S. Mis. 53. 53 



{b.) DOMESTIC DISTRIBUTION AND EXCHANGES. 



Owing to various unforeseen and vexatious delays, the copies of the 

 Smithsonian volumes for domestic distribution could not be sent off be- 

 fore October. They have, however, all been distributed, .and acknow- 

 ledgments for nearly the entire number received. The Institution is 

 much indebted to the following gentlemen for receiving the boxes con- 

 taining the parcels and forwarding them, without any charge, to their 

 respective destinations : Messrs. J. P. Jewett &. Co., booksellers, Bos- 

 ton ; George P. Putnam Sc Co., booksellers. New York ; Messrs. Lip- 

 pincott, Grambo, & Co., booksellers, Philadelphia ; John Russell, book- 

 seller, Charleston ; B. M. Norman, bookseller. New Orleans ; Dr. Geo. 

 Engelmann, St. Louis, assisted by John Halsall, bookseller, St. Louis ; 

 H. W. Derby & Co., booksellers, Cincinnati ; and Jewett, l*roctor, & 

 Worthington, Cleveland. As in the transmission of last year, most of 

 the parcels sent included copies of the second volume of the great work 

 on the Lidian tribes, presented by Mr. Luke Lea, Commissioner of 

 Indian Aftairs, to recipients mostly nominated by the Smithsonian 

 Institution. A number of copies of the valuable quarto volume on the 

 North American mastodon, by Dr. John C. Warren, was sent by the 

 author to the Smithsonian Institution, for such distribution as it might 

 consider suitable. 



Ill— NATURAL HISTORY DEPARTMENT. 



(a.) COLLECTIONS. 



During the year 1852, the collections of specimens illustrating the 

 natural history of North America, and received by the Institution, have 

 been very numerous, embracing a large number of species, either 

 quite rare or absolutely new to science. A list of these additions will 

 be found in the Appendix — the number of distinct donations exceeding 

 100. These embrace a very large number of specimens, as many of 

 the collections indicated consist of several filled kegs, barrels, or boxes. 

 To enumerate the individual components of each would occupy too 

 much space in this report, although such a list is always made out as 

 soon as possible after reception, and entc-red in books kept for the pur- 

 pose. A copy is also sent to the donor, if desired. The specimens are 

 assorted as fast as possible, and arranged as well as can be done in 

 the temporary want of room or rooms t()r their proper preservation. 



A gratifying feature in relation to the additions to the mus(mm in the 

 past year, consists in the number and value of those derived from offi- 

 cers' of the army and navy. Such persons must always be the chief 

 contributors of new matter, and it is a subject of much congratulation 

 to find that they are b(>coming more and more alive to the importance 

 of depositing their collections in a place where they can be readily 

 visited, and, by combination with others procured under similar cir- 

 cumstances, serve to facilitate the preparation of the reports of expedi- 

 tions, which are usually, to a considerable extent, made out in this city. 

 I need only refer to the valuable coll(X'tions of Lieut. Col. Graham, 

 Major Emory, Captains Marcy and McClcllnn, Lieutenant Wright, Dr. 

 Edwards, Dr. Jarvis, Lieutennnt Gilliss, and others. 



The collections of specimens officially deposited with the Institution 



