FORTY-FOURTH CONGRESS, 1875-1877. 761 



tion, there would be an eminent propriety in connecting the new building with the 

 old, and directing the Smithsonian to extend over it and its contents its care and 

 supervision. 



Estimates and plans for a building of the kind referred to have been prepared, 

 and it is thought the whole work can be accomplished at an expense not to exceed 

 $260,000; this to include the cost of steam heating, perhaps, which will of course be 

 necessary to render the building comfortable in winter. 



Should the exhibit of the "War Department be included in this building, and 

 machinery in motion be required, the same steam boilers required for the heating of 

 the building would furnish the necessary motive power. 



To sum up, therefore, the material belonging to the United States for which pro- 

 vision is now required consists of the collections at present stored in the basement of 

 the Smithsonian building and hitherto not publicly exhibited, consisting of quadru- 

 peds, birds, fishes, fossils, minerals, etc., and requiring nearly 20,000 square feet of 

 floor. Second, the collections made at the expense of the -Centennial fund by the 

 Smithsonian Institution, the Commission of Food-fishes, and the Indian Bureau; 

 for these a space of 40,000 feet is needed. Third, the collections presented to the 

 United States by foreign governments, by States, and by various private exhibitors, 

 needing 20,000 feet. Fourth, allowance for the completion of the exhibits of the 

 mineral wealth of the country by different States of the Union, 20,000 feet, or an 

 aggregate of 100,000 square feet, which space could be used to advantage. 



SPENCER F. BAIRD, 



Representative Smithsonian and Food-fishes 

 Department at International Exposition, 1876. 



Prof. JOSEPH HENRY, 



Secretary Smithsonian Institution. 



[International exhibition, 1876. Board on behalf of United States Executive Departments.] 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 



Washington, D. C., Januan/ 31, 1877. 



SIR: I take the liberty of addressing you relative to the proposed new building for 

 a National Museum. As representative of this Department at Philadelphia last sum- 

 mer, I became the official recipient of a large quantity of valuable exhibits presen- 

 tations from foreign governments to that of the United States all of which must 

 remain unopened until some suitable place is fitted up for their proper arrangement, 

 as there are no accommodations in the Department for them and I have great 'dif- 

 ficulty in getting them stored even in bulk so that they will not suffer injury. 



These donations are of great value. Having paid considerable attention to vege- 

 table fibers for twenty years, I feel that we have now, in these donations, a collec- 

 tion perhaps equal to that of any existing museum. The collection of native and 

 foreign woods is very extensive; that of the former has never been equaled, in fact, 

 it never has been systematically attempted until we collected for the late exposition. 

 We could occupy 8,000 to 10,000 square feet of surface very profitably with the arti- 

 cles on hand. 



As to the educational value of museums of natural history, it can not well be over- 

 rated ; as a means of diffusing instruction and rational amusement among the people 

 and giving to the scientific student every possible means of practical examination 

 and study of specimens connected with the nature of his researches, museums stand 

 foremost as practical educators; their influence in promoting and extending manu- 

 factures and commerce is being appreciated throughout the world ; they are the nat- 

 ural offspring of international exhibitions; they are permanent exhibits of the 

 world's progress. 



