328 The Smithsonian Institution 



hibiting the natural resources of the country, as well as a 

 means of public education." 



Professor Baird, as Exhibition representative of the Institu- 

 tion, wrote in the Report of the same year as follows: 



" It will, however, be readily understood that the Smith- 

 sonian Building will be entirely inadequate to accommodate 

 this collection on its return from Philadelphia, especially as 

 even now it is overcrowded and packed from top to bottom 

 with thousands of boxes, for the proper exhibition of the con- 

 tents of which there is no space or opportunity at the present 

 time. It is to be hoped that action at an early day will be 

 taken by Congress looking toward a proper provision for this 

 emergency, especially when it is realized that the materials 

 are thus available for a National Museum that shall be equal, 

 in its extent and completeness and in its educational advan- 

 tages, to that of any nation in the world. 



"The collections made directly through the Government 

 appropriations will also be very largely supplemented by the 

 donation of series of American and foreign exhibitors, a very 

 large proportion of which will be placed at the disposal of the 

 United States Government." 



The anticipations of Henry and Baird were fully met. In 

 the Report for the Centennial year Professor Baird wrote : 



" At no period in the history of the National Museum, from 

 the time when it was organized to the present, has the in- 

 crease been so great as during the year 1876."^ 



After referring to the accessions from the government ex- 

 hibits, he remarks : 



" In addition, however, to the sources of increase to the 

 Museum during the years 1875 and 1876, mentioned above, 

 still another presented itself of perhaps even greater pro- 



1 " Smithsonian Report," 1876, page 38. 



