19 [120] 



cal articles purchased during the last year; a set of magnetical inslru- 

 ments, already noticed ; a standard barometer and thermometers, and other 

 meteorological instruments, procured from Europe. It is proper that I 

 mention, in this place, that we are indebted to Professor 8110II, of Am- 

 herst, for superintending the construction of a set of ingenious instru- 

 ments devised by himself for the illustration of wave motion. It is be- 

 heved that the collection of instruments of research will, in due time, not 

 only form a feature of great interest, but that it will surpass in extent 

 similar collections in other countries. 



It is intended to publish a descriptive catalogue of all the instruments, 

 for the use of visiters, and it may be advisable to illustrate this by wood- 

 cuts, particularly as we have had presented to us all the wood engravings 

 employed by Dr. Hare in describing his apparatus. 



It is not in accordance with the plan of organization to confine the in- 

 struments of observation to the immediate use of the officers of the 

 institution, but to suffer them to be employed, under certain restrictions, 

 by others who are possessed of the requisite degree of skill. This prac- 

 tice may be attended in some cases with loss, and the breakage of instru- 

 ments, but the expenditure which may be incurred on this account will 

 probably be more than compensated by the advance to knowledge result- 

 ing from the adoption of the plan, 



A small appropriation has been made for collections in natural history 

 during the past year; and, under the direction of a distinguished young 

 naturalist, upwards of ten thousand specimens oi' vertebrated animals, 

 principally reptiles and fishes, have been obtained. Many of these are 

 rare specimens from unexplored parts of our country, and a considerable 

 number of them consists of undescribed species. Tliey furnish the mate- 

 rials for an interesting series of memoirs on physiology, embryology, and 

 comparative anatomy. The whole cost of making this collection did not 

 exceed i^l40. We are convinced, from the important results obtained by 

 this small expenditure, that a most valuable working collection of objects 

 of the natural history of North America can be obtained at a very moder- 

 ate outlay of funds. 



Library. 



During the past year the process of developing the ])lan of the library, 

 as given in the programme, has been carried out by Professor Jewett as 

 far as the funds which could be devoted to the purpose would allow. 



Considerable progress has been made in the plan of forming a general 

 catalogue of all the important libraries in the United States, and Professor 

 Jewett has wisely commenced the preparation of a catalogue of all the 

 books to be found in the ditferent libraries in the city of Washmgton, 

 including those of the several departments of the government, and in 

 this way he will be enabled to exhibit the importance of catalogues ot 



this kind. . 



He has also devoted much time to the continuation of his researches 

 relative to the statistics of libraries in this country, and for an account in 

 detail of his valuable labors in this line I must refer to his report here- 

 with transmitted. I will also direct attention to some important suggest- 

 ions in his report on the subject of the deposite of books for securing copy- 

 right, and the establishment of a bulletin. 



