210 EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT OF 



them to the charge of the general government. Were the copyright 

 act fully complied with, perhaps some benefit might accrue from it 

 to the Institution ; but in the manner in which it is at present observed, 

 the expense of postage and of clerk hire in recording the titles and 

 furnishing the certificates of deposit, has more than equalled the value 

 to us of all the books received. Lastly, it has been estimated that the 

 publication of a new edition of the expensive volumes of the results of 

 the Exploring Expedition would cost at least fifty thousand dollars. 

 Fortunately, it has not been considered obligatory on the Institution, 

 except in the case ol" the cop^aight law, to accept these gifts. 



Publication of Memoirs. 



Since the adoption of the plan of organization, nearly fifty original 

 memoirs, purporting to be additions to the sum of human knowledge, 

 have been presented to the Institution for publication. Though a num- 

 ber of these have been returned to their authors, principally on account 

 of not falling within the restricted class of communications accepted for 

 pubhcation, yet they have generally been productions of much merit, 

 and have evinced a surprising activity of mind, and manifest a growing] 

 attention in this country to oidginal research. The probable success 

 i)f this part of the plan of organization was not overrated; for, were the 

 whole income of the Institution devoted alone to publishing the results 

 of the labors of men of literature and of science, which otherwise would : 

 never see the light, it could be profitably expended. In this respect, 

 the Smithsonian bequest supplies the wants which in Europe are metj 

 by richly endowed academies and national societies. 



It will l3e recollected that each memoir is printed separately, and 

 with a separate title and paging, so that it can be distributed to persons 

 most interested in its perusal as soon as it comes from the press, with- 

 out waiting for the completion of the volume to which it belongs. In 

 this way, the author is enabled to present a full account of his dis- 

 coveries to the world with the least possible delay; while, by the rules 

 of the Institution, he is allowed to publish an abstract of his paper in 

 the proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science, or in those of an}'" other properly organized society. 



The number of copies of the Smithsonian Contributions distributed is 

 greater than that of the transactions of any scientific or literary society ; 

 and therefore the Institution offers the best medium to be found for 

 difflising a knowledge of scientific discoveries. 



Every memoir published by the Institution is issued with the stamp 

 of approval of a commission of competent judges : and in order to secure 

 a cautious and candid opinion, the name of the author, and those of the 

 examiners, are not made known to each other unless a favorable report 

 is given; and, in this case, the names of the commission are printed, as 

 vouchers for the character of the memoir, on the reverse of the title- 

 page. 



This plan secures an untrammelled expression of opinion, while it 

 induces caution on account of the responsibihty which it involves. 



Besides deciding on the fitness of original memoirs for publication, 

 the Institution is continually applied to for information relative to ahnost 



