KEPORT OF ASSISTANT SECKETARV. 9 



Altlioujih the appropriations fioiii tlie public tieasuiy lor the maiu- 

 teiiaiice of the National Museum are sniall, compared with tliose in 

 several European e<tuntries, the value of objects given l)y private indi- 

 viduals is proportionately larger. The actual value of such contribu- 

 tions for ten years past, has not, it is estimated, fallen short of -Sl'O.OOO 

 a year, and in some years has been greater. 



Among important gitts may be mentione<l such as the George Catlin 

 Indian gallery, of inestimable value to the American historian and 

 ethnologist; the Baird collection of Xorth American vertebrates; the 

 collection bequeathed in 1SS7 by the late Isaac Lea, of Philadelphia, con- 

 taining, besides minerals and other objects, about l'U,U(»U conchological 

 specimens, and appraised by the State at $10,000; the Bendire and 

 Ealph collections of American birds' eggs given to the Smithsonian 

 Institution; the Lacoe collection of fossil plants, and the collection 

 of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, for tlie transfer of 

 which from Philadelphia to Washington a special apjtropriation was 

 made by Congress. 



Some exceedingly valuable collections in this country and in Europe 

 have been bequeathed to the Smithsonian Institution which have not 

 yet come into its i)ossession. It is estimated that within the })ast fifteen 

 years individuals to the number of at least 2,000 h:i\e jnade gifts to 

 the Museum to the value of $100 or more. 



Almost every day strangers, pleased with the work of the Museum, 

 voluntarily send in contributions more or less important. 



The National Museum now contains over three millions of objects. 



The late Prof. Baird was once asked whether the value of the collec- 

 tions in the iSTational Museum was equal to the amount which liad been 

 expended in its maintenance. He replied unhesitatingly that, although 

 it would be by no means a fair criteriou of their value, he did not doubt 

 that by a judicious and careful system of sale the entire sum c(mld be 

 recovered. What was said ten years ago by Prof. Baird is jnore than 

 true to-day. 



One of the most striking features in the affairs of the Museum is the 

 manner in which its collections are increasing. In 1893 tlie number of 

 specimens is more than fifteen times as great as ten years before. 



In the last fiscal year 1,200 new lots or groui)s of s]iecimens were 

 entered upon the Museum catalogues. 



This increase, as has been shown, is, in large degree, si)ontaneous, 

 only a small amount of money having ever been available for the pur- 

 chase of new material. 



As might be supposed, a consideralde i)roportion of the objects given 

 are duplicates of material already on hand, and although these contri- 

 butions can, with the utmost advantage, be used for distribution to 

 museums and schools, they do not materially increase the value of the 

 collections for study by sjiecialists and for general educational puri)oses. 

 The need of a larger fniid for the purchase of specimens is yearly more 



