REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 9 



V. Directions for constructing lightning-rods ; by Prof. Joseph 

 Henry, pp. 3. 



VI. Queries relative to tornadoes ; by Prof. Joseph Henry, pp. 4. 



VII. Questions relative to the food-fishes of the United States ; by 

 Prof. S. F. Baird, pp. 7. 



VIII. Memoranda of inquiry relative to the food-fishes of the United 

 States ; by Prof. S. F. Baird, pp. 5. 



IX. List of the institutions, libraries, colleges, and other establish- 

 ments in the United States in correspondence with the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution, pp. 255. 



X. List of Foreign Correspondents of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 corrected to January, 1872, (fourth edition,) pp. 96. 



XL Check-List of Publications of the Smithsonian Institution, pp. 22. 



The firstarticle in this volumehaving not previously been described, the 

 following account of it will here be properly in place. It is one of the series 

 published by the Institution for facilitating the study of certain branches 

 of the natural history of North America. It may be recollected that 

 Mr. Philip P. Carpenter, a distinguished conchologist of England, when 

 visiting the United States in 1S59-'G0, was engaged by the Institution 

 to arrange and name the shells collected by the United States exploring 

 expedition and those collected by other parties on the Pacific coast of 

 North America. Mr. Carpenter had previously presented to the British 

 Association a report on the Mollusks of the west coast of North America. 

 On his return to England he made, to the same society, a supplementary 

 report on this subject, embracing materials principally derived from the 

 Smithsonian Institution. In order to facilitate the study of this class 

 of animals by the American student, the reports in question and other 

 materials have been reprinted from the stereotype plates of the British 

 Association, kindly furnished the Institution for this purpose. 



The propriety of this publication by the Smithson fund will be evi- 

 dent when it is stated that the materials on which it is founded are 

 chiefly in the collection of the National Museum, under the charge of the 

 Institution, and the report of the British Association forms a series of 

 volumes which cannot be purchased separately, and are therefore inac- 

 cessible to the working naturalists of this country, to whom the work is 

 more especially important. 



"The principal object in preparing the works," says Mr. Carpenter, 

 u is to collect and compare the writings of previous naturalists, so 

 that it might be possible for students to commence where I leave off 

 without being obliged to waste so large an amount of time as I have been 

 compelled to do in analyzing the works of their predecessors." To render 

 this work more useful an index has been prepared at the expense of the 

 Institution, which, besides its importance to the general student of con- 

 chology, will be of special advantage to those who desire to study the 

 specimens in the national museum. This work will be a valuable addi- 



