among Indian mounds in Southern Florida, by S. T. Walker; Report on the shell-heaps of Tampa Bay, Florida, by S. T. Walker; and Mounds on Gideon's farm, near Excelsior, Hennepin County, Minnesota, by Frank H. Nutter.

The whole forms a volume of 631 pages, with 205 illustrations.

Of the documents published annually by the United States Government, those of the Agricultural Department and of the Smithsonian Institution are most in demand, as furnishing general information, much sought after by various classes of the community. There is no person of general literary or scientific taste who does not find in the Smithsonian Reports something of interest, especially in the copious store of archæological information and the statements of the present condition and progress of science. The demand for the Smithsonian Reports has been responded to by the publication of quite large editions and the occasional reprints from the authorized stereotype plates. It has been found, however, impossible of late years to meet the demands in the increasing amount of interest manifested by the growing population of the United States; and although a liberal edition is published by Congress, of which about 6,500 have been assigned to the Institution for years, copies of the Report for 1877 are entirely exhausted.

Fully realizing this fact, Senator Hamlin, a Regent of the Institution, introduced a resolution providing for the increase of the printing of the number of copies to 15,500, of which 7,000 were to be distributed to the Institution. This resolution became a law, and it is hoped that the demand for the volume for 1879 now about being delivered by the Public Printer will be met.

The series of the stereotype plates of the volumes begins with 1862, and it is proposed to make application to Congress for the printing of a small edition of the volumes extending from that year to 1878, inclusive, so that sets can be furnished to the many new public libraries which have made their appearance wlthin the last few years.

NATIONAL MUSEUM.

The reasons for asking Congress for a museum building of suitable magnitude, and the steps by which this end was accomplished, have been duly presented in the preceding reports. I am happy to announce at the present time that the edifice has been substantially completed, and that preparations are being made to occupy it. In the accompanying report of the architect of the building commission all the necessary details of the plan, cost, &c., will be found.

The magnitude of the edifice, and the complexity of the organization necessary to fully occupy it, it is expected will require a considerable time, but it is hoped that the work will be complete by the end of the year 1881, and that the establishment will thereafter be in full tide of

success.

As has already been explained, the new museum is not intended simply for the exhibition of objects of natural history, the controlling idea being rather that of an ethnological exhibit, especially to include illustrations of the applications of objects belonging to the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms, and the requirements or luxuries of man. To this end the collections made by the Smithsonian Institution and the United States Fish Commission, for exhibition at the Centennial Exposition of 1876, and the Berlin International Fishery Exposition of 1880, come admirably into play, and constitute the basis of the material, which, however, has been largely increased from other sources.

It is proposed to devote one-fourth of the space, about 25,000 square feet, to an illustration of the mineral resources, in the form of building stones, ores, combustibles, clays, pigments, &c.

Another fourth of the building will be taken up by illustrations of the animal industries, with representatives of the originals, or plaster or papier-mache casts, of the principal animals used for food or other purposes by man, together with all the various appafatus by which they are pursued, captured, and utilized; then the results of the manipulation, and also illustrations of the methods by which animals are protected or multiplied; this confining itself principally to an exhibition in connection with the artificial propagation of fishes and other aquatic animals.

A portion of the building will be filled by the display of other special objects, including the materia medica, foods, paints, and dyes of all nations.

In the purely ethnological collections, or such as relate to the savage or semi-civilized races of modern times, space will be provided for in this building, and a small area assigned to the exhibition of mounted mammals and osteological specimens. Fuller details of arrangement will be reserved for the next report.

The expansion of the scope of the National Museum of course involves an enlarged force, and the engagement of several specialists to take charge of their respective departments. This has been deferred until 1881.

In view of the large number of cases required in this building-not less than one thousand in all—the selection of suitable plans and modes of construction has been a matter of great importance, and we have accordingly endeavored to obtain all possible information as to methods of arrangement in foreign and home museums. Professor Agassiz has kindly supplied working drawings of the newer cases of the Museum of Comparative Zoology; and the authorities of South Kensington and the new British Museum, as well as those of the Royal Museum of Dresden, and other establishments, have rendered similar facilities. Mr. G. Brown Goode, the curator of the museum, during the period of his action as commissioner to the Berlin International Fishery Exposition, took occasion to visit all the principal museums in Germany, Italy,

and Great Britain, and made himself familiar with the arrangements prevalent therein. The result has been to supply many important ideas, which will be carried out in connection with the new National Museum at Washington.

In the necessary reorganization of the whole force of the museum, in connection with the new departure, occasion was taken to reiterate and enforce the rule which is adopted in most public museums throughout the world, namely, that the officers connected with the museum shall make no collections of any kind whatever for themselves during the period of their connection with it. Although in most cases a mere matter of form, it has been thought well to make such a rule a condition of acceptance of a position and salary, as thereby preventing any misunderstanding and removing any danger of making an official position the means of promoting private interest. Persons in charge of a collection have many opportunities of securing specimens from visitors, who offer objects of more or less interest, and who are sometimes inclined to give them to the officer rather than to the collection.

Increase of the Museum.-The additions to the National Museum during the year 1880 have been fully up to the average, indeed scarcely inferior to those of any previous year, with the exception of that of the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia. The collections of marine animals, especially fishes and invertebrates from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States, far exceed in value and extent those ever before obtained. The most important sources of supply have been (1) the collections of the United States Fish Commission, made on the south coast of New England, and of the Gloucester fishermen, obtained for the most part off the eastern banks, and transmitted through the commission; (2) the collections made by Profs. D. S. Jordan and Charles H. Gilbert, of fishes and invetebrates, between San Diego and Puget Sounds; (3) the collections of Dr. T. H. Bean and Mr. William H. Dall in Alaskan waters of the North Pacific and in the Arctic Ocean; (4) collections of marine animals made by Dr. White, Surgeon of the United States revenue steamer Corwin, and by Captain Hooper commanding; (5) the general ethnological and zoological collections of Mr. E. H. Nelson, of the United States Signal Service; (6) collection of archæological objects made by Mr. James Stevenson, assisted by Mr. F. G. Galbraith. While, however, these are the most noteworthy there are many others of great interest that will be referred to hereafter. The catalogue of donations accompanying the report will give fuller details on this subject, bearing in mind that no small number of contributions have been received without indications of their origin, so that it becomes impossible to make the proper acknowledgments to their contributors.

The regions covered by these contributions relate almost exclusively to North America, a few collections only coming from Mexico or the

West Indies; and a still smaller number from the rest of the world. A number of very important series of fishes was obtained by Mr. Goode at the Berlin Fishery Exposition, but as they have not been unpacked and arranged, reference to them will be deferred until the next report.

Alaska, as the least known portion of North America, and the one presenting the most numerous problems of interest, received special attention during the year, and the amount of material gained has been proportionally great.

Mr. E. W. Nelson, observer of the signal office at Saint Michaels, has continued his most important transmissions covering all branches of scientific inquiry; among these the most specially noteworthy is the collection of ethnological materials, illustrating the manners and customs of the living Esquimaux of the region, as well as much of prehistoric antiquity. Mr. Nelson has already sent in about 6,000 pieces of anthropological matter. His collections of mammals, birds, &c., have been of very great importance.

Under orders from Captain Patterson, of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, Mr. Dall, assistant of the Coast Survey, made a second visit to the Alaskan seas in the schooner Yukon, originally built under his direction for the service. By permission of Captain Patterson, seconded by the invitation of Mr. Dall, Dr. T. H. Bean was detailed to accompany the expedition for the purpose of investigating especially the fish and fish eries of the northern waters.

The vessel left San Francisco in April, 1880, and touching at various points passed into the Arctic Ocean, where quite an extended cruise was prosecuted in the interest of the survey. It returned to San Francisco in November, 1880, and the collections of specimens, in forty-five packages, were received not long after in Washington. These embrace very large numbers of ethnological and archæological objects, specimens of birds, fishes, invertebrates, and other articles of great interest, to some of which further reference will be made.

No collections were received this year from Mr. Lucien Turner, superintendent of the volunteer stations of the Signal Service of the Aleutian Islands. Large gatherings, however, have been made by him. which will be due during the year 1881.

Mr. James G. Swan, of Neah Bay, Puget Sound, has continued his valuable contributions to the National Museum, which have now extended over a period of many years. Being especially interested in ethnology, specimens belonging to that branch were particularly attended to, while many fishes also have been forwarded.

Commander L. A. Beardslee, of the Jamestown, stationed at Sitka, Alaska, has also made many contributions of birds and ethnological objects.

A most important and extended exploration of the Pacific coast was that conducted by Prof. D. S. Jordan, assisted by Charles H. Gilbert. Professor Jordan was detailed by Mr. Goode, in charge of the fishery

branch of the census of 1880, to obtain all the procurable information in regard to fishery of the western coast; and leaving Washington in December, 1879, after spending some time in San Francisco he proceeded to San Diego and thence by successive stages to Puget Sound, his work there overlapping and uniting with that of Mr. Swan. In this work he embraced the opportunity of making extensive collections of alcoholic specimens, of which no less than 65 large cans were transmitted. These contain about 260 species of fishes, a number of them new to science, and for the most part in sufficient numbers to supply many institutions with duplicates, and to transmit desirable exchanges abroad.

The revenue steamer Corwin, on her usual cruise in the seas of Northern Alaska, during 1879, was accompanied by Dr. R. White, of the Marine Hospital Service, and a trained, ardent naturalist. Many important collections were made by Dr. White, especially of seals, including many fœtuses, birds, and fishes. His specimens were received in the early part of the year, and submitted for examination to various experts. I regret extremely to have to report the untimely death of Dr. White, partly from exposure in the service. In a second cruise of the Corwin in the North Pacific and Arctic Ocean, in 1880, Captain Hooper made another collection of great interest, including a series of fossil bones from Kotzebue Sound.

Mr. Belding, of Stockton, Cal., has furnished some interesting objects from the interior of the State. The most important contributions, however, from the inland portion of the Pacific region have been those supplied by Capt. Charles Bendire, of the First United States Cavalry, an officer the value of whose services in the development of a knowledge of the natural history of the West can scarcely be overestimated. For many years, while stationed at military posts, he has been occupied in securing eggs, nests, and birds, and other objects, and placing the information and material thus gained in the bands of correspondents and scientific specialists throughout the country. This service to science has not involved any interference with his duties as an officer, his military record being a brilliant one. Some months of the year 1880 were occupied by Captain Bendire in the investigations of certain vexed questions connected with the salmonida of Oregon and Washington Territory. Leaving with a small party of men he visited numerous localities and brought in a series of fishes, which, when fully examined, will enable us to solve many problems in regard to them. Many other specimens, as birds, &c., were obtained by Captain Bendire and transmitted to Washington.

Arizona has been represented by collections of living reptiles, furnished by Dr. Corson and Dr. Moran, of the United States Army, as also by a series of plants from Colonel Burr.

The contributions from New Mexico have been extremely important, consisting, first, of a series, in 1879, of specimens gathered by Mr. James Stevenson, with the assistance of Mr. Frank H. Cushing; and, secondly,