SOf) REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1891. 



design of the National Institution is to explore and develop our own 

 resonrces, and to study and describe the natural history of the United 

 States. To this end our exertions must principally be directed. It 

 should be the pride of all connected with or interested in a National 

 Institution, to see every State in the Union fully represented in a na- 

 tional cabinet established at the seat of government. This method, 

 while it recommends itself to us and our interests, is calculated to ex- 

 tend bene tits and encouragement to the societies and naturalists of our 

 own country, who will thus have a central dej)ository from which they 

 may enlarge and vary their own collections; and thus, also, in due time, 

 the duplicates of the exploring expedition may, with the greatest ad- 

 vantage, be diffused throughout the land, thereby fulfilling, in the am- 

 plest manner, the intentions of those who projected, and justifying the 

 liberality of the Government wliich sanctioned that noble iDroject. 



With these preliminary remarks, and under the restrictions which 

 are embraced in them, the committee recommend — 



First. That a system of exchanges be entered upon without delay. 



Second. That the curator and assistants be directed, for this purpose, 

 to separate all duplicates, except those from the exploring expedition; 

 and that they select and label such specimens as are to be sent to indi- 

 viduals or societies. 



Third. That the first step taken be to discharge the obligations of 

 exchange already incurred by the Institution. 



Fourth. That a committee be appointed, to whom the curator shall 

 submit all sets of specimens thus set aside for any given exchanges, 

 who shall decide upon the equivalency before said specimens shall be 

 boxed up and sent off. 



Fifth. That in all cases of difliculty which may arise, reference nuist 

 be made to the president or vice-president of the Institution for de- 

 cision, who will, if they conceive it necessary, submit the question to 

 the Institution. 



Sixth. That a book be kept by the curator, subject at all times to the 

 inspection of the committee, in Avhich must be noted the contents of 

 each box or package; lists of the articles for which they are the equiv- 

 alents; the name and place of tlie society or individual to Avhom one 

 set is to be sent, and fi-om Avhom the other has been received. 



In what the committee have now submitted, they conceive that they 

 have done all that it was possible or necessary to do at present in ref- 

 erence to the third point of the resolution, viz: "reporting fully on the 

 subject "; although they are perfectly sensible that in their report they 

 have presented the subject in the most general nuinner, believing that 

 experience and practice alone will enable the Institution gradually to 

 settle upon a complete system. The committee beg leave to add that 

 the present report is not to be regarded as final, but that it is sub- 

 mitted, with all due deference to the institution, to use the concluding 

 words of the resolution, " for its further consideration and action." 



Shortly after this, on March 8, in order to provide for the reception 

 of these collections, Dr. Henry King * was elected curator of the Na- 



N. 



* Henry King, M. D., was a geologist and mining expert who had been a resident 

 of Missouri, Avho had lately been employed in an exploration of the lead mines of 

 the West, and who at this time was employed by the War Department in Washing- 

 ton. He was the author of amanual of " Directions for making collections in Natural 

 History," published in 1810 by the Institution, the hrst part of a long series of 

 pamphlets of scientific instructors, printed at the capital. [1840. King, Henry. 



