4 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1892. 



The National Museum has been recognized as such by Congress for 

 many years, but it was not until 1879 that an appropriation was made, 

 providing money tor the construction of ;i building especially intended 

 for the display of the national collections. This action of Congress 

 had been doubtless precipitated by the large increase made in the col- 

 lections of the Government at the (dose of the Centennial Exhibition 

 in 187G. The building was completed in L881, during which year the 

 collections were in part transferred to it from the Smithsonian building. 

 In the following year a careful estimate of the extent of the collections, 

 including the results of Government expeditions and gifts from private 

 individuals, showed that the total number of specimens in the National 

 Museum was 193,362. At the end of dune, 1802, this total had in- 

 creased to 3,223,941. Thus in one decade from what was practically 

 the date of occupancy of the Museum building, the collections have 

 increased sixteenfold. This result is certainly very gratifying. The 

 Museum building is, however, very much overcrowded, and a new build 

 ing is urgently needed. The attention of Congress has been frequently 

 called to this matter, but nothing has yet been done. If the present un- 

 satisfactory conditions are to exist much longer. such a rate of increase 

 in the collections will, as has been already pointed out. become exceed 

 ingly embarrassing, and instead of endeavoring to interest people in 

 contributing to the national collections, it will soon become necessary 

 to discourage them from doing .so. Indeed, this policy has already 

 been adopted in certain instances, and (he National Museum has lost 

 control of several large and important collections. In the ease of col 

 lections made by various branches of the Government, the Museum is 

 obliged by law to receive them, having been appointed by Congress 

 the custodian of such collections. The necessity of receiving these 

 makes it the more incumbent to decline offers from private sources. 



During the year the Museum has accomplished much in connection 

 with the preparation of an exhibit for the World's Fair, to be opened 

 in Chicago next May. In this the following departments of the Museum 

 will be represented : Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Fishes. Insects, Marine 

 Invertebrates', Comparative Anatomy, Minerals, Physical Geology, Eth- 

 nology, American Prehistoric Pottery, Prehistoric Anthropology; as 

 well as several sections of the Department of Arts and Industries, viz.. 

 Animal Products. Oriental Antiquities, Graphic Arts, and Musical 

 Instruments. 



PRINCIPAL SOURCES OF THE COLLECTIONS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



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 L850 by the efforts of the officers and correspondents of the 

 Smithsonian Institution. 



