REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 27 



that have been employed by naturalists for recent and fossil animals 

 from the earliest times to the close of the year 1879." In two parts. 

 Part I. " List of Generic names employed in Zoology and Paleontology 

 to the close of the year 1879, chiefly supplemental to those catalogued 

 by Agassiz and Marschall, or indexed in the Zoological Record." It 

 forms an octavo volume of 398 pages. 



Of the class of " Proceedings of the National Museum," volume IV 

 has been published. This work, commenced in April 1881, printed by 

 signatures as matter was prepared, and completed in August, 1882, 

 comprises biological and other notices by S. F. Baird, T. H. Beau, 0. 

 Bendire, C. H. Boyd, W. E. Carlin, W. H. Dall, F. M. Endlich, W. G. 

 Farlow, C. H. Gilbert, T. Gill, W. 0. W. Glazier, G. Brown Goode, G. W. 

 Hawes, E. Ingersoll, S. H. Johnson, D. S. Jordan, P. L. Jouy, G. K 

 Lawrence, W. K Lockington, O. Lugger, C. L. McKay, M. A. Moore, 

 A. Pirz, F. M. Plateau, J. Y. Porter, R. Rathbun, C. Rau, R. Ridgway, 

 J. A. Ryder, R. W. Shufeldt, R. Smith, S. B. Smith, L. Stejneger, F. 

 W. True, L. F. Ward, and C. A . White. These papers are followed by 

 an appendix of 141 pages, comprising 18 circulars issued by the Museum. 

 The whole forms an octavo volume of 680 pages, illustrated by 1 plate 

 of 13 figures, and by 15 figures in the text. 



For several years i)ast, under the co-operation of the Smithsonian 

 Institution and the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, a collec- 

 tion has been made of the data obtainable as to the relative heights of 

 points over the surface of the continent of North America, with a view 

 to gather these together for permanent record and publication, and to 

 form the groundwork of a hypsometrical map. 



This collection has been intrusted to Mr. W. L. Nicholson, topog- 

 rapher of the Post-OflBce Department, who has devoted as much leisure 

 time as he could command to the extensive correspondence required and 

 to the co-ordination of the large mass of material gathered. But the 

 engrossing nature of the duties of his ofiice, having delayed the progress 

 of this work, a transfer has been made during the past year of all this 

 material from the Smithsonian Institution — under whose more imme- 

 diate direction the work has been ijrosecuted — to the Coast and Geo- 

 detic Survey, one of whose officers may be assigned for the continuation 

 of this important subject. 



Smithsonian Annual Report. — I regret to state that up to this time, the 

 annual report of the Regents for 1881 has not been published. It was 

 transmitted to Congress on the 1st of March, 1882, and has ever since 

 been in the hands of the Public Printer. 



This work includes the usual Journal of Proceedings of the Board of 

 Regents, with the reports of the Secretary, of the Executive Committee, 

 and of the National Museum Building Commission. The "General 

 Appendix" contains first a "Record of recent scientific progress." In- 

 troduction by the Secretary; astronomy, by E. S. Holden; meteorology, 



