no. 4 cooperative work of the institution 7 



(3) Cooperation through Furnishing Facilities 



" It is a part of the plan \i. e., of the Smithsonian Institution] to 

 give encouragement and assistance to original investigators, and per- 

 sons who visit Washington for the purpose of studying the collection 

 are furnished with all the facilities which the Institution can afiford." 

 (loth Annual Report, 1855.) These '' facilities " included not 

 merely access to the collections, library, and laboratories, but in 

 numerous instances the early investigators were actually given living 

 rooms in the building. Within recent years the last-named practice 

 has been discontinued, but the others mentioned endure. As early 

 as 1855 the chemical laboratory of the Institution was utilized by 

 Dr. J. L. Smith in examination of minerals, and by the Treasury 

 Department in investigations relative to the kinds of molasses im- 

 ported into this country. 



(4) Cooperation through Personal Assistance, Expert and 



Otherwise 



Aid in the identification of material is perhaps of all forms of 

 cooperation the most common. A large share of these requests come 

 from individuals, and while time-consuming, leave no tangible results 

 for permanent records. Those from museums, scientific workers, 

 and departments of the Government require expert knowledge of a 

 much higher standard, and often find their way into the printed 

 reports. A very large amount of work of this nature is done in 

 cooperation with the U. S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Fisheries, 

 and Department of Agriculture. Decisions relative to the establish- 

 ment of National monuments, and to materials for Government 

 structures are often asked. As long ago as 1856, Professor Henry 

 was appointed to cooperate with Colonel Totten, A. J. Downing, the 

 Commissioner of Patents, Prof. A. D. Bache of the Coast Survey, 

 and Captain Meigs, to examine and report on the marble submitted 

 for use in the Capitol extension, and for over 20 years he cooperated 

 with the Lighthouse Service in the investigation of fog signals and 

 other aids to navigation. Prof. S. F. Baird, while Assistant Secretary 

 of the Institution, in 187 1, began the long series of cooperative studies 

 on the food fisheries of the country which resulted in the establish- 

 ment of the U. S. Fish Commission, to which he gave his services 

 without other salary than was attached to his duties as Secretary 

 until his death. Other instances are given in detail in another sec- 

 tion of this report. 



