EEPOET OF THE SECEETAEY. 17 



The Miscellaneous Collections include works intended to facilitate 

 the study of the various branches of natural history, to give instruc- 

 tion as to the method of observing natural phenomena, and to furnish 

 a variety of other matter connected with the progress of science. Of 

 this series four large octavo volumes have been issued, and a fifth 

 has been commenced. 



The Annual Reports to Congress consist, each, of an octavo volume 

 of 450 pages. They contain the report of the Secretary as to the 

 operations and condition of the Institution, the acts of the Regents, 

 and an appendix, giving a synopsis of the lectures delivered at the 

 Institution, extracts from correspondence, and articles of a character 

 suited to meteorological observers, to teachers, and other persons 

 especially interested in the promotion of knowledge. 



Contributions to knowledge. — The following papers have been ac- 

 cepted for publication in the 13th volume of Contributions: 



1. The concluding paper of Dr. Kane's Series of Observations in 

 the Arctic Regions. 



2. The reductions of the observations of McClintock while in search 

 of Sir John Franklin. 



3. Parts II to VI of the Reduction of the Girard College Observa- 

 tions, by Professor Bache. 



4. Ancient Mining on the Shores of Lake Superior, by Charles 

 Whittlesey. 



5. On Respiration in the Chelonia, by Drs. Mitchell and Morehouse. 



6. On Magnetic Observations in Pennsylvania and adjacent States, 

 by Professor Rache. 



In the reports for 1859 and 1860 accounts are given of two parts 

 (which were subsequently divided into three parts) of a series of 

 redactions of the magnetic observations made at Girard College, 

 Philadelphia, from 1840 to 1845, inclusive, by Professor Bache. The 

 first two of these papers relate to the investigation of what is called 

 the eleven-year period of the variations of the needle, which coin- 

 cides with the recurrence in frequency of the spots on the sun. The 

 third paper relates to the influence of the moon on the variation of 

 the magnetic needle as shown by the Girard observations. 



Of the same series there have been accepted and printed parts 4, 

 5, and 6. The fourth refers to the change of horizontal force coin- 

 ciding with the eleven-year period of the spots on the sun. In ex- 

 planation of this it may be stated that the whole magnetic force of 

 the earth upon a needle freely suspended causes it to take a direction 

 H. Mis. Doc. 25 2 



