REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 21 



aggregating 7,893 entries have been made to tlie libraries of the Secre- 

 tar}^ Ottice, AstrophysU'al Observatory, the National Zoological 

 Park, and the National MnsQuni. In the Museum library then^ luv 

 now 20,548 bound voluiiies and 35.950 unbound papers. 



General de Peyster continues to add many valuable volumes to the 

 Watts de Peyster Collection Napoleon Buonaparte, and there have also 

 been received fi'om him several oil paintings, and many historical 

 relics of the American colonial period. 



Interiiational Catalogue of Sclent If c Literatui'e. — The Institution 

 has continued the work of indexing scientific pu))lications, the total 

 number of references sent to the central ])ureau at London during the 

 year aggregating 21,213, or an increase of 50 per cent over the pre- 

 vious year, which was made possible by an addition to the allotment 

 from the Smithsonian fund for this work. The first animal issue of 

 the catalogue has now been published and disti'ibuted, and also several 

 volumes of the second annual issue. 



CORKESrONDEN(^E. 



As in former years, a great many inquiries on almost every known 

 subject have t)een received by the Institution, and although many of 

 these did not relate directly to its operations, it has, in accordance w itii 

 the purpose of its foundation — '"the increase and diffusion of knowl- 

 edge" — cheerfully furnished the information, as far as prartical)le, in 

 each case, notwithstanding the fact that this fi'equently reciuired the 

 expenditure of considerable time by the nieml)ers of its staff'. 



All correspondence in any way affecting the policy of the Institution 

 or its bureaus has, as heretofore, received the Secretary's personal 

 attention, while letters relating to the work of the National Museum, 

 the Bureau of American Ethnology, and the National Zoological Park, 

 not included in the above class, have l)een acted on directly l)y the 

 Assistant Secretary in charge of the Museum, the Chief of the Bureau, 

 and the Superintendent of the park. 



During the year many plans and descri})tions of devices of various 

 kinds have been sulimitted to the Institution for an (Expression of opin- 

 ion as to their merits. These requests the Secretai'v has been conq)elled 

 to decline by reason of the decision of the Board of Regents, made 

 (hiring the early years of the Institution, which prohibits him from 

 expressing an opinion upon the merits of any patiMitable invention. 



No important changes have been made in the system of conducting 

 correspondence, which was inaugurated in 1890, and which has con- 

 tinued to be found an effective means of preventing any uinuM-essiiry 

 delay in its dispatch. 



