22 EEPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



Alaska; various letters on meteorology; prize questions of societies in 

 Eai'ope; and a list of abbreviations used in England at the present time. 

 This publication is constantly growing in popularity, and, next to the 

 report of the Agricultural Department, no document is in greater demand. 

 We may mention, as a proof of this, that a considerable portion of the 

 copies allowed the Institution for distribution among its own correspond- 

 ents has been absorbed, during the last year, in meeting the application? 

 of members of Congress for the supply of their constituents. In com- 

 plying with these applications we have never failed to represent that 

 a larger edition of the report is highly desirable for distribution, both by 

 the Institution and Congress, und that an addition of 5,000 copies to the 

 number which has been printed would cost comparatively but a trifle 

 after the stereotype plates have been placed upon the cylinder of the 

 X)riuting press. 



Explorations and collections in natural history. — From the first estab- 

 lishment of the Smithsonian Institution until the present time a consid- 

 erable portion of its annual resources has been devoted to explorations 

 for the development of the natural i)roductious of is"orth and Central 

 America, particularly in relation to zoology, botany, and mineralogy. Of 

 late years a number of other institutions have entered the same field, 

 either independently or in co-operation with this Institution. Foremost 

 among those which have made separate explorations is the great museum 

 of comparative zoology at Cambridge, under the direction of Professor 

 Agassiz. The late expedition of this renowned naturalist to South 

 America has been crowned with a larger collection of specimens in 

 zoology than has ever been obtained through the exertions of private 

 enterprise. Among societies which have co-operated during the past year 

 with the Smithsonian, and scarcely in a rank below any other in regard 

 to zeal and efQciencj^, are the Chicago Academy of Science, the Boston 

 Society of Natural Histor^^, and the Peabody Museum of American 

 ArchiBology and Ethnology of Cambridge, Mass., as also the Kentucky 

 University of Lexington. In giving an account of what has been done 

 during the year under review in the line of natural historj^ we shall 

 adopt, as in previous reports, the geographical order. 



In reference to ArctiG America the contributions from Mr. Macfarlane 

 and Mr. McDougal of the Mackenzie river district have added largely to 

 the materials previously received from that region, and are of special 

 interest in regard to Oology. The last invoice from Mr. Macfarlane is 

 fully equal to those with which he has favored tlie Institution in previous 

 years, and entitles him to the credit of being the largest contributor to 

 the Smithsonian collections, and of having done more than any othei 

 person in making known the x)roductions and character of the regions 

 he has explored. The record of specimens bearing his name already 

 amounts to over ten thousand' entries, including some of the choicest 

 contributions to natural history and ethnology. A collection of birds 



