18 



REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



by H. C. Yarrow, E. S. Holdeu, C. C. Eoyce, Garrick Mallery, J. C. Pil- 

 ling-, J. O. Dorsey, A. S. Gatschet, and S. E. Riggs. It forms an im- 

 perial octavo volume of G3S pages (including introductory matter and 

 index), and is illustrated with 292 figures iu the text, 2 maps, and 53 

 l)lates, of which four are colored. 



The " Second Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, to the Smitli- 

 souiau Institution," by J. W. Powell, Director, contains papers by J. W. 

 Powell, Frank H. Gushing, Erminnie A. Smith, Henry W. Heushaw, 

 Washington Matthews, William H. Holmes, and James Stevenson. It 

 forms an imperial octavo volume of 514 pages (including introductory 

 matter and index), and is illustrated with 60 figures in the text, 2 maps, 

 and 173 plates, of which 12 are colored. The plates contain about 750 

 separate figures. 



INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES. 



One of the most important factors in the "diffusion of knowledge 

 among men" is found in the system of international exchange carried 

 on by the Smithsonian Institution. Originally only intended for the dis- 

 tribution of its own publications, the Institution by degrees extended 

 its usefulness and privileges to learned societies and individuals of both 

 hemispheres, and at present this exchange service forms the medium 

 of scientific intercourse between about 700 home institutions and 4,000 

 establishments distributed over all parts of the inhabited globe. 



The gradual development of this service has resulted iu a large in- 

 crease both in the work to be performed and in the number of employes. 

 The management of this branch has, since the year 1880, been in charge 

 of Mr. George H. Boehmer, and to his detailed report, hereto appended, 

 I refer for more minute information. 



Statistics. — The increase in the number of parcels received will blest be 

 illustrnted by the following comparison of the first six months of 1885 

 with the full years of 1882, 1883, and 1884: 



