REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 89 
learning in the United States and forwarded to their destinations abroad 
through the various exchange bureaus or agencies in other countries. Many of 
those bureaus and agencies will likewise receive packages of publications from 
correspondents in their countries for distribution as gifts or exchanges to corre- 
spondents in the United States and its dependencies and will forward them to 
Washington, after which the Institution will transmit them to their destina- 
tions by mail free of cost to the recipients. 
On receipt of a consignment from a domestic source it is assigned a “ record 
number,” which number is, for identification purposes, placed on each package 
contained therein. After the packages have been recorded they are packed in 
boxes with publications from other senders and are forwarded by freight to the 
bureaus or agencies abroad which have undertaken to distribute exchanges in 
those countries. To Great Britain and Germany shipments are made weekly; 
to France and Italy, semimonthly; and to all other countries consignments are 
forwarded at intervals not exceeding a month. 
The Institution assumes no responsibility in the transmission of packages in- 
trusted to its care, but at all times endeavors to forward exchanges safely and 
as promptly as possible. Especial attention should be called in this connection 
to the time ordinarily required for the delivery of packages sent through the 
exchange service. To Great Britain and Germany, for example, where weekly 
shipments are made, the average time for a package to reach its destination is 
about six weeks. ‘To those countries to which shipments are made at semi- 
monthly and monthly intervals, the time of delivery is, of course, somewhat 
longer, depending on the distance and also whether packages are received at 
the Institution immediately before or after a shipment. If, therefore, advance 
notices are mailed by senders, mention should be made of the above facts in 
order that consignees may expect some delay between the receipt of notices 
and the arrival of packages. In cases where greater dispatch is desired, 
publications should be forwarded by the senders to their foreign destinations 
direct by mail. 
RULES 
The rules governing the Smithsonian International Exchange Service are as 
follows: 
1. Consignments from correspondents in the United States containing pack- 
ages for transmission abroad should be addressed— 
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 
International Exchanges, 
Washington, D. C. 
and forwarded with carriage charges to Washington prepaid. 
Qin forwarding a consignment the sender should mail a letter to the 
Institution stating by what route it is being shipped, and the number of 
boxes or parcels comprising the shipment. A list giving the name and address 
of each consignee should also be furnished. It is important that this request 
be complied with in order that a detailed record of the contents of consign- 
ments may be kept in the files of the exchange office for use in answering 
inquiries concerning the forwarding of packages. 
3. Packages should be legibly and fully addressed, using, when practicable, 
the language of the country to which they are to be forwarded. In order 
to avoid any possible dispute as to ownership, names of individuals should 
be omitted from packages intended for societies and other establishments. 
4. Packages should be securely wrapped, using cardboard, if necessary, 
to protect plates from crumpling. 
