KEFOKT Ol'" ASSISTANT DIKECTOK. 7 



Kepuitsi*!' (he Siiiitlisoiiiau Institution; 



8niitlis(»iiiaii Miscellanouus CoUeclions; 



ISiiiilhsi>uian Coiitiiliutiuiis to Kuowletlj^e; 



lvei)orts of the Uiiieuu of Ethnology of the !Sniith«onian Institution ; 



liepurts of the United States Coumiissioner of I'^isheiies; 



Bulletin of the United States Fish Coniniis.sion; 

 also occasionally in other sci(?ntilic iei)Oits of other scientilic depart- 

 ments of the Government, especially those of the United States Geo- 

 logical Surve.;\-, mau;s of whose oflicers are also honorary ollicials of the 

 Museum. 



A catalogue of the scientilic i)apers emanating each year from the 

 jNluseum or based ui)on Museum interests has been published each year 



siuce 1881 in the Smithsonian Keport. 



« 



3. THE FUNCTION AND AIMS OF THE MUSEUM. 



Objccta and methods of work. — The collections in the National Museum 

 are intended to exhibit the mitural and industrial resources, primarily 

 of the United States, and secondarily of those of the remainder of the 

 .world, for i)urposes of comparison. 



The activity of the Museum is exerted in three directions: 



(a) The pernninent preservation of objects already in its i^ossessiou. 



(b) The acquisition of new material. 



(c) The utilization of material already in its possession, by its exhibi- 

 tion in the most instructive manner, and by the prosecution of and pub- 

 lication of scientilic researches for which it forms the basis; by the dis- 

 tribution of properly-labeled duplicates of materials to colleges and 

 other educational institutions. 



Theprcservatiou of material is accomplished by means of the vigilance 

 of the curators and the skill of the prcjjarators. 



New material is acquired (a), from the various Government surveys 

 and cxijcditions, in accordance with law; {b) by gift from individuals, 

 Irom other institutions, and from loreign governments ; (c) by exchange 

 for its duplicate specimens or publications; (d) by the ettbrts of officers 

 of the Museum, who make collections in connection with their regular 

 duties, or are detailed lor si)ecial service of this nature ; (e) by purchase 

 when appropriations are made by Congress for that purpose. 



The treasures in the custody of the Museum are utilized to the world 

 by exhibiting them to tlie public, and by encouraging investigations on 

 the part of the oUicers of the Museum and other suitabhi persons, and 

 lacilitatiug the publication of the results; also by tlie distribution to 

 oilier musenms and educational institutions of dni)licate specimens, 

 \vlii(;]i have formed the basis of scientilic investigation, these being 

 identilied and labeled by the best authorities. 



The Museum by these means fullills a threefold function : 



1. It is a mus<'um of lecoid, in wiiich arc preservetl the material foun- 

 dations of a very great number of scientilic memoirs — the tyi>es of 



