have been fitted out at the Smith- 

 sonian Institution with all necessary instruments and apparatus for natural-history 

 research, much of it contrived with special reference to the exigencies of the par- 

 ticular service involved. Full instructions were also supplied, by which persons 

 without previous practice were enaliled to master all the general principles required 

 for making observations and collections of every kind.' 



The participation of the Institution also took the form of aid in the 

 publication of results. Every year one or more publications based on 

 the collections of the Government parties were published. 



Fostered by the Institution to whose interest Professor Baird lent 

 enthusiasm and untiring energy, the work of collecting yielded abun- 



' Smithsonian Report, 1851, page 25 (reprinted in report for 1853, page 227). 

 'Ubid., 1853, page 52. 



