14 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



of the fund for other services ; although it would be a great satisfaction 

 to be able to supply more liberally the growing demand for tbe works 

 as published. The impracticabilit}^, however, of furnishing these to all 

 interested in scientific pursuits, has required the adoption of more for- 

 mal regulations to secure the most judicious application of the available 

 stock of publications. These are presented, first, to those learned socie- 

 ties of the first class which give to the institution in return complete sets 

 of their own publications ; secondly, to colleges of the first class furnish- 

 ing catalogues of their libraries and students, and i^ublications relative 

 to their organization and history ; thirdly, to public libraries in this 

 country having 25,000 volumes ; fourthly, in some cases to still smaller 

 libraries, especially if no other copies of the Smithsonian publications 

 are given in the same place and a large district would be otherwise un- 

 supplied; lastly, to institutions devoted exclusively to the promotion 

 of particular branches of knowledge, such of its publications are given 

 as relate to their special objects. These rules apply chiefly to distri- 

 bution in the United States. The number sent to foreign countries, 

 under somewhat different conditions, is about the same as that distrib- 

 uted in this country. 



A small number of copies not otherwise disposed of has been usually 

 reserved for sale ; although such returns have of course contributed 

 but little toward the cost o^ production. As an experiment (which had 

 been tried in the early history of the institution), I have placed a small 

 edition of one of our works in the hands of a large publishing house, 

 the well-known firm of MacMillan & Co., of London and New York. 

 The work selected for this purpose is the newly revised "tables of 

 specific gravity for solids and liquids," by Prof. F. W. Clarke, Chemist 

 of the U. S. Geological Survey. This being a valuable work of refer- 

 ence for all practical chemists, as well as for many others, was thought 

 to be a very suitable subject for trial as to its commercial success. An 

 edition of 1,000 copies having been reserved for the regular gratuitous 

 distribution, 500 copies were prepared with the imprint of Messrs. 

 MacMillan & Co. on the title page, to be disposetl of as one of their 

 own publications, and by their regular business methods. 



Facilities afforded to others. — A few instances of assistance in the 

 direction of printing, etc., granted in special cases, may here be men- 

 tioned. The widow of Dr. Asa Gray having about 80 imperfect copies 

 on hand of her husband's " Flora of North America," desired, in order 

 to complete her sets and render them available for sale, a correspond- 

 ing number of copies of the first part of tbe second volume. The re- 

 quest was cheerfully complied with, and Messrs. Wilson & Son, of 

 Cambridge, Mass., were authorized by the Eegents to print the desired 

 small edition at tbe expense of the Institution. 



Prof. M. W. Harrington, of Ann Arbor, Mich., made application for 

 the use of the stereotype plates of Professor Heur^y's meteorological 



