36 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



gratification that the Regents learned that a citizen of Washington, 

 William W. Corcoran, esq., with an enlightened liberality, commensurate 

 only with his means, had resolved to found an institution exclusively 

 devoted to art. This design, which would otherwise have long since been 

 fully carried out, was interrupted by the war. The large building which 

 Mr. Corcoran had erected for the purpose was found necessary by the 

 government for the use of the Quartermaster General and is still retained 

 in possession of that officer. As soon as possession of it is restored to 

 Mr. Corcoran, which it is believed will be done in the course of the 

 present year, it, together with a liberal endowment equal in amount to 

 the original fund of Smithson, will be given in charge to a board of trus- 

 tees, who will immediately proceed to carry out the views of the generous 

 founder. In accordance with the policy which the Institution has 

 adopted in regard to the library of Congress, the Agricultural Depart- 

 ment, and the Army Medical Museum, it will probably be considered 

 advisable to enter also into friendly co-operation with this new establish- 

 ment, and instead of attempting to support a separate gallery of art to 

 turn over to it the articles which have already been collected, and thereby 

 increase the space in the Smithsonian building for articles of natural 

 history and ethnology. 



Meteorology. — It was stated in the last report that with the dimin- 

 ished expenditure on the building, and the larger amount which could 

 be appropriated to the active operations of the Institution, the reduction 

 and discussion of the meteorological material which had been collected 

 for 20 years would be resumed, and that we had commenced upon the 

 rain-fall of the North American continent. Observations relative to this 

 subject from upwards of 1,200 localities were placed in the hands of 

 the computers. This work has been completed under the direction of 

 Mr. Charles A. Schott, and will be put to press as soon as the illustra- 

 tions are engraved. We are confident it will be considered by all who 

 are competent to properly estimate its value, as one of the most import- 

 ant additions to the climatology of North America and the agricultural 

 interests of the community which has ever been made. The same com- 

 puters are now engaged irpon the large amount of material relative to 

 temperature, but the reduction and discussion of these will require more 

 time than that which has been devoted to the rain-fall. It is estimated, 

 however, that at the rate at which the work is now going on, it will be 

 completed in the course of the next year. 



The discussion of all the observations relative to the winds has been 

 resumed under the direction of Professor J. H. Coffin, of Lafayette Col- 

 lege, Pennsylvania, and will be prosecuted with as much rapidity as the 

 nature of the subject, and the assistance afforded him, will permit. 



All the more important meteorological observations which have been 

 collected at the Institution during the last 20 years, are now in process 

 of reduction, and when conrpleted and the results published, we think 



