30 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



animals and plants, and the structure and composition of the 

 earth. . 



The Secretary, in his report for 1888, called attention to 

 the inadequacy of the Museum building-, which even then, 

 within seven years after its completion, was found to be 

 wholly insufficient for the collections. The subsequent his- 

 tory of the Museum has been a continuous recital to Congress 

 by the Regents of its increasing inadequacy. 



The Secretary feels it his urgent duty to call attention to 

 the absolute need of an additional, more modern, building for 

 the National Museum, wherein may be properly exhibited 

 objects now packed in the present structure, and where may 

 be set up before the public, whose property they are, very 

 many objects of scientific, historical, and popular interest now 

 in storage quarters. Too much can not be said in urging this 

 all-important matter, and it is hoped that definite action may 

 finally be taken by Congress. 



The Secretary repeats here, what he already said in 1888, 

 that not only is large additional space required to relieve the 

 congested condition of the present building, but that the 

 appropriations have become utterly insufficient, even for the 

 proper care of the collections. It is hoped that Congress may 

 see fit to remed} T these conditions and to give larger appropria- 

 tions this year. 



The Secretary repeats also that it is not alone the lack of 

 space that is keenly felt, but the absolute inadequacy of the 

 appropriations in maintaining a corps of efficient assistants 

 to care for the collections. The accompanying table will per- 

 haps tell the story better than any amount of description. 



If we take the five years extending from 1881 to 1886 as a 

 basis for comparison, the appropriations were at the rate of 

 $1,000 for the care of about 6,000 specimens. This was rep- 

 resented, at the time as insufficient, and divers expedients 

 were resorted to, such as the creation of honorary and unpaid 

 curators to perform the work. At present $1,000 are pro- 

 vided for the care of about 21,000 specimens, and proper care 

 at anything like this rate is simply impossible. The number 

 of specimens has increased nearly five times, while the amount 

 of money appropriated for their care has not doubled. 



