REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 49 



u The first four volumes of the Proceedings and the first sixteen num- 

 bers of the Bulletin were published in this manner. 



"Siuce 1883 no publication of the Bulletins has been made, and none 

 has been made in the case of the Proceedings since 1882. 



"There remain unpublished eleven volumes of the Proceedings and 

 twenty-one numbers of the Bulletin — in all, enough to make ten thick 

 volumes of the Miscellaneous Collections. Possibly, by condensation 

 and omissions, the number might be reduced to nine volumes. If the 

 Institution were to undertake to print the edition of 1,000 now cus- 

 tomary in the case of the Miscellaneous Collections, the cost would be 

 not less than $9,000. The same amount expended by the Institution in 

 printing fresh matter would probably not produce more than one and 

 one half volumes, or at most two volumes, of Miscellaneous Collections. 



"The Institution is possibly under obligations to provide for the pub- 

 lication of these papers, since in the advertisement to each volume of 

 the Bulletin as late as 1887 (Bulletin 33) appears the statement that 

 'from time to time the publications of the Museum which have been 

 issued separately are combined together and issued as volumes of the 

 Miscellaneous Collections.' 



"As a matter of fact, however, the publication of an edition of 1,000 

 copies by the Smithsonian Institution would not really meet the neces- 

 sities of the case, since it would leave unsupplied a very large number 

 of libraries quite as deserving as those already on the distribution 

 list," 



It seems, in view of all these facts, that it is not desirable that 

 the Institution should undertake hereafter the publication of the Mu- 

 seum Bulletin and Proceedings, since it is evident that these will in- 

 crease in bulk from year to year, and that the demand upon the Insti- 

 tution would very soon become too burdensome. Dr. Goode suggests 

 that Congress be requested to increase the appropriation for the Mu- 

 seum printing to $18,000 in order that an edition of 2,000 copies may be 

 printed in addition to the customary number. If this arrangement 

 should be carried out, the Smithsonian Institution would be relieved of 

 the responsibility of providing for the publication of these documents. 

 The issue of the enlarged edition would commence with volume 13 of 

 the Proceedings and with Bulletin 40 or 41. In considering the question 

 of publishing back volumes of the Proceedings and Bulletin, Dr. Goode 

 remarks : 



" When we come to the question of the publication of the back vol- 

 umes, volumes 1 to 4 of the Proceedings and Bulletins 1 to 16 may be 

 regarded as published, although not to the extent to which it would seem 

 desirable in the way of supplying local institutions. Of the following, 

 we have in hand enough to make a very fair distribution, viz : Proceed- 

 ings, volumes 10 and 11 and Bulletins No. 33 to 37. Of volumes o to 9 

 of Proceedings and of Bulletins 17 to 32, however, no systematic publi- 

 cation can be made without the printing of an additional number of 

 copies." 



Students. — In accordance with the policy of past years, free access to 

 the collections has been granted to students in the various branches of 

 328A 4 



