102 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



Natural Sciences, generously offered for that purpose. There having been no safe 

 depository here for them, and much of the jirinting h.aving been done iu Philadelphia, 

 the plates have been allowed to remain there undisturbed. 



As the institution now has suitable store-rooms entirely fire-proof, and it is found 

 that new editions of works can be printed to better advantage in this city, thereby 

 avoiding the cost of transportation of the whole editions of publications, it is pro- 

 posed to bring all these plates together in one depository — the basement of the 

 Smithsonian Building. 



It is to be regretted tbat the early volumes of "Smithsonian Contributions to 

 Knowledge" were not stereotyped, and thus that it is impossible at the present time 

 to rejiroduce full sets. 



The plates of the annual reports from 1862 to 1886 (twenty-five years) are in pos- 

 session of the Institution ; and if supplies should be wanted for libraries or individ- 

 uals, an edition might at any time be ordered hy Congress, .at the mere cost of i>aper 

 and press-work. 



