10 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY, 



since the rules of the Institution, while they insure a respectful reply 

 to all communications demanding an answer, also require that each 

 day's mail shall be attended to ou the day of its receipt, excepting where 

 immediate action is impracticable. In other departments of the Insti- 

 tution, as, for instance, that of publications, operations being more or 

 less dependent upon outside agencies, there is sometimes a temporary 

 respite ; but in the department of correspondence this is absolutely im- 

 possible. 



As during the past three years, so during 1880, the number of com- 

 munications has been very great in regard to anthropology, natural 

 history, mineralogy, exchanges, employment, and publications. In re- 

 gard to the first of these the immediate cause has been the unprecedented 

 interest awakened in the subject of anthropology by the Smithsonian 

 circular to which attention was called in the report of the Secretary 

 for 1878. 



As the near completion and occupation of the new building for the 

 National Museum has become generally known, hundreds of colleges, 

 as well as proprietors of private collections, aware that the Institution 

 has onl}' awaited the room requisite for the collation of its vast stores 

 of sj)ecimens of natural history and the elimination of the duplicates 

 previous to the distribution of the latter, have hastened to apply 

 for a share in this material, the applications in almost every instance 

 necessitating answer by reason of inquiries for information upon points 

 not covered by any of the many printed circulars of the Institution. 



In mineralogy the number of applicants for information has largely 

 increased during the past year. Supposed discoveries of mineral wealth 

 still continue to be reported to the Institution, and specimens are for- 

 warded for examination. Qualitative determinations only, however, are 

 made gratuitously for individuals or for private or commercial purposes; 

 but these generally suffice. In making known the results of mineral 

 examinations the mineralogist i>resents his reports to the Secretary, on 

 blanks prepared for the purpose. If approved the substance of his re- 

 port is communicated by letter to the party submitting the specimens. 



The increased activity in the department of exchanges has not only 

 continued, but this source of correspondence has during the past year 

 l^roved far more productive of communications than was anticipated; 

 and while the increase in the number of these has been marked, in very 

 many instances their nature has been such as to call for a general review 

 of the entire subject of exchanges, thus giving to the replies, ou the part 

 of the Institution, the character more of memoirs than of letters. This 

 feature of a large part of the exchange correspondence grew out of the 

 action of the Paris Geographical Congress of 1875, in recommending to 

 the nations of the world the establishment of a system for the inter- 

 change of the official documents of their respective governments, which 

 recommendation has recently been favorably acted upon by a number 

 of governments, including the United States, which has designated the 

 Smithsonian Institution as its agent in the premises. 



