The United States National Museum 319 



definite as those which relate to the previous class, but the 

 following considerations have been adopted as governing 

 principles: 



" i. The original specimens ought not to be intrusted to 

 inexperienced persons, or to those who have not given evi- 

 dence of their ability properly to accomplish the task they 

 have undertaken. 



" 2. Preference should be given to those who are engaged 

 in the laborious and difficult task of preparing complete 

 monographs. 



" 3. As it would be illiberal to restrict the use of the speci- 

 mens, and confine the study of them to persons who can visit 

 Washington, the investigator should be allowed to take them 

 to his place of residence, and to retain them for a reasonable 

 time. 



"4. The investigator must give assurance that he will pre- 

 pare a set of type specimens for the Smithsonian museum, 

 and will return all the duplicates, if required. 



" 5. In any publication which may be made of the results 

 of the investigation, full credit must be accorded to the In- 

 stitution for the facilities which have been afforded." 



All these provisions on the part of the Institution were car- 

 ried out as far as the circumstances would permit. The 

 money available was insufficient for employing paid assist- 

 ants to any considerable extent, and the Institution had the 

 benefit of the voluntary assistance both of many recognized 

 authorities in the several branches of science and of young 

 students. The extent and importance of this aid cannot be 

 overestimated. Collections which would have remained use- 

 less for years were rapidly classified by competent naturalists 

 and separated into series, some to be reserved by the In- 

 stitution, and others to be distributed to kindred scientific 

 establishments and to colleges and schools. 



The list of collaborators includes almost every name prom- 

 inent in American natural history in the last half century. Nor 



