REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 27 



two years by the portion of the income of the Institution which 

 could be appropriated to any single publication. It was therefore con- 

 cluded that Dr. Deane should continue his investigations, and endeavor, 

 by means of photography, to produce representations of all the most 

 important specimens, and that from these a selection should be 

 made sufficient to illustrate the characteristics of the different 

 species of animals by which the impressions had been left. Dr. Deane 

 enthusiastically devoted all the time to this object that he could spare 

 from a laborious practice, on which the support of his family depended, 

 until his career was suddenly terminated by death. To assist in the 

 experiments of photography and in lithographing the illustrations a 

 small appropriation was made, with which about fifty drawings were 

 finished on stone by Dr. Deane himself. The work, however, is in 

 such an unfinished condition that it cannot be published unless some 

 person well acquainted with the subject will undertake the task of its 

 completion. 



7. The Annual Keport to Congress for the year 1857, together with 

 the appendix, forms a volume of 438 pages. Of this Report the Senate 

 ordered 10,000 and the House of Representatives 7,000 extra copies, 

 of which 5,000 of the first and 2,000 of the latter were given to the 

 Institution for distribution. The volume was restricted in size to 440 

 pages, and the wood-cuts were furnished, as usual, at the expense of 

 the Smithsonian fund. The statement may be again repeated that the 

 Institution is not responsible for the quality of the paper, nor for all 

 the errors which may be found in the text, since the whole work is set 

 up by a large number of different compositors, and is driven through 

 the press without sufficient time being allowed for revision and proper 

 correction. The distribution, however, of the copies of the Reports 

 has done much to make the Institution favorably known throughout 

 the country. The applications for them are constantly increasing, 

 and even the number liberally furnished by Congress at its last session 

 has been found scarcely sufficient to supply the demand. They are pre- 

 sented to the meteorological observers, and to all libraries and educa- 

 tional establishments. Besides furnishing a kind of knowledge not 

 readily accessible through any other channel, these Reports serve to 

 gratify a laudable public desire for information as to the management 

 and operations of the Institution. 



The important truth has now become known in every part of the 

 world, that the property of Smithson was not given for the support of 

 a local establishment, but in trust to the United States for the promo- 



