REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, I'JUT. 47 



associates and friends were gathered. The Hon. Melville W. Fuller, 

 Chief Justice of the United States and Chancellor of the Institution, 

 presided, and made a few introductory renuirks. Addresses were 

 then delivered bv the Hon. Andrew D. White, a Keffent of the Insti- 

 tution; by Prof. E. C. Pickering, Director of the Harvard University 

 Observatory, and by Mr. Octave Chanute, the distinguished engi- 

 neer of Chicago. 



The hall was also used by the National Academy of Sciences for 

 its public meetings from April lO to 18, inclusive. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



The amount of correspondence Avhicli devolves upon the Museum 

 is exceptionally great, since, as a national institution, it has come to 

 be regarded by the public generally as a place where information 

 upon the several subjects within its scope may be freely sought. In 

 accordance with the traditional policy of the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, of which it forms a part, the requests of correspondents have 

 been cordially complied with so far as jwssible, although the prep- 

 aration of replies encroaches heavily upon the time of the scientific 

 as well as the clerical staff. This is especially so when specimens 

 are transmitted for identification, the number of such received during 

 the past year having amounted to several thousand, contained in 

 nearly 800 separate lots or sendings. 



The office of correspondence also attends to the distribution of the 

 i^ublications of the Museum, of which about 52,000 copies of volumes 

 and separates were distributed during the year to institutions and 

 individuals on the regular mailing list, and about 21,000 copies in 

 compliance with special requests. 



PUBLICATIONS. 



The publications issued during the year comprised 8 volumes and 

 4 parts of volumes. The Annual Report of the Museum for 1904-5, 

 the completion of which had been delayed, and that for 1905-6 were 

 both published in November, 190G. They were limited to adminis- 

 trative matters, the customary general appendix of scientific papers 

 being omitted. 



Volume 31 of the Proceedings of the Museum was published on 

 February 19, 1907, and volume 32 was completed, except as to bind- 

 ing, by the end of the year. The former contained 26 papers, the 

 latter 51, a total of 77 important contributions based on the Museum 

 collections. These papers were also issued in separate form, in edi- 

 tions of 600 copies each, as soon as possible after their preparation, 

 for distribution to specialists and scientific establishments. 



The Bulletins issued were No. 53, volume 2, "A Catalogue of the 

 type and figured specimens of Fossil Vertebrates and Plants, Miner- 



