226 EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT OF 



general catalogues, the invention has been claimed separately by two 

 individuals in Europe. It is true, the want of such a plan has long 

 been felt, and a general idea may have been conceived as to how it 

 might be accomplished ; but no attempts have been made to reduce it 

 to practice, and indeed had they been made, they could not have suc- 

 ceeded, and would have done injury to the cause. The conditions 

 necessary to success never before existed, and a premature attempt 

 always tends to lessen public confidence in an enterprise, when the 

 proper time tor its actual accomplishment arrives. Besides this, there 

 is a wide difference between the mere suggesting the possibihty of a 

 plan, and actually overcoming the difficulties which arise at every step 

 in reducing it to practice. 



With reterence to the copyright law, something ought to be done to 

 put the whole matter on a better footing. I repeat the assertion before 

 made, that this law, as it now exists, imposes a tax on the Institution, 

 without an adequate return. The great majority of the books received 

 are such as are found in almost every public and private librar}^; with 

 very few exceptions they would never be purchased by the Institution, 

 and are consequently dear at any price, even that of shelt-room and 

 attendance, not to mention cost of transportation and of lurnishing the 

 certificates. 



Granting the proposition that it is important that a copy of every book 

 originally published in this country should be somewhere, preserved, it 

 does not follow that the Smithsonian fund ou2;ht to be burdened with 

 the expense of this charge. 



If they should be preserved, it becomes the duty of Congress to 

 provide lor their care, as mucli as it does l()r that of the models of the 

 Patent Office ; and no good reason can be assigned why the one should 

 not be imposed upon the Institution as well as the other. Indeed, 

 models are a species of books intended to convey ideas which printing 

 cannot impart. 



The objection to the present arrangement may be obviated by adopt- 

 ing the suggestion of Professor Jewett, that but one copy, instead of 

 three, of each book, be sent to Washington for deposit, and that in 

 place of the other two copies, a small lee be paid to the Institution, 

 sufficient to defray all expenses; the maxim again being applied of not 

 expending the funds in doing that which can and ought to be done bj- 

 other means. 



By reference to the report of the Librarian, it will be seen that the 

 collection of books has continued to be increased by purchase, by 

 cop3aight, and by exchange. From the last-mentioned source the Insti- 

 tution is obtaining a most valuable series of books of the highest inter- 

 est to tlie scientific student, consisting principally of the transactions 

 and proceedings of learned societies. In a few j^ears, it is believed, 

 as complete a collection of these \yill be gathered as it is possible to 

 obtain. 



The museum is to consist, according to the law of Congress, and the 

 terms of the compromise, of "objects of art, of foreign and curious 

 research, and of natural history, of plants and geological and mineral- 

 ogical specimens." It would, however, be unwise in the Institution to 

 attempt the formation of full collections of all these objects, or, in other 



