REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 63 



for several months in the determining and arranging of the minerals 

 and rocks of the collection, aided in a portion of the labor relating to 

 the latter work by Dr. Newberry and Mr. Gibbs. 



Plants. — The plants have been in the hands of Drs. Torrey and 

 Gray and Mr. Eaton, who are making much progress in the labor of 

 selecting and labelling a complete series. 



Results of many of the above investigations have already been pub- 

 lished, others are nearly completed, while some will require a con- 

 siderable time to complete. All, however, when presented to the 

 world, are announced as being based upon the Smithsonian material, 

 while the greater portion either have been or will be published by 

 the Smithsonian Institution, as detailed in your report. 



All the specimens thus submitted to examination are carefully 

 labelled, and the duplicates set aside to be distributed as types to the 

 institutions having strongest claims to them. As the work progresses 

 the amount of material available for such distribution increases, and 

 new collections are more readily used to a similar end. 



The labor of cataloguing and registering the specimens has been 

 continued as rapidly as other duties would allow, the result at the end 

 of the year being stated in the annexed table. In this I have been 

 much assisted by the gentlemen named above, as well as in addition 

 by Mr. John M. Woodworth, Mr. W. Prentiss, Mr. R. B. Hitz, and 

 Mr. Fitzgerald. 



DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIMENS. 



The distribution of specimens has been carried on very largely 

 during the year. About fifty sets of duplicate shells of x the United 

 States Exploring Expedition have been sent to as many institutions, 

 while large numbers of species in all classes of the animal kingdom 

 have also been supplied. A rough estimate gives 40,000 species and 

 80,000 specimens of natural history as thus distributed up to date, 

 while many more are nearly in readiness. When it is considered that 



. all these have been named and labelled by naturalists admitted to be 

 of the highest authority in their respective departments, and that all 



. have thereby the character and value ^>f typ*es, many of them be- 

 longing to species first described from Smithsonian specimens, or 

 serving as the materials of elaborate monographs, it will be readily 

 understood how much their systematic arid judicious distribution by 

 the Institution all over the world must conduce to the advancement 

 of science. 



WORK DONE IN THE MUSEUM. 



Good progress has been made during the year in the proper arrange- 

 ment and labelling of the specimens in the museum hall. Many of 

 the shelves have been edged with black strips, and many stands 

 whitened and renewed. Additional cases have been erected at the 

 east end of the hall for the accommodation of the large birds which 

 crowded inconveniently those already filled. A number of floor cases 

 have been constructed to receive the large collection of shells. 



