4 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1885. 



whole, and of its several departments. TLis feature is, liowever, neces- 

 sarily omitted on account of the absence of several of the curators at 

 New Orleans during these six months. I trust, however, that it will he 

 practicable to prepare such a summary in time for the next report of 

 the Museum. 



2. FOUNDATION AND SCOPE OF THE MUSEUM. 



The National Museum was organized in 1846 by act of Congress, the 

 nucleus of its collections being the "National Cabinet of Curiosities," 

 which at that time were on exhibition in the Patent Office building. 

 These collections were not, however, removed to the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution building until eleven years afterwards, and their custody was 

 accepted by the Kegents of the Smithsonian Institution, on condition 

 that the appropriation of a suificient sum of money for their proper care 

 be continued by Congress. 



The National Museum is under the direction of the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution, which is governed by an establishment consisting of the Presi- 

 dent of the United States and his Cabinet, the Commissioner of Patents, 

 and the Board of "Regents, which latter is composed of the Yice-Presi- 

 dent, Chief Justice of the United States, three members of the Senate, 

 three members of the House of Eej)resentatives, and six other persons 

 not members of Congress, two of whom are residents of the city of 

 Washington. 



The Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, to whom is intrusted 

 the actual management of. its affairs, is ex officio the Director of the Na- 

 tional Museum. The Museum staff at the present time is composed of 

 an assistant director, and twenty-four curators and acting curators, fif- 

 teen of whom receive no salary from the Museum appropriation. There 

 are also twelve administrative departments. 



The collections of the Museum are made up, in large part, of the fol- 

 lowing materials: 



1. The natural history and anthropological collections accumulated 

 since 1850 by the efforts of the officers and correspondents of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution. 



2. The collections of the Wilkes exploring expedition, the Perry ex- 

 pedition to Japan, and other naval expeditions. 



3. The collections of the scientific officers of the Pacific Eailroad sur- 

 vey, the Mexican boundary survey, and of the surveys carried on by 

 the Engineer Corj)s of the Army. 



4. The collections of the U. S. geological surveys under the direction 

 of the U. S geologists, Hayden, King, and Powell. 



5. The collections of the U. S. Fish Commission. 



6. The gifts by foreign Governments to the Museum or to the Presi- 

 dent and other public officers of the United States, who are forbidden 

 by law to retain such gifts in their private possession. 



7. The collections made by the United States to illustrate the animal 



