REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. Gl 



who succeeded liim as botauist in the l)ei)artiiieiit of Aoricultuie, lias 

 been phiced iu charge of the Department of Botany in the Museum. 

 A fuller reference to Dr. Vasey will be found in a subse(iuent page. 



Mr. J. E. Watkins, curator of the section of transportation and engi- 

 neering- ill the National Museum, was granted leave of absence October 

 1, 1892, to take charge of the exhibit of the Pennsylvania Railroad 

 Company at tlie World's Fair, and the work of collecting and organiz- 

 ing the historical collections shown by that railroad in Chicago has since 

 occupied his time. 



APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1895-'94. 



The sum total of the appropriations is |16(),000, which is $5,000 less 

 than for the previous Hscal year, and $47,500 less than for 1891-'92. 

 The items are as follows: 



MUSEUM APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1893-'94. 



Preservation of tollectious $1S'^ oOO 



Furniture and fixtures : ,q q,^ 



P""t'"g .^...... r2,m 



Heating and lighting j^ q^q 



P^^t'^-e '500 



166,000 

 It is a source of serious embarrassment that the appropriations have 

 been reduced, and but for the fact that this reduction is part of a gen- 

 eral system of economy growing out of the necessities of the Govern- 

 ment, and affects all branches of the Government alike, it would be very 

 discouraging. As it is, the situation has been accepted loyally and 

 cheerfully; and though the growth of the Museum and its eflficiency 

 are of necessity greatly interfered with, the effort has been made to 

 accomplish the best results with the means available, while waiting for 

 a time of greater prosperity. One of the most serious inconveniences 

 has been the necessity of discharging a number of men, who have been 

 trained for the special work of the Museum, whose services are essential 

 to its efficiency, and whom it will be difficult to replace iu the future. 



INCREASE IN THE COLLECTIONS. 



At the close of 1881 a census of the collections was taken, resulting 

 in the preparation of a table, published in subseiiuent reports, wliich 

 gave 193,302 as the approximate total number of specimens of all kinds 

 at that time entered in the catalogue books of the several departments 

 of the Museum. The census for the year ending June 30, 1893, ])laces 

 the total number of specimens of all kinds «-t 3,300,020. It nuist, how- 

 ever, be stated that a large proportion of the material catalogued iu 

 1884 and in later years had been in the custody of the Smithsonian 

 Institution for several years, but had remained in storage <m account of 

 there being no opportunity to have it classitied and entered in the cat- 

 alogue books. 



