20 NINTH ANNUAL REPORT OP 



enthusiasm ; but, I am sorry to have to say that before the work was 

 completed, he set up such claims to a personal right of property in it, 

 and to a control over the manner in which it should be prepared and 

 published, as were entirely incompatible with the rights of the Institu- 

 tion, and with a due regard to its reputation. I was, therefore, obliged, 

 after many attempts to induce an opposite course, to place the work in 

 other hands. The reductions are now entrusted to Professor Coffin, 

 of Lafayette College, Pennsylvania, the author of the memoir on the 

 winds of the North American continent ; and from his established repu- 

 tation for scrupulous exactness and punctuality, as well as for intellect- 

 ual and moral qualities, we may confidently expect to have at least 

 one part of the work ready for the press before the next session of the 

 Board of Regents. 



The materials collected consist of two classes, viz : one which in- 

 cludes all the records of observations published in books and periodi- 

 cals, or contained in manuscripts which have been lent us for reduction ; 

 and the other consists of the current observations, which now em- 

 brace all the returns we have received for several years past. The reduc- 

 tion of the first class, on which we have expended much money, was, I 

 supposed, nearly ready for the press ; but, on examination, it has been 

 found necessary to subject the whole to a careful revision, in order to 

 correct the errors in it which a critical examination has brought to light. 



It may be well to state, for the information of the public, that the 

 appropriation which was made for the purchase of instruments to dis- 

 tribute among observers has been exhausted, and that the experiment 

 was not as successful as could have been wished. A considerable 

 number of the instruments were broken, and but comparatively few 

 returns have been received. It does not, therefore, appear advisable 

 to renew the appropriation with the portion of our income which can at 

 present be devoted to meteorology. 



Blank forms are furnished liberally to individuals who may desire to re- 

 cord the changes of the weather, or the progress of periodical phenomena. 



In order to prevent difficulties similar to those which have hereto- 

 fore occurred, it is important to state that all communications On the 

 subject of meteorology — and, indeed, on the general business of the 

 establishment, should be addressed to the " Secretary of the Institution." 

 He alone is responsible to the Regents ; and it is, therefore, necessary 

 that he should have full knowledge and control of the correspondence. 



Exchanges. — The system of international exchange has been con- 

 ducted with very important results during. the last year. The additions 

 to the library from this source exceed considerably, in number, those 

 of any previous year ; amounting, in the aggregate, to over three thou- 

 sand volumes and parts of volumes. Many of these consist of expen- 

 sive works published by governments or institutions in Europe, and 

 such as are not found in any other library in this country. It will not 

 be extravagant to estimate the value of these returns at three thousand 

 dollars ; since most of them are the current volumes of the year, and 

 bear the high price of scientific periodicals. 



As mentioned in previous reports, the Smithsonian Institution acts as 

 the principal medium of communication between the scientific and lite- 

 rary associations of the old and the new world. During the past year 



