REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. fal 
The number of cards sent from this regional bureau has increased as follows: 
ime (Ggenll spear: TGA ee eee 6, 990 
TBvOae tmysceendl yc TU 14, 480 
iMoie (seal seni. TS ee ses Se ee 2415 213 
Bare ingeal syeeliy 1180 se ee ee ee 24, 182 
Par SOR Syh@RIP SIGN = ee ee eee 25, 601 
Hee SColmsy.e crn OO eae ere oe ee ae ee ee ee Ue ee eee ooo 28, 629 
URE SCONMBY.Ca oul OO Gere ee = ee Se he Se eee ee ee ES 28, 528 
SOULS Cras Gals 1 O 0) Gise teeel. Poe eed Ree Se a es 34, 409 
Should this increase continue it would add largely to the cost of publication, 
and as there would be no corresponding addition to the receipts a decided 
deficit would result, for the subscription price to the catalogue, namely, $85 a 
year for 17 volumes, was fixed on a basis of the size and cost of the first an- 
nual issue. It appears not only desirable, but necessary, to condense the refer- 
ences aS much as possible, though condensation, without loss of usefulness, 
necessitates much greater care on the part of the classifier in preparing a di- 
gest. It can not be hoped that much change in the present methods can be 
made without increasing the force of the bureau. 
The following-named volumes of the catalogue were received and delivered 
to subscribers in this country, as follows: 
Sixth Annual Issue—Physics, Chemistry, Paleontology, General Biology, 
Botany, Anthropology, Physiology, and Bacteriology, completing the issue. 
Seventh Annual Issue—Mathematics, Mechanics, Physics, Astronomy, Miner- 
alogy, Geology, Geography, Paleontology, and Zoology. 
Through the resignation of Dr. Cyrus Adler, assistant secretary of the Smith- 
sonian Institution, who was in charge of the United States branch of the Inter- 
national Catalogue, both this bureau and the organization as a whole met with 
a great loss, notwithstanding the fact that Doctor Adler still remains one of the 
members of the International Council, the body vested with the supreme con- 
trol of the catalogue. Doctor Adler was closely identified with the work from 
the time the original ways and means were being discussed, and it is not too 
much to say that had it not been for his interest and efforts Mr. Langley, the 
late Secretary of the Institution, would not have aided the enterprise as he did 
with the private funds of the Institution. Had not this aid been forthcoming 
at the time the whole undertaking would have failed, for cooperation on the 
part of the United States was essential, and, this Government failing at first 
to lend its aid, there remained no other body than the Smithsonian Institution 
in a position to become responsible for the work in this country. 
It is felt that this International Catalogue of Scientific Literature is but a 
beginning of what will be eventually a great cooperative international index and 
digest of all records of human achievement. There is no question of the need 
for such a publication and, with the satisfactory beginning already made, it 
is a question of cost alone which limits the field of the present enterprise to 
include only the literature of pure science to the exclusion of the extensive and 
valuable literature of the applied sciences and other technical literature. 
There have been no losses of property during the year, excepting those caused 
by ordinary wear and deterioration. 
In the sundry civil bill approved March 1, 1909, $6,000 was appropriated to 
earry on the work for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1910. This sum is an in- 
crease of $1,000 over the appropriation for previous years. 
Respectfully submitted. LEonarp C. GUNNELL, 
Chief Assistant, Bureau of International 
Dr. CHartes D. Watcort, Catalogue of Scientific Literature. 
Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 
45745°—sm 1909——6 
