12 Mis. No. 48. 



memoir it contains was \he firsi which was presented of the character pre- 

 scribed by the plan. No preference is to be given to any branch of knowl- 

 edge. Tlie only questions to be asked, in considering the acceptance of 

 a memoir, are, whether it is a positive addition to knowledge, resting on 

 original research, and of sufficient importance to merit a place in the Smith- 

 sonian Contributions. 



The rules adopted for the acceptance of a memoir are the same as those 

 generally followed by learned societies. The memoir is surrendered by 

 the author to the Institution, and no additions or alterations are allowed to 

 be made after it has been submitted to the commission appointed to ex- 

 amine it, unless by their consent. A certain number of copies is presented 

 to the author for distribution, with the privilege of striking off, at his own 

 expense, additional copies for sale; which in most cases, particularly when 

 the memoir is of popular interest, will be all the renmneration expected 

 by the author. 



From what has been said, it will be evident that the papers published in 

 the Contributions cannot generally be of a popular nature. The popular 

 effects to be produced by the Institution are principally those which may 

 be attained by the reports on the progress of the different branches of 

 knowledge, and by the occasional publications in connexion with these of 

 separate treatises on some subject of special interest. 



Applications have been made for the first volume of the Contributions 

 from many academies and priVate institutions, and were our means suf- 

 ficient, we would be pleased to supply all demands of this kind. But 

 this is obviously impossible, for they alone would exhaust all the income 

 of the Institution. 



Preparations have been made for the publication of the second volume 

 of the Contributions, and a sufficient number of memoirs have been already 

 accepted, or are in preparation, to funiish the materials. Five of these are 

 on astronomical subjects, and afford as important additions to this science 

 as have ever been made to it in this country. Two of them relate to in- 

 vestigadons on the new planet Neptune, which are only second in value 

 to the original discovery of this distant member of our system. Abstracts 

 of these have been given to the world, and have been received with gene- 

 ral approbation. A third is a determination of the zodiac of the asteroids, 

 or the zone in the heavens to which the positions of these small planets 

 are confined. This paper is of much practical importance in facilitating 

 the rei>earches now in progress in different parts of the world relative to 

 the nature of these fragments (as they would seem to be) of a large planet 

 between Jupiter and Mars. It may be at once determined, by an inspec- 

 tion of the table annexed to this paper, whether any star mapped in an old 

 catalogue, and now no longer to be found in the same place, can possibly 

 be one of the asteroids. A fourth paper is an account of a new comet, the 

 discovery of which by an American lady is one of the first additions to 

 science of this kind, so far as I am informed, ever made in this country. 

 The fifth memoir is an account of the Georgetown Observatory, die in- 

 struments with which it is furnished, the mode of.using them which has 

 been adopted, and the results of the observations which have been made. 

 An important paper is also in process of preparation for the same volume 

 on the gigantic fossil cetacean remains which are found in the southern and 

 western States of the Union. 



Other papers are iu progi'ess which partake of the character of original 

 researches, since tliey are in part at least prepared at the expense and un- 



