76 EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT OF 



On motion of Mr. Pearce, the Secretary was directed, on the part 

 of the Institution, respectfully to decline the proposition of Dr. Spooner, 

 the Regents not considering themselves authorized to engage in such 

 an enterprize. 



The Secretary stated to the Board that Professor Wilson, of the Eng- 

 lish Commission to the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations at New 

 York, had presented to the Smithsonian Institution a set of models, 

 casts, and drawings, to be used in teaching the arts of design. 



The vSecretary proposed to lend these to the Metropolitan Mechanics' 

 Institute, of this city, for the use of its School of Design; which propo- 

 sition was agreed to by the Board. 



The Secretary read the correspondence between the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution and the California Academy of Natural Sciences, in which the 

 latter authorize the former to purchase a full set of meteorological and 

 magnetic instruments for the use of the society; the means of defraying 

 the expense of the purchase having been generously provided by its 

 President, Dr. A. Randall. 



A memoir on the "Europo American Physical Man" was laid 

 before the Regents, which had been submitted to the Institution for 

 publication since the last meeting of the Board. 



Professor Bache presented a specimen of" the photographic register 

 of the motions of the magnetic needle, taken at the magnetic observa- 

 tory of" the Smithsonian Institution. 



The Secretary informed the Board that the annual meeting of the 

 United States Agricultural Society would be held on the 22d instant, 

 in the Smithsonian Institution, and read the following extract from the 

 address of the President of that Society : 



"Our location at the national capital gives us peculiar facilities for 

 intercommunication and for intercourse with members of Congress, re- 

 presenting all parts of" our widely extended country. We may also 

 secure many benefits from the Smithsonian Institution, whose objects 

 are the general increase of knowledge and the promotion of science, 

 objects so analogous to those of this Association as to give importance 

 to the question whether reciprocal benefits might not be expected from 

 closer relations. By the courtesy of this Institution we have been per- 

 mitted to occupy their commodious apartments, and an inquiry should 

 be made by our Executive officers, or a special committee, to ascertain 

 what room or rooms can be obtained for the future accommodation of" 

 this Society. W^e need a public building, or offices in some existing 

 edifice, for our Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer, for the preser- 

 vation of our records, and of the agricultural seeds and products which 

 are now in our possession, or may be hereafter rcijuired, and also for 

 an agricultural library, museum, and cabinet." 



On motion of Mr. Maury, the Secretary was authorized to ofler such 

 accommodations and fiicilities to the United States Agricultural So- 

 ciety as the Institution had at its disposal. 



The continuation of the Secretary's report, relative to the Library, 

 Museum, and Exchanges, was presented, but the reading was post- 

 poned till the next meeting. 



The resolution offered by Mr. Meacham, at the last meeting of the 

 Board, was then taken up for consideration. 



