6G REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



Third. To make up the remaining specimens into series for dis- 

 tribution to colleges and other educational establishments. 



Of the first-class series, the following distribution has been made, 

 viz: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge; Academy of Sci- 

 ences, Philadelphia; State Cabinet of Natural History, Albany; Geo- 

 logical Survey of Canada, Montreal; Academy of Natural Sciences, 

 San Francisco. The specimens of these sets, as we have said before, 

 are of great scientific value for original comparison in the way of 

 determination of species, since they have been labelled after careful 

 comparison by Mr. Carpenter and other authorities in conchology. 



A very inadequate conception was at first entertained of the amount 

 of labor which would be required to complete the assorting and la- 

 belling this part of the Smithsonian collection of natural history. It 

 was thought that it might be completed in the course of a few 

 months. Mr. Carpenter has, however, devoted to it about four years 

 of continued labor. It must be observed at the same time that per- 

 haps a considerable portion of this period was devoted to a comple- 

 tion of the series intended to be preserved in the Smithsonian mu- 

 seum. 



The specimens examined by Mr. Carpenter have all been returned 

 to the Institution, made up into sets, in accordance with the arrange- 

 ment previously described. The number of these sets and of other 

 collections of shells for distribution to colleges, academies, &c, is 

 about 1,000, the whole including about 60,000 species and 250,000 

 specimens. Of these about one-fourth have been distributed. 



According to the statement of Professor Baird, the whole number 

 of specimens, including shells which have been distributed, amounts 

 to upwards of 124,000, of which 19,000 have been presented to va- 

 rious establishments during the past year. 



Museum. — As the public museum of the Institution occupied the 

 portion of the building constructed of fire-proof materials, it escaped 

 destruction by the fire; yet the smoke and water to which they were 

 exposed caused some damage to the specimens, and much labor and 

 expense were requisite to restore them to their proper appearance. 



The museum has continued to be an object of interest to the citi- 

 zens and visitors of Washington, and should the library of the Insti- 

 tution be transferred to the Capitol, space will be found in the cases 

 of the west wing for increasing the number of articles placed upon 

 exhibition. Among the collections we have a large number of speci- 

 mens to illustrate ethnology. In addition to those collected by the 

 Exploring Expedition under Captain Wilkes, are all those which 



