REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 5 



number of business and routine letters constantly required in the trans- 

 action of its daily work. From all portions of our country inquiries 

 and proposals are continually received, varying from modest requests 

 for information on subjects frequently common-place, sometimes ab- 

 struse, to magisterial announcements of new philosophies and cosmolo- 

 gies, destined to revolutionize science or to entirely supersede the laws 

 of Newton. Agreeably to its established policy, all correspondents re- 

 ceive a respectful attention and reply, and if the information sought is 

 not immediately accessible, either reference is given to other establish- 

 ments or sources, or specialists are addressed upon the subject, and the 

 Institution itself becomes a solicitor of knowledge. 



The number, however, of those ambitious of having their visionary 

 speculations published by the Institution has been so considerable that 

 for several years past the following circular has been largely employed 

 in response : 



" Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. 0. 



" This Institution being in frequent receipt of communications an- 

 nouncing discoveries or theories supposed by the writers to be both 

 new and important, it may be well to inform these correspondents that 

 owing to the number of such papers the usual course is to refer them 

 to one or more specialists in the particular subject discussed, and to 

 communicate briefly by letter to the authors the result of such exami- 

 nation. This may sometimes involve a delay of several weeks before 

 the expected answer is returned. 



" In order to correct a very common misapprehension, it is proper to 

 state that the Institution has not offered any standing prizes for the 

 solution of difficult problems, or for the discovery of new scientific prin- 

 ciples. The proper course for those who wish to obtain pecuniary ad- 

 vantage from their supposed contributions to knowledge, is to make 

 some practical application thereof, for which they may secure a patent 

 from the United States Patent Office. It may also be remarked that a 

 rule adopted by the Board of Regents forbids the Secretary or his as- 

 sistants giving, for personal benefit, an official opinion as to the merits 

 or demerits of inventions or other projects." 



explorations. 



A full account of the explorations and accessions resulting therefrom 

 undertaken during the past year under the anspices of the Institution 

 will be found in the report of Mr. Goode, upon the Museum, forming 

 the second part or volume of the Regents' Report. Only a brief refer- 

 ence, therefore, to one or two subjects appears necessary in this place. 



Exploration for American bison. — An unsuccessful attempt having 

 been made the previous year to procure specimens of the buffalo (now 

 being rapidly exterminated), at the request of Mr. W. T. Hornaday 

 another attempt was approved and determined upon. 



Early in the spring of 188G the attention of the Secretary was called 

 to the fact that the work of exterminating the American bison had 

 made most alarming progress, and also that the representatives of this 



