90 EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT OF 



ordinary remains which abound in that locahty. It has assisted in ex- 

 plorations relative to the distribution in this country of the remains of 

 microscopic animals found in immense quantities in different parts of 

 the United States. 



"It has made impoi'tant conttibulions to botan_y, by means of the 

 published results of explorations in Texas, New Mexico, and Califor- 

 nia ; and by the preparation and publication of an extended memoir, 

 illustrated with colored engravings, on the sea-plants of the coast of 

 North America. 



"It has published several important original papers on physiology, 

 comparative anatomy, zoology, and different branches of descriptive 

 natural history ; and has prepared and printed, ^for distribution to 

 travellers, a series of directions for collecting and preserving speci- 

 mens. 



" It has advanced terrestrial magnetism, by furnishing instruments 

 for determining the elements of the magnetic force, to various explor- 

 ing expeditions; and by publishing the results of observations made 

 under its direction, at the expense of the government. 



" It has collected and published the statistics of the libraries of the 

 United States ; and perfected a plan of stereotyping catalogues, which 

 w^ill render effective, as a combined whole, all the scattered libraries 

 of the country. 



" The Institution has also been instrumental in directing attention to 

 American antiquities, and has awakened such an interest in the sub- 

 ject as will tend to the collection and study of all the facts which can 

 be gathered relative to the ancient inhabitants of this continent. It 

 has also rendered available for the purposes of the ethnologist and 

 philanthropist the labors of our missionaries among the Dakotas, by 

 publishing a volume on the language of this tribe of Indians, and has 

 done good service to comparative philology by the distribution of 

 directions for collecting Indian vocabularies. 



"It has established an extended system of literar}'" and scientific ex- 

 changes, both foreign and dtnnestic, and annually transmits, between the 

 most distant societies and individuals, hundrcdsof packages of valuable 

 works. It has presented its own publications, free of expense, to all the 

 first-class libraries of the world, and thus rendered them accessible, as 

 far as possible, to all persons who are interested in their study. No re- 

 striction of copyright has been placed on their republication ; and the 

 truths which they contain are daily finding their way to the general 

 public, through the labors of popular writers and teachers. The dis 

 tribution of its publications and its system of exchanges has served 

 not only to advance and diffuse knowledge, but also to increase the re- 

 putation, and, consequently, the influence of our country ; to promote a 

 kindly and sym[)ath(Uic ti'cling between the New World and the Old — 

 alike gratefid to the philosopher and the philanthropist. 



" These are the fruits of what is called the system of" active operations 

 of the Institution, and its power to produce other and continuous results 

 is only limited by the amount of the income which can be appropriated 

 to it, since each succeeding year has presented new and important fields 

 for its cultivation. All the anticipations indulged with regard to it have 



