REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 21 



Mr. Roiiiyn ITilcbcock, one of the curators of the Musemu, has beeu 

 for two yeais on leave of absence, while performing the duty of profes- 

 sor of English at the University Osaka, Japan, and has been assisted 

 as far as has beeu i^racticable iu his explorations in the west and north 

 of the Japanese Archipelago. 



Two of the geological curators have explored numerous mineral locali- 

 ties in connection with the work of completing the sets of minerals for 

 distribution. Their work is referred to in the report of the Museum. 



Two employes of the Museum accompanied the Fish Commission 

 schooner GramjJUfi on her trip to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, for the pur- 

 pose of taking advantage of the opportunity, should any offer, of 

 exploring the natural history of the islands of that region, and par- 

 ticularly to make search for the remains of the Great Auk. They 

 were successful iu their efforts, obtaining important collections and 

 material for a report which will be presented iu connection with the 

 work of the Museum. 



At the beginning of the fiscal year Mr. Charles H. Townsend, of the 

 TJ. S. Fish Commission, was engaged in the joint service of the Commis- 

 sion and the Museum in natural history exploration in Central Amer- 

 ica. He returned in October, 1S87. 



Ensign A. P. Niblack, IT. S. isr«.vy, (for three years attached to the 

 scientific staff of the Museum,) during a cruise upon the coast of Alaska 

 made extensive collections and obtained material for a report on the 

 ethnology of that region. 



PUBLICATIONS. 



Claftses of publications. — Of the Smithsonian publications, the first 

 class — both in priority of introducition and in scientific importance — is 

 the quarto series of Contributions to Knowledge. This series, numbering 

 twenty-five volumes, was inaugurated forty years ago. 



An early hope had beeu entertained that the Institution might be 

 enabled to issue one volume of the (juarto series each year, but it was 

 soon discovered that original memoirs of merit, embodying new acquisi- 

 tions to our knowledge, could not be procured at any such rate. Partly 

 by reason of the rapid growth of scientific institutions in our country, 

 and partly by reason of the largely increased endowments of some of 

 them, other channels of scientific publication have beeu opened, and 

 there has been a steady reduction both in the number of memoirs [)re- 

 sented to this Institution for publication and in the numbers of these 

 judged deserving of a place in the ranks of the " Contributions." This 

 <liminution of fertility is perhaps best exhibited by the following table 

 of volumes issued during each successive period often years: 



])uring first decade (from 1848 to 1857), nine volumes. 



During second decade (ending 18(17), six volumes. 



During third decade (ending 1877), six volumes. . 



During fourth decade (ending 1887), four volumes. 



