Cooperation of the Smithsonian Institution 8 1 1 



of the Smithsonian transferred the principal parts of their 

 collection to the custody of the Congressional, and gave to 

 it yearly accessions. The magnitude of this renunciation is 

 apparent from the simple statement that more than three 

 hundred thousand volumes and parts of volumes have thus 

 become a part of the National Library, constituting perhaps 

 one fourth of its possessions. In the new building a separate 

 hall is assigned to this important department. 



The chapter on Meteorology illustrates the principle of 

 Henry. As the study of the climate of this country seemed 

 of great importance, he devised methods, provided instru- 

 ments, prepared the requisite mathematical tables, and en- 

 listed far and wide the services of observers and recorders. 

 He initiated and for years maintained this great work, and 

 reached results which demonstrated its importance; and then, 

 when the government, with all the possibilities of army ser- 

 vice on the frontier and in stations remote from ordinary 

 settlement, indicated its readiness to establish a weather 

 bureau, he passed over all this work with its valuable 

 archives to the new organization. 



The growth of the National Museum, and its management, 

 furnish additional illustrations of the cooperative spirit of 

 the Smithsonian. At the time of the Centennial Exhibition 

 in Philadelphia many great collections were brought together 

 from remote countries. Baird was quick to see what a valu- 

 able possession they would be in Washington. Many of 

 them were offered to our government, on the understand- 

 ing that they should be properly displayed. Already the 

 Smithsonian was the custodian of important collections 

 made by the explorers of this country in our Western Ter- 

 ritories and in foreign lands, including the objects brought 

 together by the Wilkes expedition. Baird saw the oppor- 

 tunity to combine these elements and institute a national 



