Mis. No. 48. 29 



But perhaps the most important effect of the plan will be tliat of living to 

 the world many vakiable memoirs, which, on account oi^ the expense ol the 

 iUustrations, could not be otherwise published. Every one who adds 

 new and important truths to the existing stock of knowledge, must be of 

 necessity, to a certain degree, in advance of his age. Hence the number 

 of readers and purchasers of a M-ork is generally in the inverse ratio of its 

 intrinsic value; and consequently, authors of the highest rank of merit are 

 frequently deterred from giving their productions to the world on account 

 of the pecuniary loss to which the publication would subject them. When 

 our lamented countryman, Bowditch, contemplated publishing his com- 

 mentary on La Place, he assembled his family and informed them that the 

 execution of this design would sacrifice one-third of his fortune, and that 

 it was proper his heirs should be consulted on tlie subject which so nearly 

 concerned them. The answer was wortliy of the children of .such a father: 

 ''We value," said they, "your reputation more than your money." 

 Fortunately, in this instance, the means of making such a sacrifice existed; 

 otherwise one of the proudest monuments of American science could rfot 

 have been given to the world. In a majority of cases, however, those 

 who are most capable of extending human knowledge are least able to in- 

 cur the expense of the publication. Wilson, the American Ornithologist, 

 states, in a letter to Michaux, that he has sacrificed everything to publish 

 his work: " I have issued," he says, " six volumes, and am engaged on 

 the seventh, but as yet I have not received a single cent of the proceeds." 

 In an address on the subject of natural history, by one of our most active 

 cultivators of this branch of knowledge, we find the following remarks, 

 which are directly in point: " Few are acquainted with the fact that from 

 the small number of scientific works sold, and the great expense of plates, 

 our na.turalists not only are not paid for their labors, but suffer pecuniary 

 loss from their publications. Several works on ditlerent branches of zoology, 

 now in course of publication, will leave their authors loses to an aggregate 

 amount of ;gl5,000. I do not include in this estin)ate works already fin- 

 ished — one, for instance, the best contribution to the natural history of 

 man extant, the publication of which will occasion its accomplished author 

 a loss of several thousand dollars. A naturalist is extremely fortunate it 

 he can dispose of 200 copies of an illustrated work, and the number ot 

 copies printed rarely exceeds 2.50." It may be said that these authors 

 have their reward in the reputation which they thus purchase; but rep- 

 utation should be the result of the talents and labor expended in the pro- 

 duction of a work, and shoidd not in the least depend upon the fact that 

 the author is able to make a pecuniary sacrifice in giving the account 

 of his discoveries to the public. 



Besides the advantage to the author of having his memoir published m 

 the Smithsonian Contributions free of expense, his labors will be given to 

 the world with the stamp of approval of a commission of learned men, and 

 his merits will be generally made known through the reports of the insu- 

 tution. Though t1ie premiums offered may be small, yet they Y''V^,^\^ 

 considerable effect in producins: original articles. Fifty or a hundred dol- 

 lars awarded to the author of an original paper, wdl, m many instances, 

 suffice to supply the books, or to pay for the materials, or the maimal labor 

 required; in prosecuting the research. , . , 



There is one proposition of the programme which has given rise to mucn 

 discussion, and which, therefore, requires particular explanation j 1 alluUe 



