. 
FIFTY-FOURTH CONGRESS, 1895-1897. 1716 
Department. 1894. 1895. 
SUE Beat necitceenbhBonsdicirnit Ss ASS BAS ie Se eS 8 Seis doc oc pean ee 73, 325 78, 824 
Birds’ eggs and nests........ ister aedsica cence stints cine aicadaeeaksecmesw escort teswcnene 58, 041 60, 064 
EERIE AEG De UA GUIBEIN ete oe cco an annie an a aim weno baehine ot tae teins woe teen 34,215 35, 308 
URIS ETL Se SAS a te ae BR BE Si dE ep ne ae SL i fen) eS To 8 na AP BS 125,000 | 131,000 
SID eRe UU) oe Se SRE BOOSIE TOE ESS OO SE CEGBOCED ISS° BHCE Osea eae 1,595 1, 660 
PMMA ne ludine Cenozoic: fossils)) 522 soos - sess ss seca cence niece cee seocincscee+ 510, 256 524, 388 
LE 5 DV ooo Se S Rob SSG Sd cd 2 BOS Regt ge » COQ DE BEL HOE DOLE DOSE EO BE Ey De nogeoc eho eos 610, 000 623, 000 
Ro DEME EL CULECULMLCK sean tana oie a Senten ae essa ees ons emesest sotee eee aera ce beens 520, 000 522,378 
Pee ELH OIC COMECHOM: salaiteh Jew oe ae dec emis orem eine Reinccese ies eccae es ccricdcsh|eet-neciee ne 106 
Comparative anatomy: 
ee bak aaa | eR 
Ip PILE tle via Sry § See oe ee oe a 2s EE eae ene ee ee ee ee 95, 631 
RODS TIATED PSUS) SE Se ae aS Ce Pe ee a ne ee 89, 493 305, 451 
DP UDHIDTBUDEST "0S “SoS SSos SQ Ree B See DB Ge PS) Ope es ate Bene EE DASE ee ane a antes aera 118, 685 
ECP IME TIP IN Se ec oc cree wcicttnc ofc cost ee ces Se ce cl cae eee seca cee odes ceeeacieseues 252, 111 269, 008 
NOS TERING p53 Ae Set 28 ee See ae Se eae A aa es REPT Ree Sn tye ee b 25, 431 26, 484 
Geology cee e eee e ec ee etree eee reece eee n eee e ence ewer ence eect ener eneceeecenaceencrens 063, 606 66, 846 
Hiteii ny eee ey ae meLe eee Pipe ye Eas TIS A Oe A ee ee ey 3,279,581 | 3, 406, 920 
aNo estimate of the number of specimens in the duplicate series can be given at this time. 
bIn addition there is a large quantity of material in storage. 
cThese figures include the duplicates, which are estimated at 12,000. 
The intrinsic value of such collections as these can not well be 
expressed in figures. There are single specimens worth hundreds, 
others worth thousands, of dollars, and still others which are unique 
and priceless. Many series of specimens which owe their value to 
their completeness and to the labor which has been expended on them 
can not be replaced at any price. The collections at a forced sale 
would realize more than has been expended on them, and a fair 
appraisal of their value would amount to several millions of dollars. 
In the direct purchase of specimens but little money has been spent, 
less, perhaps, in fifty years than either France, England, Germany, or 
Austria expends in a single year on similar objects. The entire Museum 
is the outgrowth of Government expeditions and expositions, and of 
the gifts prompted by the generosity of the American people. = 
If there were more space it would be possible to devote a special 
hall to the collections illustrating the life of the races of the far North— 
the Eskimos and their kin. A large hall might be filled with the 
wonderful groups of models of the races of mankind, and particularly 
of the different tribes of the North American Indians, clothed in their 
characteristic-costumes and engaged in the arts and occupations pecu- 
liar to each. These groups are recognized in Europe as having no 
equal, and are now temporarily placed in the lecture room and in vari- 
ous out-of-the-way corners, where their effect and usefulness are largely 
lost. No other museum in the world has such rich material in this 
field, but at present only a small number of exhibition cases can be 
