20 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. 



Jolins Hopkins University has been secured in the formation of a collec- 

 tion of Oriental Antiquities. Other new sections have been organized. 



TRANSFER OF DISBURSEMENTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF THE 



INTERIOR. 



The rapid growth of the Museum for several years past has shown it 

 to be desirable that the direct administration of the Museum appropria- 

 tions should be transferred from the Department of the Interior to the 

 hands of the Smithsonian Institutiou, the legal custodian of the Museum 

 and its collections. This matter was fully discussed at the last annual 

 meeting of the Board of Regents, and a conference between the Chan- 

 cellor of the Smithsonian Institution, the Secretary of the Interior, and 

 the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution was held on February 13. 

 Some correspondence followed between the Secretary of the Interior 

 and the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, in which the former 

 consented to the proposed transfer. This correspondence is jDublished 

 in the report of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution to the 

 Board of Regents for this year. * 



A letter was then addressed to the chairman of the House Committee 

 on Appropriations,* setting forth the facts in the case, and the changes 

 proposed. These were indicated in the sundry civil bill, and, if approved 

 by Congress, the disbursement of money appropriated for the National 

 Museum will hereafter be made by an officer designated by the Secre- 

 tary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



THE COLLECTION OF LIVING ANIMALS. 



Early in the year preparations were made for the establishment of a 

 department of living animals in the Museum, in order to afford to the tax- 

 idermists an opportunity of observing the habits and positions of ttie 

 various species, with a view to using the knowledge thus acquired in 

 the mounting of skins for the exhibition series of mammals. Active 

 work in this department commenced in October. Mr. Willliam T. 

 Hornaday was appointed curator. 



The U. S. Fish Commission kindly tendered the use of one of its 

 special cars then about to be sent to tbe far west, for the transporta- 

 tion of living animals to Washington, and Mr. Hornaday visited several 

 of the northwestern States and Territories. The expedition was very 

 successful, and a large number of deer, bears, foxes, lynxes, eagles, and 

 other animals were obtained as a nocleus for the collection. 



D.— THE CONDITION OF THE COLLECTIONS. 



INCREASE OF THE COLLECTIONS. 



Since the erection of the present Museum building in 1881 there have 

 been more than 12,000 accessions to the collections, chiefly by gift. 

 From 1859 to 3880 the accessions numbered 8,475. It is thus evident 



* Pages 8-11. ''Page 8, ibid. 



