52 S. Mis. 53. 



Cambridge. — Observatory 14 



Astronomical Journal 29 



New Haven. — Journal of Science 20 



American Oriental Society 5 



New YorJc. — New York Lyceum of Natural History 10 



Ethnological Society 11 



Albany. — New York State Librar}'^ 4 



Philadeljjhia. — American Philosophical Society 39 



Academy of Natural Sciences 13 



Franklin Institute 7 



Washington. — National Observatory 41 



Coast Survey 32 



National Institute 19 



Congress Library 6 



State Department 4 



Astronomical Expedition to Chili 14 



Georgetorvn. — College 7 



Cincinnati. — Observatory 10 



Miscellaneous institutions 123 



Individuals 195 



Total of packages 037 



It is much to be hoped that Congress may make some systematic 

 and permanent arrangement for distributing a complete series of its 

 works to European libraries, to at least thirty of which they might be 

 judiciously supplied. It would also be desirable that of particular 

 works of scientific interest, as reports of Patents, Coast Survey, ex- 

 plorations in geography and geology, and others of a similar character, 

 a larger number might be assigned, of from one hundred to three 

 hundred, as has already been done in some instances by the Senate. 

 These might be distributed by the Smithsonian Institution at moderate 

 cost to government, and direct returns or exchanges obtained for the 

 library of Congress if desired. 



The distribution of Congressional documents in the United States 

 also might be considerably modified. At present the copies given to 

 the State Department for domestic distribution can only be sent to 

 colleges or lyceums, not to regular public libraries, even of the largest 

 class. The rules in force with the Smithsonian Institution might well 

 be applied in the present case, of making as equable a distribution as 

 possible throughout the country, supplying all large public libraries, 

 and giving to smaller ones where a large district would otherwise be 

 destiiute. It is also a matter of complaint with men having special 

 objects of research that public documents relating to their investigations 

 are not assigned to them. This might be remedied by directing some 

 department to keep full hsts of persons in the various walks of science, 

 and to supply the names on such lists regularly with extra copies of 

 documents to be furnished by Congress. How lar it would be conve- 

 nient or proper for the Smithsonian Institution to undertake this labor, 

 and under what conditions, is for you to say. 



