164 
PROCEEDINGS OF 
[Feb. 
great and leading design of the National Institution is to explore and develop our 
own resources, and to study and describe the natural history of the United States. 
To this end our exertions must principally be directed. It should be the pride of 
all connected with or interested in a National Institution, to see every State in the 
Union fully represented in a National Cabinet, established at the seat of Govern¬ 
ment. This method, while it recommends itself to us and our interests, is calcula¬ 
ted to extend benefits and encouragement to the societies and naturalists of our 
own country, who will thus have a central depository, from which they may en¬ 
large and vary their own collections; and thus, also, in due time, the duplicates of 
the Exploring Expedition may, with the greatest ^advantage, be diffused through¬ 
out the land, thereby fulfilling, in the amplest manner, the intentions of those who 
projected, and justifying the liberality of the Government which sanctioned that 
noble project. 
With these preliminary remarks, and under the restrictions which aro embraced 
in them, the committee recommend— 
1st. That a system of exchanges be entered upon without delay. 
2d. That the Curator and assistants be directed, for this purpose, to separate all 
duplicates, except those from the Exploring Expedition; and that they select and 
label such specimens as are to be sent to individuals or societies. 
3d. That the first step taken be to discharge the obligations of exchange already 
incurred by the Institution. 
4th. That a committee be appointed, to whom the Curator shall submit all sets of 
specimens thus set aside for any given exchanges, who shall decide upon the equiva¬ 
lency, before said specimens shall be boxed up and sent off. 
5th. That in all cases of difficulty which may arise, reference must be made to 
the President or Vice-President of the Institution for decision, who will, if they 
conceive it necessary, submit the question to the Institution. 
6th. That a book be kept by the Curator, subject at all times to the inspection 
of the committee, in which must be noted the contents of each box or package; 
lists of the articles for which they are the equivalents; the name and place of the 
society or individual to whom one set is to be sent, and from whom the other has 
been received. 
In what the committee have now submitted, they conceive they have done all 
that it was possible or necessary to do at present, in reference to the third point of 
the resolution, viz: “ reporting fully on the subjectalthough they are perfectly 
sensible that in their report they have presented the subject in the most general 
manner, believing that experience and practice alone will enable the Institution 
gradually to settle upon a complete system. The committee beg leave to add, that 
the present report is not to be regarded as final, but that it is submitted, with all 
due deference to the Institution, to use the concluding words of the resolution, “ for 
its further consideration and action.” 
