792 HISTOEY OF THE SMITHSONIAN EXCHANGES. 



[The Belgian Commission to tlie Smithsonian Institution.] 



Brussels, January 24, 1879. 

 Directors of the Smithsonian Institution: 



Gentle:jien : On the 25th of May, 1878, we had the honor to forward 

 to you a considerable nnmher of Belgian publications in exchange for 

 those which you had sent to us some time previously. 



We hoped by this sending to establish a system of regular trans- 

 missions of our respective intellectual x)roductions between your Insti- 

 tution and our exchange commission. 



We sent you at the same time the papers relative to the organization 

 of our exchange system, a list of our periodical publications, and the 

 Bibliography of Belgium, begging you to indicate what works you de- 

 sired. Finally, we informed you of our own desiderata. 



******* 



We therefore earnestly entreat you, gentlemen, to consider the mat- 

 ters treated of in our note. An agreement upon a regular system of 

 exchange would be of great advantage to science and to the progress 

 of which your Institution is a powerful promoter. 



Accept the assurance of my highest consideration. 



L. Alyin, Presidenl 



C. EuELENS, Secretary. 



[The Smithsonian Institution to the State Department. ] 



Smithsonian Institution, February 5, 1879. 

 Hon. William M. Evarts, 



Secretary of State : 



Sir : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter ol 

 the 10th of January in reference to the participation, by the Smithson- 

 ian Institution and the State Department, in the proi30sed system of 

 international exchanges, suggested and in a measure established by the 

 international congress of Paris, together with inclosures from the Amer- 

 ican minister at Paris, and a memorandum of proposed regulations and 

 conditions. 



Apologizing for the necessary delay in my reply, I beg to say that the 

 direct exchange between the Smithsonian Institution and the French 

 bureau has commenced by the receipt of one box of scientific publica- 

 tions from Paris, and the transmission of several boxes by the Smith- 

 sonian Institution. 



The schedules of the contents of the one box already received, and of 

 another not yet to hand, have been forwarded by the Baron de Vatte- 

 ville, who is in charge of the Paris agency ; and it is probable that the 

 work will be continued now without any serious impediment. 



The Smithsonian Institution is now making up a large sending for 

 Paris, which will fill fifteen or twenty boxes, and be transmitted in ac- 



