REPORT OF ASSISTANT SKCRETAKY. 125 



valuable assistance a« honorary curators of the sect ion (»f materia medica 

 in the Museum. 



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTEliloll. 



The rapid growth of the iiiuseum colli'ctions in certaiu directions is 

 due in a hirge degree to the addition of material turned over to it by 

 the U. S. Geological Purvey, after having served tlie i)uri)oses for which 

 it was collected. This material is gathered by trained collectors sent 

 out especially for the purpose, and has in most csises been carefully 

 described and labeled before it reaches the Museum, jjarge quantities 

 of rocks, minerals, ores, fossils, crtc, have been forwarded annually by 

 the Survey. The Museum is also indebted to the Survey for the vabiable 

 services rendered by the following gentlemen as membersof the scientific 

 staff: Dr. (J. A. White, in charge of mesozoic fossils; ]\Ir. Charles 1). 

 Walcott, in charge of x^aleozoic fossils; Mr. William H. Dall, in charge 

 of mollusks and tertiary fossils, with Dr. E. E. C Stearns as adjunct 

 curator; Prof. O. C. Marsh, in charge of vertebrate fossils; Prof. Lester 

 F. Ward, m charge of fossil jdants, with Mr. F. JI. Knowlton as assistant 

 curator; and Prof. W. F. Clarke, in charge of minerals. 



The Director of the Survey having organized a special department 

 of maps and charts, the Smithsonian Institution <)fl'ered the use of 

 material comprising many thousands of sheets which had accumuhited 

 during forty years. This offer was accepted by Majoi' Powell, with the 

 understanding that the material would be j)roperly classified and ar- 

 ranged, and remain at all time subject to the order of the Smithsonian 

 Institution. 



A great mass of material, embracing more particularly the building- 

 stones, ores, combustibles, ami forest timber of the United States, re- 

 sulted from the imlustrial collections of the census of 1880. These col- 

 lections represent complete series, as far as practicable, from all parts 

 of the country, and are rendered especially valuable to the Museum by 

 reason of the full and accurate descriptions which accompany the spec- 

 imens. The collection of building and ornamental stones has been fur- 

 nished in this way with thousands of specimens of marble, granite, 

 sandstone, etc., and it is fair to assume that no established quarry in 

 the United States is unrepresented. The collection of ores, which is 

 also very extensive, contains representations from all the important 

 mines of the country. The s})ecimens are accompani«'d by authoritative 

 reports upon their chemical and metallurgical luoperties, as well as 

 upon their economic value. 



In 1883 the collection of Washington relics was transferred from the 

 Patent Office. It includes not only the old collection that had l)een on 

 view for so many years, but also a large number of objects purchased 

 some years ago by Congressional ajjpropriation from Col. Lewis, and 

 never unpacked after their arrival in the city. This collection is one of 

 the most attractive to the visitors to the Museum. Through the cour- 



