EEPOKT OF THE SECRETARY. 33 



system for their foreign relationships. The system also includes the ex- 

 change of publications of special students in science. 



For a long time the Smithsonian Institution carried on this work by 

 the establishment of agencies through which its own ti'ansmissions were 

 distributed to their destination, and from which all the returns were col- 

 lected and forwarded to Washington. Of late years, however, in certain 

 countries, these labors have been laaterially lightened by a portion of 

 the exchange being undertaken by some learned society or by the gov- 

 ernment. These being constituted Smithsonian agents in their respect- 

 ive countries, receive whatever may be sent to them for distribution, 

 collect the returns and transmit them, thus giving to the Institution the 

 benefit of an intelligent superintendence of the work. The first of these 

 organizations was that established some years ago by the University of 

 Christiania, IS^orway; and by Holland in the patronage of the Scientific 

 Bureau at Harlem, under the efficient supervision of Dr. E. H. Von 

 Baumhauer. During the past year a similar organization has been 

 effected for Belgium, and it is hoped that their number will continue to 

 increase. Even now, without any formal arrangement to that effect, the 

 Academies of Science of Stockholm, of Copenhagen, of Madrid, and of 

 Milan discharge the services of agents of the Institution for their respect- 

 ive countries. 



A still more recent movement has in contemplation the establishment 

 of departments of exchange in all countries under the direction of their 

 respective governments; and this is intended primarily to facilitate a 

 mutual interchange of government documents, but is broad enough in 

 its scope to include the publications of societies and of men of science. 

 At present this arrangement has only been carried out formally for Bel- 

 gium by the "Commission Beige d'Echanges internationaux," and for 

 France by the "Commission Franyaise des Echanges internationaux." 



In the Appendix will be found the usual series of tables, showing, 

 first, the number of parcels sent out by the Institution in behalf of es- 

 tablishments in North America ; and, secondly, the packages received 

 for the same parties. The total number of shipments of boxes, contain- 

 ing such transmissions, has not been quite so great in 1878 as in the 

 year preceding*. This was due to the interruption of the business caused 

 by the death of Professor Henry, and in the desire, by the reorganiza- 

 tion of departments, to give greater efficiency to that of the exchanges. 

 On this account a large number of bundles have accumulated, which,, 

 however, will be distributed in the earlier months of the year; after 

 which there will be no interruption to the usual routine of transmission. 



Up to the present time the entire expense of this system of interna- 

 tional exchanges has been borne by the Smithsonian Institution, be- 

 yond requiring that all outgoing parcels be delivered to the Institution 

 free of expense. The enormous increase, however, in the number and 

 bulk of the packages delivered to the Institution has made it necessary 

 to charge a small amount on this class of transmissions, and under the 

 S. Mis. 59 3 



