46 REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 



and Turkey are usually reached through the American minister at 

 Constantinople and the consul at Alexandria. Most of the points in 

 Asia and Africa are supplied through the Presbyterian Board of For- 

 eign Missions in New York, and the American Board in Boston, 

 Australia through Mr. I. W. Kaymond, of New York, and South 

 America through a variety of channels. 



The boxes for the agents above mentioned, containing the different 

 parcels, are then sent from the Institution ; those for Dr. Fliigel being 

 shipped from Baltimore, through Oelrichs & Ltirman, direct to Bre- 

 men, thence by railroad to Leipsic. The boxes for Messrs. Bossange 

 and Stevens are shipped by packet from New York. 



The governments of Europe to whose ports shipments are made by 

 the Institution have all authorized their admission free of duty, on 

 filing an invoice with the customs authorities some time in advance of 

 the arrival of the boxes. After being received by the agents, these 

 boxes are unpacked, and the different parcels distributed to their desti- 

 nation through the channels selected by the intended recipients, accom- 

 panied by circular advices from the agents. In Germany the parcels 

 are usually transmitted through the booksellers of Leipsic, as they 

 may have c icasion to send to correspondents in the various towns. 



Exchanges from foreign countries for America. — The system of ope- 

 rations in this case is similar in principle to that just described, 

 although the steps take place in inverse order. The packages are sent 

 to the agents of the Institution, who inclose them in boxes, which are 

 forwarded monthly, or oftener. On being received in Washington 

 they are unpacked, an entry made of their contents, and the parcels 

 placed temporarily in the binns assigned to their respective addr sses. 

 They are then asr.orted, those for each party made up into one bundle, 

 and thus forwarded, by express or otherwise, accompanied by a blank 

 receipt, which is to be signed and returned. 



MUSEUM. 



A. — Increase of the Museum. 

 / 



The collections in natural history received during the year 1857 

 have been of great extent, and embrace many important additions to 

 the material on hand for extending the knowledge of the animal, 

 vegetable, and mineral productions of America. The specimens 

 received have been from the usual variety of sources ; the most im- 

 portant being, as heretofore, those brought in by the different govern- 

 ment expeditions, as follows : 



1. Survey of the northwestern boundary line, Archibald Campbell, 

 esq., commissioner. — The expedition left in April, 1857, for Puget 

 Sound, and during the year had its main camp for the most part at 

 Simeahmoo bay, near the mouth of Frazer's riv^r. Large collections 

 of the animals and plants of the Sound have been made by Dr. Ken- 

 nedy, surgeon and naturalist of the expedition; and of minerals and 

 fossils by Mr. George Gibbs, the geologist. 



