4 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



other institutions, and from foreign governments ; (c) by excliauge for 

 its duplicate specimens or publications ; (d) by the efforts of officers of 

 the Museum, who make collections in connection with their regular 

 duties, or are detailed for special service of this nature ; (e) by purchase 

 when appropriations are made by Congress for that purpose. 



The treasures in the custody of the Museum are utilized to the world 

 by exhibiting them to the public, and by encouraging investigations on 

 the part of the officers of the Museum and other suitable i^ersons, and 

 facilitating the publication of the results ; also by the distribution to 

 other museums and educational institutions of duplicate specimens, 

 which have formed the basis of scientific investigation, these being 

 identified and labeled by the best authorities. 



VII. 



The Museum by these means fulfills a threefold function : 

 1,' It is a Museum of Record^ in which are preserved the material 

 foundations of an enormous amount of scientific knowledge — the types 

 of numerous past investigations. This is especially the case with those 

 materials which have served as a foundation for the reports upon the 

 resources of the United States. Types of investigations made outside 

 of the Museum are also incorporated. 



2. It is a Museum of Research^ by reason of the policy which aims to 

 make its contents serve as fully as possible as a stimulus to and a foun- 

 dation for the studies of scientific investigators. Eesearch is necessary 

 in order to identify and group the objects in the most philosophical and 

 instructive relations. Its officers are selected for their ability as inves- 

 tigators, as well as for their trustworthiness and abilities as custodians, 

 and its treasures are open to the use of any honest student. 



3. It is an Educational Museum of the broadest type, by reason of its 

 ])olicy of illustrating by specimens every kind of natural object and 

 every manifestation of human thought and activity, by displaying de- 

 scrii)tive labels adapted to the i^opular mind, and by its policy of dis- 

 tributing its pubhcations and its named series of duplicates. 



