40 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



operations. A conscientious endeavor, however, has been made to 

 harmonize the whole scheme, by establishing a special library, con- 

 sisting of the transactions of learned societies and systematic works on 

 all branches of science, together with a limited museum of type speci- 

 mens, principally of the products of the American continent. And, 

 on the whole, it may be pronounced that, notwithstanding the inaus- 

 picious circumstances which attended the commencement of the In- 

 stitution, as before stated, and the difficulties with which it has had 

 to contend from time to time, the results it has produced have been 

 such as to commend it to the public generally throughout our own 

 country, and to make it favorably known to the cultivators of science 

 wherever found. It has identified itself with the history of almost 

 every branch of knowledge which receives attention at the present 

 day, and its transactions and proceedings are constantly referred to 

 as authoritative on all subjects to which they pertain. With no desire 

 to exaggerate its importance or advantages, the fact may be satisfac- 

 torily cited that the recognition of its services in behalf of science 

 exists in the contemporary works of all languages, that its publications 

 are found wherever letters are cultivated, and its specimens in all 

 the principal museums of the world. If it was the desire of the 

 founder to perpetuate the memory of his liberality, that desire has 

 been thus fully gratified; nor is the memorial of his enlightened and 

 comprehensive benevolence limited as to place or time, since it is 

 everywhere renewed with the yearly dissemination of the publica- 

 tions which bear his name. 



The following brief sketch of the labors of the Institution up to the 

 present time will not only serve to show what it has done, but also 

 to illustrate the capability of the plan of active operations for pro- 

 ducing important results in the way of increasing and diffusing know- 

 ledge among men. 



ACTIVE OPERATIONS. 



Publications. — The Smithsonian Institution has established three 

 classes of publications, in which are contained the articles hereafter 

 to be mentioned. These are as follows : 



1. A quarto series, entitled "Smithsonian Contributions to Know- 

 ledge," issued in volumes, each embracing one or more separate 

 articles. Of these the fourteenth is nearly through the press. 



2. An octavo series, entitled "Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collec- 

 tions," which in the aggregate make six large volumes. 



