REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 67 



have been obtained in the various explorations across the continent; 

 from the Hudson's Bay Company; from the region of Nootka sound, 

 Mexico, Central and South America. "We regret that on account of 

 the additional labor required in the renovation of the museum, and 

 for want of space, these interesting collections have not yet been fully 

 arranged and labelled for exhibition. 



We may add, in this connexion, that if Congress shall adopt the 

 proposition now under consideration to take charge of the library, 

 we shall entertain the hope that it will in due time make provision 

 for the establishment and care of a museum worthy the government 

 of the United States, and thus relieve the Smithsonian fund of a bur- 

 den to which, in strict accordance with what I have always conceived 

 to be the proper interpretation of the will of the founder, it ought 

 not to be subjected. 



i In the report for 1863 mention is made of the presentation of a 

 large and remarkable meteorite to this Institution, to which the name 

 had been assigned in California of the "Ainsa" meteorite. Ac- 

 knowledgments were duly made to Dr. J. D. Irwin, surgeon United 

 States army, for his services in behalf of the Institution in procuring 

 this interesting specimen; but from additional facts which have come 

 to our knowledge we are induced to add the name of this gentleman 

 to the specimen, and to label it the " Irwin- Ainsa meteorite." 

 . For an account of the work done in the museum, a complete list of 

 donors to the museum and collections since the commencement of the 

 Institution, I would refer to the annexed statement of Professor Baird. 



Laboratory and experiments. — The conflagration which destroyed 

 the cabinet of apparatus of physics did not extend to the chemical 

 laboratory, and consequently the operations connected with the latter 

 have not been interrupted. The series of experiments which were 

 mentioned in the last report in relation to the examination of the air 

 of the Capitol has been continued by Dr. C. M. Wetherill, and a 

 very elaborate report prepared on the subject to be submitted to the 

 Secretary of the Interior. This report not only gives the result of the 

 observations made in the halls of Congress, and the experiments at 

 this Institution, but also a synopsis of all the authentic facts from the 

 bibliography of the subject, which it is believed will be considered 

 of value to those who are practically engaged in those departments 

 of mechanical construction which require attention to temperature 

 and ventilation. From the investigations it appears that there is an 

 abundant supply of fresh air forced into the chambers of the Capitol, 

 but that in winter this is greatly deficient in the quantity of moisture, 



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