54 



REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 



country, with many interesting specimens of minerals, fossils, woods, 

 and other native products. A point of special attention was that of 

 plants useful in the materia medica, and of these many new and rare 

 kinds were obtained, which cannot fail to be of economical importance. 



In making these collections, Captain Page was ably seconded by 

 Dr. Carter, surgeon of the vessel, Lieutenant Powell and the other 

 officers, as well as by E. Palmer, horticulturalist. In addition to the 

 specimens themselves, many valuable notes on the habits and pecu- 

 liarities of the species were obtained. 



Mr. Palmer left the expedition before its return on account of ill 

 health, and while waiting a passage home made some additional col- 

 lections of reptiles, fishes, and insects, of much interest. 



At the present time, all of the collections of these two naval expe- 

 ditions are stowed in the Smithsonian building, waiting some action 

 of Congress by which they may be published to the world; Funds 

 are needed to make the necessary drawings of new or unfigured 

 species, and to compensate naturalists for preparing the different 

 reports. 



e. — SYSTEMATIC STATEMENT OF ADDITIONS TO THE MUSEUM. 



Under the present head, I can only mention, in brief terms, the 

 most important additions made in the different classes of animals, 

 referring for particulars to the alphabetical list of contributions. 

 The collections made by the government expeditions will be discussed 

 at length in their official reports. In the systematic catalogues also 

 of the collections of the Institution, in preparation for publication, 

 as soon as their extent will warrant, will be found a careful and de- 

 tailed indication of the donor and locality of every specimen. It may, 

 however, be well to extend the table of catalogue specimens, given on 

 page 54 of last year's report, to 1856, for the sake of exhibiting the 

 increase in several departments. 



Mammals 



Birds 



Skulls and skeletons 



1851, 



None. 



911 



1852. 



114 



1,074 



1853. 



198 



1,190 



1&54. 



351 

 4,353 

 1,275 



1855. 



1,200 

 4,425 

 2,050 



1856. 



2,046 

 5,855 

 3,060 



To the above enumeration, however, must be added nearly 2,000 

 mammals in alcohol, and at least 1,200 skins of birds, not yet entered 

 on the museum register. 



No count has been made of the jars filled during the year with 

 specimens in alcohol. It is believed, however, that the number of 

 9,171, may be safely increased to nearly 12,000. 



Mammals. — It is in this class that the additions have been most 

 extensive and important, the number of the larger species especially, 



