REPORT OK THE SECRETARY. 21 



ao-o-ivoating 7,893 entrios have been iiuuli' (o the libraries of the Secre- 

 tary. Otlice, Astr()])hysi('!il ObserNutory, the National Z()oU)oical 

 Park, and the National IVIuseuni. In the Museum library there arc 

 now 20,548 bound Nolunies and 35,950 unbound papers. 



General de iVystcr continues to add many valuable volumes to the 

 Watts de Peyster Collection Napoleon Huonai)arte, jind there have also 

 been received from him several oil painlinos, and many historical 

 relics of the American colonial period. 



Intcrnatlorial ('((talogue of Scitntlfc L'tieratwre. — The Institution 

 has continued the work of indexing scientific pu])lications, the total 

 numl)er of references sent to the central bureau at London during the 

 vear aggregating 21,213, or an increase of 50 per cent over the pre- 

 vious 3'ear, which was made possible by an addition to the allotmiMit 

 from the Smithsonian fund for this work. The first amiual issue of 

 the catalogue has now been published and distributed, and also several 

 volumes of the second annual issue, 



CORRESPONDENCE, 



As in former years, a great many in(|uiries on almost every known 

 subject have been received by the Institution, and although many of 

 these did not relate directly to its operations, it has, in accordance witli 

 the purpose of its foundation — ''the increase and diffusion of knowl- 

 edge" — cheerfully furnished the information, as far as practicable, in 

 each case, notwithstanding the fact that this fi-equently recjuired the 

 expenditure of considerable time ))y the members of its staff. 



All correspondence in any way affecting the policy of the Institution 

 or its bureaus has, as heretofore, received the Secretary's personal 

 attention, while letters relating to the work of the National Museum, 

 the Bureau of American Ethnology, and the National Zoological Park, 

 not included in the above class, have been acted on directly by the 

 Assistant Secretary in charge of the Museum, the Chief of the Bureau, 

 and the Superintendent of tlie park. 



During the year many plans and descriptions of devices of various 

 kinds have been su])mitted to the Institution for an expression of opin- 

 ion as to their merits. These requests the Secretary has been compelled 

 to decline by reason of the decision of the Board of Regents, made 

 during the early years of the Institution, which prohibits him from 

 expressing an opinion upon the merits of '^a\^ patental)le invention. 



No important changes have been made in the system of conducting 

 correspondence, which was inaugurated in 1890, and which has con- 

 tinued to b(> found an effective means of preventing any lumecessary 

 delay in its dispatch. 



