Year: 1878

I
the greatest publishing house in the world, If
printed and presented in their full and swell
ing expansion. Many Of the authors appear
in person especially so if they happen to be
not well balanced and insist upon reading
their vOluminous essays and volunteering ex-
PLANTATION. In this way the Secretary has to
endure occasionally severe mental and phys


cnl exhaustion; but many of these men, Wis
onary as they may be, seldom fail to arouse
sympathy and receive patient hearing, for il


is pitiable indeed to listen to the earnest
though tremulous accents Of some octogena-
rian who declares with luminous though dim
med eyes that he has discovered at last the
real law Of the universe, that Newton's theo-
ry of grnvitation is all wrong, and that he is
now ready to submit the proof to the world,
and will do so rs soon as he can find pub
Usher


The publications which bear the name Of
the Smithsonian Institution annually to every
asssociation and establishment of education of
note in the civilized world are printed in
three classes: l. The Contributions to
knowledge quarto series issued in vol
umes. each containing one or more separate
articles. They also include memoirs embrac-
ing the records of extended original invest-
cations and researches, resulting in what are
believed to be new truths, and constituting
positive additions to the sum of human knOwl-
edge. ,. An octave series, entitled Mis-
cellaneous Collections consisting Of reports
ON the present state of our knowledge of par
ticular branches Of science instructions for
collecting and digesting facts and material
for research lists and synopses Of species of
the organic and inorganic world museum
catalogues reports Of explorations, etc
These papers are generally prepared at the
express request of the Institution. and like
the printing Of the Contributions. entirely
at its cost. ,. Another octave series, con
sisting Of the annual reports of the Institu-
ton to Congress, styled Smithsonian Re
ports. is ordered and extensively printed and
distributed by the government. In bestow-
ing the first and second series the following
rules are observed by the Institution


They are presented to all learned societies
Of the first class which publish transactions
aud give copies of these in exchange to the
Institution. They are sent to all foreign IL
bruri.s of the first class, provided they give
in exchange their catalogues and other publ-
cations. or an equivalent from their duplicate
volumes. They are given to all the colleges
in actual operation IN this country, provided
they furnish IN return catalogues Of their Ii
bnlries. of their students, and all other publ-
cations issued by them relative to their organ
ization and history aud to all incorporated
public libraries IN this country. not included
in any of the foregoing classes, now contain
ing 10000 volumes and to smaller libraries,
where a whole State or large district would
be otherwis. unsuppled.


The second great work Of the Smithsonian
is in its system OF domestic and foreign ex-
changes 1t often comes to pass that some
scientist who is actively engaged III study and
and research finds il almost necessary to the
success of his Investigations that he should
possess certain books or specimens which
L..
he nor his friends in foreign lands have the
pecuniary means with which to pay the cost
of transportation which will accrue on pack
ages that are brought from great distances
OH. and in this way lie is denied the privilege
and profit of such Intercourse. In order to
meet this difficulty Of rendering communica-
ton between our scientists and those of the
outside world AS free rs possible, and by SO
doing to greatly stimulate their eNertions and
improve the character of their efforts, the
Smithsonian Institution. through its agents
at home and abroad, has given notice that it
will transmit free of cost TO the sender or re-
cipient any package or packages, box or box
es, that are made up and sent to and fro with
strict reference to the object of scientific
search or, in other words, here a poor
SdrdHt-say an entomologist-ca send with
out cost 10 himself collection of insects or
package of books TO n brother scientist at st.
Petersburg, or receive one i'll return. through
the aid Of the Smithsonian. In this way
vigorous impulse is given 10y the Institution
to the free and prompt interchange Of scien-
tihc thought throughout the world especially
when it is remembered that not less than two
Thousand foreign institutions are in CORE
| spondence with the Smithsonian.


Valuable and timely Information is annual
| ly disseminated 10y the Secretary of the Smith
sonian Institution to thousands of inquirers
| who address him relative to every topic un-
| der the sun. OF course no one mind can
compass the whole field of human knowledge,
and Professor Henry early placed himself en-
| raPp0Tt with all the prominent experts in the
| different branches of physical and natural
science, aud all important subjects of inquiry
not pertaining to his own speciality he has re-
| ferred to these cogabontors for opinion and
! information, rendering the result in due time
! to the inquirer with the name Of its authori-
| ty. In this connection il should be stated
that the great labor of attending to the corre-
! spondence of the Institution is largely shared
! by Professor Baird, the Assistant Secretary


who was called by Professor Henry, at the
| beginning of his administration to act in the
capacity OF chief adviser. and take immediate
charge of the several lines of research and la
| Dor devoted to natural science. The effective


harmonious cooperation of these distin-
| guished gentlemen, coupled with their unset
| fish, untiring devotion to science, has borne
legitimate fruit in the worldwide reputation
of the institution which they have literally
established and maintained


| Although no branch of science is discrimin-
ated in at the expense of another, yet the
| public have a much greater interest in the
chronological and natural history work of the
Smithsonian, because it can be seen, and see
| ing is believing with most of us. while the
work of the physicist is intangible to the cas-
ual eye but the subjects Of meteorology, of
astronomy, have been advanced especially by
| the active interest taken in the Smithsonian
in their behalf. One of the first efforts of
the Institution was to organize "A voluntary
system of meteorological observation which
should extend over the whole of the North
American continent, and it encouraged the
| observers by furnishing them with books and
instruments In this way it created rapidly a


large body of intelligent observers, and soon
brought the system into the practical opera
ton now so much appreciated as carried ON
by the Signal Service of the War Department.
The rebellion interrupted the work in 1864,
and when the war ended the government
took up the subject up anew, and, having the
means. has brought it up TO a high standard
of public utility.


In physics and chemistry the fostering
hand of the Institution has exhibited itself in
many different ways it has imported appar-
atus it has instituted an extensive series of
| experiments in the lines of the various
branches Of these great divisions of scientific
thought and labor, notably those upon build
ing materials, upon acoustics, upon materials
for lighthouse illumination, which resulted
in the substitution of lard for sperm oil, and
the consequent saving of a large sum of mon
ey annually to the Treasury. In compliance


with the frequent requests made by different
departments Of the government, particularly
since the war, it has instituted and has con-
Quoted large number of investigations into
questions that involved mechanical, chemical,
and physical principles, and upon these it


has made several hundred reports.


The work done in the Smithsonian that
covers the field of natural science is the heav-


lest tax upon its resources, because it calls
for nm immense amount of manual labor in