THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 169 



Magnetic Observations. 



A set of magnetic apparatus was ordered from London for the pur- 

 pose of determining the lines of magnetic intensity, decimation, and in- 

 clination. These are entrusted to Colonel Emory, of the Boundary 

 Commission, and in his possession they will probably be made to do 

 good service in the cause of science. As soon as the funds will admit 

 of the appropriation, it would be advisable to purchase several sets of 

 instruments of the same kind, to be placed in the hands of the scientific 

 explorers of our new territories, and for determining the principal mag- 

 netic lines across the United States. 



Physical Geography. 



Another subject of much interest, connected with the physical geog- 

 raphy of our country, is the collection of the statistics of all railway 

 and canal explorations which have been made in various parts of the 

 United States and Canada. This information, at present in the pos- 

 session of individuals, is of little value, and, unless collected by some 

 public institution, will soon be lost to the world. Surveys of this kind 

 furnish the most exact data for the determination of what may be called 

 the mountain bases or general water-sheds of the surface ; and no por- 

 tion of the world, of the same extent, has been so thoroughly traversed 

 with these explorations as the United States. Connected with these, 

 sketches should be made of the principal mountain ranges, barometri- 

 cal measurements of the higher peaks, with geological sections of the 

 strata through which the public works are carried. For the purpose 

 of commencing this collection, we have addressed letters to all persons 

 within our knowledge who possess information of this kind, requesting 

 memoirs from them containing results of their own measurements and 

 observations. By this means we hope to present a series of papers of 

 the same character as that of Mr. Ellet, and thus furnish materials for 

 a more accurate physical map of North America, as well as the means, 

 in connexion with our operations in meteorology, for a more exact study 

 of our climate. 



During the past year Professor Guyot has made a barometrical ex- 

 ploration of the mountain system of New Hampshire, and he purposes 

 to devote a portion of each year to investigations of this kind. 



Natural History. 



Our new possessions in Oregon, California, and Mexico offer interest- 

 ing fields for scientific inquiry, particularly in the line of natural his- 

 tory; and Dr. Gray, of Cambridge, and Dr. Engleman, of St. Louis, 

 aided by several scientific gentlemen interested in this branch of sci- 

 ence, have sent a number of collectors to develop the resources of those 

 regions, particularly so far as the botany is concerned. 



Among these, Mr. Charles Wright has been engaged to make explo- 

 rations during the past year in New Mexico, at the expense of a sub- 

 scription by individuals and institutions. He has just returned laden 

 with a valuable collection of plants, seeds, &c , which are to be di- 



