KEPORT OF THE SECRETARY. » 



the duties of executive officer witli zeal, iudustry, and efficiency. Dur- 

 ino- the absence of the Secretary for several months in the year, when 

 on-duty connected with the United States Fish Commission, Mr. Ehees 

 has been intrusted with the general administration of the busmess ot 

 the Institution ; having- also the charge of publications, of financial de- 

 tails, of the purchase of supplies, and of the supervision of clerks and 

 employes, &c. The operations connected with the erection of the new 

 Museum building have added greatly to the labors and responsibdities 

 of the chief clerk, as well as of the other officers of the Institution. 



The correspondence is in charge of ^Ir. Daniel Leech, who has been 

 in the Institution since 18'o7, and who has also acted as the secretary 

 of the National Museum Building Commission. In both these relations 

 his duties have been satisfactorily and creditably performed. 



The division of accounts has been in charge of Mr. Clarence B. Young, 

 who entered the service of the Institution in 1870. To his duties as 

 bookkeeper is added that of the charge of the physical apparatus, the re- 

 vision of proof, mathematical calculations, and other work requiring 

 skill as a computer, and knowledge of physics and technology 



To Mr. Wm. B. Taylor has been assigned the duty of preparing re- 

 plies to correspondents involving scientific details in special depart- 

 ments: and he has also edited-under the direction of the special com- 

 mittee of the Board of Eegents-the "Memorial Volume" in honor of 

 Professor Henry. 



The management of the literary and scientific exchanges has been 

 intrusted to Messrs. H. Diebitsch and G. H. Boehmer. The labor m 

 this department has grown to large proportions, and is increasing with 

 every year. 



The reception, entry, and transfer of books for the library are in 

 charge of Miss Jane A. Turner, whose faithful and intelligent services 

 have frequently been recognized by my predecessor. 



The translation of French and German letters and various clerical 

 duties have been well performed by Mrs. L. Stoerzer, while the filing of 

 letters, indexing, making out receipts and orders for books, and various 

 other duties have been assigned to Miss M. E. Griffin, Miss H. de C. 

 Daingerfield, and Miss F. II. Schaeffer, who deserve commendation for 

 their faithful services. 



It is also proper to mention the fidelity and efficiency in the subordi- 

 nate duties assigned them of Messrs. Henry Gass and John S. Pollock. 

 Mr. Solomon G. Brown, in charge of the transportation department, 

 has discharged his duties satisfactorily. 



Con'esx)ondence.—A most important branch of Smithsonian opera- 

 tions is that of correspondence, which expands from year to year in the 

 direct ratio of the ever widening influence and increasing activity of 

 the establishment. The principal consideration, however, in this de- 

 partment, is not the amount but the continuity of the labor involved, 



