REPORT OF THE SECRETARY^ 27 



wood-cuts, which is at the expense of the Institution. The re- 

 port for 18G1 contains, besides the report of the Secretary and the acts 

 of the Regents, a Eulogy on Prof. Felton, by Dr. Woolsey, President 

 . of Yale College; a Eulogy on Hon. Stephen A. Douglas, by Hon. S. S. 

 Cox ; synopsis of lectures on the Construction of Bridges, by Fair- 

 man Rogers, of the University of Pennsylvania ; lecture on the rela- 

 tion of Time and Space, by Prof. S. Alexander, of the College of New 

 Jersey; lecture on Arctic Explorations, by Dr. I. I. Hayes ; a memoir 

 of Geoffroy St. Hilaire, by M. Flourens ; the chemical analysis of the 

 Sun by means of the Solar Spectrum ; the small planets between Mars 

 and Jupiter ; studies and experiments on Metamorphism, by M. 

 Daubree, and a number of articles on Archaeology, all translated for the 

 Institution ; also a report on Nitrification, prepared for the Institution 

 by B. F. Craig, M. D. ; the history of Petroleum, by T. Sterry Hunt ; 

 and the explosibility of Coal Oil, by Z. Allen ; list of birds inhabiting 

 the District of Columbia, by E. Coues and D. W. Prentiss ; and a 

 series of prize questions of scientific societies, together with a num- 

 ber of minor articles. 



The reports for a number of years past have contained a series of 

 memoirs of distinguished men of science, members -of the French 

 Academy, translated for the Institution by C. A. Alexander, Esq., of 

 this city. It is intended to continue the translation and publication 

 of similar memoirs, and when the number is sufficient to form an 

 ordinary sized volume, to collect and publish them in a separate 

 form. 



Of the last report, 10, 000 extra copies were ordered by Congress, of 

 which 4,000 were presented to the Institution for distribution among 

 its special correspondents. The requests for copies of this work 

 have been constantly increasing from year to year, and it is to be 

 regretted that the pages were not stereotyed, since there is now a 

 large demand for back numbers, to complete sets, which cannot be 

 obtained. 



Previous to last year we were allowed to have extra copies of cer- 

 tain articles of the report struck off for separate distribution, but 

 under the new rules for the regulation of the public printing this 

 privilege was denied us in the case of the report for 18G1, It is 

 thought, however, that if a proper statement were made to Congress, 

 a clause would be added to the acts relative to the government 

 printing which would give all the facilities required. 



