32 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



Tlie Aiiierican Indiaus, like other primitive peoples, were largely 

 influenced in their modes of life and relations among each other and 

 with the white pioneers by their myths and beliefs. During the past 

 year, as during preceding years, the collection of typical myths has 

 hpen continued, and progress has been made in the discussion and 

 arrangement of this material in such manner as to indicate Indian 

 modes of thought and the motives by which primitive men are actu- 

 ated. Progress has been made in preparing material relating to this 

 subject for publication, and several of the reports issued during the 

 year relate in greater or less measure to Indian mythology. 



The publication, in the form of a series of bulletins, of a bibliography 

 of Indian languages has been continued. This work is made as nearly 

 as possible exhaustive, and the basis of classitication is such that 

 nearly all the more important literature relating to the American 

 Indians is included. Two bulletins on the subject were published dur- 

 ing the year, covering respectively the literature peitaining to the 

 Indians of the Salishan and Wakashan stocks. 



During the past year publication has kept pace with research in 

 the Bureau, and a larger number of pages of ethnologic material have 

 been put in type than during any previous year in the history of the 

 organization. Two annual reports and four bulletins were distributed, 

 while several other reports, monographs, and bulletins were also com 

 pleted at the close of the year. Partly by reason of the distribution of 

 publications, the accessions of the library through gift or exchange 

 have been unusually rich. 



A detailed statement by the director of the Bureau of the work 

 accomplished under his direction accompanies this report as Appen- 

 dix II. 



THE SMITHSONIAN INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE SERVICE. 



The Smithsonian Exchange Service was inaugurated nearly half a 

 century ago, with the object of carrying out one of the purposes ot the 

 founder of the Institution in the diffusion of that knowledge which the 

 Institution itself helped to create. 



t?or this ])urpose it established correspondence with learned men all 

 over the world, until there is no civilized country or people, however 

 remote, ui)on the surface of the planet, so far as is known, where the 

 Institution is not thus represented. These correspondents have grown 

 in numbers until at the present time those external to tbe country alone 

 number nearly 17,000. 



An attempt is made to convey, though imperfectly, in the accompa- 

 nying map, an idea of the wide distribution of the Institution's corre- 

 spondents. In Western Europe and in the eastern part of the United 

 States but a small j)ercentage of the actual numbers can be separately 

 shown upon this small scale, and it must therefore be understood the 

 map is not to be regarded as strictly statistical. 



