REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 35 



have always advocated this measure as one of national importance, 

 while I have endeavored to show that it ought not to be attempted 

 by means of the Smithsonian fund, and that it could only be properly 

 carried out by a liberal annual appropriation from the public treasury. 



I have thought it necessary frequently to urge the importance of 

 guarding against the tendency to increase the expenditure on local 

 objects, and against accepting presents on condition that they shall 

 be perpetually preserved and exhibited to the public at the expense 

 of the Smithsonian fund. If this propensity were indulged in and 

 donations solicited on the terms mentioned, which are those usually 

 agreed to in similar cases, the whole income of the bequest would be 

 ultimately absorbed in providing house-room and accommodations for 

 the collections ; and the active operations, as they are called, which 

 have given so much celebrity to the name of Smithson, and have 

 constituted the distinctive feature of the establishment, would cease. 



The collections of specimens which have formed the prominent sub- 

 ject of the preceding remarks may be divided into two classes, 

 namely, those which have been studied and an account of them pub- 

 lished in the reports of the government expeditions, or in the trans- 

 actions of the Smithsonian and other institutions, and those which 

 have not been described, and which consequently are considered of 

 much interest to the naturalist, who may be anxious to make new 

 explorations in the domain of natural history. Of both classes the 

 Institution possesses a large number, for the disposition of which the 

 following general rules have been adopted : 



First. To advance original science, the duplicate type specimens 

 are distributed as widely as possible to scientific institutions in this 

 and other countries, to be used in identifying the species and genera 

 which have been described. 



Second. For the purposes of education, duplicate sets of specimens, 

 properly labelled, are presented to colleges and other institutions of 

 learning in this country. 



Third. These donations are made on condition that due credit is to 

 be given the Institution in the labelling of the specimens, and in all 

 accounts which may be published of them. 



Fouith. Specimens are presented to foreign institutions, on condi- 

 tion that if type specimens are wanted for comparison or other use 

 in this country they will be furnished when required. 



Fifth. In return for specimens which may be presented to colleges 

 and other institutions, collections from localities in their vicinity shall 

 be furnished when wanted. 



