18 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



Publications. — The publications of the Institution are now divided 

 into three classes: the "Contributions to Knowledge," in quarto 

 form: the "Annual Reports" to Congress, and the "Miscellaneous 

 Collections," in octavo. 



The eleventh volume of Smithsonian Contributions is nearly ready 

 for distribution, and will contain a number of original memoirs, which 

 are presented to the world as additions to knowledge of sufficient 

 importance to warrant their publication by the funds of the Institu- 

 tion. The fact, however, should be recollected that the Institution 

 does not merely publish these volumes, but, as a general rule, extends 

 its assistance to the original researches of which the papers published 

 contain the results, sometimes by furnishing the subjects or materials 

 of observation, and sometimes by defraying the whole or a part of 

 the expenses incident to such researches. 



The first memoir contained in this volume is on North American 

 Oology, by Dr. Thomas M. Brewer, of Boston, an account of which 

 was given in a previous report. The text of this work was printed 

 in 185T, but the preparation of the plates to accompany it not being 

 completed, it could not be included in any volume previous to the 

 eleventh. Copies, however, of the paper had been presented sepa- 

 rately to some of the principal naturalists of this countryand Europe, 

 and the work has been received with approbation as an important 

 addition to the branch of natural history on which it treats. 



The second paper is on the total eclipse of the sun, September 7, 

 1858, as observed near Olmos, Peru, by Lieutenant Gilliss, United 

 States navy, illustrated by a plate of the appearance of the sun 

 during the total obscuration. A full account of this paper is given 

 in the last report of the Institution. 



The third memoir in the eleventh volume has the following title : 

 *' Discussion of the Magnetic and Meteorological Observations made 

 at the Girard College Observatory, Philadelphia, from 1840 to 1845, 

 "by A. D. Bache, LL.D." Part 1. Investigation of the eleven- 

 year period in the amplitude of the solar-diurnal variation, and of 

 the disturbances of the magnetic declination. 



About twenty years ago the British Association organized a series 

 of cotemporaneous magnetic and meteorological observations at dif- 

 ferent colonial positions in the British empire, with which most of 

 the civilized governments of the world co-operated. No assistance, 



