REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 17 



and work. On February 13, 1897, a meeting to commemorate his life 

 and services was Leld in the lecture hall of the Museum. A full 

 account of that meeting will be found in the Museum volume of the 

 Smithsonian Eeport. 



After extended consideration of the needs of the Museum and the 

 special qualifications of several persons who had been suggested as 

 capable of filling the position rendered vacant by Dr. Goode's death, I 

 signified to Mr. Charles D. Walcott my desire that, with the approval 

 of the Eegents, he should take charge of the Museum, and I was glad 

 to learn that, notwithstanding his arduous duties as Director of the 

 United States Geological Survey, he felt willing to put provisionally 

 at the service of the Institution his known scientific and executive 

 qualifications, together with those which a long previous connection 

 with the Museum rendered doubly acceptable. 



His appointment by me as acting assistant secretary in charge of the 

 National Museum was ratified by the Board of Regents at its meeting 

 on January 27, 1897. 



Although comparatively little effort was made during the year to 

 obtain specimens for the Museum, the accessions were 168 more than 

 those of the previous year, representing a total increase of nearly 40,000 

 specimens over the receipts during 1896. The number of specimens of 

 all kinds now recorded is 3,720,237. 



In my estimates for 1897 I asked Congress to appropriate $180,000 

 for the preservation of the collections in the Museum. It is regrettable 

 that only $153,225 were allowed for this purpose. As the collections 

 in the Museum increase, it is imperative that a reasonable increase 

 should be made in the funds devoted to their preservation and elabora- 

 tion, and I most earnestly hope that the full amount which I have 

 estimated to be necessary for the operations of the next fiscal year will 

 be appropriated by Congress. 



It is gratifying to record that, in accordance with my recommenda- 

 tion, the sum of $8,000 was allowed by Congress for the erection of 

 galleries in the Museum building. They will materially add to the area 

 available for exhibition purposes. By a fortunate circumstance the 

 appropriation for the galleries became available at a time when the cost 

 of ironwork of all kinds was unusually low, and at the time of writing 

 this report four galleries are in jjrocess of construction. The desire of 

 Congress to relieve the congested conditions which have so long existed 

 in the Museum has been further manifested by an additional allowance 

 of $8,000 in the Museum appropriations for 1898. 



When the galleries are ready for the reception of fittings and furni- 

 ture, there will arise the necessity for the expenditure of a considerable 

 sum of money for this purpose. Congress has allowed $15,000 to be 

 thus expended during the coming fiscal year. 



It seems projier to remark that while the galleries which can be 

 erected with this amount ($16,000) will be of very great benefit, the need 

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