FOETY-FOURTH CONGEESS, 1875-1877. 751 



Philadelphia, incliuling [any] other articles of practical and economical value, pre- 

 sented l)y various foreign governments to the National Museum, $4,500: Provided, 

 That the said sum shall be expended under the direction of the Smithsonian 

 Institution. 



The contributions from the States were of very great value; 

 Nevada, Utah, Montana, Tennessee, etc., presenting most valuable 

 series of their ores, while an aggregate of much magnitude was 

 received from individuals; minerals, metals, ores, building stones, 

 coals, pottery, etc., all being included. It was, however, from the 

 foreign commissions as above referred to that the greatest mass was 

 derived, so that, although the gift of some articles was anticipated, 

 the members of the Government board were not prepared for the 

 wholesale donation of by far the greatest portion of the collective 

 exhibits made by foreign nations, as well as those of many of their 

 individual exhibitors. Among these may be mentioned specimens of 

 mining and metallurgy, ores, metals, combustibles, building stones, 

 earths, clays, tiles, terra cotta, and pottery; vegetable products, as 

 samples of woods, fibers, seeds, medicinal plants, etc., furs, skins, gel- 

 atin, samples of industrial products in the way of woven and plaited 

 fabrics, objects in metal, wood, glass, earthen wares, illustrations of 

 manners and customs, etc. 



List of countries from which donations were received. — The nations 

 from which were received the collections in question are the following: 



Argentine Republic, Austria, Africa (Orange Free State), Belgiiun, 

 Brazil, Chile, China, Egj^pt, France, German Empire, Hawaiian 

 Islands, Japanese Empire, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Por- 

 tugal, Russia, Spain, Philippine Islands, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunis, 

 Turkey, United Kingdom and Colonies, Bermuda, Canada, New South 

 Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Vic- 

 toria, Venezuela. 



The commissions which are not included in this list had nothing at 

 their disposal, their exhibitions consisting either purely of private 

 material reclaimed or otherwise disposed of by their owners, or, as in 

 the case of several British colonies, of articles borrowed from the 

 colonial museum in London and necessarily returned there. 



Assigjiment of collections recei'i)ed. — While no special authority had 

 been given by Congress to receive these articles, it was not considered 

 proper to refuse them, and they were accordingly taken charge of by 

 the several departments of the Government to which they were most 

 nearly related. An exhibit of the iron, chain cables, cordage, etc., of 

 the naval department of Russia was received by the representatives of 

 the Navy Department. To the Bureau of Education was delivered 

 everj^thing of an educational character. The Department of Agricul- 

 ture received the articles belonging to the vegetable kingdom, such as 

 sections of wood, fibers, grains, seeds, etc.. while articles belonging to 



