

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 91 



debarkation in other countries in accordance with the conditions of t he 

 Brussels treaty concluded in 1886. The distribution of exchanges in Italy 

 is not made with the same dispatch that is considered by the Institution as 

 of the utmost importance in forwarding parcels to addresses in this country 

 after their arrival from abroad. Instead of being allowed the right to 

 frank exchanges through the mails, a privilege enjoyed by the Institution, 

 all parcels received for each city in Italy are forwarded to a single address 

 in that city by freight and are then distributed by local means. This cus- 

 tom, which was doubtless instituted in the interest of economy, it seems 

 impossible to improve upon until the allowance for the transportation of 

 exchanges shall be substantially increased, which, however, can not be 

 expected in the immediate future. 



"The proffer of Signor Garaviniof his hearty cooperation with the Insti- 

 tution at all times, to the end that a mutual exchange of publications, both 

 governmental and scientific, may be made more general and effective 

 between Italy and the United States, coupled with the many favors 

 bestowed upon me unsolicited, and the assurance that he would hold him- 

 self in readiness at all times to serve the Institution in any capacity, were 

 reassuring of the esteem in which the Institution is held in the Kingdom. 



"Switzerland. — After concluding my work in Italy I proceeded to Switzer- 

 land and visited the cities of Zurich and Bern, in both of which I received 

 assurances that all their municipal publications would be sent to Washing- 

 ton, through the Swiss exchange service, as early as practicable. 



" Mr. H. Angst, the British consul-general for Switzerland, is the director 

 of the Swiss National Museum, which is located in Zurich. Mr. Angst was 

 especially obliging and offered me every facility for examining many parts 

 of the building to which the public is not admitted, including the shops of 

 the workmen and preparators. 



"This museum is new, complete in every detail, and occupies a most 

 desirable position in the center of the city, facing a beautiful park. The 

 architecture of this building is unique, especially with regard to the 

 arrangement and finish of the rooms devoted to Swiss history, which are 

 made to conform to the age contemporary with the articles of furniture, 

 implements, customs, and arts, which are appropriately installed in them. 

 In order to make the construction of these rooms conform to the many 

 interesting epochs in Swiss history it was necessary to dismantle many 

 monasteries, churches, and chateaux, but this has been done with a mini- 

 mum of expense and with a view to perpetuating the beauties of historical 

 architecture, instead of losing all semblance of ancient customs with the 

 decay and abandonment of old buildings which have been discarded for 

 more modern structures. 



"The Swiss international exchange service, conducted by Dr. Gurtner, is 

 a division of the bibliotheque federale centrale, Bern. For many years it 

 has been the custom of Dr. Gurtner to send Swiss exchanges for correspond- 

 ents in this country to Dr. Fliigel, the agent of the Institution at Leipzig, 

 Germany, and in time they were reforwarded with the German exchanges 

 to the Smithsonian Institution. This arrangement caused a duplication of 

 work and was not in accordance with the conditions of the Brussels treaty. 



