24 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



the temperature, from observations of 2,340 days, exhibits the fact 

 that the •warmest winds are from the southeast, south and southwest, 

 all others being cold; the extreme difference being 15 degrees in win- 

 ter and SJ in summer. The comparison of the direction of the wind 

 and rain shows that the southwest wind in summer and the southeast in 

 winter are accompanied by the greatest amount of precipitation, and 

 that fair weather generally attends northerly winds throughout the 

 entire year. In summer the easterly and in winter the westerly 

 winds are also attended with fair weather. The average annual 

 quantity of rain and melted snow is 42| inches; the least amount 

 observed in anyone year is 32°.46, and the greatest 61°.84, varying 

 much less than is recorded of Brunswick. The greatest amount of rain 

 in any one month is in June, and the least in January. The average 

 number of rainy days in a year is 86. The quantity of rain is more 

 equally distributed throughout the year than at Brunswick. The 

 greatest fall of rain recorded on any one day was 4.25 inches, on the 

 3d July, 1844. The largest fall of snow, 15 inches, was on the 4th 

 of December, 1833. 



The indications of the barometer show a regular progression in the 

 weight of the atmosphere, which attains its greatest value in January 

 and its least between July and August. 



Ethnology. — The subject of ethnology has, during tne past year, 

 continued to occupy a considerable share of the attention of the Institu- 

 tion. Renewed efforts have been made, by means of circulars and 

 correspondence, to increase the collection of specimens illustrative 

 of the different races of men inhabiting or who have inhabited this 

 continent. 



The very extensive collections of ethnological articles from almost 

 every part of the world, made by the United States exploring ex- 

 pedition under Captain (now Admiral) Wilkes, having been placed in 

 charge of the Institution, not only afford a basis for a comparison of 

 the different modes of life and stages of advancement among exist- 

 ing tribes, but an important means of determining the ethnological 

 relations of the natives of the present day to those whose ancient 

 remains lie thickly strewn over our whole continent. For example, 

 implements of stone and of bone are almost everywhere found, the 

 workmanship of races that have long since disappeared, and of which 

 the use would be difficult of determination, were not similar imple- 

 ments as to form and material found in actual use at the present day 

 among savages, particularly those inhabiting the various islands of the 

 P; cific ocean. Our object is to collect well-characterized specimens, 



