486 CATALOGUE OF PUBLICATIONS. 



preme Court, the Mayor of Washington,* and such other persons as they 

 might elect honorary members, an establishment under the name of tlie 

 'Smithsonian Institution, for the increase and diffusion of knowledge 

 among men.' The. members and honorary members of tliis establish- 

 ment are to hold stated and special meetings for the supervision of the 

 affairs of tlie Institution and for the advice and instruction of a Board 

 of Kegents, to whom the financial and other affairs are intrusted. 



"The Board of Eegents consists of three members ex officio of the 

 establi.ihment, namely, the Vice-President of the United States, the 

 Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the j\Iayor of Washington*, 

 together with twelve other members, three of whom are appointed by 

 the Senate from its own body, three by the House of Kepresentatives 

 from its members, and six citizens appointed by a joint resolution of 

 both houses. To this Board is giveu the power of electing a Secretary 

 and other officers, for conducting the active operations of the Institution. 



" To carry into etfect the purposes of the testator, the plan of organi- 

 zation should evidently embrace two objects, one, the increase of 

 knowledge by the addition of new truths to the existing stock ; the 

 other, the diffusion of knowledge thus increased, among men. No re- 

 striction is made in favor of any kind of knowledge, and hence each 

 branch is entitleil to and should receive a share of attention. 



" The act of Congress, establishing the Institution, directs, as part of 

 the plan of organization, the formation of a library, a museum, and a 

 gallery of art, together with in-ovisions for physical research and pop- 

 ular lectures, while it leaves to the Kegents the iiower of adopting such 

 other parts of an organization as they may deem best suited to pro- 

 mote the objects of the bequest. 



" After much deliberation, the Begents resolved to divide the annual 

 income, thirty thousand nine hundred and fifty dollars, into two equal 

 ])arts, one part to be devoted to the increase and diifusion of knowledge 

 l)y means of original research and publications, the other half of the 

 income to be applied in accordance with the requirements of the act of 

 Congress to the gradual formation of a library, a museum, and a gal- 

 lery of art." 



(The Programme of Organization, adopted December 8, 1847, follows.) 



"In accordance with the rules adopted in the Programme of Organi- 

 zation, each memoir in this volume has been favorably reported on by 

 a Commission appointed for its examination. It is, however, impossible, 

 in most cases, to verify the statements of an author; and, therefore, 

 neither the Commission nor the Institution can be resi)onsibie for more 

 than the general character of a memoir." 



The total number of j^apers published in the 25 volumes of "Contri- 

 butions "is 125, Avith an aggregate of 13,287 pages, 2,115 woodcuts, 

 536 plates, and 21 maps, each volume averaging 53H pages. 



2. Miscellaneous Collections. 



In the year 1802, another series was instituted, entitled "Smithsonian 

 Miscellaneous Collections," each volume of which has the following 

 l)reface: 



"The present series, entitled 'Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collec- 

 tions,' is intended to embrace all the publications issued directly by 



* As there is no Mayor of Wasliington at present, lliis is inoperative. 



