418 MEMORIAL OF JOSEPH HENRY. 



societies in all parts of the globe and in nearly all the modern lan- 

 guages, which is to be found in the country. - - - The Smith- 

 sonian deposit, kept up as it is from year to year by additions of 

 new contributions in every department of scientific literature, sup- 

 plies in connection with the extensive Library of Congress, a larger 

 collection of scientific books for use and reference, than is to be 

 found in any one body elsewhere in the United States. The waste 

 of means incident to the duplication of two extensive libraries at 

 the seat of Government is thus obviated, while the convenience and 

 interests of scholars pursuing their researches, are in the highest 

 degree promoted by the consolidation." * 



Note L. (From p. 285.) 



DISTRIBUTION OF SMITHSONIAN MATERIAL. 



For the great organic purpose of furthering scientific research, 

 not only have vast numbers of duplicate specimens been liberally 

 distributed, but even reserved specimens of special interest or rarity 

 have been loaned under proper conditions to original workers. 

 Perhaps the review of a single year's application of such material, 

 will best convey an idea of its general character : 



" It has always been the policy of the Institution to furnish speci- 

 mens for special study and investigation to naturalists of established 

 reputation, either in this country or abroad. The use of these 

 specimens is granted under the express condition that they are to 

 form the subject of investigation, the results of which are to be 

 published by the Institution or some other establishment, and that 

 in all cases full credit is to be given to the Institution for the assist- 

 ance it has rendered. 'Furthermore, in the case of the preparation 

 of a monograph, a full set of the type specimens correctly labeled 

 is to be put aside for the National Museum, and the remainder of 

 the specimens made up into sets for distribution. The following 

 list presents the more important cases of the loan or assignment of 

 materials during the past year. Some of the specimens have already 

 been returned, while the remainder are still in the hands of the 

 parties to whom they were intrusted : 



"Crania of the recent and fossil bison, musk-ox, &c. to Professor 

 L. Agassiz, of Cambridge, Mass : land shells of Central and South 

 America to Thomas Bland, of New York : land and fresh-water 

 shells of North America to W. G. Binney, Burlington, N. J. nests 

 and eggs of North American birds to Dr. T. M. Brewer, Boston : 



* The International Review for November, 1878, vol. v. pp. 762-764. 



