36 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



Falkland Isles, Newfoundland, and Vancouver's Island, and in which 

 the hope is expressed that the magnetic observatory on the Smithsonian 

 grounds may he in a condition to co-operate in the efforts that are thus 

 about to be made to determine the laws of the perturbations of the 

 intensity and direction of the magnetic force in a continuous belt en- 

 circling the globe. 



Laboratory. — During the past year the laboratory has been under 

 the charge of Professor Shaeffer, late of the United States Patent Office, 

 and Dr. Craig, of this city. These gentlemen have reported to the 

 Institution on all articles of public interest which have been referred 

 to them for examination, and have made a series of investiga- 

 tions on a large number of specimens of guano, which were sub- 

 mitted to the Smithsonian Institution by the general government. 

 The policy adopted in regard to the specimens of various kinds referred 

 to the Institution for examination, is to furnish a report free of cost to 

 the parties making the reference, provided the information is of general 

 interest or immediately connected with the advance of science, but if 

 the examination is required principally to promote the interest of indi- 

 viduals or companies, a charge is made sufficient to cover the expense 

 of the investigation. By the adoption of this plan the laboratory is 

 kept in operation by means of a small appropriation for chemicals and 

 apparatus from the Smithsonian fund. 



Exchange — The system of international exchanges continues to be 

 highly successful, and the amount of material transmitted abroad and 

 that received in return is constantly increasing. Few, if any, Ameri- 

 can Institutions publishing transactions or reports have any other 

 means of effecting exchanges with foreign societies, and although the 

 income of the Institution will not warrant a much greater extension of 

 this part of the operations, yet we trust that nothing will interfere to 

 lessen its present efficiency and usefulness. 



It will be seen from the report of Professor Baird that during the 

 year there were 913 packages sent abroad by the Institution, weighing 

 22,674 pounds. The number of parcels received by the Institution from 

 other parties for foreign distribution was 4,425. 



Library. — The fact has been repeatedly mentioned in preceding re- 

 ports that the principal object aimed at in the collection of the library 

 is to procure as perfect and extensive a series as possible of the trans- 

 actions and proceedings of all the learned societies which now exist 

 or have existed in different parts of the world. It is to works of this 

 character that the student of science is obliged to refer for the minute 



