14 repoet of the secretary, 



Smithsonian Institution, 

 Washington^ U. S. A.^ Fehrimry 1, 1899. 



Sir: In reply to the letter of the Department of the 12th ultimo, 

 inclosing copies of letters from INIr. Whitelaw Reid and the Duke de 

 Loubat, suggesting that the diplomatic and consular officers in Mexico 

 and Central and South America be given instructions to report any 

 antiquarian discoveries that may be made within their districts, and 

 soliciting my view on the subject, I beg to saj" that our knowledge of 

 the American a])origines could be materially advanced if such instruc- 

 tion were sent to diplomatic and consular representatives in Mexico, 

 Central America, South America, the Dominion of Canada, and New- 

 foundland, and if the data thus obtained were communicated to the 

 Smithsonian Institution it would be referred to the proper bureau 

 there and would be brought to the attention of scientific men. 



I am informed that in Mexico and certain of the Central American 

 countries, where Government offices exist for the direction of antiqui- 

 ties, the securing of this information would be a comparatively simple 

 matter. 



Very respectfully j^ours, S. P. Langley, 



Secretary. 



The Secretary of State. 



PUBLICATIONS. 



It has been chiefl}^ through the medium of its publications that the 

 Institution has aimed to fulfill the expressed wish of its founder for 

 "the diffusion of knowledge." 



The results of original researches have thus been made known by a 

 wide and general distribution of scientific works to libraries and insti- 

 tutions of learning throughout the world, every branch of human 

 knowledge being represented to a greater or less degree in the 250 or 

 more volumes published by the Institution and its bureaus during the 

 last fifty year.s, while as each year's additions are made to the several 

 series of works they become more and more important as a library of 

 valued reference. Many of the earlier volumes are out of print, so that 

 it is impossible to comply with requests for the full series where new 

 libraries are added to the lists. The editions of each series have from 

 time to time been increased as far as the income of the. Institution or 

 the Government appropriation would permit ; but the increase can not 

 keep pace with the growing demand for the publications. B}^ a judi- 

 cious geographical distribution, the aim has been to place the books 

 in libraries where they may be accessible to all who desire to consult 

 them. 



During the year there have been added to the miscellaneous collec- 

 tions three works — a supplement to the Bibliograph}^ of Chemistry, an 

 index to the Literature of Thallium, and an index to the Literature of 

 Zirconium. 



The Annual Reports of the Institution for 1896 and 1897, which had 

 been unavoidably delayed beyond the close of the last fiscal j^ear by 



