REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 15 



necessary printing in connection with the war with Spain, were issued 

 during the current year, and some progress was made on the Report 

 for 1898. 



The Museum volume of the 1896 Report of the Institution was 

 likewise distributed, and although much progress was made in the 

 1897 and 1898 volumes, it was not possible to complete them before 

 the close of the fiscal year. 



Of publications of the National Museum there appeared volume 

 20 of the Proceedings and pamphlet copies of papers to comprise 

 volume 21 of that series. Two additional volumes, parts 2 and 3 of 

 Jordan and Evermann's Fishes of North and Middle America, were 

 also published. 



The Secretar}^ remembering that Congress in the fundamental act 

 had authorized him to call on heads of departments in the interests 

 of the Zoological Park, issued a pamphlet entitled "Animals desired 

 for the National Zoological Park at Washington, D. C," which was 

 distributed chiefly to diplomatic and army and navy officers of the 

 United States, through the courtesy of the Secretaries of State, War, 

 and Navy. This, which will l)e spoken of more fully in another place, 

 promises very good results through the interest already shown in the 

 object by the officers in question. 



The 1898 Report of the American Historical Association was trans- 

 mitted to Congress in the spring of 1899, and much of it was in type 

 before July 1. 



In accordance with the act of incorporation of the National Society 

 of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Secretary transmitted 

 to Congress the first report of that society, and the work was printed 

 as a public document, no copies, howev^er, being made available for 

 distribution by the Institution. 



The manuscript of the Annals of the Astrophysical Observatory, 

 Volume I, was sent to the printer near the close of the year, and most 

 of the illustrations have been engraved. 



The Institution aided in the preparation of an exhaustive bibliog- 

 raphy on the fossil vertebrates of North America by Mr, O. P. Hay, 

 but the manner of its publication has not been determined. 



LIBRARY. 



The number of volumes, parts of volumes, pamphlets, and charts 

 added to the library has aggregated 36,663. A considerable number 

 of these were retained in the working libraries of the Institution and 

 the Museum, but the great majority were transferred to the Smith- 

 sonian deposit in the Library of Congress. The improved facilities for 

 reference and care of books in the new building make it possible to 

 send to the Library of Congress a much greater proportion of books 

 received than heretofore, and it is gratifying to report that most of 



