28 



REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



&c., by Cleveland Abbe; physics, by G. F. Barker; chemistry, by the 

 same; botany, by W. G. Farlow; zoology, by Theodore Gill, and anthro- 

 pology, by O. T. Mason ; next, miscellaneous papers and abstracts relat- 

 ing to anthropology, and the papers by J. Howard Gore, on tncTcahoe 

 or Indian bread; and by G. H. Boehmer, on the history of the Smith- 

 sonian system of exchanges; both of which have already been de- 

 scribed. The whole will form an octavo volume of something over 800 

 pages, illustrated with 83 cuts. 



ASTEONOMICAI. ANNOUNCEMENTS BY TELEGRAPH. 



The service undertaken by the Institution in 1863, in the interests of 

 astronomical science, of acting as the central medium of reception and 

 transmission of telegraphic announcements of discoveries, continues to 

 be rendered, with general satisfaction to observers. It is of course 

 understood that this Institution is merely the channel of an international 

 exchange of astronomical research, and that it undertakes to act only 

 as the intermediary between foreign and domestic observatories, though 

 it has long been a desideratum to have the announcements of American 

 discoveries fully distributed in our own country" — a result which has 

 to some extent been effected by the constant practice of the Institution 

 to have both foreign and American discoveries promptly transmitted 

 to the New York and National Associated Press for immediate publi- 

 cation. 



The Atlantic Cable Company and the Western Union Telegraph 

 company still continue with their accustomed liberality to forward 

 the Smithsonian dispatches free of charge ; an enlightened apprecia- 

 tion of the public value of such researches, and a courteous and hearty 

 co-operation in scientific work which should always receive our most 

 thankful recognition. 



The following is the list of astronomical discoveries of minor planets 

 and comets made during the past year: 



List of planetoids discovered in 1882. 



