REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 13 



on May 30, 1899, on a special steamer, and was gone about two months, 

 visiting the Aleutian Islands, the Pribilof Islands, and the Eskimo 

 settlements on the Asiatic and American shores. The journey was 

 extended through Bering Strait and return, and covered 9,000 miles. 

 Large and important collections were made of mammals, birds, 

 insects, marine animals, fossil shells, and fossil plants. Studies were 

 also made of the great glaciers and of the geological formations of 

 the regions visited. The contents of the volumes received by the 

 Institution are enumerated by the editor in the appendix to the 

 present report. The series consists of 11 volumes, printed and illus- 

 trated in the best manner. These books, now known as the Harri- 

 man Alaska Series of the Smithsonian Institution, have been dis- 

 tributed, under special Smithsonian title pages, to a selected list of 

 libraries throughout the world, the few copies of certain volumes 

 remaining after such a distribution being held for sale in accordance 

 with the terms of the agreement. 



Museum publications. — The National Museum published its an- 

 nual report, two volumes of proceedings and several bulletins, cover- 

 ing the usual wide range of subjects, but chiefly pertaining to zoology 

 and botany. 



Ethnological publications. — The Bureau of American Ethnology 

 issued several bulletins, including part 2 of the Handbook of Ameri- 

 can Indians North of Mexico; part 1 of the Handbook of American 

 Indian Languages; Antiquities of Central and Southeastern Mis- 

 sissippi Valley; Antiquities of the Mesa Verde National Park, and 

 bulletins on other ethnological subjects. 



Publications of histoHcal and patriotic societies. — Annual reports 

 of the American Historical Association and the National Society of 

 the Daughters of the American Revolution were as usual commu- 

 nicated to Congress in accordance with law. 



Advisory committee on printing and publication. — The committee 

 on printing and publication has continued to examine manuscripts 

 proposed for publication by the branches of the Institution, and has 

 considered various questions concerning public printing and binding. 

 Twenty-four meetings of the committee were held during the year 

 and 115 manuscripts were passed upon. The personnel of the com- 

 mittee is as follows: Dr. Frederick W. True, Assistant Secretary 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, chairman ; Mr. C. G. Abbot, Director 

 of the Astrophysical Observatory; Mr. W. I. Adams, disbursing 

 officer of the Smithsonian Institution ; Dr. Frank Baker, superin- 

 tendent of the National Zoological Park; Mr. A. Howard Clark, 

 editor of the Smithsonian Institution ; Mr. F. W. Hodge, ethnologist 

 in charge of the Bureau of American Ethnology; Dr. George P. 

 Merrill, head curator of geology, United States National Museum; 



