JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS. DW 
The proposed building can, I believe, be constructed at a propor- 
tionately smaller cost. Lam not prepared to state the exact sum which 
would be necessary for its completion; but, from estimates already fur- 
nished by responsible contractors, I feel sure that $500,000, if not suffi- 
cient to complete it, would be all that would be required to be expended 
during the present year, and I would earnestly urge the desirability of 
appropriating this amount for the purpose in question. 
The necessity for anew Museum building is caused by the large in- 
crease in the accessions to the collections. In 1882, the first year of 
active work in the present building, the Museum contained less than 
195,000 specimens. This number has now been increased to nearly 
3,000,000 specimens, and the increase during the past eight years has 
been more than half as large again as during the previous twenty -one 
years. 
The collections of the Smithsonian Institution and of the Govern- 
ment are especially rich in representations of the natural history of 
this country. <A careful estimate made at the end of the last fiscal 
year showed that there were at that time in the zodlogical collections 
1,850,721 specimens, in the botanical collections 48 637 Specimens, in 
the geologic al collections 106,766 specimens, in the paleontological 
collections 172 O40 specimens, in the anthropological collections 651,868 
specimens, and in the various collections illustrating the arts and 
industries 45,540 specimens. Since this estimate was made, it is prob- 
able that more than 50,000 specimens of all kinds have been received. 
The natural-history collections include the zodlogical collections, 
the botanical collections, and the geological collections, in which are 
contained not only all the geologic al and mineralogical specimens, but 
also the greater portion of the “‘paleontologic: il materi al, the study of 
fossil animals and plants forming an essential feature of modern geo- 
logical work. 
"The anthropological collections illustrate the history of mankind at 
all periods and in every land and also serve to explain the develop- 
ment of all human arts and industries. There are in addition consid- 
erable collections illustrating the processes and products of the various 
arts and industries, as well as the historical collections, which are of 
especial interest to a very large number of the visitors to the Museum 
on account of the associations of the objects exhibited with the personal 
history of representative men or with important events in the history 
of America. 
It is also noteworthy that among the accessions of more recent years 
many collections of great extent have beenreceived. Among these are 
the bequest of Dr. Tsaac Lea, of Philadelphia, which contains 20,000 
specimens of shells, besides minerals and other objects; the Jeffries 
collection of fossil and recent shells of Europe, including 40,000 speci- 
mens; the Stearns collection of mollusks, numbering 100, 000 specimens; 
the Riley collection of insects, containing 50,000 specimens; the Catlin 
collection of Indian paintings, and the collection of the American In- 
stitute of Mining Engineers. 
In addition may also be mentioned the extensive collection obtained 
at the Fisheries Exhibitions at Berlin and London, at the New Orleans 
Cotton Centennial Exposition, and at the Ohio Valley and Central 
States Exposition. To these may be added the collections received 
annually from U, S. Fish Commission, the Geological Surve y, the 
Sureau of Ethnology, and from many other Government de partments 
and bureaus. These are very extensive and are yearly increasing in 
bulk and value, 
