REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 25 



Notwithstanding the unsymraetrical growth of the Museum, to whicli 

 I Lave ah^eady alhided, there are some very encouraging features in 

 connection with the increase of the collections. Every day numerous 

 specimens are contributed by persons who have either visited the 

 Museum and wish to testify their sympathy with its work, or have 

 become interested through its publications or by correspondence. 



Not a few collections of great value have been given at various times, 

 such as the George Oatlin Indian Gallery, the Lea Collection of Min- 

 erals and Shells, the Bendire and Ralph Colle(!tions of Birds' Eggs, 

 the Lacoe Collection of Fossil Plants, and the Collection of the Ameri- 

 can Institute of Miinng Engineers, which latter was transferred at the 

 close of the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. 



Since the accessions are almost entirely gifts, it is manifestly impos- 

 sible that the Museum collections should grow symmetrically. A large 

 proportion of the annual accessions are not sufficiently valuable to be 

 added to either the study or exhibition series. They are all useful, 

 however, in connection with the preparation of duplicate sets for dis- 

 tribution to educational institutions. The distribution of duplicate 

 material has been continued, and more than twenty- seven thousand 

 si)ecimens, consisting principally of marine invertebrates, rocks, 

 minerals, fishes, and casts of prehistoric implements, have been trans- 

 mitted during the year to other museums, colleges, and normal schools. 



The report of the Assistant Secretary, in charge of the National 

 Museum, contains a list by groups of the material distributed, as well 

 as a geographical statement of the institutions supplied. The same 

 report also includes a list of the distributions of material made during 

 the last thirty-five years. 



I have found it quite impossible to comply with all the applications 

 for specimens from universities, colleges, and other museums; nor can 

 tbis be done until Congress shall appropriate a sum of money sufficient 

 to render ])ossible the employment of comi)etent persons M^ho, under 

 the supervision of the curators, can devote their time to separating 

 the duplicates in the various collections, and arranging them into sets 

 for distribution. 



I may assume that it is the intention of Congress that the National 

 Museum of the United States shall be', so far as a museum can be, a 

 worthy exponent of the natural resources and scientific achievements 

 of the nation; that it shall be worthy the attention of visitors to the 

 capital; that it shall perform its proper functions as one of the scien- 

 tific departments of the Government, and shall also promote the 

 scientific and educational interests of the country at large. 



It seems worthy of note, then, that while in almost all the largest 

 cities of Europe, including London, Paris, Berlin, St. Petersburg, 

 Vienna, and Florence, the national collections are exhibited in groups 

 of buildings, here m Washington all similar collections are brought 

 tog^ether under the roofs of the Smithsonian aud. National Museum 



