16 



REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



Louis (le Bebian, very generously agreed to carry the packages of ex- 

 change both ways free of charge, thus relieving parties on either side 

 from a considerable burden, and greatly facilitating these operations. 



Statistics of exchanges during the last ten years. 



Foreign institutions in correspondence tcith the Smithsonian Institution. 



Africa ... 

 America . 



Asia 



Australia 



27 



112 



GO 



C4 



Europe ...v 2,337 



Polynesia 2 



t2, 002 



Comparative table of foreign 'institutions in correspondence loith the Smithsonian Institution 



during the last ten years. 



Parcels received in 1880. 



For home distribution 0,670 



For distribution abroad 14, 175 



Total 20,815 



Government Document Exchange. — In addition to its general function of 

 intermediary between the institutions of the New World and the Old, 

 the Smithsonian Institution has been for some years the agent of the gov- 

 ernment for the exchange of public documents and other oincial iiubli- 

 cations, in the interest of the Library of Congress, and under the provi- 

 sions of law. By act of Congress, tifty copies of all iniblications of the 

 United States Government, whether ordered for the use of Congress or 

 of the departments, are available for distribution, under the direction 

 of the Joint Library Committee of the two Houses of Congress, to such 

 foreign governments as agree to make a corresponding return. These 

 returns, when received, are forwarded' directly to the Library of Con- 



* In addition to the above there are 26 boxes ready for and awaiting shipment to 

 Italy. 

 tA detailed list will be found in the tables of statistics. 



