REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 95 



Circulars have been prepared for transmission to specialists receiving 

 the Museum publications requesting tbem to send their own writings 

 ill exchange, and at the same time inquiring whether our sendings are 

 regularly received, whether they are properly directed, and whether 

 the continuance of their transmission is desired. This information 

 will be of value in revising the mailing lists. It lias been thought 

 inadvisable to distribute the circular until it shall be determined 

 beyond doubt what number of individuals and institutions can with 

 certainty be retained upon the lists. This can not be definitely settled 

 until it shall be seen whether Congress is willing to remove the restric- 

 tion imposed in the printing act of January 12, 1895, limiting the 

 edition of the Proceedings and Bulletiu to 1,000 copies, or one-third of 

 the customary number. 



Among the numerous records kept in this division, those of greatest 

 importance in connection with the work of theofiQce are as follows: 



Two card catalogues showing the course of letters received at the 

 Museum — one, of letters coming to the Museum direct or by reference 

 from some other department or bureau of the Government; the other, 

 of letters referred to the Museum ])y the Smithsonian Institution. For 

 the more important letters received from the Institution, a separate 

 register is kept by numbers. 



In connection with the press-copying of official papers there are ten 

 separate classes of books in constant use, besides several groups of 

 books containing the correspondence relating to expositions, congresses, 

 and other public functions in which the Museum has participated. In 

 addition to the index which each book contains, a general index in the 

 form of a card catalogue is kept. On each card or group of cards is 

 summarized the entire correspondence with each individual or institu- 

 tion. This catalogue, which is estimated to contain at least 35,000 

 cards, is one of the most valuable records of the office. On it the names 

 of corresi)ondents, as well as of persons whose names occur in the cor- 

 respondence, are arranged alphabetically. A supplementary catalogue 

 of the names and addresses of foreign correspondents, arranged geo- 

 graphically, is also preserved. 



A separate record is kept of the acknowledgments of material 

 accjuired by the Museum, of reports upon objects sent to the Museum 

 for identification, and of the transmission of material to institutions 

 and to individuals for purposes of study; and, in addition, a record of 

 the-transmission of material to specialists for determination, as well as 

 of exchanges with museums in foreign countries and with individuals. 

 The results of cooperation with the Museum in special directions, ou 

 the i^art of the Executive Dej^artinents and bureaus of the Government, 

 are also recorded. 



The accession catalogue contains the name and address of each 

 contributor, together with a detailed statement of the nature of the 

 material received, and other useful information, such as the date of 

 entry, the number assigned, etc. The record of material sent to the 



