REPORT OP THE SECRETARY. 29 



Distribution of specimens. — The Museum has taken a special inter- 

 est for many years, to as great an extent as appropriations would 

 permit, in the preparation and distribution to educational establish- 

 ments throughout the country of series of duplicate specimens per- 

 taining chiefly to natural history. During the past year about 6,000 

 such specimens were distributed. 



National Herbarium. — The removal of the archeological collections 

 from the large upper hall of the Smithsonian building has afforded 

 an opportunity for furnishing adequate quarters for the National 

 Herbarium, which for many years has occupied crowded and unsuit- 

 able space in the galleries of the National Museum. 



Growth of Museum. — The national collections have so increased in 

 size and value as to make them comparable with the similar collections 

 of the greater European countries, and with the occupation of the 

 new building they may now be housed and arranged in an appropriate 

 and convenient manner. This expansion, however, involves a much 

 greater annual expenditure than heretofore, the larger portion of 

 which is called for in connection with the exhibition halls, maintained 

 for the benefit of the public. The extent of these halls has been 

 about trebled, thus offering an opportunity for the preparation and 

 mounting for display of many additional specimens, a work that will 

 be pushed as rapidly as available funds will permit in order that the 

 operations of the Museum may be commensurate with their impor- 

 tance to the public interests and to science. 



THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART. 



As stated in my last report the collections of the National Gallery 

 of Art had then so increased that they could no longer all be accommo- 

 dated in the old National Museum building, and Congress having 

 failed to authorize the adaptation of the large hall of the Smithsonian 

 building for their proper exhibition, it had become necessary to make 

 preparations for their display temporarily in one of the halls in the 

 new Museum building. The space selected was the central part of 

 the middle hall, 50 feet wide and about 130 feet long, with a central 

 skylight. Screen walls were constructed, divided into seven rooms. 

 An informal opening of the gallery was held on March IT, 1910, which 

 was largely attended. 



The collections were increased during the year by the further gift 

 from Mr. William T. Evans of 32 paintings and 1 fire etching on 

 wood, and by a considerable number of loans from various indi- 

 viduals. It became necessary at the close of the year to make prepara- 

 tion for extending the limits of the gallery so as to include the entire 

 space below the skylight in the middle hall. 



The history of the gallery and a catalogue of the collections was 

 published during the year in a volume of 140 pages as Bulletin No. 



