224 EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT OF 



observers, an extended series of facts, which are yielding deductions of 

 great interest in regard to the climate of this country and the meteo- 

 rology of the globe. 



The Institution has advanced the science of geology, by its researches 

 and original publications. It has made a preliminary exploration of 

 the remarkable region on the upper Missouri river called the "Bad 

 Lands," and is now printing a descriptive memofr on the extraordinary 

 fossil remains which abound in that locality. It has assisted in explo- 

 rations relative to the distribution in this country of the remains of 

 microscopic animals found in immense quantities in different parts of 

 the United States. 



It has made important contributions to botany, by means of the 

 published results of explorations in Texas, New Mexico, and Califor- 

 nia, and by the preparation and publication of an extended memoir, 

 illustrated with colored engravings, on the sea-plants of the coast of 

 North America. 



It has published several important original papers on physiology, 

 comparative anatomy, zoology, and different branches of descriptive 

 natural history ; and has prepared and printed, for distribution to trav- 

 ellers, a series of Directions for collecting and preserving specimens. 

 • It has advanced the science of terrestrial magnetism, by furnishing 

 instruments for determining the elements of the magnetic force, to vari- 

 ous exploring expeditions ; and by publishing the results of observations 

 made under its direction, at the expense of the government. 



It has collected and published the statistics of the libraries of the 

 United States, and perfected a plan of stereotyping catalogues, which 

 will render effective, as a combined whole, all the scattered libraries 

 of the country. 



The Institution has been instrumental in directing attention to 

 American antiquities, and has awakened such an interest in the subject 

 as will tend to the collection and study of all the facts which can be 

 gathered relative to the ancient inhabitants of this continent. It has 

 also rendered available for the purposes of the ethnologist a&d philan- 

 thropist the labors of our missionaries among the Dakotas, by publish- 

 ing a volume on the language of this tribe of Indians ; and has done 

 good service to comparative philology by the distribution of directions 

 tor collecting Indian vocabularies. 



It has established an extended system of literary and scientific ex- 

 changes, both foreign and domestic, and annually transmits between the 

 most distant societies and individuals, hundreds of packages of valu- 

 able works. It has presented its own publications, free of" expense, to 

 all the first-class libraries of the world, and thus rendered them acces- 

 sible, as far as possible, to all persons who are interested in their study. 

 No restriction of copyright has been placed on their republication ; 

 and the truths which they contain are daily finding their way to the 

 general public, through the labors of popular writers and teachers. 

 The distribution of its publications and its system of exchanges have 

 served not only to advance and diffuse knowledge, but also to increase 

 the reputation, and, consequently, the influence of our country ; to pro- 

 mote a kindly and sympathetic feeling between the New World and 

 Old — alike grateful to the philosopher and the philanthropist. 



