122 The American Ceuloi^isf. Ausiist, looi 
they inclividnallv arc aljsorbed, arc disijoscd to neglect the 
claims of the educated ])ubHc to the enjoyment and instruction 
which museums afford. Tliey do not hesitate to say that sci- 
entific museums should be administered for the benefit solely 
of ])crsons engaged in research. Such men would find no wel- 
come among us." 
The privilege above noted has been appreciated, as is shown 
by the large number of packages received daily with requests 
for identification. "Since the museum was opened in i88i, 
not less than 6,000 persons have taken advantage of this priv- 
ilege, and not a day passes without receiving similar rec[uests." 
As may readily be imaginedi, very many requests for assays 
and analyses of material of supposed economic value are re- 
ceived. The museum has, however, no facilities for this work. 
The National Museum is not organized primarily as a bu- 
reau of research, but rather as a museum of record, a place for 
the preservation of the types of past investigations. The first 
duty of its officials relates, then, to the care of the collections. 
The amovmt of original work that is put out from year to year 
may not, therefore, be as great or, possibly, in all cases of as 
high grade as would be the case under more favorable circum- 
stances. That a large amount o'f good work is nevertheless:, 
being done, is self-evident. 
Materials donated to the museum or deposited for preser- 
vation must, of course, be retained indefinitely, unless an agree- 
ment is made to the contrary. Nevertheless, by one means or 
another — often through the direct personal efforts of the cura- 
tors — a large amount of duplicate material is acquired, which, 
as occasion offers, is made up into sets and distributed under 
congressional endorsement to schools and colleges, or sent out 
by way of exchange. It is calculated that, from the depart- 
ment of geology alone, there have been thus sent out during 
the past ten years not less than 30,000 specimens of rocks, ores, 
minerals and fossils. 
The seriously crowded condition of the museum exhibition 
halls is a subject of chronic complaint in all of the reports. 
Confining our attention to the geological department, it is evi- 
dent that the present exhibits would be much more attractive 
could they be made to occupy at least one-third more space. 
The aisles between the cases are too narrow ; the light is thereby 
