REPORT OF ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. 5 



and mineral resources, the fisheries, and the ethnology of the native 

 races of the country, on the occasion of the International Exhibition at 

 Philadelphia in 1876, and the fishery collections displayed by the United 

 States in the International Fisheries Exhibition at Berlin in 1880 and 

 at London in 1883. 



8. The collections given by the Governments of the several foreign 

 nations, thirty in number, which participated in the. exhibition at Phila- 

 delphia. 



9. The industrial collections given by numerous manufacturing and 

 commercial houses of Europe and America, at the time of the Phila- 

 delphia Exhibition and subsequently. 



10. The material received, in exchange for duplicate specimens, from 

 the museums in Europe and America, at the time of the Philadelphia 

 Exhibition and subsequently. 



In connection with the general work of administration there is in the 

 Museum a library, a chemical laboratory, a photographic establishment, 

 and various workshops for taxidermy, modeling, and for the prepara- 

 tion of skeletons for exhibition. In connection with the department of 

 art and industry two preparators are constantly employed. 



The publications of the Museum consist of (1) The Annual Keport; 

 (2) The Proceedings of the United States National Museum ; (3) The 

 Bulletin of the United States National Museum; (4) Series of circulars. 

 These are all reprinted in the volumes of the Smithsonian Miscellaneous 

 Collections. 



3. THE FUNCTIONS AND AIMS OF THE MUSEUM. 



The broad plan upon which the operations of the National Museum are 

 now conducted, was anticipated as far back as 1853, when, in the report of 

 the Smithsonian Institution for 1852, Professor Henry wrote: " There can 

 be little doubt that in due time ample provision will be made for a library 

 and museum at the capital of this Union worthy of a Government whose 

 perpetuity depends upon the virtue and intelligence of the people." 

 The difficulties attending the formation of such a museum were appre- 

 ciated by Professor Henry, and in the report of the Institution for 1849, 

 he dwelt with much emphasis on the caution required in assuming 

 under the direction of the Institution the care of the national collec- 

 tions. At length, in 1857, it was ordered by law that all collections 

 belonging to the United States should be delivered to the Begents of 

 the Smithsonian Institution. From that time annual appropriations for 

 the preservation of these collections have been made by Congress. 



Professor Henry, in the report of the Institution for 1870,* care- 

 fully considered the character which should be given to the National 

 Museum. " There is," he wrote, " scarcely any subject connected with 

 science and education to which more attention is given at the present 

 day than that of collections of objects of nature and art, known under 



* Page 31. 



