REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 19 



Asia 36 



Australia < 26 



New Zealand 13 



Polynesia 1 



South America 36 



West Indies 7 



Mexico 9 



Central America * 2 



British America 18 



General 4 



Total 1,985 



As in previous years, the Institution has received important aid from 

 various steamer and railroad hues in the way of free freights, without 

 which the expense of carrying on the system would be far beyond the 

 means at command. Acknowledgment is again due for the liberality of 

 the following companies : 



Pacific Mail Steamship Company. 



Panama Bailroad Company. 



Pacific Steam Navigation Company. 



New York and Mexico Steamship Company. 



New York and Brazil Steamship Company. 



North German Lloyd's Steamship Company. 



Hamburg American Packet Company. 



French Transatlantic Company. 



North Baltic Lloyd's Steamship Company. 



Inman Steamship Company. 



Cunard Steamship Company. 



Anchor Steamship Company. 



The Adams Express Company also continues its liberal policy in re- 

 gard to freight for the Institution. 



During the year 2,561 packages, containing many thousand different 

 articles, were transmitted to foreign countries. These packages filled 

 159 large boxes, having a cubical content of 954 feet, and weighing 

 26,850 pounds. The parcels received at the Institution for parties in 

 this country, in addition to those for the Smithsonian library, num- 

 bered 4,635. 



It was mentioned in the last report that the advantages which result 

 from the system of international exchanges had become so apparent 

 that arrangements similar to those adopted by the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution are beginning to be introduced into different parts of Europe, and 

 that a central scientific bureau for the Netherlands had been estab- 

 lished at Amsterdam to receive and transmit packages for different 

 parts of the world, and in the United States to co-operate with the 

 Smithsonian Institution. A similar arrangement has been proposed in 



