30 



THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 



It consists of— 



1. A large brass cylinder a, h, c, d, two 

 inches in diameter, to catch the rain. 



2. A smaller brass cylinder e, /, for 

 receiving the water, and reducing the 

 diameter of the column, to allow a greater 

 accuracy in measuring the height. 



3. A whalebone scale s, s, divided by 

 experiment, so as to indicate tenths and 

 hundredths of an inch of rain. 



4. A wooden cylinder w, w, to be in- 

 serted permanently in the ground for the 

 protection and ready adjustment of the in- 

 strument. 



To facilitate the transportation, the 



larger cylinder is attached to the smaller 



by a screw-joint at e. 



This instrument is made by John Jones, Baltimore, Md., and is sold for 83 00. 



Several hundred of these gages have been distributed by the Institution and U. 



S. Patent Office. 



On one of the towers may be seen an Anemometer, or self-registering in- 

 strument, for denoting the direction and velocity of the wind. This apparatus 

 was constructed for the Institution, by Dr. Charles Smallwood, of Montreal, pre- 

 cisely like one he has in use at his observatory in that city. 



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RAIN QAQE. 



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The system of international exchange, planned and perfected by the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, has become very important in its results. In fact, it is now 

 the principal medium of communication between the scientific and literary associa- 

 tions of the Old and New World. Lately the number of societies availing them- 

 selves of these facilities has largely increased — including, among others, nearly 

 all the State Agricultural Societies of America, publishing transactions. This 

 result has been produced by circulars which the Institution issued, to make 

 this system more generally known Copious returns are being constantly re- 

 ceived from the societies abroad ; and an intercourse is thus established which 

 cannot fail to produce valuable results, both in an intellectual and moral point 

 of view. The packages from the Smithsonian are admitted duty free to all 

 parts of the Continent of Europe — a certified invoice of contents by the Sec- 

 retary being all that is required to pass them through the Custom Houses. On 

 the other hand, all packages addressed to the Institution arriving at the ports 

 of the United States, are admitted, without detention, duty free. Thus it will be 

 observed that the system of exchange is the most extensive and efficient that has 

 ever been established in any country. Its effects on our national character and rep- 



