30 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1881. 



tion. Books iit the sectional libraries are considered to be personally 

 loaned to the curators in charge. 



All books and other matters are first entered at the central library, 

 and the . necessary acknowledgment made, after which monographic 

 works, upon application, are sent to the sectioual libraries, their assign- 

 ment being designated upon the card catalogue. 



It is very evident that the efficiency of the curators, not only in the 

 proper handling of the collections, but also in the preparation of the 

 scientific reports, which constitute so prominent a feature in the work 

 of the Museum, depends upon the completeness of the Museum Library. 

 A certain sum should be set aside for the purchase of books, since many 

 of those which are most needful cannot be obtained by exchange. The 

 entire appropriation has hitherto been needed for the payment of sala- 

 ries and the construction of cases, and for all books which have been 

 bought the Museum is indebted to the Smithsonian endowment fund. 



(b) Distribution of duplicates and exchanges. 



The following table represents the number of boxes and packages of 

 specimens distributed to museums and colleges, and in exchange with 

 correspondents during the year, viz : 



Boxes and packages. 



Mammal skins and skeletons 13 



Birds' skins, nests, and eggs 86 



Minerals 21 



Reptiles 10 



Marine invertebrates (in sets) 48 



Marine invertebrates (miscellaneous packages) 34 



Fossils 11 



Pottery .. 7 



Indian relics 17 



Fishes .... 10 



Crania 1 



Plants 16 



Casts (plaster) 9 



Rocks 2 



Shells 4 



Foods, etc 1 



Materia medica 3 



Total 293 



The number of specimens contained in these boxes and packages 

 amounts to 21,084. This table shows an increase in the work of this 

 department, there having been distributed this year nearly 5,000 speci- 

 mens more than in 1883. 



During the year, 103 applications from museums, schools, and indi- 

 viduals in the United States for general natural history specimens have 

 been filed, and a huge number of these have been filled. 



The number of packages of all kinds shipped to the New Orleans. 

 Jjouisville, and Cincinnati Expositions amounted to 819. 



