REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. ' 17 



•with the Smithsonian" is now in press, as well as a similar list, em- 

 bracing all the scientific, educational, and literary establishments in the 

 United States, prepared by Mr. Rhees, chief clerk of this Institution. 



New editions of the following works were x^rinted during the year : 

 Physical and meteorological tables. Catalogue of Smithsonian publica- 

 tions, Eeview of American Birds, Classification of coleoptera, Bibliog- 

 raphy of Korth American couchology, Eesearches on Hydrobiinsie, 

 Check lists of fossils. Instructions relative to shells, insects, tornadoes, 

 Museum miscellanea. Catalogue of birds, &c. 



In addition to the above, the following new circulars of instructions 

 have been prepared and distributed : 



Circular relative to observations on tliunder-storms. 



Circular relative to the construction of lightning-rods. 

 . Circular relative to collection of altitudes from railway and canal 

 explorations. 



The Institution many years ago prepared and published lists of 

 words and phrases for collecting vocabularies of the several Indian lan- 

 guages of North America, which were distributed to officers of the Army, 

 missionaries. Government exploring parties, and private individuals, 

 and from these have been received over two hundred separate vocabu- 

 laries. These include the tribes of Oregon, Washington, California, 

 northwest coast. New Mexico, Arizona, and the prairies. They have all 

 been placed in the hands of George Gibbs, esq., for critical study and 

 revision, and after consultation with some of the principal philologists 

 of the country, it has been, concluded to publish them, as it were provis- 

 ionally, for distribution, as materials for ethnological and linguistic in- 

 vestigations. Mr. Gibbs has kindly undertaken to superintend the 

 I)riuting, and it is proposed to put them to press immediately. They 

 will Jiot only be of great use to the student of ethnology, but also be 

 of practical value to missionaries, teachers, and all who are brought 

 into intercourse with the aborigines of the country. No publication of 

 the Institution has been called for more frequently than that of the 

 Grammar and Dictionary of the Dakota lauguage. Unfortunately, it 

 was published at an early period of the Institution, and was not stereo- 

 typed ; otherwise we would long since have struck off a new edition. 



The Eeport of the Institution for the year 1870 was printed, as here- 

 tofore, at the Government expense, and we are gratified to state 

 that a larger number of extra copies was ordered than of the pre- 

 vious year. The demand for these reports is, however, constantly 

 increasing; and we would renew the recommendation made before, that 

 Congress not only order a larger edition of the report for the coming 

 year, but that a new edition be printed from the stereotype plates of 

 previous volumes. In addition to the report of the Secretary, giving 

 an account of the operations, expenditures, «S:c., of the Institution, and 

 the i^roceedings of the Board of Regents, the report for 1870 contains 

 2s71 



