50 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



without a pro rata assessment of at least a portion of the expenses on 

 the different parties who avail themselves of its facilities. The expense 

 of the system of exchange would, however, be far greater were it not for 

 the many favors we receive from transportation companies, either in a 

 great reduction of charges or their entire omission. For conspicuous 

 examples of this liberality, the Institution may refer to the Cunard 

 steamers between New York and Liverpool, to the North German 

 Lloyd between New York and Bremen, the Pacific Mail Steamship 

 Company, Panama Railroad Company, North Atlantic Steamship Com- 

 pany, the Adams Express Company, the steamship Isabel line between 

 Charleston and Havana, and Russell's army transportation lines, and 

 also to the Hudson's Bay Company. 



The whole number of large packages containing books, specimens, 

 and other articles received at the Institution from different parts of the 

 world during I860, was 1,000 ; the number of packages of the same 

 character sent off was 888. When it is recollected that each of these 

 packages contained a large number of articles, all of which were to be 

 distributed, while those intended for this Institution were to be cata- 

 logued and acknowledged, some idea may be formed of the labor 

 required to carry on this single branch of the general operations of the 

 establishment. For a detailed statement oi the particulars relative to 

 this branch of the general operations, I must also refer to the report 

 of Professor Baird. 



Library. — Since the presentation of the last report, the plan adopted 

 in regard to the increase of the library has been steadily pursued, 

 namely : to obtain as perfect a series as possible of the transactions 

 and proceedings of all the learned societies which now exist or have 

 existed in different parts of the world. The distribution of the cata- 

 logue of the works of this kind already in the library, which was men- 

 tioned in the last report, with the request that our deficiencies might 

 be supplied, has called forth the presentation of a large number of 

 scarce volumes, intended to complete the sets, as well as to increase the 

 number of our series. During the last year the Institution has received 

 from abroad, for its own library, by way of donation and exchange, 

 upwards of 5,000 presentations, consisting principally of volumes and 

 parts of volumes. 



The distribution of the same catalogue through this country has 

 served to render more generally known the works contained in the 

 library of the Institution, and has consequently increased its use. 

 The value of this library will, however, be greatly enhanced by the 



