APPENDIX TO SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



Appendix I. 

 THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Sir: I have the honor to submit the report of the National Museum for the year 

 ending Juno 30, 1898. 



In response to your request that the report shall begin with the following state- 

 ments — 



1. The amount, kinds, and classes of property belonging to the Museum; 



2. The amount of such property acquired during the twelve months covered by 

 the report ; 



3. The extent and kind of improvements made in the building and grounds during 

 the past year, and the estimated cost ; 



4. The extent and character of the losses of property, and the origin and causes, 

 I have the honor to report that the fixed property of the National Museum con- 

 sists (in addition to its building, heating plant, and other equipments) of collections, 

 cases and other receptacles, office furniture, and books. 



The collections include objects in every branch of natural history, geology, and 

 anthropology, and comprise more than 4,000,000 specimens. 



The cases in the exhibition halls number about 2,000. Besides these, 130 cases 

 contain exhibits at the Omaha Exposition, and 1,300 are in use in the workrooms and 

 storage quarters. 



The office furniture comprises about 900 pieces, such as tables, desks, chairs, file- 

 cases, typewriters, and book-cases, besides minor articles. The Museum also owns 

 485 lecture-room chairs of an inferior quality that should be replaced at an early day. 



The library contains about 11,000 volumes and about. 7,500 pamphlets. 



During the fiscal year covered by this statement the Museum acquired more than 

 450,000 specimens and 441 books, 797 pamphlets, and 4,929 parts of periodicals, and 

 added to its permanent stock cases and other furniture and fixtures to the amount 

 of $30,000, of which $15,000 was used for furnishing the new galleries provided by 

 Congress. 



During the year the sheds adjoining the Smithsonian building on the south side 

 were torn down and reconstructed at a safe distance from the building. The work 

 cost in round numbers, $2,000. 



The galleries provided by Congress for the Museum building were erected during 

 the year. These were three in number, and cost $8,000, the amount appropriated. 



The losses of property during the year were of trifling extent, and were only such 

 as naturally occur where very large numbers of receptacles, as cases, boxes, trays, 

 bottles, etc., are in use. It should be remarked in this connection that all cases 

 and other furniture and the like when worn out and no longer of use to the Museum, 

 are regularly condemned and sold at auction, and the proceeds turned into the 

 Treasury, as required by law. 



In the following condensed statement the more important facts connected with 

 the work of the National Museum during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898, are 

 presented : 



The Museum staff.— A general reorganization of the scientific departments of the 

 Museum went into effect July 1, 1897. Under this plan Mr. W. H. Holmes was made 

 head curator of the newly organized department of anthropology, Dr. F. W. True 



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