THE GENESIS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 357 



era! or agricultural resources, I would suggest that iu addition to cases for foreign 

 geology, there be a special case set aside for each State iu the Union, to contain 

 .specimens of all its productions, niineralogical and gccdogical. This plan car- 

 ried out, a single walk through the hall would convey the information of years'of 

 travel ; the mineral wealth of each .State would be open for inspection, and the 

 nature of their productions and their comparative value might at oiu-e be read off. 

 Those interested in coal explorations would find here the rocks which contain this 

 mineral and indicate its presence ; and near by those rocks also which by some resem- 

 blance have so often led to fruitless explorations; the true and the filse might be 

 readily compared, and with the definite information obtained, treatises on this sub- 

 ject, before scarcely intelligible, be read with profit. The same, with the ores of iron, 

 copper,]ead, gold, silver, etc., and the various materials used in building, soils, etc! 

 .Such an arrangement, embracing within its plan every part of our country, will en- 

 list exertions as widely extended; and we may confidently believe that the titles 

 New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, etc., inscribed on the resj.ective cases, would not 

 long stand over empty shelves. Indeed, for some States a second and a third case 

 might soon be required. The Iowa case could now be filled, and a commencement 

 might be made with the case for New York, that for Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, Penn- 

 sylvania, Khode Island, and New Jersey. As geological surveys are in" progress in 

 many .States, or have been completed, there will be little difficulty in general in ob- 

 taining complete suites for the National Institute. The corals in the hall, Avith few 

 exceptions, were received from the exploring expedition. The collection is extensive 

 and possesses peculiar interest inasmuch as the species are mostly from seas that have 

 seldom contributed to the cabinets of this or any country. The various cruises of 

 the vessels among the numerous Pacific islands aff-orded\inusual opportunities for 

 the collection and examination of these singular forms of animal life, and nuich that 

 is new has been brought to light with regard to the structure of coral islands, the 

 growth of corals, the nature and forms of the animals that deposit them (of which 

 a large collection of drawings has been made), besides discovering many newspecies 

 and correcting some errors in former descriptions. The number of species brouo-ht 

 home is not less than 250, and if to this be added the smaller corrallines it will 

 amount to above 350, besides species of still inferior grade of organization, the 

 sponges. The corals now occupy two cases which are barely sufficient to receive 

 them. A separate case of West India corals might soon be filled, as we may expect 

 large collections through the exertions of the officers of the Navy cruising in those 

 seas. It would be quite important that these productions from tlae opposite sides of 

 our globe, the East and West Indies, be kept separate. 



The beauty of these collections is sufficient of itself, as is believed, to engage the 

 attention and more than a passing glance or hasty word of admiration. But" their 

 interest is greatly enhanced when it is considered that thousands of square miles of 

 land have been added to our globe by the labors of the minute coral-builder, and 

 that seas have been studded with islands that otherwise would have remained a 

 waste of waters. 



Before closing this communication I may add a word on the Crustacea in the Hall 

 which departmeut fell into my hands in the expedition and comes under my charge 

 also at the Institute. The collection now arranged includes about 650 species, nearly 

 all of which are from the exploring expedition. The whole number of species col- 

 lected and examined during our cruise is not tar from 1,000, more than half as many 

 as the whole number known. Of these, 500 aud upwards have been figured ; and not 

 less than 450 out of the 500 are new species, besides many others in the collection not 

 yet particularly examined. About 2.50 species are oceanic aud belong to genera of 

 which not over 30 species are known, aff-ording, as is thus seen, a great number of 

 novelties to be brought out iu the publications of the expedition. The most of these 

 oceanic species are microscopic, generally less than a tenth of an inch in length. 

 Although so minute, they sometimes swarm in such numbers as to give a red thige 



