Februaey 25, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



261 



are fifteen chapters, descriptive of the his- 

 tory of the Institution, and a like number 

 of chapters giving appreciation of its work 

 in the several branches of knowledge, 

 mainly by persons not connected with the 

 Institution, followed by an appendix of 8 

 pages narrating the principal events in its 

 history. 



Since it is impossible in a single volume 

 to exhaust the subject it became necessary 

 to mention but briefly many topics which it 

 was hoped might be elaborately treated. 

 The book is printed from type in an edition 

 of 2,000, with 250 additional copies on 

 handmade paper. It is now classed in 

 either of the regular series of Smithsonian 

 publications, and will receive a special 

 rather than a general distribution. This 

 course is found necessary by reason of the 

 cost of the work. . 



The Annual Eeport of the Museum for 

 1894, which includes several special papers 

 by Museum ofiScers or collaborators, has 

 been issued, and the Museum has published 

 a volume of Proceedings, and separate pa- 

 pers of other volumes, besides two octavo 

 and two quarto bulletins, the contents of 

 all of which are given elsewhere. 



The Bureau of Ethnology has published 

 three reports, the fourteenth, fifteenth and 

 sixteenth, bringing the work down to the 

 close of the fiscal year 1894-95. 



The Annual Eeport of the American His- 

 torical Association for 1895 has been pub- 

 lished, and the report for 1896 has been 

 sent to the printer. These reports are 

 transmitted by the Secretary of the Associa- 

 tion to the Secretary of the Institution 

 who submits the whole or portions of the 

 reports to Congress, in accordance with the 

 act of incorporation of the Association. 

 Prior to the report for 1894 the Institution 

 had no share in the distribution of these 

 volumes, but, beginning with the report for 

 1894, a limited number is available for 

 purposes of exchange by the Institution 



with historical and other learned societies 

 of the world. The reports contain papers 

 relating to American history or to the 

 study of history in America. A most im- 

 portant contribution in the report for 1895 

 is a bibliography of the historical societies 

 of the United States and British A.merica, 

 covering 561 printed pages, which is a very 

 useful reference work for writers and stu- 

 dents of American history. 



The library continues to grow steadily, 

 the accessions in volumes, parts of volumes, 

 pamphlets and charts reaching 35,912 dur- 

 ing the past year. Special mention should 

 be made of the gift of Mr. S. Patcanof, of 

 St. Petersburg, of over 300 volumes, con- 

 sisting mostly of oriental works and includ- 

 ing some Arabic manuscripts and many 

 rare Armenian publications. 



As stated in my last report, the Secretary 

 of State had named, in accordance with my 

 suggestion. Dr. John S. Billings, United 

 States Army, retired. Director of the New 

 York Public Library, and Professor Simon 

 Newcomb, United States Navy, Superin- 

 tendent of the Nautical Almanac, as the 

 delegates of the United States to a confer- 

 ence to be held at the instance of the Brit- 

 ish government at London in July, 1896, 

 to consider the preparation of an inter- 

 national catalogue of scientific literature. 

 This conference met July 14 to 17, 1896, 

 twenty-two countries being represented. 

 The conference drew up a plan which the 

 respective delegates submitted to the coun- 

 tries they represented. The report of Pro- 

 fessor Newcomb and Dr. Billings, sub- 

 milted to the Secretary of State, October 

 15, 1896, recommended that the United 

 States government should take part in this 

 work and that the Smithsonian Institution 

 be made the agent of the Government in 

 this important scientific enterprise. 



In accordance with this suggestion the 



