REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 13 



search, I may state that steps have beeu taken to give effect to certain 

 resolutions expressed at a meeting of the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science several years ago, in regard to the establish- 

 ment of standard screw threads and standard diameters of tubing for 

 astronomical and physical apparatus. The introduction of such stand- 

 ards in mechanical work of all kinds has proved itself of such great 

 value that its usefulness need not be dwelt upon. As a^ preliminary 

 step looking to the establishment of this desired uniformity on the part 

 of scientific men, a conference has been had with the Superintendent of 

 the Coast Survey, and it is proposed to invite the co operation of other 

 Government bureaus, and to give efl'ect to their conclusions by ordering 

 and establishing, on behalf of the Institution, recognized standards for 

 the use of scientific instrument makers in all parts of the world. 



I have here referred to researches in physical science alone, the work 

 of the Institution and of individual members of its staff and others in 

 natural history being given at some length under the head of the Mu- 

 seum. 



EXPLORATIONS. 



The work of exploration by the Institution has been carried on through 

 the Bureau of Ethnology and the National Museum, and to the Reports 

 of these departments reference should be made for details. 



In my report for last year, mention was made of a tri}) to Africa by 

 Mr. Talcott Williams, and of the interesting results that had been se- 

 cured by him. A valuable collection of specimens that he obtained is 

 still unpacked and a complete description of them can not be given 

 until they have been thoroughly examined. 



He was fortunate enough to secure five sheetsof an extremely rare Ber- 

 ber manuscript, made probably in the thirteenth century ; a botanical 

 collectioji of about three hundred plants, of which all except four or five 

 are phenagamous fossils from a hitherto unexplored region; a valuable 

 collection of ethnographic material from Morocco; villager costumes 

 of men and women, representing both the Berber and mountain vil- 

 lages, and a collection of pottery made with the special design of in- 

 cluding all the wares in ordinary use between Tetuan and Fez. Arti- 

 cles illustrating light, fire, and the industry of comb-making and num- 

 erous household utensils were also secured. 



It may safely be asserted that this collection, taken as a whole, is one 

 of the most interesting of the kind that the Museum has ever received, 

 and the thanks of the Smithsonian Institution are due Mr. Williams for 

 the manner in which he has accomplished his mission. 



Mr. W. W. Rockhill, whose explorations in Thibet were also referred 

 to in my last report, has spent a large part of the year in Washington, 

 engaged in preparing an account of his remarkable travels, and he has 

 loaned to the Museum, in addition to his large and almost unique col- 

 lection of Thibetan material, a most valuable lot of cloisonnes, bronzes, 

 and carved lacquers collected during his residence in Pekin. 



