36 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



of the commission, with descriptive texts. The first volume of this very- 

 valuable and important work was presented to the Institution some 

 years ago by Baron d'Offenberg, the late Eussian Minister at Wash- 

 ington. 



Among the most interesting works presented is that of the first part 

 of the series of fac-similes of the National Manuscripts of Ireland. The 

 art of photozincography was invented by Maj. Gen. Sir Henry James, in 

 1860, and in 1866 he was ordered to produce five hundred fac-simile copies 

 of Domesday Book, and afterward a series of national manuscripts to il- 

 lustrate the changes in the English language and writing since the time 

 of the Couquest. The publication of the first series in four volumes 

 was finished in 1869. The government then concluded to have a se- 

 ries of documents of a similar character produced from the Scotch Rec- 

 ords, with translation, which was finished in 1872. Her Majesty's gov- 

 ernment next authorized the publication of a series from the Irish Rec- 

 ords, the first part of which, with all the other series, has been received 

 by the Institution. The English series of fac-similes contains a great 

 number of extremely valuable historical manuscripts of various kinds- 

 legal, diplomatic, and epistolary. The Scotch series consists mainly of 

 copies of a large number of royal and other charters and important state 

 papers. The Irish series is remarkable not only for the great antiquity 

 of many of the manuscripts comprised in it, but also for the splendid 

 examples of pictorial art which it contains. 



Among the articles presented to the library is a photograph of an 

 Egyptian papyrus, about 40 feet in length, from Mr. John S. Edgar, 

 United States consul at Beirut, Syria, discovered in December, 1874, in 

 a previously unopened tomb at Thebes, Egypt. 



It is proper to state, in connection with the library, that the following 

 act of courtesy to the Regentsof the Smithsonian Institution, residing in 

 Washington, was passed by Congress March 3, 1875: "That the Joint 

 Committee of both Houses of Congress on the Library be authorized to 

 extend the use of books in the Library of Congress to Regents of the 

 Smithsonian Institution resident in Washington on the same conditions 

 and restrictions as members of Congress are allowed to use the Library." 



TELEGRAPHIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERIES. 



The important arrangement which was concluded between the Smith- 

 sonian Institution and the Atlantic cable companies in 1873, by which 

 free telegraphic transmission of astronomical discoveries was granted 

 between Europe and America, has been continued during the past year. 



The following is a list of the asteroids discovered in 1875: 



No. 141, discovered by Paul Henry, at Paris, January 13. 



No. 142, " by J. Palisa, at Pola, January 28. 



No. 143, " by J. Palisa, at Pola, February 23. 



No. 144, " by C. H. F. Peters, at Clinton, June 4. 



No. 145, " by C. H. F. Peters, at Clinton, June 4. 



