[ 108 ] 18 



But the most interesting circumstance connected with the study of the 

 ancient remains of this country is a recent action of the American Antiqua- 

 rian Society of Worcester, Massachusetts. This institution was founded in 

 18 [2 by the zeal and liberaUty of Isaiah Thomas, for the purpose of collect- 

 ing and preserving- such manuscripts, pamphlets and other articles as relate 

 to the history of this country, and for the exploration and publication of its 

 antiquities. It v/as at the expense of this society that the original re- 

 searches of Mr. Atwater, on the mounds of the Ohio valley, w^ere first pub- 

 lished, and during tlie last two years the condition of its funds has again 

 enabled it to take the field, and to direct its attention to the remarkable 

 antiquities in the State of Wisconsin. 



These antiquities, it is well known, consist of representations, on a gigan- 

 tic scale, of birds, beasts and fishes, and though many of them have been 

 surveyed, and accounts of them given in the memoir of Messrs. Squier and 

 Davis, comparatively lev/ of those which are said to exist have been explored 

 or delineated. For this reason, the council of the society have engaged Mr. 

 I. A. Lapham, an experienced engineer, to make explorations and surveys, 

 and drawings of these mounds. He has been engaged in these operations 

 for two seasons, and is now employed in making up an account of his labors. 



To insure harmony of action in the cultivation of the wide field of re- 

 search offered in the investigations of the ancient monuments of this coun- 

 try, the Antiquarian Society has agreed to present to the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution the results of the explorations of Mr. Lapham for publication, <nd 

 to reserve its limited funds for further explorations. The memoirs will be 

 examined and revised by the society, and will be published under its auspices 

 in the Smithsonian Contributions. 



This arrangement is another pleasing evidence of the feeling with w^hich 

 the efforts of this Institution are regarded, and the willingness with Avhich 

 other institutions co-operate with it in the important work of promoting 

 original knowledge. 



Explorations, Researches, ifc. — During the last year several minor 

 explorations have been made in the line of natural history, partly at the 

 expense of the Institution. The sum of fifty dollars w^as appropriated to 

 Professor C. E. Adams, of Amherst College, to pay in part his expenses 

 while making collections in the West Indies and Panama. For the sum 

 advanced, an ample return has been made in new and rare specimens. 

 Professor Baird and Mr. Cliarles Girard have also made explorations which 

 have added to the collections of the Institution at a cost little beyond tliat 

 of the expense of transportation. 



In this connexion I may mention that Professor Baird has contributed 

 the report on the vertebrate animals collected by Captain Stansbury in his 

 expedition to the Salt Liike region, and facilities have been given at the 

 Institution to a number of persons in making'- scientific reports to Congress. 



A series of experiments also have been made in our laboratory by a com- 

 mission appointed by government to examine the stone proposed for the 

 extension of the Capitol. It is believed that the Institution may, in the 

 aid it affords the government in scientific operations, more than repay all 

 the obligation imposed by the acceptance of the Smithsonian trust. 



It was mentioned in the last report, that the specimens which were pro- 

 cured by Mr. Culbertson from the Upper Missouri, had been referred to 

 Dr. Joseph Leidy, of Philadelphia, for examination. He has since made a 

 report (see Appendix) givhig a brief statement of the results of his inves- 



