28 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



and tables furnished by Prof. Baird in the Appendix. From these it 

 appears that the number of entries during the year in the catalogues 

 of specimens received is 7, 254, which is about the usual annual aver- 

 age. Of these, nearly 4,500 were of birds. 



As has frequently been stated in previous reports, the collections 

 which are the result of the explorations made by the Institution or 

 by the voluntary contributions of individuals, are not, primarily, in- 

 tended to enlarge its museum, but for distribution to all the principal 

 museums in the world and to furnish the materials for special re- 

 searches. In accordance with this policy a distribution of over one 

 hundred thousand labelled specimens, including 53,166 species, has 

 been made during the year 1866 to museums and colleges where they 

 were required for comparative investigation or as materials for in- 

 struction. Besides these distributions a large number of specimens 

 have been intrusted to individuals for special study, viz : the insects 

 to Baron Ostensacken, Dr. G. H. Horn, Edw. Norton, esq., W. H. 

 Edwards, esq., and H. Ulke, esq.; the shells to P. P. Carpenter, 

 esq., Thomas Bland, esq., Isaac Lea, esq., and George W. Tryon, 

 esq.; the minerals to Prof. T. Egleston; the plants to Dr. John Tor- 

 ry; the bats to Dr. H. Allen] infusorial earths to S. A. Bailey, esq.; 

 birds to Jno. Cassin, esq., Geo. N. Lawrence, esq., and D. G* Elliot, 

 esq.; nests and eggs to Dr. T. M. Brewer; reptiles to Prof. E. D. 

 Cope; fossils to Dr. Jos. Leidy and F. B. Meek, esq. 



In all cases in which specimens are presented to institutions or to 

 individuals for investigation, full credit is required to be given to 

 the name of Smithson for the benefits thus conferred. 



Library. — During the past year the library has received from ex- 

 change and donation — 

 Volumes: 



Octavo 922 



Quarto 226 



Folio 95 



1,243 



Parts of volumes and pamphlets: 



Octavo 3, 123 



Quarto 1, 103 



Folio 283 



4,509 



Maps and charts 121 



Total 5,873 



Showing a large increase over the receipts during the previous yean 



