60 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 
to be preserved for study; but seeing that there are in the country a 
number of special museums which would gladly become the custodians 
of these objects, and that the hope is yet confidently entertained 
that Congress will, in due time, establish a national museum which 
shall rival those of other countries, it has been thought advisable 
to restrict the collections which are retained in the Smithsonian 
museum—first, to those made by the exploring expedition, the care 
of which Congress has devolved upon the Institution ; and, second, 
to such type specimens as are thought of special interest as illus- 
trating the Smithsonian publications. 
The museum has been’rendered particularly attractive to the visit- 
ors and inhabitants of Washington by the large number of birds and 
mammals which have been mounted for public exhibition, and in this 
way it has undoubtedly contributed to the popularity, though it has 
diminished the efficiency, of the Institution. The danger, however, 
to be guarded against, is the constant tendency to expand the col- 
lections, and hence gradually to absorb the income in their support. 
It should be recollected that the building has borne upon the re- 
sources of the Institution with a cost of more than $300,000, and that 
at least an additional $100,000 will be necessary to repair the recent 
damages, and this mainly to render the edifice better adapted for the 
accommodation of the library and museum. 
Little has been said in this sketch in regard to the gallery of art. 
The impropriety of expending the income of the bequest in attempt- 
ing to form a collection of articles in this line worthy of the country 
has had no prominent advocates, even among artists; still, in con- 
nexion with the museum, a collection has been formed which princi- 
pally consists of plaster casts of distinguished individuals, and a few 
pictures which have either been presented to the Institution or are 
the property of the government. The only purchase in this line 
which the Institution has made is that from Hon. George P. Marsh, 
of a series of valuable engravings to illustrate the early history of 
art. 
Lectures. —As a part of the programme of organization. finally 
adopted, courses of lectures were to be delivered, but:instead of at- 
tempting to furnish popular instruction by this means to all parts of 
the country, as was at first proposed, the lectures have been confined 
to the city of Washington ; and in order to render them generally 
useful, synopses of the more important ones have been published in 
the annual reports. At the commencement of the Institution, and 
