348 REPORT OF National museum, i8gi. 



nuder the protection of cases. It may be jjropc]- tn icinaik tliat to clean, stuff, and put 

 in position 6 l»ird skins a day, is the greatest festilt from tlie labors of an exjiert and 

 experienced taxidermist, and that so much Cflii be done only with skins in good order 

 and of moderate-sized birds. Mnch less is the most that can be done with skins thai 

 luive been twisted and for a long time closely packed, or with skins of large birds 

 or of ipiadrnpeds; a single skin of a large bird often requiiing irom one to two 

 days. 



About 1(50 skins of (|uadrn]»eds, about HO of which liaVe lieen stuffed, set up, anil 

 put in cases. 



About 200 glass jars have been filled with mollusca, fishes, and reptiles, but these 

 yet require to be divided into more jars and to be arranged, classified, and ii med; 

 and there yet remains two barrels and ten kegs of wet .and soft specimens, which 

 have not been opened, except to replenish, when necessary, the preservative mate- 

 rial. 



There are about 50,000 l>otanical specimens, embracing many that are extremely 

 rare and entirely new. An able botanist, Mr. Nuttall, who has had the examination 

 oi" this collection, pronounced it equal, if not superior, to any in the world of the 

 kind and from the same regions. He was for a short time employed to aid in the ar- 

 ranging of the specimens, and assigned them to orders and genera, but they yet 

 require the greater lal)or of specific distinctions. 



There are about 3,000 specimens of insects, the greater iiart of which have been 

 arranged in genera, but yet reciuire the further and more laborious arrangement into 

 species. A large collection of insects, said to be one of the finest of Europe, has 

 lately arrived in New York to be placed in deposit in the Institution for the benefit 

 of the public. It is from that well-known and eminent naturalist, C. F. Castelneau. 

 esq., a member of the Institution. We have also notice of a collection of minerals 

 being on its way from the School of Mines of Paris, as a present to the Institution. 



There are probably several hundred thousand shells, constituting a mass of from 

 30 to 40 bushels, all v;iluable and many of them very rare, entirely new and ex- 

 tremely beautiful. With these nothing has yet been done but to open the boxes 

 and clean a few of them. Many c(mchologists have pronounced this the finest col- 

 lection in the United States. It will require much labor and time to arrange it. 



About 500 corallines have been cleaned and partially arranged. About 300 star- 

 fish, echini, radiati, etc., have received a like attention; also about 100 sponges and 

 about 2,000 crnstacea. And there are yet many more spetimens of these, several 

 hundred, which have not been examined. 



About 50 fish skins. These are yet in the same cimdition as when received. 



About 7,000 specimens of minerals are placed under the protection of cases, but 

 require a great amount of labor to arrange and label. There are also upwards of ,50 

 boxes of mineralogical and geological specimens which have not been opened. 



Accessions are daily made to the collections of the Institution in the foi'm of dona- 

 tions, and we are now looking with some anxiety for additional shipments from the 

 exploring squadron. Nor can it be doubted that when the squadron returns it will 

 be freighted in value and number of specimens equal to all it may have sent home 

 during its long and interesting voyage. 



Already the specimens which have been placed in cases nearly fill the space, one- 

 half of the upper room of the Patent Ofifice, which the liberality of the Secretary of 

 State assigned temporarily to the use of the Institution ; but these specimens are of 

 necessity in a crowded state of imperfect arrangenuMit. And tlie specimens now on 

 hand, when put up and properly disphiyed, will fill the svhole of the room. We 

 already, therefore, and with much reason, anticipate being straitened for space. 



The occupation of our present place is also merely tenrporary. The room Avill in a 

 few years be require'! for the purposes for which it was erected. This consideration 

 necessarily afferts the character of the labors of the Institution in reference to the 

 collection^ which can not fail to partake of the character of its occupation of the 



