REPOKT OF THE SECRETARY. 43 



Distribution of duplicate specimens. — A very large portion of the labor 

 during the year has been directed toward the selection and labeling, 

 recording and packing, of duplicate specimens for distribution, in accord- 

 ance with the act of Congress providing for the same. 



In addition to a large number of single specimens or small series, 

 supplied as the result of special application, a number of collections 

 have been prepared embracing many extremely rare and desirable ob- 

 jects. Among the most important of these may be mentioned twenty- 

 five sets of fishes, each containing seventy-five to one hundred and 

 fifty species. These have been carefully identified and labeled, under 

 the supervision of Professor Gill and Dr. Bean, and have constituted 

 extremely acceptable additions to the museums to which they have 

 been sent. 



Other series of magnitude consist of birds' eggs, shells, bird-skins, &c. 



A large number of series of diatomaceous earths have also beeu sup- 

 plied, embracing forty or fifty different localities, many of them unknown 

 to the investigator. The demand for them is very great, and taxes the 

 ability of the person in charge to meet it. 



Necessity of increased accommodations for the museum.-?— The necessity 

 for more space has already been adverted to in the report for 1876, 

 where full details will be found on the subject. It may be only neces- 

 sary here to say that the exigency is greater than ever, in view of the 

 largely-increased collections of the year and the deterioration caused 

 to the animal and metallic specimens in consequence of their being 

 boxed up and out of the reach of proper care. Very serious losses have 

 already been experienced in the collections of wools, animal fibers, &c, 

 and from the rusting of the specimens of iron and steel, and it is earnestly 

 hoped that the next report may chronicle the initiation of measures by 

 Congress for relief in this direction. 



At present it is reasonable to estimate that the articles worthy of 

 exhibition, but withdrawn from view, are several times greater in extent 

 than those at present displayed, and that a correspondingly enlarged 

 building is required for their display. 



The collections thus withdrawn from exhibition consist notonly of those 

 most interesting to the naturalist, but also of such as are of the highest 

 industrial value to the country, and will add greatly to the means of tech - 

 nical instruction, embracing as they do illustrations of different kinds of 

 building-stone, ores of all kinds, earths, china and porcelain clays with 

 the products derived from them, illustrations of the animal products of 

 the country in the way of furs, oils, gelatines, glues, fibers, hair, bristles, 

 chemical products, &c, and a great variety of articles to which refer- 

 ence is made in the report for 1876. 



y FISH CULTURE. 



The labors of the United States Fish Commission, under Professor 

 Baird's direction, have been prosecuted through the year with very sat- 

 isfactory results. 



\y 



