60 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



to be preserved for study: but seeing that there are in the country a 

 number of special museums which would gladly become the custodians 

 of these objects, and that the hope is yet confidently entertained 

 that Congress will, in due time, establish a national museum which 

 shall rival those of other countries, it has been thought advisable 

 to restrict the collections which are retained in the Smithsonian 

 museum — first, to those made by the exploring expedition, the care 

 of which Congress has devolved upon the Institution ; and, second, 

 to such type specimens as are thought of special interest as illus- 

 trating the Smithsonian publications. 



The museum has been rendered particularly attractive to the visit- 

 ors and inhabitants of Washington by the large number of birds and 

 mammals which have been mounted for public exhibition, and in this 

 way it has undoubtedly contributed to the popularity, though it has 

 diminished the efficiency, of the Institution. The danger, however, 

 to be guarded against, is the constant tendency to expand the col- 

 lections, and hence gradually to absorb the income in their support. 

 It should be recollected that the building has borne upon the re- 

 sources of the Institution with a cost of more than $300,000, and that 

 at least an additional $100,000 will be necessary to repair the recent 

 damages, and this mainly to render the edifice better adapted for the 

 accommodation of the library and museum. 



Little has been said in this sketch in regard to the gallery of art. 

 The impropriety of expending the income of the bequest in attempt- 

 ing to form a collection of articles in this line worthy of the country 

 has had no prominent advocates, even among artists; still, in con- 

 nexion with the museum, a collection has been formed which princi- 

 pal^ consists of plaster casts of distinguished individuals, and a few 

 pictures which have either been presented to the Institution or are 

 the property of the government. The only purchase in this line 

 which the Institution has made is that from Hon. George P. Marsh, 

 of a series of valuable engravings to illustrate the early history of 

 art. 



Lectures. — As a pare of the programme of organization finally 

 adopted, courses of lectures were to be delivered, but instead of at- 

 tempting to furnish popular instruction by this means to all parts of 

 the country, as was at first proposed, the lectures have been confined 

 to the city of Washington ; and in order to render them generally 

 useful, synopses of the more important ones have been published in 

 the annual reports. At the commencement of the Institution, and 



