32 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



year, but I may be allowed to so far anticipate a statement properly 

 belonging to a later report as to say that this approval has since been 

 given, and that the land will almost undoubtedly become the property 

 of the Government. The commission has no power to layout the land r 

 and has no instruction from Congress as to its ultimate destination, 

 owing, it may well be supposed, to the general supposition in the House 

 that the bill as voted contained a clause placing it under the care of the 

 Smithsonian Institution. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



The Statue to Professor Baird. — In recognition of the distinguished 

 services of the late Professor Baird, a bill was introduced in the Senate 

 of the United States, and passed by that body February 10, 1888, 

 making an appropriation for the erection of a bronze statue to com- 

 memorate his merits. This bill was referred, in the House of Represen- 

 tatives, to the Committee on the Library, but was not reported. It is 

 hoped that this important subject will, during the coming session, re- 

 ceive the attention which it merits. An appropriation of $25,000 was 

 made by Congress for the benefit of the widow of the late Secretary, 

 whose life had been so unselfishly devoted to the service of the nation. 



Art Collections. — I alluded in a previous report to the fact that a very 

 valuable collection of art objects had been promised to the Smithsonian 

 Institution. The intending donor is understood to contemplate the 

 transfer of the collection at no very remote period, the principal condi- 

 tion being that the Institution shall provide a suitable fire-proof build- 

 ing for it. 



Upon the representations of the agent of the Institution in Europe, as 

 to the value of the collection and as to the desire of its owner to see 

 your Secretary in order to arrange for the formal transfer, the writer 

 made a brief visit to France last July, for the purpose of such confer- 

 ence and arrangement, but illuess on the owner's part has delayed ac- 

 tion, so that the Secretary is not able, as he had hoped to be, to lay the 

 matter more fully before the Regents at their present meeting. 



Assiqnment of rooms for scientific work. — During the past year the 

 use of rooms in the Smithsonian building has been continued to th 

 Coast and Geodetic Survey for pendulum experiments, and a room has 

 been assigned to the use of the Zoological Park Commission. 



Toner lecture fund. — The Secretary of the Institution is ex officio 

 chairman of the board of trustees. The fund, consisting parti} 7 of 

 Washington real estate and partly of Government bonds, has an esti- 

 mated value of about $3,000. A lecture was delivered on May 29, in 

 the hall of the Museum, by Dr. Harrison Allen, of Philadelphia, on "A 

 Clinical Study of the Skull," the first delivered under this fund for sev- 

 eral years. 



