REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 31 



extent, and promise to furnish large numbers of new species. They are 

 now placed in the hands of Prof. Hamilton L. Smith for identification. 



A series of dreclgings has been received from the vicinity of Kotzebue 

 Sound and other portions of Behriug Sea, made by Captain Smith, of 

 the Alaska Commercial Company. 



Minerals in considerable number have been received, among them a 

 series collected by Colonel Abert, of Tennessee, specimens deposited by 

 Mr. J. H. Jenkins, of Northumberland, specimeus from Berlandier as 

 presented by General D. N. Couch, together with specimens from Saxony, 

 given by Dr. Eudlich ; these are in addition to the large gatherings of 

 the Government expeditions. 



Dr. Endlich, in charge of the mineralogical department of the museum, 

 states that, during the year 1874, 250 minerals have been placed in the 

 cases, in addition to those mentioned in the last report, as well as 300 

 lithological specimens and 150 ores. 



The metallurgical collection remains about the same. 



The labeling of the minerals has been finished, and exhibits a type 

 of what the method will be when the whole collection is completed. 



A large number of minerals has been examined at the request of 

 correspondents of the Institution, and their qualitative character deter- 

 mined. For purposes of education the Institution furnishes qualitative 

 determinations of mineralogical specimens, but in no case does it un- 

 dertake to furnish percentages of the different components of specimens, 

 or give certificates, for commercial purposes, of their value. 



The fossils are being arranged, and in the course of a year we hope 

 to have series of duplicates for distribution. 



During the past summer, Dr. Endlich was engaged in the southwestern 

 portion of Colorado, in the San Juan mining region, in connection with 

 the Hayden expedition, an account of which will be given in the reports 

 of that establishment. 



It is, of course, impossible to enumerate all the collections and speci- 

 mens, or to give in these cursory notes anything more than a general 

 idea of the nature of the receipts of the year. The complete list of 

 donors, with the objects presented by them, will be found arranged 

 alphabetically in the appendix to the report. 



Worlc (lone in connection with the National Museum. 



As might reasonably be supposed, the magnitude of the receipts 

 during 1874 has required much time and labor to reduce them to order, 

 exceeding as they did by far those of any previous year. The rapid 

 rate of increase is evinced by a comparison with the data for 1873 and 

 1872, as follows : 



The total number of entries for 1874 is 564, from 337 donors, and em- 

 braces 712 packages ; for 1873 the numbers are 441, 241, and 680, 

 respectively ; and for 1872, 315, 203, and 544. 



