REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 185 



and it is tlieretbie evident that this department has its full share of 

 tliis kind of Avoik, A detailed list of the receipts of this character 

 will be found in Appendix v. 



It may be observed that altliousih this class of work is reco<;nized as a 

 regular part of the duties devolving- upon the officers of the Museum, 

 and is always promptly i)erformed, it is probable that no work under- 

 taken by the Museum produces less beneficial results to itself. The 

 jMuseum can not charge for making these examinations, and it rarely 

 happens that any of the material transmitted has any value for addi- 

 tion to the collections. 



The fact that the collections are now divided, a portion being iu Chi 

 cago, renders it impossible to give accurate figures regarding the num- 

 ber of specimens either iu the reserve, exhibition, or duplicate series. 

 The clerical force of the department has not been sufficient to keep the 

 records in shape to furnisli this information otherwise than by an 

 actual count. The accumulation of material has been greater than 

 during any equal space of time since Mr. Merrill's connection with the 

 department. The amount of new material tliat has been actually added 

 to the Museum collections can, however, be scarcely in excess of that 

 withdrawn for the World's Columbian Exposition. The catalogue num- 

 bers for the fiscal year run from 00,001 to 00,927, inclusive, and from 

 68.050 to 68,471, inclusive. 



As during the "^'ear previous, Mr. Merrill has been assisted by Mr. 

 W. H.Xewhall, to whose energy, states the curator, is due much of the 

 progress made. 



