REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 29 



of the various books and memoirs containing in part or entire the 

 results of these examinations, with lists of the new species, would form 

 a large volume. Among the published results of the examination of the 

 materials furnished by the Institution during the last year may be 

 mentioned the following: 



A monograph of the Alcadse, by Dr. E. Cones, in the Proceedings of 

 the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences ; various herpetological 

 papers in the same Proceedings, by Professor E. D. Cope; portions 

 of various fasciculi of his work on North American birds, by D. 

 G. Elliott ; monograph of the North American Lepidoptera, by W. 

 H. Edwards; catalogue of the birds of Costa Pica in the museum 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, and some special papers in the annals of 

 the New York Lyceum of Natural History and the Proceedings of the 

 Philadelphia Academy, by George N. Lawrence; paper on the Uniouidse 

 in Proceedings Philadelphia Academy, by Isaac Lea; monograph of the 

 North American Diptera, Part IV, by Baron R. Ostensacken, pub- 

 lished by the Smithsonian Institution; catalogue of Alaskan plants in 

 the Report of the Smithsonian Institution for 1867, by Dr. J. T. Rothrock ; 

 list of birds sent from Buenos Ayres to the Smithsonian Institution, and 

 other papers, in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, by 

 Dr. P. L. Sclater and O. Salvin ; "on crania of Tschuktchi and Esquimaux 

 tribes," by Professor J. Wyman, in the Proceedings of the Boston Society 

 of Natural History. In all these cases full credit is given for the aid 

 which has been afforded by the Institution. 



The Secretary, during the past year, has given a large amount of 

 thought and labor to investigations relative to light and sound as aids 

 to navigation, in connection with his duty as one of the members of the 

 United States Light-house Board. He has also, in his connection with 

 the National Academy of Sciences, devoted nearly all his time, for the 

 space of two months, to investigations relative to the proper form of 

 meters for gauging the quantity of proof spirits produced by distilleries, 

 in order to determine the amount of tax to be paid to the government. 



Professor Baird has continued his investigations relative to the birds 

 of North America, especially those of Alaska, the result of which has been 

 the addition of fifteen species to those previously known to exist in this 

 country. He has also edited a report by Dr. Cooper on the birds of 

 California, for the geological survey of that State under Professor J. D. 

 Whitney, and is now engaged in the preparation of a new manual of the 

 ornithology of the United States. This work, which is to be illustrated 

 by numerous engravings on wood, will be published by Little & Brown, 

 of Boston, in the course of next year. 



Exchanges. — The cost of the international system of exchanges in the 

 transportation of books and specimens is constantly increasing, and 

 now forms no inconsiderable part of the annual expenditures. Were it 

 not for the liberality of various companies, we should be unable to con- 



