18 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



two results : first, the accurate description of the aboriginal remains, and, 

 second, the collection and classitication of such facts as bore oa their 

 obscure history. The work when first submitted to the Institution was 

 found to contain more historical and bibliographical matter selected 

 from known authorities than could properly be considered contributions 

 to existing knowledge, and it was therefore returned to the author for 

 revisiou and abridgment. The omissions and modifications desired hav- 

 ing been made, the work has been published during the past year. 

 Some idea of its character may be obtained from the following titles of 

 the chapters : 



Burial caves. 



Modes of burial practiced by the aborigines of America. 



Mounds, fortifications, and earth-works. 



Earth- works on the Big Harpeth Eiver. 



Earth-works on the West Harpeth and Big Harpeth Elvers. 



The stone fort, and other aboriginal remains. 



lielics from the mounds and stone graves. 



General conclusions. 



It forms a volume of 181 quarto pages with 85 wood-cuts and a very 

 full index prepared by Prof. O. T. Mason. It will constitute a part of 

 the twenty-second volume of the Contributions to Knowledge. 



Another quarto work published during the year, and which was pre- 

 pared especially for distribution at the Centennial Exposition, is that on 

 the Archaeological Collections of the United States National Museum in 

 charge of the Smithsonian Institution, by Prof. Charles Rau. This work 

 consists of 118 quarto pages, illustrated by 340 wood-cuts, and an 

 account of it will be found under the head of Ethnology. 



Miscellaneous collections. — In x3revious reports a work was described 

 of which the first part had been published, entitled "The Constants of 

 ZS^ature," compiled gratuitously for the Institution by Prof. F. W. Clarke. 

 This part was on the specific gravity, boiling and melting point and 

 chemical formula of 2,572 distinct bodies, including over 5,000 deter- 

 minations. During the past year a supplement to this part has been 

 published consisting of the determinations of specific gravities, boiling- 

 points and melting-points made since 1873. In it the determinations 

 are given for nearly 700 substances, of which at least 400 are new. It 

 2S embraced in 01 octavo pages. 



Part II of the same general work has also been published during the 

 past year. It is entitled "A table of specific heats for solids and liquids," 

 consisting of 58 octavo pages, including 410 substances. 



Part III has also been printed, consisting of "Tables of expansion by 

 heat for solids and liquids." It gives data for the expansion of about 

 350 different substances, no liquid mixtures or solutions, however, being 

 included. It occupies 57 octavo pages. This work has been much 

 called for by practical chemists and physicists. It will be continued 



