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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. £3 
ence, certain art serials being included among them, and though all are 
kept in the Secretary’s office they are at the service, under certain neces- 
sary restrictions, of all connected with the Institution. 
This collection numbers at present nearly 300 volumes, and while it 
would be highly desirable to enlarge it still further, this is rendered 
almost impracticable, because the Secretary’s office is already filled nearly 
to its utmost capacity. It is not possible either to place the collection 
of works of reference under the immediate charge of the librarian, as 
the rooms which he oecupies are already over-crowded, while the room 
on the same floor, which would naturally be the one to which the library 
would be extended, is occupied as a shipping office by the Bureau of 
International Exchanges. 
It is to be hoped in the interest of the library, then, as well as of the 
Bureau itself, that Congress will provide the additional quarters which 
have been asked for the latter. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Portraits of Regents.—The Institution is under obligation to the Chief 
of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing fer copies of engraved por- 
traits of several former Regents of the Institution, which had been pre- 
pared for official purposes. 
Statue of Robert Dale Owen.—A bill appropriating $20,000 for a statue 
of Hon. Robert Dale Owen, of Indiana, who was among the first and 
most actively interested Regents of the Institution, was introduced 
in the Senate on December 9, 1890, by the Hon. Daniel W. Voorhees, and 
yas passed on the same day by the Senate, but failed to secure favor- 
able action in the House of Representatives. 
Statue of Prof. Baird.—\ have the honor again to call the attention 
of the Regents to the bill which was passed by the Senate in February, 
1888, providing for a bronze statue of Prof. Baird in recognition of the 
distinguished services rendered his country, and I venture to express 
the hope that this subject may receive the earnest consideration of lis 
many warm friends in both Houses of Congress. 
Capron collection of Japanese works of art.—An appropriation of 
$10,000 for the purchase of the Capron collection, which has been for 
several years on deposit in the Museum, was included in the sundry civil 
act for the year 189192, thereby securing this valuable collection of 
Japanese works of art to the Government. 
Perkins collection of prehistoric implements.—The deficiency bill ap- 
proved October 1, 1890, contained an appropriation of $7,000 to enable 
the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution to purchase of Mr. Fred- 
erick S. Perkins his collection of prehistoric implements. This sum 
was duly paid to Mr. Perkins and the collection received and deposited 
in the National Museum. 
Meteorological records.—In accordance with arrangements made with 
the Chief Signal Officer, U. S. Army, Gen, A. W. Greely, the meteoro- 
