4H The Smithsonian Instihition 



distribution to certain accessible points abroad of books, 

 pamphlets, charts, and other printed matter sent as donations 

 or exchanges from literary and scientific societies or individ- 

 uals to correspondents abroad, and involve no expense to the 

 sender beyond that of delivery to the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion in Washington. No charge is made to the receiver, 

 except in some instances the small cost of delivery from the 

 Smithsonian agent or correspondent nearest him. Similar 

 material sent from abroad to this country is forwarded to the 

 recipient without expense to him, the packages having been 

 delivered free of freight charges to the foreign agent or cor- 

 respondent of the Institution. The Institution is, by special 

 act of Congress, enabled to transmit packages in this country 

 under frank. 



To describe somewhat more in detail the methods now 

 employed in the Exchange Office, I would say that a scien- 

 tific society or individual in the United States desiring to 

 send publications abroad as donations or exchanges should 

 have each package transmitted strongly wrapped and sepa- 

 rately and legibly addressed, being careful to give the full 

 local address, and should send them in bulk, carriage pre- 

 paid, to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. The 

 separate packages should not exceed one-half of one cubic 

 foot in bulk, and they should not contain letters or written 

 matter. 



Before transmission, a list of packages, with the address 

 on each package, is to be mailed by the sender to the Smith- 

 sonian Institution when sent from the United States, or to 

 the foreign agent of the Institution when sent from abroad. 

 The Institution must be informed by mail of each sending on 

 the day of transmission. 



Upon the receipt of the consignment at the Institution each 

 package is assigned an " invoice number," the same number 



