REPORT OF THE SECRETARY, 31 



the purposes of instruction in bis own country. The character of 

 this distinguished professor, and his known admiration of American 

 institutions, secured for this request the prompt and liberal response 

 of several publishers, a list of whom, with the number of works con- 

 tributed, is as follows: 



Harper & Brothers, New York G2 volumes. 



A. S. Barnes & Co., " 26 volumes. 



Oakley & Mason, " 10 volumes. 



0. Scribner, " 3 volumes. 



H. Cowperthwait & Co., Philadelphia 10 volumes. 



U. Hunt & Son, " 12 volumes. 



E .0. & J. Biddle, " 12 volumes. 



A. S. Davis & Co.. Boston • 6 volumes. 



Sargent, Wilson & Hinkle, Cincinnati 33 volumes. 



Professor Laboulaye, in acknowledging the receipt of these 174 

 volumes, says : "These books form the admiration of all who take an 

 interest in education, and I hope that France will profit by this 

 example. We have excellent things at home by which 3-ou in turn 

 might profit, but we have seen nothing comparable to your readers, 

 your object-lessons, your graphics, and your geographical series. 7 ' 



Explorations and Collections. — The system of explorations mentioned 

 in the preceding reports has been continued as in previous years, with 

 the co-operation, in some cases, of other institutions and of persons 

 interested in special branches of natural history. The objects of 

 these explorations are to collect information and illustrations of the 

 natural histoid, the ethnology, meteorology, and physical geography 

 of the various parts of the continent of North America. The organ- 

 ization of these expeditions has been specially in charge of Professor 

 Baird, who has devoted, with his wonted zeal, a large amount of 

 labor to the preparation of outfits and to the care and arrangement 

 of the specimens obtained. We shall give an account of these sev- 

 eral explorations under the names of the districts within which they 

 have been prosecuted. 



British and Russian America. — In previous reports a statement has 

 been given relative to the scientific department of the expedition organ- 

 ized by the Western Union Telegraph Company, for the purpose of 

 effecting an electric communication between the United States and 

 Europe, across Behring's Straits, and we have now to express our 

 regret that the enterprise has been abandoned. We have, too. to 

 deplore the sudden death of Mr. Kennicott, the director of the natu- 



