86 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1922, 



On the receipt of a consignment from a domestic source it is assigned a 

 " record number," wliich number is, for identification purposes, placed on 

 each pacl^age contained therein. After the packages have been recorded 

 they are packed in boxes witli consignments from other senders and aire 

 forwarded by freight to the bureaus or agencies abroad which have under- 

 taken to distribute exclianges 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 

 one month. 



The Institution assumes no responsibility in the transmission of packages 

 intrusted to its care, but at all times uses its best endeavors to forward ex- 

 changes to their destinations safely and as promptly as possible. Especial 

 attention should be called in this connection to the time oi-dinarily required 

 for packages sent through the exchange service to reach their destinations. 

 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. In 

 some instances the period is much shorter and in no case should it be longer 

 unless there is some unavoidable delay at the ports of embarkation or debarka- 

 tion. To those countries to which shipments are made at semimonthly 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 im- 

 mediately 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, publica- 

 tions 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. 



2. In forwarding a consignment the sender should mail a letter to the 

 Institution, stating by what rcmte it is being shipped, and the number of 

 boxes or parcels which it comprises. A list giving the name and address of 

 each consignee should also be furnished. This request should invariably be 

 complied with for record. 



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 and cardboard used if necessary 

 to protect plates from crumpling. 



5. Letters are not permitted in exchange packages. 



6. If donors desire acknowledgments, packages may contain receipt forms 

 to be signed and returned by the establishment or individual addressed. 

 Should publications be desired in exchange, a request to that effect may be 

 printed on the receipt form or on the package. 



7. The work carried on by the International Exchange Service is not in any 

 sense of a commercial nature, but is restricted to the transmission of pub- 



