APPENDIX TO THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY, 



Smithsonian Institution, 

 Washington, December 31, 1857. 



Sir : I have the honor, herewith, to present a report, for 1857, of the 

 operations you have entrusted to my charge, namely, those which re- 

 late to the printing, to the exchanges, and to the collections of natural 

 history. 



Kespectfully submitted. 



SPENCER F. BAIRD, 

 Assistant Secretary Smithsonian Institution, 

 Joseph Henry, LL.D., 



Secretary Smithsonian Institution. 



Publications. 



The publications of the Institution for the year consist of the ninth 

 volume of Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, embracing 484 

 pages of quarto test and 22 plates, and of the annual report to Con- 

 gress, an octavo volume of 468 pages. Considerable progress has 

 also been made with the printing of the tenth volume of Smithsonian 

 Contributions, 136 pages and five plates being finished. 



The catalogue of North American Diptera, by Baron Ostensacken, 

 is nearly through the press and will include 112 octavo pages. 



Exchanges. 



The system of international exchanges so successfully prosecuted by 

 the Institution since its establishment has been carried on during the 

 year with the happiest results. A large amount of scientific material 

 has passed through its hands and has been promptly transmitted to 

 its destination. The general details of the system will be presented 

 hereafter. 



The returns made to the Smithsonian Institution for its own dona- 

 tions will be found in the following table: 



A. — Receipt of books, dec, by exchange in 1857. 



Volumes — Octavo 404 



Quarto 146 



Folio 5 



555 



Parts of volumes and pamphlets — 



Octavo 775 



Quarto - 255 



Folio 37 



1,007 



Charts and maps 138 



1,760 



