REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY, 61 



the lecture hall of the Museum, the National Art Association was 

 giveu permission to use the room in the Smithsonian building, known 

 as the chapel, for an art exhibition during the two weeks beginning 

 May 16, L892. 



Tt should also be mentioned that various scientific and educational 

 associations avail themselves more and more frequently of the privilege 

 of using the oxyhydrogeo lantern belonging to the Museum, for the 

 purpose of illustrating their lectures, winch, if not given in the lecture 

 hall, are. as a rule, held at the Columbian University or the Cosmos 

 ( !lub. The lantern is always used under the direction of a skilled oper- 

 rator connected with the Museum, and, except on occasions for which 

 the use of the lecture hall lias been granted by the Eegents of thelusti 

 tution for the Washington meetings of national scientific and edu- 

 cational societies, the expenses incurred for gas, etc., are paid by the 

 society under the direction of which the lecture is given. Among the 

 bodies which have availed themselves of the use of the lantern during 

 this year are the Association of Agricultural Colleges, the Association 

 of Agricultural Chemists, the American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science, the Geological Society of America, the International 

 Geological Congress, the Philosophical Society, the Biological Society, 

 the American Folk-Lore Society, the Cosmos Club, and the Corcoran 

 School of Art. 



In compliance with the request of the Department of State, and in 

 accordance with the act of Congress making an appropriation for the 

 purpose, preparations were begun in June, 1802, for an exhibit by the 

 National Museum at the Columbian Historical Exposition, to be held 

 in Madrid, iu commemoration of the four hundredth anniversary of the 

 discovery of America. 



Preparations for the exhibit of the Museum at the World's Columbian 

 Exposition, commenced last year, have been prosecuted vigorously. 

 As the act of Congress making the appropriation for this exhibit pro- 

 vides for no clerical service, the work of this nature required for the 

 Exposition has been performed by the Museum force, often, of course, at 

 the expense of service beyond the regular departmental hours. While 

 the necessity for extra work is always cheerfully complied with, it is 

 but proper to put on record the fact that there exists a gradually in- 

 creasing need for a permanent addition to the clerical force. 



CORRESPONDENCE AND REPORTS. 



The work of this office continues under the direction of Mr. E. I. 

 Geare. The force of assistants in July, 1891, consisted of 2 stenograph- 

 ers, 2 typewriters, 2 iudexers, 1 accession clerk, 1 copyist, and 1 mes- 

 senger. During the year the work increased considerably, and before 

 the close of the year it had been found necessary to obtain the services 



