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embracing all opportunities which may offer for procuring specimens for 

 distribution, and by facilitating exchange and assisting explorations. 



Though the formation of a general collection is neither within the 

 means nor the province of the Institution, it is an object which ought to 

 engage the attention of Congress. A general museum appears to be a 

 necessary establishment at the seat of government of every civilized nation. 

 The navy, the army, and the whole corps of commercial and diplomatic 

 agents in foreign countries, all consider it their duty to send to the seat of 

 government of their own nation, every object which may serve to improve 

 or to interest the people. Indeed the government of the United States has 

 already formed the nucleus of such a museum m the collections now in the 

 Patent Office. Art establishment of this kind can only be supported by 

 government, and the proposition ought never to be encouraged of putting 

 this duty on the limited though liberal bequest of a foreigner. The Smith- 

 sonian Institution will readily take the mental direction of an establishment 

 of this kind, give plans for its organization and arrangement, provided it 

 be requested to do so, and the means for effecting the object be liberally 

 sifpplied. 



I make these remarks with reference to the collections, because I am 

 fully impressed with the fact that the tendency of the Institution will be to 

 a statical condition, in which the income will be absorbed in the support 

 and accommodation of objects of a doubtful or contingent value. There 

 is even danger in receiving donations from individuals. The articles may 

 be valuable in part, but may consist also of much which the institution 

 cannot well afford to keep. Besides this, it is extremely difficult to dis- 

 charge, acceptably, the duty of the curator of property thus acquired. 

 Since the house-room and the income of the Institution for the accommoda- 

 tion and support of collections are limited, great care must be exercised in 

 the choice of the articles, and preference given to those which are of irn> 

 portance in determining problems of interest, and which give promise of the 

 ready production of new and interesting results. 



For a detailed account of the additions to the museum during the past 

 year, and the present state of the collections, I must ref£r to Professor 

 Baird's report herewith presented. 



In an appendix to this will be found a list of the donations, with the 

 names of the donors alphabetically arranged. These consist principally of 

 specimens not generally found in other collections, and though they may 

 not be very attractive to ordinary visitors, the student of natural history 

 will find in them much of interest. 



The circular prepared by Professor Baird, describing the method of col- 

 lecting and preparing specimens, and indicating objects especially desirable, 

 has proved effective in procuring important contributions. 



Among the objects which should be collected and preserved with care, 

 are the remains of the specimens of the arts of the aboriginal inhabitants 

 of this country, the contents of mounds, and the stone implements found 

 on the surface of the earth. The implements and industrial products of 

 the present tribes of Indians should also be gathered as the materials for 

 the advance of the new and interesting science of ethnology. Of the con- 

 tents of mounds, but a limited amount of specimens exist, and as these are 

 not, like the spontaneous productions of nature^ constantly in the process 

 of reproduction, every article should be diligently sought for, and carefully 

 preserved. Some additions have been made to the collections in this line. 



