APPENDIX TO THE EEPOET OF THE SECEETAEY. 



Smithsonian Institution, 



December 31, 1856. 



Sin : I beg leave to present herewith a report for the year 1856 of 

 operations of such departments of the Smithsonian Institution as have 

 been intrusted by you to my care. 

 Eespeetfully submitted. 



SPENCEB F. BAIRD, 



Assistant Secretary, 

 Joseph Henry, LL.D., 



Secretary Smithsonian Institution. 



I. —Publications. — The eighth volume of the Smithsonian Contri- 

 butions to Knowledge was published and distributed during the year. 

 In size it exceeds any of those preceding it in the series, embracing 

 556 pages of text and nine plates. A large portion of the ninth 

 volume is also printed, and it is expected that the rest will be finished 

 early in 1857. 



The octavo publications during the year consist of the tenth annual 

 report to Congress and Coffin's Psychrometrical Tables. 



II. — Exchanges. — The receipts by excnange during 1856, both 

 for the Smithsonian Institution itself and for the other parties for 

 whom it acts as agent, have been unusually great, considerably ex- 

 ceeding those of any previous year, as will be shown by the following 

 table : 



The following table exhibits the total of receipts as compared with 1855. 



1855. 1856. 



Volumes— Octavo 717 966 



Quarto 233 329 



" Folio 87 61 



1,037 ■ 1,356 



Parts of volumes and pamphlets — 



Octavo.. 1,427 1,413 



Quarto 239 383 



Folio 41 38 



1,707 ■ 1,834 



Maps, charts, and engravings. . 26 140 



Total... 2,770 3,330 



Number of distinct donations 1,779 2,331 



The copies of the eighth volume of Smithsonian Contributions to 

 Knowledge were all duly forwarded to such addresses in the United 

 States and Europe as were entitled to receive them. Those for Europe 



