THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 25 



Museum and Collections. — (I.) The principal object of the Smith- 

 sonian collection of specimens is to present a full illustration of the natu- 

 ral history of North America. The income is not sufficient to collect 

 and support a miscellaneous museum to illustrate all the branches of 

 the physical geography of the globe. Such an establishment can only 

 be sustained by the general government. Were the Institution to em- 

 brace all the opportunities which are afforded it to collect specimens, 

 the cost of transportation alone would soon absorb the greater portion 

 of the sum which can be devoted to this branch of the general plan of 

 operations. We are, therefore, obliged to limit our exertions, and to 

 direct them to objects which are more immediately necessary in facili- 

 tating certain definite lines of research, and to leave to other institu- 

 tions the collection of such materials as may be required to make up 

 the complement of specimens necessary to represent the mineral and 

 organic products of our continent. 



During the last year, the additions to the museum have been more 

 numerous and valuable than in any previous period of the same ex- 

 tent. Much has been done by parties aided more or less by the Insti- 

 tution, and much by persons in an individual and independent capacity. 



The Institution has taken charge of the arrangement and preser- 

 servation of all the specimens obtained by the various expeditions 

 of the government ; but, as these embrace all objects of natural his- 

 tory, they would scarcely fall within the plan of a special museum. 

 The principal aim, therefore, in taking charge of all the specimens 

 is not to swell the Smithsonian collection, but to preserve them from 

 destruction, and to render them immediately available to science, with 

 the hope that Congress will, at some future day, make a liberal appro- 

 priation to support a national collection, of which these will form the 

 nucleus. 



In order to carry out the general policy of the Institution, a liberal 

 distribution of the duplicate specimens should be made to societies and 

 other establishments in this country and abroad. During the past 

 year something has been done in this line ; and when the collections 

 are properly arranged, and the number of duplicates ascertained, the 

 system of distribution may be so extended as materially to affect the 

 progress of natural history in this country and the world. But the 

 amount of good which may be done in this way must again be limited 

 by the portion of the income which can be expended for this purpose ; 

 due regard being had to the claims of all branches of knowledge, of 

 which this is but one. 



The primary object of the establishment being kept constantly in 

 view, the specimens in all cases will be open to the use of individuals 

 who may desire to increase knowledge by original research ; and the 

 only condition which will be required to be strictly observed is that 

 full credit be given to the Institution for the facilities which it may 

 afford. 



No branch of the operations of the Institution can be carried on with- 

 out the expenditure of a greater amount of labor than might, at first 

 sight, appear to be necessary. Some idea of that required to attend 

 to the specimens added to the museum may be obtained from the fact 

 that over 3G0 different lots, consisting of barrels, kegs, cans, boxes, 



