SMITHSONIAN EXCHANGES. 



Amoug" tlie detiuite Hues of policy adopted by the Institution at the 

 commencement of its operations was that of a diflusion of its pubhcations, 

 resulting- in a system of exchange not limited to the distribution of unused 

 duplicate volumes accumulated in libraries, but comprehending a full 

 interchange of the intellectual products of the two hemispheres. 



lu the original "programme of organization " ijresented to the Board 

 of Regents by Prof. Joseph Henry, December 8, 1847, this object was 

 set forth, and in the explanations and illustrations of the i3rogramme 

 the consideration was urged that the publication of a series of volumes 

 of original memoirs would afford the Smthsonian Institution the most 

 ready means of entering into friendly relations and correspondence with 

 all the learned societies m the world and of enriching its library with 

 their current transactions and proceedings. 



A committee of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences appointed 

 to consider the plan proposed for the organisation of the Smithsonian 

 Institution reported, December 7, 1847, on this feature, that "it can 

 scarcely be doubted that an important impulse would be given by the 

 Smithsonian Institution in this way to the cultivation of scientific pm-- 

 suits, while the extensive and widely ramified system of distribution and 

 exchange, by which the publications are to be distributed throughout 

 the United States and the world, woiUd insure them a circulation which 

 works of science could scarcely attain in any other way." 



The first volume of the Smithsonian " Contributions to Knowledge," a 

 memoir on the ancient monuments of the IMississippi Valley (by Messrs. 

 Squier & Davis), was published in 3G0 quarto pages in 1848, and during 

 the following year* was distributed to leajned societies in the following 

 countries : 



No. of Bocioties. 



lu Middle aud South America : 



Cuba, Havana 1 



Cliili, Santiago 2 



New Grenada, Bogota 1 



Venezuela, Caracas 1 



Brazil, Kio J aneiro 1 



In Africa: 



Egypt, Cairo 1 



In Asia: 



China, Hong-Kong 1 



ludia, Allahabad, Bombay, Ceylon, 



and Madras 5 



Java, Batavia 1 



Philii)piue Islands, Manila 1 



111 Europe: 



Austria 9 



No. of societies. 

 In Europe — Continued: 



Belgium - 6 



Denmark 3 



France 25 



Germany 28 



Great Britain and Ireland 41 



Greece 1 



Hollaud 6 



Italy 16 



Norway 2 



Portugal 1 



Russia 6 



Spain 3 



Sweden 5 



Switzerland 7 



Turkey 1 



711 



