12 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1893. 



iu conuectiou with tbcir rejiular duties, or are detailed for special 

 service of this nature; 



(5) Bj' purchase when appropriatious are made by Congress for 

 that purpose. 



3. The utilization of the collectious, which is effected by exhibiting 

 them to the public, and by encouraging investigations on the part of 

 the officers of the Museum and other suitable persons, and facilitating 

 the publication of tlie results; also by the distribution to other museums 

 and educational institutions of duplicate specimens, which have formed 

 the basis of scientific investigation, these being identified and labeled 

 by the best authorities. 



The Museum by these means fulfills a threefold function : 



1. It becomes a rnKScuni of record, in which are preserved the mate- 

 rial foundations of a very great number of memoirs — the types of 

 numerous past investigations. This is especially the case with those 

 materials which have served as a foundation for the numerous (iovern- 

 mental reports upon the resources of the United States. Types of 

 investigations made outside of the Museum are also incorporated. 



2. li becomes a miLscinu of rcscan-]!, by reason of the policy which 

 aims to make its contents serve as fully as possible as a stimulus to 

 and a foundation for the studies of scientific investigators. Kesearch 

 is a necessary i)art of the work, in order that the collections may be 

 properly identified and arranged. Its officers are selected for their 

 capacity as investigators as well as for their ability as custodians, and 

 its treasuries are open to the use of any trustworthy student. 



3. It becomes coi educational museum, by reason of its policy of illus- 

 trating si)ecimens of every group of natural objects and, so far as it may 

 prove practicable, sucli other collections as maybe found useful fi)r the 

 instruction of the public, which are explained by displaying descriptive 

 labels adapted to the popular mind, and by its policy of distributing its 

 publications and its series of duplicates named, classified, and labeled. 



The collections of the National Museum are made up to a very large 

 extent of the following materials: 



1. The natural history and anthropological collectious accumu- 

 lated since 18r)0 by the efforts of the officers and correspondents of 

 the Smithsonian Institution. 



2. Collections which have resulted from explorations carried on 

 more or less directly under the auspices of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution or resulting from explorations carried on by tlie Smithsonian 

 Institution in connection with educational institutions or com- 

 mercial establishments. 



3. Collections which have been obtained through the courtesy of 

 the Department of State and the cooperation of United States 

 ministers and consuls. 



4. The collection of the Wilkes exploring expedition, the Perry 

 expedition to Japan, and other naval expeditions. 



5. Collections nunle by the scientilic otiicers of (rovernment sur- 

 veys, such as the Pacific Pailroad survey, the Mexican boundary 

 survey, and the surveys carried on by the Engineer Corps of the 



