38 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1909. 



nine thai the new structure would be finished during the winter or spring of 

 1909, no appropriation was requested or obtained for. continuing the occupancy 

 of the rented buildings, in which, for many years, large quantities of museum 

 specimens and other property have been housed. As these buildings had to be 

 surrendered at the end of the year it became necessary to transfer nearly all of 

 this material in bulk to the new building, where it occupies a large part of one 

 of the exhibition floors. Under more favorable circumstances it would have 

 been unpacked and assorted beforehand. 



As good progress was made in the sorting, classifying, labeling, and cata- 

 loguing of the accessions of the year as was possible under the adverse condi- 

 tions and with the relatively small staff of experts attached to the Museum. 

 The examination of the collections resulting in many important scientific con- 

 tributions, in which a number of specialists connected with other establishments 

 have participated. 



The exhibition collections have been added to and changed only in minor 

 ways, principally in connection with the loan collection of art textiles, tech- 

 nology, history, and historic archeology. 



M ISCELLANEOUS. 



Of duplicate material, chiefly natural history, separated from the collections 

 in the course of recent studies, over 9,000 specimens arranged in classified sets 

 for educational purposes were distributed to many high-grade schools and 

 colleges throughout the country. About 10,000 duplicates were used in making 

 exchanges with museums and other scientific establishments, from which an 

 equivalent in new material has been or will be received. To specialists in 

 different fields connected with other institutions, both at home and abroad, 

 about 19.000 specimens were sent for examination, all of which, except some 

 of the duplicates, will be returned to the Museum. A large part of the work 

 on these loan collections is being carried on directly in the interest of the Na- 

 tional Museum. 



The number of visitors to the public halls was a little less than a quarter of 

 a million, which is about the annual average. This is in striking contrast with 

 the records of large museums in other places, where the hours of opening are 

 extended to evenings and Sundays for the benefit of the working people. While 

 the additional cost involved in the extra hours of heating and the employment 

 of n few more watchmen would be inconsiderable, the means at the disposal of 

 the museum have never been quite sufficient to accomplish this worthy purpose. 

 It is hoped that this matter may be satisfactorily adjusted in connection with 

 l he new building. 



The publications issued by the Museum consisted of the annual report for the 

 year ended June 30, 1908; volumes 34 and 35 and part of volume 30 of the 

 Proceedings; .", bulletins and parts of 2 other bulletins. They comprised 

 '•'1 separate papers and memoirs, all of which except the administrative report 

 were descriptive of .Museum collections. In addition, a number of papers of the 

 same character were printed in the Quarterly Issue of the Miscellaneous Col- 

 lections of the Smithsonian Institution and elsewhere. 



The additions to the library, which is restricted to the subjects covered by 

 I lie activities of the .Museum, consisted of 2,680 books. 3,671 pamphlets, and 227 

 parts of volumes, which increased the total contents id' the library to 36,244 

 volumes and 56,010 unbound papers. The annual appropriation of $2,000 for 

 the purchase of books, periodicals, and pamphlets required for the classification 

 of collections, is wholly inadequate to meet the needs of this work, and should 

 be at least doubled. For a large part of its increase the library is dependent 



